Alaska Film Photo Collection

From the Photographer: I spent both a summer and winter in Alaska, managing a food stand and assisting in putting together carnival rides and the Alaskan State Fair's first rollercoaster. I am somewhat dissatisfied with these images because they capture a romanticized snapshot instead of the moments I think back on the most. The cover photo is an image of somebody I trained in and worked with named Arna. We worked in a food stand together, both able to work quickly, dancing from the grill to the friers, and telling stories from the different worlds we live in. He told me stories about having multiple wives and hunting wild game while spitting black tobacco spit into Styrofoam cups. 

The rollercoaster image reminds me of rainy morning's where I stood surrounded by grunge-looking cranes while wearing a bright yellow hard hat and strangely enjoying feeling completely out of my element. The stranger I slept in a camper with became a good friend who showed me how to make authentic Mexican fish tacos, which felt glorious to eat as the campers surrounding us and the guys bullshitting outside our door chose to eat ramen, chicken tenders, chips, Oreo's, and other snacks packaged in colorful wrapping. I try to use my film camera to pay deeper attention to the world but as I look back, I am always shocked to find out that the idle, ordinary moments contain the most depth. Moving forward, I hope to capture life being lived on film or in writing, while holding myself accountable to courageously live a life worth capturing.