Water Valley Photographer Looking for Male Volunteers for New Book

By Alyssa Schnugg

News editor

alyssa.schnugg@hottytoddy.com

Water Valley award-winning photographer Carolyn Drake took pictures of women she met at a local knitting group, creating a collection of photographs that appeared in her fourth book, “Knit Club,” that was shortlisted for the Paris Photo Aperture Book of the Year and Lucie Photo Book Awards.

Now, she is working on a project focusing on men and masculinity and she’s looking for male volunteers who are willing to pose for her new book.

“The photos are more portraiture,” she said. “They’re creative. They’re collaborative. So it’s not like photojournalism. I don’t come with a preconceived notion. I want to talk to the person and work within their set of the things they own or the places they live or the environments they go to, and kind of work with that, and then impose my view on it.”

Drake is looking for men of all ages and sizes who are willing to be photographed. She isn’t necessarily looking for professional models or even men who look like professional models. She wants to capture the “many sides of masculinity,” and what that means to each man volunteering to be photographed.

Born in California, Drake started her photography journey about 20 years ago while living in Istanbul. She traveled frequently to Central Asia and often took photos for “National Geographic.” She returned to the United States about 10 years ago where she began embracing the more artistic side of her craft. She moved to Water Valley about four years ago.

Her previous photo books are “Two Rivers,” “Wild Pigeon, “Internat,” and “Knit Club.”

Drake is also looking for assistants to help behind the scenes.

She can be reached at 240-383-9117 or via email at carolyn@carolyndrake.com.