The Red Dirt Roads That Led Me Home: SHAKA SHAKA

My two favorite words. Or is it technically one word?

Words with multiple meanings (homonyms) are my favorite. Date. Rose. Leaves. Point. Net. Engaged.

The best homonym? SHAKA SHAKA.

In Rukiga (ru-chee-ga), "shaka shaka" means "smile." I used it the most when trying to get children to smile for a photo. Some of the children who have never seen a camera before don't understand photographs and nervously stand in front of the lens not knowing what to do with their face. Those goofy faces create the best portraits. Most of them stare at the lens very seriously, trying to figure out what exactly I'm doing with my machine.

What's in that box?

The best thing about "Shaka shaka" is that it means so many things: SMILE. DANCE. LAUGH. So really when I ask a child to "shaka shaka" for a photo, I might get any of those responses.

I really, really, really love photography. Of all the art forms it is my favorite. It is real. It is a moment secured forever. When I look at photographs that I've taken I think how lucky I am that I was the one experiencing what's in the photograph.

I take photos of lots of things, almost everything. But my FAVORITE things ever, the subject that I photograph most, are FACES. I have a very strong affection for faces. I love that they are all so different yet so similar. I love the expressions of eyes, brows, chins--how they tell a story. I love the depth of portraits and the infinite things they express about that person. My dream job would be to travel the world photographing all the world's faces.

Take a longer moment to look at each photograph. Absorb their faces, look them in the eyes for a few seconds, try to imagine who they are. Every single face has a story. Every single face matters. Everyone is so beautiful.

Faces from 2012....