Page 39 - Southern Oregon Magazine Summer 2021

A portrait draws us in and gives
us permission to stare much
closer, past the boundaries in
real life.

People fascinate me. When I am
in a conversation with someone,
I am often more interested in
the details and information that
reflects off of their face than the
information their voice carries.
As light skims across the con-
tours and valleys of skin, every
line seems to reveal a chapter; a
part of a face that tells the rest of
their story.

And behind every face, there
hovers yet another layer. A
story of words, of hopes and
dreams—some of them lost,
some of them found. When I
click the shutter, there is a vulnerability that must be bridged. My opportunity is to lend a hand
to the person on the other end of my lens, building the bridge of trust—one photo at a time.

When the bridge is built and the door of trust opened, that's when my heart speeds up and a
sense of joys hums within. The bridge. It is about empathy and about understanding. It is also
about our protective wrapping being gently untangled and laid to rest, revealing the true gift
of what it is to be a beautiful human being.

That's when I say a silent prayer of gratitude, for the opportunity to create a connection with
the soul of another. Knowing that even if my camera malfunctions and every image is lost,
because of the time spent together, my life has changed, and has grown deeper.

Christopher Briscoe’s photographs have appeared on Oprah, Larry King Live, and Entertainment
Tonight. They have been printed in international publications including The Times (London),
USA Today, People, Time Magazine, and Paris Match. He has photographed cultural icons, includ-
ing President Mikhail Gorbachev, producer-director Steven Spielberg, actor Michael Douglas,
and others. Briscoe is driven to uncover the common threads that bind us all—from Bourbon
Street to the slums of India.

For more information on Chris, please visit his website at www.chrisbriscoe.com. To see more
of his books, visit www.shiftinggearspub.com

THE BOOKS:

» The Spirit of New Orleans: and the Characters Who Live There
» Connections: Everyone Has a Story to Tell
» Shifting Gears: Riding the Road Through America’s Heartland

You can find these books and more at www.ShiftingGearsPub.com
and on Amazon.

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