My name is Erica Camille Bowman and I am a visual storyteller.
Photography enables humans to experience and understand places, people, and situations without actually being there or knowing them. Photographers, like writers, have the opportunity to tell stories and create common ground between people, cultures, and communities.
Photographer Annie Leibovitz once said, "When I say I want to photograph someone, what it really means is that I'd like to know them. Anyone i know i photograph." I couldn't agree with Annie more. My personal spiritual path has led me to see people in new ways. As a Buddhist, I often feel connected to strangers the same way I feel connected to close friends. I see each person, especially those I photograph, as someone who may be directly connected to me or someone I love. If I can photograph that person in a way that causes someone else to look at them and say "I feel like I know that person," than I know I have succeeded in capturing their true being, not just their emotional state or body. I believe that when we feel as though we are connected or known, we feel more universally bound; and when we are bound universally, we are more likely to progress as individuals and as a whole.
I recently asked myself, how does a Buddhist minimalist reconcile having thousands upon thousands of photos, most of which will probably never be printed? The answer is simple--memories. At the end of our lives, all we are left with is our memories, and, perhaps more importantly, what we have learned from those memories. With this in mind, I often ask myself, what is worth photographing? Most of the time, this answer surprises me. I find myself photographing at strange and simple times--times that appear meaningless to those involved, but for me, there is always a reason behind the moment I choose to take a picture. What is worth recording? That is the ultimate test of how i am living my life.
It is for these reasons that I am drawn to candid "in your face" photography that captures the reality and beauty of people in their natural state. It is also for this reason that I am drawn to photographing the earth we live on in bold and unique ways. I love photographing parties as they unfold and capturing the expressions of a shared moment between two people. I am also drawn to light, contrast, reality perception, and social commentary. Ultimately, I hope to combine my interests in photography, social justice, and spirituality to create change in people's lives and the world that we share.
