From an early age, photographic images have always fascinated me. I first started taking pictures with my father's brass Canon EF. My methods and materials have evolved over that time, but more importantly, my love and excitement for photography has grown.
This body of work was a very unique experience for me it was controlled and created. My Studio work seems so removed from the street photograph's I capture now. I was well aware of my surroundings and in full control of the final image I wanted to produce. Although I had roughly sketched out the individual images (several weeks beforehand) the process of shooting in the studio was very free. I let things evolve with my subjects and forgot completely what I was trying to capture. The whole collection was shot within 5 days with the printing and post process in the darkroom taking a couple of weeks.
When I look at this body of work I realize how dark they are, how much the sickness of my Twin brother had affected me.They reveal so much now that I was so unaware of during the time I created them. It was a unique and very personal time and the images reflect that, but I never wish to go through the process again.
I know that perhaps unconsciously I was dealing with a lot more than just pictures and pain. I know I was letting go, shedding the doubts I had with so many aspects of my life and those close to me.
Street work unlike my studio work is grounded in the reality of now, although when I look back at these studio images I realize how grounded in my actual life these images had been. I hope to reveal in all my pictures what I have seen and experienced. My studio images are part of that, they are just layered in a time and place I wish to move on from.
By: Simon Morris-Johnson (Australia)
Nikon F4, 50 1.4 Lens, Tri-X, Paper neg 5x4
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