methods

In this tab, I added supplemental material that was helpful in my thinking method and processing of this project.

I had the honor of speaking with Photographer Jason Reblando, who in his own words "is an artist and photographer based in Normal, Illinois. He received his MFA in Photography from Columbia College Chicago, and a BA in Sociology from Boston College. He is the recipient of a U.S. Fulbright Fellowship to the Philippines, an Artist Fellowship Award from the Illinois Arts Council, and a Community Arts Assistance Program grant from the City of Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs." 

During his time at Colombia College Chicago, Mr. Reblando worked on a photographic project titled Outside Public Housing, in which he photographed and interviewed individuals who were involved with public housing in Chicago in different ways. According to Mr. Reblando, his photographs from his project were "Not meant to ignore the widespread problems entrenched in public housing. Rather, [he] was extremely interested in the residents and their lives, as well as the efforts to empower and disperse them. [He] needed to learn about the outside to understand the inside."

I found my discussion with Mr. Reblando insightful and key to understanding the complexity of a project where the photographer can be considered 'an outsider' to the subjects that they are photographing. Mr. Rebando is no stranger to this type of work as during our discussion, he touched on several projects where he has been an outsider, sometimes in a literal sense, and sometimes in a more nuanced sense.  

Photographic something or someone that you are not familiar with brings its own sets of challenges as trust and familiarity determine a major role, especially in such environmental photographs as Mr. Tsuda's.

I think this can be summed up beautifully with something Mr. Reblando said during our talk. “What strikes me a lot is the ones that are on the table here just like 80% of them are inside, and it means a lot to welcome someone with a camera into your house and if you're paying attention, the right type of attention, I think they'll trust you because when I was photographing Lathrop Homes in Chicago, (public housing in the north side of Chicago) If you were not living there they knew it. What does a stranger have to do here and why is this stranger with a camera doing here. I think if you’re not ready with a fast explanation and they don’t trust you then they have every right not to trust you.” 

needless to say, the mere fact Mr. Tsuda was allowed into spaces like the ones in the photograph above speaks volumes on his character and talent.