The New York Times Lens Blog Turning Point Series: Justin Maxon on Antoine D’Agata
Multiple Realities, Multiple Exposures By KERRI MACDONALD October 6, 2010, 1:55 pm Justin Maxon was born in California in 1983 and attended San Francisco State University. In 2007, at 24, Mr. Maxon won first prize in the World Press Photo Daily Life category. Two years later, in 2009, PDN called him one of 30 emerging photographers. Mr. Maxon’s conversation with Kerri MacDonald has been edited and condensed for space. Q. How was this picture taken? A. While working on a long-term project in Chester, a small town outside of Philadelphia, I was besieged in witnessing issues weighing on the lives of the community. I grew frustrated that my work didn’t have the dimension or complexity I felt was necessary to unfold the overlapping issues. So I took a bold leap and began experimenting with multiple exposures. Placing interrelated moments next to each other, I attempted to create images that had layers of understanding in them, where one could see more of the true complications of life in Chester. People must endure a tremendous amount of …