The bold cropping, attention to lighting, and heavy reliance on post-production apparent in the Mentawai tribe photos taken by the aspiring photographer and blogger Joey Lawrence enthused me to approach portraiture in a fresh and innovative way. Attempting to emulate his style, I decided to photograph the construction and iron workers around the campus, a unit we all see and hear but never truly communicate with. This assignment was a prolific and enjoyable experience, as I was able to befriend and learn from a component vital to the future of UC Santa Cruz. Talking to these workers made me realize how hard these men work — many of them commute two to three hours every day. Their diligent demeanor toward their work encouraged me to adopt a similar attitude with my photography.
