J. Sybylla Smith, In Conversation with Rich-Joseph Facun
Episode #37, Summary
Episode Summary
Rich-Joseph Facun creates a poetic visual narrative of the people, land and exceptional community of his chosen home, Appalachia.
Episode Notes
Black Diamonds seamlessly blends typographic, street photography, portraiture, and pictorial landscapes into a lyrical composition honoring the people and places of the misrepresented coal mining communities of Appalachia. Facun celebrates the strength of this diverse community in 63 square color images within a beautifully muted palette.
In this conversation, Rich-Joseph Facun discusses, among other things:
Photographing for oneself
Photo as play and therapy
The fire that is punctum
Starting a project is like falling in love
Shooting at the edges of your real life
Instagram as an editing tool
Finding your voice in an edit
Accidental beginnings
The wisdom of taking the long way home
Finding trusting collaborators
Aligning vision and intent
Referenced in the episode
Little Cities of Black Diamonds Council
Prodigal Summer: A Novel by Barbara Kingsolver
In a pandemic, there’s no place I’d rather be than here in Appalachia by Alison Stine
Book Review by Odette England in the Strange Fire Collective