As I dabble in photography, my main focus is to tell a story within a framework. In photos, location is key, as is the center of the frame, even if the subject is not at first obvious by staring straight at the middle. For me, the subject of a photo is not so much as important as what surrounds it. Nothing exists in a vacuum. Even if you have a subject that is the only thing visible, what is not visible can be just as, if not more important, than what is not. 

As a photographer, you have the power of exclusion, and that is sometimes more of a skill to learn in the art than any other fundamental, what you choose to exclude ostensibly creates the perfect shot. Photographs have a way of creating their own illusion of reality… telling a story that could be entirely true or entirely fiction.

During the photo expeditions Em and I went on early in our relationship, my obsession with efficiency and maximizing the potential of our time came to the forefront. It seems I have a knack for just knowing what shots to take. The only reason I don’t continue to utilize this skill for myself is that the commercial viability is rather limited. It’s simply not worth my time for the pennies on the dollar that my efforts will reward me with, and I just stick to writing.

~ Amelia Desertsong