Photos You Can Feel

This is the only time I’ve ever done an ODE without a face. But when Bob reached out and touched this tree, I saw the healer’s hand. And I thought about the power of touch, and how this man, Bob Grant, had touched so many lives. So it’s fitting to convey that bridge, the human hand, as part of Bob’s story.

I happen to agree with Bob’s perception. The universe and all of it’s objects are alive, endowed with energy, and spirit. You can almost feel this tree just by looking at the photograph. And that’s the whole point of these ODEs, of all my photographs. To feel the energy and spirit of the person being portrayed. I often think to give people a heads up when they work with me. If you don’t want to feel something when you see your photos, you’re working with the wrong guy.

That’s the third dimension I’m striving for, that feeling. It’s not enough to look. Seeing is just scratching the surface. I want to feel what I’m looking at, not just its texture, but its essence, its spirit. I want to feel with all my senses, and my heart. When I look at a photo, I want to be moved.

And I want to move you. I can’t make you feel what I feel but hopefully I can help make you feel something. If I had to distill my purpose down to one thing it would be that. I want my photographs to make you feel something. What you feel is up to you. I can’t control that.

So I’m halfway through Bob’s ODEs and already he’s a fleshed out, well-rounded human. Without seeing anything else I think you’d grok him. This panel says a lot about him. Any person who feels this way about the world I want in my orbit. He did a great job being real and allowing himself to be seen - and not just with eyes. Stay tuned, more to come.