It's about this time last year that I came upon my photo essay "The Cost of Living" and I think I have grown a lot that one year because of the project. Not just as a photographer, but as a person. Recently, I've been going through my whole take to find images that I may have skipped over or missed. My, for lack of better word, vision, has changed in a year and I'm becoming more aware of some of the frames deep in the archive that may be able to better translate my experience with Del, Bev, Grady, Steve, and all of the others who I came to know. I imagine some of the frames will be more personal than actually story telling, like this first one. Something really struck me about their facial expressions and what it said about them. It was also one of my first few days on the project.
Last I heard, Steve (left) went missing earlier this spring/summer and has yet to be heard from, although Del says somebody saw him around the Santa Maria in downtown Columbus. I sincerely hope he is doing well. As for Del (right), I know he is doing well. I have been keeping in contact with him and Bev and heard from them on Christmas day. They're both working and seem happier than I have ever heard them. Even if I put down my camera tomorrow, I know that I will still be in touch with them. The transition from subject to friend blurred a long time ago. I would like to think of it like Mary Ellen Mark's relationship to Tiny.
Check out www.JamesRoh.com for the current/soon-to-change edit
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