When I think of people I know and love, I think of them in the context of their relationship to me. Whether it is my wife, my parents, or my neighbors, I see them all in the framework of our previous encounters that have built our relationship to where it is now, be it good or bad. But what relationship do we have with people we do not know? People, with whom we have no relational context draw little of our attention and just hearing of the pain of others does very little to affect change.

Relationships help us to grow as people and to be in community with others in a way that is not shared among other species on earth. What we see in other people, through relationship, becomes deeper than just surface level observation. As we grow in relationship, we grow in respect for one another. Why must this respect be earned instead of given freely? Do my fellow men and women not exist in the same hardships as I do?

All human beings share a commonality that cannot be confused with or mistaken for coincidence. If we are created in the image of God, then that same image is displayed in all of his created people. His image is revealed in glimpses through the very human beings he loves and takes delight in. Our commonality and differences are what make us unique, yet unified.

Portraits play a huge role in this idea of revealing the commonality of man. A great portrait can tell the viewer plenty of information but only enough to whet their appetite. Many phenomenal examples of this can be found, including Steve McCurry's Afghan Girl and almost all of the photos from Joey L's Guerrilla Fighters of Kurdistan . I am attempting to capture the dichotomy of people in the context of who they are and what is important to them.