Composite images are images where I combine multiple images to pull various elements from each image to the foreground to express an idea, emotion, or place. If you asked me two or three years ago what I thought about composite images I’d have told you something along the lines of “it deviates from pure photography, my images should be able to stand on their own without copious amounts of pixel manipulation…”
Others have seen what it is and asked why. I have seen what it could be and asked why not.
Pablo Picasso
Aside from the composite images I have always considered myself a purist. In fact, with my interests leaning heavily towards street/documentary photography and photojournalism I try to tell a clear story with each shot so the less convoluted by over saturation or heavy clarity the better. Composite images on the other hand, those are my alter ego… They are chance for me to turn off my prefrontal cortex, the part of the brain that you use for self monitoring so you don’t do something stupid, and create something absolutely fun and unique.
I’ll sum it up this way; Have you every been sitting someplace and felt like some part of you, some part deep down inside of you, wanted to jump out of your skin and go on an adventure? I feel like that a lot. Composite images are a way for me to express this feeling and take that adventure through visual expression. It was either going to be composite images or drugs… I’m kidding, don’t do drugs.
