The work of Aubrey Hays

December 5, 2007

Some nice images by a young photographer, Aubrey Hays.

When I look at her images at both her website and Flikr accounts I can't help to feel a bit confused about the meaning or purpose of the series of portraits of a single person. While some shots are visually compelling, the series appear to tell something that I don't grasp.

This is often the case with portraits. When I see a single shot -portrait- of a person, a picture that captures a unique expression of that individual, I visualize the image, I feel it and I then I am satisfied. If, on the contrary, I see a series of portraits of a single person, then it becomes storytelling to me and I want to know more about about the person and his/her circumstances. If the photographer does not share that information, I feel confused ... a story that wanted to be but it couldn't.