Slowly Over Time
I approached my neighborhood with a camera slowly, and over time. Four years I have lived here in Savannah, Georgia and four years I have been observing this place. All it took for me to begin recording these observations, was to leave. Seven months I traveled away from Savannah, and for almost seven months I couldn’t keep Savannah off of my mind. Upon returning, my appreciation was exalted by this place that drew me to create this work. Slowly, and over time, as a momentum to my process, is also how I compose the scenes I choose to capture. Using a large format camera and 4x5 inch color film, I meticulously look before I pull the trigger. I wanted to portray this place the way I see it. I have spent four years in this southern place, full of its nuances and foliage. My neighborhood sits in the socioeconomic weave of streets with all its character. Homes that have been dilapidated by neglect or restored to their Victorian character find commonalities as time and place precedes them. I look at the romantics in this relationship, the homes patina with a warm orange glow streaked across them from the fading sun, the chair on the porch and the man or woman it belongs to. These moments I have observed and it was these moments I set out to capture. From the morning warmth, to midday heat, to the fading blue evening light, day in and day out I witnessed the atmosphere and the way it shifts over time. The poetry falls into place every time I walk down the street. People round corners at the perfect time, two young boys ride past me looking at me as I look at them, and we share a nod. I watch the colors change in the sky, and the orange sun glow reflect off the street. I peek through windows and down back alleys, through the windshield of cars; it has become comfortable and familiar. I have been here long enough to see things change and see things stay the same; the beauty lies in both.