Michelle Ben Appiah
Some photos are either as dark as the night or as bright as the day. It ultimately depends on the mood I sense from my environment. I enjoy using different lighting techniques and alternating backgrounds to match the energy or “vibe” of the people in my picture. I love taking photos of people, whether it is a group picture or an individual picture. The people within a photograph can increase the emotion of the image. I get much inspiration from Djeneba Aduayom, Lillie Eiger, and Lachlan Bailey. Yet, a majority of my inspiration comes from my fellow Expanding the Walls participants: Kevin Marshall, Salvador Peña Nissenblatt, Omar Lashin, Maya Williams, Jamier Parker, Aichatou Traore, Faride Marte, and Michelle Lucero. I love their creative use of maneuvering lighting and colors to establish a story and provide different perspectives of feelings to their artwork. Some of these artists take premeditated snapshots while others may be experimental. I take many unintentional photos because, for me, they tell the most meaningful stories. However, it is strange how most of those photos are the ones that look the most orchestrated.