Like our featured photographer last month, Kat Kiernan, Sarah Moore also was a winner in our open call. Combining self-portraits and landscapes - two of my favorite things - the Moore Ten takes viewers visually on a journey with Sarah. The below Q&A will shed some light onto the purpose and self-discovery made along the way.
The series on the Ten is a lot about self-exploration, so what have you learned?
When I began the project, Scape, I didn't realize it would become a cohesive project. I began that journey right after moving from Philadelphia, where I lived for two years doing everything except making images. I decided to move to find my photography voice again, and to find myself again. I also just wanted to travel and see the country.
I learned a lot throughout the trip and after, while compiling the photos into a project. I definitely discovered I was a photographer again. I realized I'm in love with this country, but mainly for its landscapes. Loneliness has plagued me for much of my life, but I started to understand that loneliness doesn't have to equal unhappiness. Being alone and searching for something can bring joy. I also learned that I'll never stop photographing landscapes, and I'll never stop appreciating beauty.
Favorite type of landscape/terrain.
For a long time, my favorite landscape was the flat land of South Dakota, where I grew up. I photographed that land for years, finding solace but also anxiety in the overwhelming expanse of that terrain. I know that I'll never tire of that landscape, even if (or maybe because) it stirs up intense emotions in me. The Midwest land is in me.
These days, I find inspiration through nearly every landscape. When I lived in Ohio, I started photographing forests a lot, which was very new to me. Here in Santa Fe, mountains have become more important. Oceans give me a similar feeling to the South Dakota plains. I think every different landscape offers something for me to think about, and I offer something to project onto every landscape. I think people are endlessly fascinating and wonderful, but also hurtful. Yet landscapes, the ones I look for at least, are still. They don't hurt me or challenge me. Yet they always remind me of the people that inhabit them.
Digital or analog?
I shoot a little of both, though primarily digital these days. It's much cheaper to shoot digital, and since I seem to always be struggling with just paying bills, paying for film, processing, and scanning is a little out of the question right now.
My general philosophy on the digital versus analog conversation is shoot with whatever works for you. I think if you can create a strong image with a digital camera, great. If you can do so with a film camera, great. If you can do that with an iPhone, great. I believe it's what you create, not necessarily how you create it. At least, that goes for my own work.
Why are you a photographer?
Sometimes I'm not really sure... I love seeing. I love observing. I'm incredibly analytical and tend to over-think everything. Photography provides me with a way to slow down a little bit, capture a moment, and hope that what I capture says something at least to me. I love writing, but I love the challenge of conveying my ideas and emotions through images. Photography constantly challenges me, and challenge has always been important to me.
Favorite camera to shoot with?
My Mamiya RZ 67. I love the medium format negatives. I love looking down into the ground glass. I love the sound the shutter makes. I love the focusing bellows. It's a beautiful camera. If I could afford to shoot with this camera more, I definitely would.
If you weren't making art, what would you be doing?
Well, if money weren't an issue, I'd embark on road trips constantly. I love driving and exploring. During the down time on these trips, I'd probably knit (I'm a huge knitting dork), read, and do some writing. I don't think I'm capable of not making art, sadly.
Motto?
I don't really have a succinct motto. Though, I guess I often tell myself that if I care enough about something, someone else out there will too.
Some photographers you draw inspiration from?
I've been feeling a bit bombarded by photographers these days, thanks to the internet and social media. I would say that the first photographers that directly inspired and changed my photography were Todd Hido, Alec Soth, Larry Sultan, and Joe Deal. I have a lot of close friends and peers I look up to now though, such as Jordan Baumgarten, Julia Kozerski, Matthew Avignone, Kurt Simonson, and so many others. I also find a lot of inspiration in filmmakers, authors, and musicians.
Any new projects or exhibitions you'd like to tell us about?
I've been working on making my project Scape into a book for the past eight months or so. I'm really happy with the progress I've made, but it still needs more work. I'd love to get that published some day. I'm also working on making books for some of my other work. Book-making is really interesting to me these days.
I also recently moved to Santa Fe, so I'm starting to find my photography footing here. The light is so intense, and the landscape is pretty new to me, so it's both exciting and scary.
No new exhibitions on my horizon, but I'm still trying to get my work out to as many people/places as possible. Promoting work is one of the more grueling tasks of being a photographer, but it's incredibly necessary.
Dinner party. 10 guests. Who do you invite?
Terrence Malick
Rachel Moore (my older sister)
Jeff Mangum
Larry Sultan
Ann Fessler
Stephen Colbert
Kate Bush
David Foster Wallace
Michelangelo Antonioni
Tom Waits
Though, I'm sure this list will change day-to-day.
Self-portrait (New Orleans)
Self-portrait (White Sands)
Nightfall (White Sands)
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