honorable mention
Rohina Hoffman united states
title
The Nature of Change
Originally as an offshoot from my Mothers+Daughters project, this body of work began as a way of looking at the teenage girls from the same series, but photographed alone. These girls are photographed in their own home environments, each unique and familiar to them. Nature is used and reflected into their portraits to symbolize the constant evolution and transitional stage that they are in, one of intense growth and maturation and unfolding. There is also an undercurrent of a bittersweet loss of innocence.
These portraits/nature reflections are done entirely in camera and rely on a bit of serendipity to make the process seamless and sometimes, don't work. This reliance on a sliver of magic or hope is not that dissimilar to the hope that accompanies parenting. I print these portraits on unique Japanese Kozo paper, that is not only beautiful, but fragile and strong at the same time. The paper substrate really matches my own subjects.
A graduate of Brown University Medical School and resident at UCLA Medical Center, her training led to a career as a neurologist. Taught to be a skilled observer of her patients, Rohina was instilled with a deep and unique appreciation of the human experience. Her ability to forge the sacred trust between doctor and patient has been instrumental in fostering a parallel connection between photographer and subject.
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entry description
The Nature of ChangeOriginally as an offshoot from my Mothers+Daughters project, this body of work began as a way of looking at the teenage girls from the same series, but photographed alone. These girls are photographed in their own home environments, each unique and familiar to them. Nature is used and reflected into their portraits to symbolize the constant evolution and transitional stage that they are in, one of intense growth and maturation and unfolding. There is also an undercurrent of a bittersweet loss of innocence.
These portraits/nature reflections are done entirely in camera and rely on a bit of serendipity to make the process seamless and sometimes, don't work. This reliance on a sliver of magic or hope is not that dissimilar to the hope that accompanies parenting. I print these portraits on unique Japanese Kozo paper, that is not only beautiful, but fragile and strong at the same time. The paper substrate really matches my own subjects.
about the photographer
Born in India and raised in New Jersey, Rohina grew up in a family of doctors spanning three generations. Rohina’s interest in photography began in her teens, when she was introduced to the art of traditional black and white film photography. She found early success publishing photos for her high school yearbook, newspaper, and literary arts magazine and later as a writer/photographer for a New York City newspaper. While an undergraduate at Brown University, Rohina also studied photography at RISD and she was a staff photographer for the Brown Daily Herald.A graduate of Brown University Medical School and resident at UCLA Medical Center, her training led to a career as a neurologist. Taught to be a skilled observer of her patients, Rohina was instilled with a deep and unique appreciation of the human experience. Her ability to forge the sacred trust between doctor and patient has been instrumental in fostering a parallel connection between photographer and subject.
back to gallery