Oak Cliff: A Series of Environmental Portraits

Abstract

This work focuses on five individuals from Oak Cliff, a neighborhood in Dallas. These five people all live within a few blocks of one another and their stories are meant to serve as a representation for the neighborhood as a whole. For each of these individuals, I created a black and white photo series. These series consist solely of environmental portraits which are intended to provide insight into the person’s daily life. I found inspiration in the work of William Gedney, Shelby Lee Adams, Sally Mann, and Vaughn Sills. Their black and white photography, whether in the realm of journalism or the fine arts, showcases how photographs can be made both beautiful and meaningful especially when the subjects and photographer have an established relationship or emotional connection. Ultimately, I created this work with the intent to document stories that are often overlooked and undervalued. These stories help to show how people and place are intertwined, forever influencing one another.