I recently read a post on Time’s website about renowned street photographer Richard Sandler, who’s responsible for a beautiful body of work that, as Time put it, tapped into “the pulse of the 80s.”
In the article, Sandler lamented the effect of cellphones on his work.
“There is nothing more boring, nothing more nondescript and vacant than a person on a cell phone walking down the street. They seem to be out of the game,” Time quoted Sandler as saying. “People are walking around in bubbles.”
I couldn’t agree more that this is happening, but I also wanted to take that sentiment as an opportunity for documentation, rather than a roadblock.
So, as I watch friends, family and myself grow increasingly attached, even addicted to the devices, I’ve recently been honing my camera in on people’s cellphones.
The other night, while out with friends, I saw this new vice juxtaposed with a cigarette, perhaps the most well known addiction in the modern world. It seemed only fitting.
I plan to keep focusing in on cell phones as I explore this city with my camera, examining how it’s changing us as a city and a culture. Let me know if you have thoughts along the way about how to illustrate that.
I’m a photojournalist at voiceofsandiego.org. You can contact me directly at sam.hodgson@voiceofsandiego.org or 619.550.5664.
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