Assignment No. 1: Favorite Photographer - Matthew Phillips

Mike Brodie

I remember coming across Mike Brodie's work some time ago and was intrigued by his subject matter more than anything else. This photograph is from a series he did a few years ago about a youth subculture of freight train-hoppers. For the series, Brodie rode over 50,000 miles with the youth to document their travels. The word that I would use to describe the series is raw: intimate, and at times gritty. Brodie doesn't shy away from the dirty, grimy, unpleasant side of this lifestyle; he captures both elation and the struggles of drifting. I like this photo particularly for Brodie's capture of motion, the clarity of the movement of the subject's hair and shawl, combined with the blurring of the ground beneath. For me, this picture captures a moment.
http://mikebrodie.net/projects/gallery/