In 2016, I made a decision to embark on a project of combining photography and poetry into a small, self-published journal. The first issue entitled Human was such a labor of love between myself and the wonderful poetry editor and poet himself, Manny Blackscher that when I actually received the first printed copy, I was incredibly emotional. It combined my deep love of photography and poetry, along with my background in graphic design. Aptly titled Light - A Journal of Photography & Poetry, each page was filled with love.
There were submissions from all over the world and the talent was remarkable. I remember I had just started a new job and I was in Germany traveling. In the evenings, I couldn't wait to get back to the hotel so that I could dig deeper into the submissions. I would edit the photographic submissions and Manny, the poetry. Combining them was challenging. They had to meet the theme of the Journal, but they had to work together in a complimentary way that evoked emotion and contemplation.
As all good things always come to an end, so did Light. At least the continuation of the issues. After three years and 12 issues, My personal life took a hectic and tragic turn and I had to focus my energies there (that's a topic for another post).
There are people who say poetry and photography shouldn't be combined and that they are separate art forms and should be kept that way. I respectfully disagree. I invite you to judge for yourself and would love to hear your thoughts.