Mga Santong Kanto

Here are some of the images from a series i’m working on for my thesis. As this is my blogspace, I’ll speak here informally about the origins of the project, but if you want to read a more academic statement about the work (AND WHO WOULDN’T), my fine art portfolio is viewable at this link.

For this body of work, I knew I wanted to work with men. I photograph women a lot, and as a woman it’s pretty easy to figure out how to be subversive about femininity, but I wanted to bring that same spirit into my images of these guys. I wanted to maintain my aesthetic (which is really quite girly let’s be real i photograph weddings for a living) yet i didn’t want to just take girly portraits of men. I wanted them to look good, but i also wanted them to look real. I’m not interested in flattery or beauty shots.

I realized as i was working that it’s a difficult line to tread. I found myself having to reassure my subjects after i’d pitch the idea that i wasn’t trying to subvert THEIR masculinity, i wasn’t trying to make them look like women. It was just so odd to realize that presenting people in this way was more typically feminine. I think that’s perhaps why i really tried to maintain some sense of sanctity, of elevation in these. I am not trying to diminish these men. I am honoring them. My artist statement talks a great deal about sanctification and i think thats pretty accurate for how i’m approaching this work.

So. Anyway. That’s my train of thought. I’m still shooting these. I’ve included some outtakes here on my blog, of images will not make it into the final series for one reason or other. I’m working on putting up more of my projects on my fine art portfolio, so expect more posts on there soon.

For my boys, whom i love =)