A Highlight Reel
On the doors that continue to open up...
In a world full of objects made for immediate and often disposable use, my ceramic work has been a place of refuge from mass production and mass consumption. I have long tried to bring a deliberate process to my studio, focused on creating work that is lasting and aware of its place in a broader history. A human timeline that goes back millennia, long before we lived with a constant need to refresh what’s in front of us.
I am trying to bring a similar mentality to my photography, wanting to capture the parts of our world that I find interesting. My work has shifted and my brain has along with it. Instead of creating an object to signify the importance of a shared space or experience, my photos are a new opportunity to share what I believe is important to celebrate in the world that we inhabit. It’s almost as if my work as an artist has moved from “Look at what I made.” to “Look at what I see.”
For years, my work in clay has brought me inside of worlds that bring me joy, generosity, and inspiration. I am fortunate that my camera is now doing the same.
I love being able to document the craftsmanship of a chef bringing their vision to the table and their community. It's a treat to make portraits of big moments, be it a senior portrait for my daughter or behind the scenes at a large event. It is a thrilling challenge to capture the energy and communal joy of live music, or finding a millisecond of almost unimaginable athleticism and the unrestrained emotions of a tennis match.
Speaking of tennis, I found myself within an amazing opportunity over the past couple of weeks at the Miami Open where I was shooting for my friends at Served Podcast. Because of them, I had full access to a tournament bursting with the top talent on both the men’s and women’s side of the game. The tournament itself is one half of the “Sunshine Double” and one of the biggest tennis tournaments of the season.
Being at the tournament was a wild opportunity, an almost incomprehensible chance to work alongside so many incredible photographers documenting some of the best athletes on the planet…all happening within my favorite sport to both play and watch.
There was a bit of a learning curve, but just like I’ve done throughout my years in ceramics, I jumped directly into the deep end to see what I could create. And just like my years of working with clay, I’m so eager to gain more knowledge and skill with each and every photograph that I make.
I wanted to share a few of my favorites with you here on Thinking Through Making because although I was posting to social media throughout the tournament, my Substack is still the place where I am most excited to share my work and my story.
I trust you know that if you’re interested in what I’m working on (and what I’m thinking about), it will all be here for you to discover…on your own time.
One final image below– While shooting one of Sinner’s matches, I found the stadium lighting reflecting from the bright metal counter of the photo pit and I just had to explore a bit of that moment while the match continued.
I’m incredibly thankful to all of you who continue to open the doors for my work on this new path. I cannot wait to see where else my camera will bring me with your help.
Hi Keith, First Off, great shots from the ATX and Miami Opens. I'm curious, for your tennis shots over the past couple of months were any of those taken using your medium format camera? or were there all with a digital camera?