reflective portraits [continued]

images shot with 4x5 view camera

(top two images)
sierra is a journalism major

when i thought of her the next thought i went to was what journalism ultimately meant?
as with all different type of writing, it meant words.
in a sense words mean a great deal for identity, it means a hunter for an elusive prey.
authors from all times have ultimately used words as a way of describing what had previously been indescribable. i remember many times when i was reading a line of text that just seemed to click with me, like i had always understood what was being said, but had never once heard it put into words, realizing that each time this happened i came a little closer to understanding the identity within myself which would then lead me to understanding man's obsession with putting into words the experiences of every event in their lives, similar to a river that runs down stream to a great ocean going as fast as gravity and time would allow it, but not missing a single rock in its path, making sure to give each pebble the same amount of attention it gave the last. words are man's conscious effort to simplify their experiences into something tangible.

(bottom three images)
clare is a fashion major, there are three images because i am not sure which one to edit out of the diptych. ill decide later.

fashion is a method of clothing yourself in a way that will express your views of the world inside and out, to yourself and everyone around you. in the east (traditionally) the colors of your clothing have religious or spiritual meanings, in the west (traditionally) the styles of your clothing can represent your individuality in some way, and everywhere the types of clothing you wear can represent your social class, your status or any other type of title you may hold in society.
even the ones who say they do not have a style have the no style style, there is a no escaping the confines of what fashion means to our multi-layered effort of understanding the fundamental questions that we have about ourselves.
as soon as we put that thrift store shirt with the vintage text screen printed onto it , buy those designer shoes in the latest mainstream trend, or wear that from start to finish diamond studded necklace in the style of a rosary. we make a statement of our own personal idea of our own personal identity.