Contacts

For the past couple nights, I have set up shop in my bathroom to develop negatives for one of my current projects. As corny as it might sound, this is almost a spiritual process for me. To carry film, load film, expose film, and develop film brings me closer to my work. I believe It is this intimacy that is translated to the viewer of my photographs.

Traditionally, a photographer's contact sheet is a very personal document. I show very few people my actual contact sheets. It is the rough draft. It is the blue print. It is the sketch book. It is the essence. In a contact sheet you see the photographers mistakes, hesitations, and shooting habits. This is not something for everyone to see.

While in college, one of my professors let me borrow a DVD. This DVD, Contacts Vol. 1, Portraits of Contemporary Photographers was a collection of photographers showing and speaking about the contact sheets in which some of their most praised work stemmed from. For any photographer to share their contact sheets with the public is a bold statement.

William Klein's segment was one of my personal favorites. When I ran across it on youtube, I knew I had to share it. Enjoy.