About five years ago I decided to venture out to see the world and explore new places while living in a van. No matter how I tried, I couldn’t find space in the van for this massive 4x5 camera case. I was heartbroken to leave it behind, but now I just know I was waiting for the perfect time to use it. Earlier this year I booked a photo job in New York City. Giddy with excitement, I packed my bags and flew from Oregon all the way to New York. Before the project started I visited my parents in New Jersey. Around this time, I found out that the job had just been canceled. I was so unbelievably disappointed. As I wandered around the house, I came across this dusty old case with Frank’s camera in it. Over the next few days, I re-taught myself how to use this camera. Despite losing the job I was still going to go to Brooklyn to meet up with a friend. “Well, what do you want to do?” Kris asked me, “I want to be Frank.” I loaded up the camera and went into the city but I wasn’t even sure if it had any terrible light leaks or other problems. I was, I guess, open to the outcome. We decided to visit a few parks around the city, and we ended up at Washington Square Park. My goal was to be open - to take a step away from my reality and into someone else, to level with them, to see them for who they are, and be open to my own expression of connection. Turns out a 4x5 camera can be quite an attraction itself so at one point I decided to put it away and then allow people to be completely open with me. Then when the time was right I would take out the camera and set it up. I felt like hearing people, letting them tell me whatever it was they wanted, would create an expression of connection through vulnerability. The portraits I took of people warmed me. Each expression told a story. Then I met Julian. As I set up my camera (which takes about 5 minutes), he started skating. I thought to myself, “the way I express myself stems from challenges,” so why not try to capture motion on a 4x5? And in some way shape or form... I took my first motion image on a 4x5 in one shot.