2018 East Austin Studio Tour
Found Portraits

Found Portraits explores the random nature of finding beauty in the moment.

Documentary photographer David Carrales reflects on the circumstances that surrounded the capture of each image and invites viewers to ponder the poignancy of the “Found Portrait.”

Ranger Jane was stationed at Goat Haunt, one of the more remote locations in Glacier National Park, Montana. The tiny ranger station is nestled at the edge of Waterton Lake, a stone’s throw from the boat dock where visitors arrive from Waterton Lakes National Park in Canada.

I photographed Ranger Jane during a guided hike to Rainbow Falls. Our group was taking a break when when I noticed her engaged in conversation. She was seated on the rise of the gentle curve of a colorful rocky outcrop, surrounded by delicate greenery that complimented the dark green of her uniform, fluffy white tufts of bear grass visible in the distance. Her pose was natural, her expression relaxed. Genuine. Her authentic self. The overcast sky acted like a softbox, diffusing the sunlight. I did a quick check of the camera settings, widened the aperture to create a shallow depth of field, blurring the background. Click.

Ian & Dave were seated in the alley behind St. Austin Catholic Church in downtown Austin. The sight of bedraggled transient musicians was not uncommon for the area, but these two characters were right out of central casting.  I parked nearby and wrestled with the decision to take their photograph as it would require me to interact with strangers. I chose to go against my introverted nature and capture the compelling tableau. However, with each step toward the unsuspecting subjects, an inner dialogue played out, “keep going, take the photo…turn around, don’t take the photo.” I don’t remember what I said to them, perhaps, “Do you mind?” as I gestured with the camera. They shook their shaggy heads and returned to an oblivious state. I took several images and thanked them. We exchanged contact information and in our brief conversation, I learned that Austin was a brief stop on their journey home back to the east coast after spending extended time in South America.  Life rewards the extroverts.

Voodoo Child. In September 2007, there was only one Voodoo Doughnut, located at SW 3rd Avenue near the historic Burnside Bridge in Portland, Oregon. The doughnut shop was just four years old, yet already had gained notoriety for quirkiness; for example, their menu included a Nyquil Glazed Doughnut and a Vanilla Pepto Crushed Tums Doughnut until they were banned by local health officials. When I visited, there were no lines out the door as you would find if you went to the bakery today. That morning, a solitary hooded figure sat on a bench, holding his skateboard, staring straight ahead with a vacant expression as I took the photograph. I would be hard pressed to find a more suitable denizen of Portlandia to feature in this image. I originally processed this image in monohrome as I thought it would have a cool, artsy look.  When I decided to include this image in “Found Portraits,” color was the clear choice once I realized the bright pink door matches the distinctive pink Voodoo Doughnut box.  

Gelato Girl. The North End is the epicenter of everything Italian in Boston—pizzerias, trattorias, gelaterias, and bakeries. As I walked through the neighborhood, I noticed a young woman leaning out the window of a building, handing gelato to eager patrons on the sidewalk. I made a mental note that the scene might make an interesting image.

Later that night, I found myself at the gelateria…and there she was…the Gelato Girl, framed in the open window. I instinctively raised the camera, composed the image, and Click. As I ambled away, I looked at the image in preview mode. Wow! Che bella!

The next day I went to the gelateria, in hopes of finding the Gelato Girl to show her the image. She was flabbergasted when she saw it, unaware that I had taken her photograph. “That me?!” she said in an Eastern European accent. As we exchanged contact information,   I learned she was from Slovakia, working and traveling America for the summer.

I sent her the image and she posted it on Facebook. In a response to a comment she replied, fotka zachytavajuca moju totalne znudenu chvilu za zmrzlinovym pultom, ktora poputuje na nejaku vystavu v amerike…vtipne, nie ?:D     [ a photo capturing my totally bored time at an ice cream counter that will appear in some kind of show in America…witty, huh? :D ] 

Children of Chicago. The abandoned Jacob A. Riis public school building caught my eye as I walked around the Little Italy neighborhood (Taylor Street) on the near west side of  Chicago.

While shooting the facade, I heard voices of young children from the playground calling to me. They were curious to know what I was doing. “Just taking a few photos of this old school building,” I explained. A kid asked me to take some photos of them on the slide. I replied, “sure.”

They scurried into position, one boy directing their poses and then taking his place in the group portrait. They were keen on flexing their muscles and later choreographing fight scenes.  One of the boys asked if he could take some photos. I handed him and another boy the cameras, and then watched them shoot until the film ran out. They handed the cameras back and we parted ways.

A few weeks later I saw the contact sheet and was impressed with the “found portraits.”