“For however dutifully we record what we see around us, the common denominator of all we see is always, transparently, shamelessly, the implacable ‘I.’”
~ Joan Didion

By turning the camera onto ourselves we are able to share the most intimate examination of the human condition. Perceptions of reality are shaped by personal experiences.

At what point does inner turmoil and emotion bubble over into everyday life?

Is a self-portrait a depiction of what one feels, one’s self concept or one’s desire to be seen? Examine the role of “I” without any preconceived notions of what a self portrait should be.

20% of artist entry fees go to charity. 
10% of artist entry fees goes to the curator’s choice of charity. Friedlander has chosen The Creation District. The Creation District is an incubator and a safe haven for creation, discovery, activism, daring, and dream-making for Sacramento’s youth and young adults.

Another 10% goes to the first place winner’s choice of charity.

Ellen Friedlander is a Los Angeles-based fine-art and documentary artist who uses a variety of in-camera and post processing techniques to reveal the unpredictable, idiosyncratic, inscrutable nature of the human condition. 

Friedlander is an Advisor for Pasadena Photography Artsfor which she curates and hosts for Open Show/Pasadena/East LA.

(Pasadena Photography Arts (PPA) promotes diverse photography projects and panel discussions around the photographic medium by established and emerging photographers worldwide through Open Show and FORUM virtual events.)

Image ‘Why’ by Ellen Friedlander