Neal Schlosburg | Artist | Portrait Photographer

My Picture Tells A Story

The Technique

I went to a cousin’s brunch Sunday morning, March 19th, 2017. I was testing a new lens that weekend and brought it with me. I thought it might complement my other lenses. It is an ideal lens for sitting at a table and taking inmate images of people without being intrusive.

Seated across from me, I noticed my cousin beginning to relay a story. She is very animated when relaying a tale. I photographed about a dozen images hoping to get one or two I liked. Later, I put the photos on my editing viewer. Instead of individual images, I saw an old-time film strip or storyboard. I wondered what it would look like if I took five and put them together on a single print. I let my creative instincts take over; I created a complete story on a single canvas using multiple images.

Over time, I showed that print to a few fellow photographers. Their responses were encouraging.

The Challenge

In 2016, LensWork Magazine introduced the Seeing in Sixes project. The concept was simple, create six separate interrelated images. The idea was to stimulate photographers by using this concept. It was a way to jump-start the creative process. They would publish annually the 50 best projects they received. The submissions were worldwide. Several of my colleagues used the concept to start their projects. A few submitted theirs for consideration. The last Seeing in Sixes series ended in 2019.

In July of 2017, I met with Patty Hankins, a fellow photographer. We discussed my first solo exhibit opening in October 2018. During the discussion, she emphasized having a centerpiece or anchor for the exhibition. The exhibition was titled The Color in Black & White. The show consisted of black and white prints only. Towards the end of our discussion, Patty challenged me to do a Seeing in Sixes project, maybe something that might end up in the exhibition. I found that intriguing, if not thought-provoking.