Making April’s theme “Voices” was my attempt at centering my photo column around a current event, like Anchorage’s municipal election. Elections were something I photographed often during my time in newsrooms but I always felt the pressure to make compelling images and file quickly, knowing the newspaper’s print deadline was at my heels.
I wanted April’s column to reflect a moment in time for Anchorage and wondered how my photography could benefit if I gave myself more time. Would my images get more creative? Would I feel less pressure?
One of the photos I was most eager to see developed was of a bald eagle I spent 45 minutes waiting to see take off from the branch of a nearby tree. Bald eagles are quintessentially American and I liked the idea of including that image alongside Anchorage voters. I took the image a millisecond too early, causing the eagle to appear headless and awkward in flight. I painstakingly decided not to include it in this month’s collection.
While this moment didn’t necessarily feel like it benefitted from time, it was a good reminder of how cameras often act as a conversation starters. I have a hard time striking up conversations with strangers and so I’m thankful for my camera in these moments.
Once the eagle took off, a wildlife photographer approached my car asking if I’d captured the moment. We chatted for five minutes, talking about the eagles in Muldoon and the lynx in Arctic Valley. And when I was over at the Loussac Library on Election Day, Allyah Gonzales approached me outside because she noticed my camera. We chatted about photography and she showed me some of her work. Without fail, I leave these conversations feeling my world soften and my network broaden.
So, when I look through these images, I don’t necessarily think the extra time helped with my creativity this month. Instead, obvious as it sounds, time gave me the ability to slow down and opened me to conversations with people in Anchorage I’ve never met.
Thanks to Stewart’s Photo Shop for local film supplies and Young Kim with The Stoop PRC for film developing and scanning.
