Photographs fill the walls of the Honey Bubble tea shop, provoking thought and emotion at the Bokeh Focus photography exhibition.
Photographers Ali Sardar, Cain McMillan, Richard Ross and Cory Hancock displayed a series of photographs at the exhibition and discussed the inspiration and meaning that lie within the photographs.
According to Bokeh Focus’ website, the project ultimately focuses on “bringing into focus those often overlooked and underreported areas of juvenile justice while offering developing snapshots of teens today.”
Sardar, a senior computer science major at Kennesaw State, presented images that showcase skin color, exploration and individuality.
Sardar says the photographs on display are put in a specific order to tell a story but concedes that viewers have the freedom to create their own interpretations of his work.
“I’m telling you what I wanted people to see,” Sardar said. “But when you come up here, and when other people come up here with their own past and how we think about our lives right now, we are coming out with our true feelings, and you might feel something totally different.”
Sardar’s photo set consists of an array of black and white photographs as well as red, white and blue to represent patriotism among those of different backgrounds.
“Our life is in a black and white picture,” Sardar said. “At least that’s how I see it.”
Although Sardar is a computer science major, he plans to use his keen eye to continue his passion for photography after graduation.
McMillan, an Atlanta-based photographer, features colorful images that present feelings of energy and life in the urban setting of Chicago.
McMillan began practicing photography in 2015 and enjoys using his talent to provoke darker emotions in the urban setting. Most of McMillan’s subjects are first-time models and present the city scene in an authentic and raw form.
He describes his photographs as “a snapshot out of the daily life of someone dealing with something on an urban platform.”
The other work featured was by Hancock, a senior journalism major at KSU, and Ross, a photography professor at the University of California at Santa Barbara and Guggenheim Fellow.
Hancock’s work includes photographs from the 2017 Presidential Inauguration, a trip to Tanzania, a protest and the Lifejacket Graveyard in Greece — where lifejackets used by refugees are discarded.
Ross’ photograph set, Juvenile in Justice, presents an inside look at youth lock-up facilities across the U.S. The project documents the placement — and often mistreatment — of American juveniles housed in law facilities.
John Fleming, executive editor at the Center for Sustainable Journalism, said all of the photography work is tied into the Bokeh Focus website in correlation with the publications Juvenile Justice Information Exchange and Youth Today.
The photography exhibition will be on display at the Honey Bubble tea shop until Oct. 30. All works are available for purchase and funds will support events hosted by the Center for Sustainable Journalism at KSU.
