Second and Center

Second and Center was my way of getting reacquainted with downtown Casper, Wyoming, and returning to familiar streets and letting them feel new again. Over several weekends, I wandered through the heart of downtown, listening to the easy conversations drifting out of shops and watching the small, everyday moments that make a place feel alive. Through portraits and street photos, I wanted to capture the warmth and rhythm of a place that has been home to me for nearly twenty years.

In the Fall of 2025, I began a self-guided photography study using a vintage Mamiya C33 Professional medium format camera, circa 1962. I was drawn to the idea of working with a camera that produced square images, and was curious how that might challenge my composition. The square frame shifts focus toward balance and stillness, and that made me slow down and be more intentional with each shot.

The project became both a technical and personal challenge. I was learning to use a fully manual vintage camera while pushing myself to approach strangers for portraits, something far outside my comfort zone. Developing the film, scanning the negatives, and editing the images ended up being the easy parts. The process itself became central to the work, from that first uneasy ask to the imperfect horizons, soft focus, and the light leaks that make the photographs feel honest. I carried that same intentionality into the final form of the project by printing the images myself and hand-sewing and binding the book. This collection reflects experimentation, vulnerability, and connection, offering a small record of a community that continues to surprise me.