Bending Light
“… whether I’m lost within the city of New York, engaging and photographing strangers, or trekking the Imperial Sand Dunes of So. Cal—I’ll forever be grateful.”
Words and Photography by Ervin Elzie
Photography: The process of capturing light, “the art, application and practice” thereof. An art form that I hold dearly within my heart, a practice that made me who I am today. I would’ve never guessed it’d open so many doors within my life, as the core of photography is to engage, study and document human behavior. With that being said, I’ve met and interacted with a lot of wonderful people throughout my travels. A testimony within itself.
"Subconsciously, it all started during my early days on this earth. With my mother, who was avid with capturing the development of my brother and me, instilling the love of capturing moments within my youth. Each moment captured in a way that expressed her newfound concept of motherhood. A style that highlighted each moment as “her” experience, the catalyst and inspiration behind her process. Something I’ll always take with me. The philosophy of capturing every moment as an experience—allowing the viewer to engage and feel as though they were a part of the visual story unfolding before them."
It didn’t really hit me until I bought my first camera during my senior year at Auburn High School. Those were the early years of my journey, where most of my stories consisted of classroom and after-school shenanigans. Me making the conscious decision to document my experiences growing up as a teenager in the small town known as Auburn. Subconsciously picking up where my mother left off, but through the perspective of my own lens. Building off of the foundation forged by her experiences. And whether I’m lost within the city of New York, engaging and photographing strangers, or trekking the Imperial Sand Dunes of So. Cal—I’ll forever be grateful.
Bending Light
Ever since I’ve been an avid practitioner of photography, I’ve dwelled more and more within the realm of “bending” light. The process of manipulating light, another gratifying aspect of photography, as light is malleable by nature. A concept filled with infinite possibilities, something I’m shameless about taking advantage of. It allowed me to extend my creative freedom, providing more elements and a newfound joy of photography.
The curiosity was inspired by a simple memory of holding a prism as a child, studying refraction in science class. I was fascinated with the various degrees light bent when passed through different mediums. The very same process that occurs when light seeps within the lens of a camera system before being captured into a scene. And I'm not the only one who was impacted by this fascination, as there's a genre of prism photography that exists. So take a prism to experiment with the next time you're out shooting. It'll add a wonderful, painterly effect that increases in depth the more conscious one becomes of the conjured distortion. Combine this with your imagination, a little conceptual thinking, and you'll be creating eye-catching images in no time.
But don't stop there, as manipulating light goes beyond the prism.
Ervin Elzie is a contributing photographer and writer for Hueman Collective. Often aloof, yet interested, Ervin’s passion for his work stems from his love of capturing people. He is an Auburn, Alabama based photographer. You can find more of his photography and writings by visiting his website, www.ehlzi.com, and following him on Instagram.