“Photography is an art of observation. It’s about finding something interesting in an ordinary place. It has little to do with things you see, and everything with the way you see them.” - Elliot Erwitt
The following is an entry from #JacksonMI based photographer Coley Kennedy:
As my 4 year-old daughter held one eye to the viewfinder of my camera and covered her other eye with the palm of her hand, she asked me why we take pictures of old cars, but never new cars. I explained to her that evening at Marshall Classic Motors in Jackson, that I like to photograph things with a soul, and things with lots of history --- such as old cars, and old buildings, and old barns. I explained to her that I believe that since these things have been around for a long, long time, they have a story to tell, even if we don’t quite know what that story is. We also talked about the importance of being still and taking time to notice the art and beauty in things that are sometimes overlooked and forgotten.
Whether I’m looking through my lens on the sidewalk of West Ave, bathing in the neon glow of The Roxy Café as it prepares for another bustling breakfast shift; or on a gravel country road in rural Jackson during the grave-like quietude of civil dawn shooting a timeworn barn; or I’m framing a shot, immersed in the brick and steel and glaring magnificence of the historical Jackson train yards as the twilight sets in --- It all feels connected. And I feel connected.
To me, the ability to capture and hold a moment in time is quite remarkable; and as a photographer, I feel it’s the obligation to my creative spirit, along with an unbroken desire and responsibility to study and shoot my surroundings, that allows me to preserve Jackson’s story, and further share its story through my photos.
Coley Kennedy studied photography + fine arts at Watkins College of Art + Design in Nashville TN., and spent 15 years as a photographer + singer in a rock'n'roll band in Nashville and Chicago. A passion for portrait photography, and a yearning for open landscapes, parks, and country roads, lead Coley back to his hometown of Jackson MI, where he happily resides with his wife and two kids.
You can learn more about Coley Kennedy on his website: www.staygold.photos