New Blog / Conor Interview

I’ve been talking about making a blog for years and never put the idea in action due to (if I’m being honest) lack of confidence and fear of those who may judge my work harshly. Telling stories through images and getting to know others has always been my favorite part of photojournalism. I’ve quietly written about people I’ve met and photographed for years but never shared any of that. This year has been been etched with pain, loss, illness, growth, spots of joy and anger; all of which have pivoted me to start posting my work. In a time when most of us are separated due to the pandemic, we must not forget we are documenting history and our opinions do matter. That being said, I decided to embark on a project to talk to people about the upcoming presidential election. If possible, I will also attempt to continue my efforts in the days that follow November 3rd. Each person I interviewed was more than six feet from me, photos were taken outdoors and I was masked the entire time. I asked three general questions and told each individual they could answer briefly or go more in depth if they’d like. These were the three questions asked:

• Why do you feel this election is important?

• Why does your vote matter to you, personally? 

• Who are you?

Conor (pronouns are he/him) was the first person I spoke with. He’s a 32-year-old freelance photographer currently based in Philadelphia, PA.  Prior to the pandemic, he loved traveling, attending live music shows, and catching up with friends at a beer garden or a dive bar.  The spare time created by the COVID-19 pandemic has allowed him to re-evaluate the direction of his career, and with that chance to pause and reflect, he has become reacquainted with the beauty of analog photography.  Conor’s passion has always been photojournalism, much like myself. He misses being able to get physically close to people the most.  These days, Conor has been shifting his lens elsewhere—exploring the rapid gentrification of North Philadelphia by the juxtaposition of old and new architecture. He’s also one of my best friends, we met while working at Starbucks in Devon, PA. I asked him to be part of this project because he has a deep appreciation for photojournalism. Additionally, I’ve personally known him to very honest, empathic and wise in his choices. Here’s what he had to say in response to my questions:

“On Election Day, I’m voting on the Biden-Harris ticket.  Joe Biden was not my first choice as a candidate for President, and I’m not entirely happy with Kamala Harris’ track record as Attorney General—but is anyone truly 100% on-board with all of a candidate’s ideas?  Rarely.  So even though I voted for Elizabeth Warren in the primaries, I’m not sitting at home on November 3rd.  Joe Biden and Kamala Harris are the most qualified people to lead our country out of this darkness.  There are so many reasons I’m voting this year.

On a personal level, I’m voting for my equal rights as a member of the LGTBQ+ community—to ensure we are entitled to the same rights as heterosexual cisgendered Americans.  This includes members of the Trans and Gender nonbinary/non-conforming communities who are often overlooked.  I’m voting to end the tenure of the white cisgendered male who makes decisions about how a woman should treat her body.  I’m voting to keep a separation between church and state.  I’m voting so we can begin to address the systemic racism that has existed in our country for centuries.  America requires a President who is at the very least, willing to denounce white supremacist terrorist groups.  I’m voting for the chance at reinstating the health insurance Americans were once entitled to under the original Affordable Care Act—before the GOP took steps to increase premiums to make the Act so unpopular with Americans that they would silently be able to kill it.  I’m voting to end the needless deaths of hundreds of thousands of Americans from COVID-19; to have a President who puts the lives of Americans ahead of his interests in the stock market.  I’m voting in memory of my Grandmother, Doris M. O’Keeffe, and my Godfather, Leonard Curraro, both of whom died from complications of COVID.  I’m voting for science; to get back on track with environmental conservation to slow this planet’s decay.  Exiting the Paris Agreement has already created irreparable damage to our climate.  I’m voting for immigrants’ rights, whether legal or illegal; to make sure families are not separated at the border.  I’m voting to end the endless gaslighting and slew of lies that come from the Trump White House on a daily basis (remember, he still hasn’t released his taxes).  I’m voting to end gerrymandering, voter intimidation, and voter suppression—especially in low-income communities which traditionally have the most on the line.

On a local level, I’m voting for candidates who will hold the Democratic Party accountable for their actions.  There are no Senate seats up for re-election in my district this year, but I encourage everyone to visit http://www.vote411.org if you haven’t already voted.  The website is a terrific resource to familiarize yourself with all of the issues you will see on your district-specific ballot.  In the City of Philadelphia, this includes approval of a restructuring of the Citizen’s Police Oversight Commission—at the time of writing this, another unarmed Black man was shot and killed by police in Philadelphia just last night.

Because I moved so close to an election, I felt the only way I would be able to successfully cast my vote in time for it to be counted would be to vote in person on November 3rd.  I will be doing so proudly wearing two face masks and a face shield, and my eye’s will be scanning my polling place for any evidence of voter intimidation.  Please, please… if you plan on voting in-person on Election Day, be sure to report anything shady that you see, whether it be on Twitter or Instagram or Facebook.  Social media seems to be the best course of action for immediate response these days.  Afterwards, be sure to follow up with your local elected officials.  This sort of behavior is against the law.

There are many reasons I’m voting this Election Day, and I’m sure I’ve missed quite a few.  Lastly and most importantly, I’m voting so that my 16 month-old niece, Margot, grows up in an America that’s learned from its past as opposed to one that is constantly repeating it.”