Liz Folkman

Out of the hundreds of photos I've shot during the last three weeks, this is my favorite photo. Although all my photos were taken of people, none of the beginning pictures were able to communicate my intentions of having a portrait with emotion behind it.

I've realized that if you want something badly enough, the effort, patience, and determination will pay off in the end. Specifically with the 4x5, I was forced to slow down and put more thought into the composition and lighting. Composition was one thing that I struggled with in the beginning, and my progress is visible on photo of the day. When I first started taking pictures of people I was shy and would take the stranger's photo and leave. With time, I started becoming more curious about the people whose pictures I was taking and I began to try to learn something about them so I could try to display their personality in my work.


Looking forward, I'd like to continue with my series of photographing the people on the street. I've met a few families that I've been keeping in touch with through email and I'd like to go back and shoot more with them. I'd also like to shoot different areas of Milwaukee, rather than just the north and the south.