Curated Photos | January 4th, 2016 | Amy Jasek

Oh January 1st, when so many of us look in the mirror, take stock, and make ourselves promises that we may or may not keep. Where did the old year go?  Where did I leave my running shoes?  Happy New Year, indeed.  This seemed like the perfect time to showcase one of my favorite things:  the Self Portrait.  

Artists of all kinds have been making self portraits since long before the idea of a phone with a built in camera was even a glimmer of far-fetched sci-fi fantasy.  We know how we look, but how do we *see* ourselves?  I've always been fascinated with the way photographers choose to put themselves in front of their own cameras.  If I were an art critic, I would probably have a lot of fancy language for it; if I were a psychologist, I would probably have even more to say about it. Lacking those tools, I just call it interesting.  So here I give you my picks from this week's submissions: the versions of themselves that these photographers decided to present.

Next week, Ruby Falls will be curating the theme of Animals.  Will things get wild & woolly?  Send in your photographs, and check back to find out!

Amy Jasek

Photography is a family tradition. I was raised in the darkroom, and on the fine art work of photographers like Edward Weston, Diane Arbus, and Ansel Adams. My father took me photographing with him regularly and taught me how to look at light. He gave me my first camera (an Olympus RC); I made my first black and white print (standing on a stool!) at the age of 7. There are some gaps in the timeline of my photographic journey, enforced upon it by life in general, but film and cameras are one of the few things that have remained constant every step of the way. For me, photography is all about moments and truth. I like to work in black and white so that I can highlight those two things. The truth, form, and simplicity of the moment is presented; I feel that removing the color from the scene brings these things out. I believe street photography is a little window into the heart and soul of a place, a time, and the people in it. These days I tend more toward street portraits and interaction with my subjects, but my drive for capturing the candid moment remains the same.