Day in a Life

He wakes up late, with midday light already filtering through the windows in the budget hostel. He takes a tight grip on his coat. It’s a cold day in Amsterdam and he holds onto the security of the jacket. We wander the streets barely speaking. It always looks like he’s lost in thought. I shot many of the photos tight on the details: his face, his hands, and his distorted reflection in a cracked mirror. I think the photos work together to tell a story and explain something that is beyond visual. As we wander, it seems like he doesn’t see what is around us. I made the choice to exclude wide establishing shots, as I want the viewer to try and feel what the world is like from Frank’s eyes. In the initial tight portrait, I chose to do an in-camera multi-exposure. The reflection of light off of the canal is hidden behind his eyes. When we do talk, it’s usually about self-reflection, criticisms of self, or the person that he wants to become. He’s incredibly introspective. I never told him how to pose, as I wanted it to feel natural. I didn’t want to force a photo that showed something else. It seems like he is still looking for what he is passionate about in the world. It’s a process that takes time and can’t be rushed. I decided to include the photos and video of Frank walking to exemplify that continuing search.

As the shadows start to lengthen we roll cigarettes alongside the canal. It’s a trap that we’re both stuck in. As he smokes, he looks off. I shot with a wide open aperture so that his face would blur in the background - just enough so that things aren’t completely clear. You wonder what he is looking at, with his eyes drawing a line out of the frame. I also included a tight shot of the cigarette and his hands. It’s nothing special, but I like how intimate it feels. We went down back streets and found a small square. I decided to switch over to a wider lens to make Frank look small in relation to the tree. His jacket matched the bark and provided nice balance within the frame. We’ve talked a lot about what he wants to do, and what he thinks his place in the world is. It seems like because of his introspection he can minimize himself, and that’s what I was attempting to show with this image. 

As you get to know Frank, you can break through this veil of minimization. With the initial double exposure, I wanted to show this as well. It’s hard to lie with your eyes, and when I shot the portrait I wanted to ensure that the eyes were the main focal point. He looks proud and steady. I think that is how almost everyone hopes to be portrayed, and I wanted to make sure that this was made clear.

Frank is similar to so many of us. There’s a lot of people who’re still searching for what they care about. The idea of these images was to show that it’s alright to be lost. Not knowing what you are looking for is not a bad thing. It’s a normal aspect of life. The important thing to do is just keep searching.