Melissa
"Sometimes I think the only memories I have are those that I’ve created around photographs of me as a child. Maybe I’m creating my own life. I distrust any memories I do have. They may be fictions, too. "
- Sally Mann
- Sally Mann
Early Work-
My original work was heavily inspired by Sally Mann's intimate portraits of her children. As I began my photographic journey seven years ago, I set out to capture moments of my younger sisters life. These early photographs are more organic in that they were natural occurring moments captured on film. I was experiencing for the first time how a child grows up and was documenting these moments with my pictures. I was becoming increasingly aware of how a child is effected by the things they are exposed to. It was also the first time I witnessed the changes that a individual goes through as they mature and develop into the person that are to become. With time I began to take note of the difficulties that young girls, in particular, face during development. At this point I switched my format from black and white to color photography and started manipulating the photographs by adding makeup and mature wardrobe to create a more in depth storyline. With these manipulations I was creating an unsettling realization of the monumental influences that are placed on our young people today through the media.
