THE FORBIDDEN LENS (2010 - )
The presence of cameras in our society is extensive. From public spaces to private institutions, cameras are prevalent and can now be found everywhere, yet there are places where a personal camera is still "prohibited" or "forbidden" whether legally or purely ethically.
In The Forbidden Lens series, I delve into the voyeuristic side of photography and attempt to aim my lens where society deems it inappropriate. I entered locations where personal photography is frowned upon and captured as many images as possible, even at the risk of being caught. It never reached that point. I shot “from the hip” at these locations to obscure the presence of an active personal camera and set out to prove that cameras can still make an appearance anywhere in our current society, even without our knowledge or full consent. It already occurs around us with surveillance cameras that the government and corporations utilize extensively for differing and sometimes unknown purposes. So why do we fear and criticize personal cameras and view them any differently than these other surveillance tools? Cameras are everywhere and with their ever-growing number in our society from cellular devices to wearable technology, we are left to wonder if we truly are and will ever be free from the unforgiving gaze of a lens at any moment of our lives. Privacy is becoming a privilege.
