tell me a story

I’m really excited today! Last year I started working with several photographers on a project called Rear Curtain. The project is the brain child of my mentor Ray Ketcham. It started out as a way for Ray to help the people he was mentoring to develop their photographic skills through storytelling and also to show their work. Along the way, it evolved to having a very specific purpose.

Rear Curtain’s mission is to be a place for emerging visual storytellers to share stories that are important to them and also  to be a resource of learning tools for those who wish to advance their storytelling skills. We believe images hold the potential to share some of the most powerful stories that connect us no matter where in the world we live. Finding stories that link people to one another and that reflect how we are all the same can make the world a better place. Through sharing our lives and those of the people around us–our family, friends, neighbors, and our community–we can move others to new points of view by showing what we all have in common regardless of race, culture, religion or geography. These stories can improve understanding and influence behavior, all with the hope of–in some way–changing the future.

I know this seems like quite a lofty mission but I really do believe that our images can have an impact beyond what we might think or imagine. Sometimes the most overlooked stories are the ones that need to be shared and they happen to be right on our doorstep. To quote my friend Stuart Sipahigil in his eBook Close to Home “Look at your world with new eyes; learn to see the extraordinary where before, you saw something ordinary.” Take a look at Maureen Murphy’s personal story on her aging parents and I guarantee you will be moved. Read about Ian Furniss’ love for Serbia and you will gain an appreciation for everyday life in a city that hosts many tourists.

Not all the stories selected for the launch are local stories. We loved Chris Plante’s images from his recent visit to Cuba and his message that kids are just kids no matter where in the world they live.  During his visit to Nashville, Ed Brydon’s shares what happens after a disaster when it isn’t covered in the headlines.

The core team compromises of Ray, myself and our  newest collaborator, Matthew Connors. I’ve been looking for more ways to work with Matt since his three images were chosen in the “10 Ways to Kill Creativity” contest. This past weekend, the three of us put the final touches on the website. These are early days but I really do hope Rear Curtain finds the support and audience to help photographers like myself. Please take a look at the Submissions page and consider sending in your own stories. We’ve started a section on Craft where we’ll share some of the things our contributors are learning about visual storytelling and photography in general. As with things that are newly created, there are still tweaks to be made and of course we are very open to ideas and suggestions.

Last but not least, I’d like to personally thank the contributors who are part of our launch today. You’ve been generous to share your work and patient with us as we’ve worked to bring this project to life. One thing that I’ve learned along the way has been how wonderful this community of photographers is. You’ve actually changed this journey for me. It has become a real adventure and I couldn’t do it without you all!