The fifth piece in the portfolio series is called “Jared Lying.” Jared is an actor I went on a theatrical tour with and then hired to become my garden assistant for the summer. On rainy days we would go into the studio and work on some images. This particular image was right after the unexpected death of my mother. I really wanted to capture something that would delve into my own psyche of how I was feeling about her loss. Working with a model who was an actor was an amazing process because we could emotionally go to the places I wanted to explore. He would instantly tap into and project my inner thoughts and feelings. I had worked in theater for a long time as a stage manager and developed very strong skills for communication as a director, to be able to get to the core of what is actually happening in a scene. It was through this image that I finally began to work and use those skills to get at the emotional quality of my images.

One of the things I insist on doing when I begin working with someone new, is to interview them first and really try to study them and figure out where they are coming from and what we both have in common to which we can relate. It is during this interview that the barriers begin to fall and we can communicate on such an intimate level. I am always very open about my feelings and emotions and am quite interested in others experiences along those same lines. Then, once we move into the studio and I have to deal with all the technical aspects of creating the image, they are more in tune with me and the collective process of creation.