VENEZUELA. Caracas. 2006. Reflection in window in Altamira.

My photo inspiration for grade 11 photography is none other than Christopher Anderson. Born in British Columbia in 1970, Christopher Anderson spent much of his early years in Texas, where his father was a preacher, before moving to New York City, and then Paris (so he's most definitely had his share of exploring the planet). His life in photography began in the photo lab of the Dallas Morning News, where he learned to develop film and print pictures. Along with now working in black and white, Anderson was honored with the Robert Capa Gold Medal Award. Later that year, he photographed the stone throwers of Gaza and was named Kodak's Young Photographer of the Year. In 2003, he published his first monograph, Nonfiction, later publishing Capitolio.

Aside from the fact that his photos are super intriguing, Christopher Anderson eloquently gives you something to look at, and another thing to think about. Anderson gets out of an office or a kitchen, or any room that I've seen more times than my own reflection. He gets out into the world and shoots pictures that tell a story that people need to see. The first thing that comes to mind when I see a photo by Christopher Anderson is that there's such raw emotion and passion in his shots. His photos of the stone throwers inspired me to take pictures that move people. I think he has a strong drive to show things like that to parts of the world that don't get to witness things like that on a daily basis. He shot several photos in Caracas, Venezuela that showed you emotion and pain in the faces of the people, that gave you a strong sense of the poverty, political power, and negative influence on the area. Yep, that's my inspiration.