Project Bookface
Project Bookface Story
This project started out as a small idea with a big purpose. My plan was to photograph friends from Facebook in their best light. Contemplative, pondering, thoughtful I remember I just wanted to photograph a few people; I posted a message on Facebook to see who would be interested? Well, the response was more than I expected I mean this response was huge.
A few months passed, and I was still receiving messages from people who loved the idea. I believed everyone wanted to be apart of something much bigger. The Wendale Davis Foundation asked me to photograph an event they were having in Bakersfield, California. I remember thinking, as I was shooting photos; they were really trying to make a difference in the community. This made a huge impression on me as my own personal goal is to be the light in the dark. I wanted to be like them and make change in my community. Project Bookface is:
- I take a photo
- I wanted to take at least 200 photos of people in our community.
- The picture will concentrate on your face and facial expression.
- I took these photos over the course of 5 months.
- Then I invited everybody who participated to an art gallery where we can eat, drink and dance and where you can purchase your photo or photos for $20 dollars.
- All the portion of the proceeds will go to the Wendale Davis Foundation.
The Wendale Davis Foundation in Bakersfield, California is named for a 16 year old young man who had aspiration to be a fireman, until he was gunned down in April 2006. He died while giving somebody a ride home to an unfamiliar neighborhood. His murder remains unsolved, but his family is determined his death not leave a feeling of desperation and sadness but one of hope. Their goal is to help educate, motivate, and rehabilitate at-risk youth and their families through counseling, familial support, social interaction, and mentoring. What the Wendale Davis Foundation did inspired me to come up with Project Bookface.
Each individual photographed for this project did it because they understood this was for the greater good. They each chose to be the light in the darkness. As you will see, they each appear to have stepped into the light and have chosen to make a difference in their community by using their face.
I want to thank everyone who participated in Project Bookface. Each of you inspires me exponentially to continue to bring awareness to the community through photography.
Thank you.
Michael Lopez