World of Whitney

My Photo scholarship 2011 entry

Worldwide | Tuesday, November 8, 2011 | 5 photos

I first fell in love of the written word, then photography, then graffiti. The pattern only strengthened as I entered my 20s: I went to school for journalism, then photography and before finishing both degrees – which I eventually did – I was exploring graffiti and street art with a pen in one hand a camera in the other.
What strikes me about this particular opportunity with Jason Edwards is that he, like many photojournalists, has something that I don’t. Or I do, but it’s not fully developed yet. It’s the mixer of bravery and sensitivity with which a photographer approaches and interacts with their subject. The subjects that I’m working with, graffiti and street artists alike, are not so different from those that Edwards photographs. The artists are notoriously elusive and fickle, yet they are so full of stories that I’m aching to capture. Working alongside Edwards, I’m hoping to learn the best way to conduct myself to allow my subjects to open up to my lens. The photos I’m submitting are taken from Montreal, Canada, which is currently feeling the growing pains where the city meets graffiti artists and graffiti artists meet copyright and property laws.