“Unfolding” was an immensely rewarding collaborative photo/poetry book project I did with Katie Adelia. When Katie and I talked about collaborating on this project, we knew from the get go that it would be fundamental to build trust and make sure that our goals were aligned creatively. I had been working with black and white film images dealing with the human form and sexuality for some time, but had never paired my images with poetry. For this book we explored themes of vulnerability and becoming comfortable in ones own body and power.
We shot in six sessions over a few months with no set goals or shot lists. My intention was to shoot black and white imagery that was as simple as it was interesting, choosing minimal backdrops or props just to give the most possible power to Katie and her words. As far as technicalities go, I shot on 35mm black and white film (tri-x 400 and Ilford hp5 all home developed and scanned) as well as digital with vintage lenses and slow shutter speeds to give a look that felt textured and fluid through time to match the feeling of Katie’s beautiful words.
