Since haunting and thought-provoking photographs by Cam Mason '01 have been published in The Harvard Advocate, The Harvard Photography Journal and Diversity and Distinction, I was surprised to learn that Mason has only been seriously studying photography since the fall of 1999, when he took an introductory photo class in the Visual and Environmental Studies Department. Mason is keenly interested in pursuing filmmaking, saying that his penchant for black-and-white photography stems from his interest in film as well as art in general.

In his photography, Mason often photographs people he doesn't know as they go about with their daily lives. He photographs people for several reasons-it allows him to get closer to his subjects and, as he says, 'allows you to take time out to think about people passing by, giving you a certain kind of intimacy with them, even though you are just shooting a picture.' This intimacy with his subjects certainly comes through in Mason's pictures. It is also apparent, after seeing his work, that he considers those he photographs to be more than just subjects - they are involved participants in his artwork.

Mason's description of his own photographs demonstrates how they combine his interests in both visual art and writing, as he says that he began to photograph subjects that he felt 'had a narrative, that were somewhat fictional.' Soon Mason moved on to shooting people in isolation, deep in thought, giving the viewer a small glimpse into their innermost worlds. However, Mason also takes pictures of his friends, dividing his time between what he characterizes as 'premeditated, set shots with a constructed narrative and spontaneous street photography.' On the whole, he prefers creating 'random' pictures of people he doesn't know to gain insight, intuitively, into who they are.

One of Mason's most memorable and rewarding experiences as a photographer of 'random' people occurred when he took pictures of workers in a Philadelphia natural food store. Mason received their permission to take candid shots of them while they worked, saying of his subjects, 'they were really kind about it, very natural, [they] did not have a lot of nervousness about them.' It was as if 'you went and photographed your family around the table at Thanksgiving. They [the store workers] were amazing, acting as if I was not there.' The experience ended on an even more positive note, as the photographs Mason took were published in The Harvard Photography Journal and The Harvard Advocate. When Mason brought copies of the magazines with the photographs to the store, the workers were 'really excited.' This in turn excited Mason, as the reactions of his subjects are very important to him.