These portraits came from a time of financial desperation after getting laid off consistently from jobs I worked in. Stack that with rising transportation costs from the NJ Transit, I couldn’t make consist trips up to New York anymore.
Most of these portraits were around where I lived such as Englishtown, Neptune, Lakewood, and Columbus, usually within at least a 30-minute radius of driving distance from each other. I wanted to capture the working class and their lifestyle of working in flea markets as a side job when their main jobs fail to help pay their mortgage in a struggling economy.
Instead of shooting with a 50mm prime, they were shot with the Ricoh GRD III with a 28mm prime. It’s an alternative shooting style to what I’m used to, but the colors were deliciously rich and helped translate the chaos and the hustle and bustle of these markets.
Artist Statement