You know before you even touch the shutter that they’re going to hate the picture.  All the tricks that photographers use to make a photograph flattering are kinda pulled out from under you by the procedures set forth by the United States Department of State ‘Composition Checklist’ for making what they call a “successful photo.”  No hats, no glasses, no outrageous jewelry, neutral expression, flat light –it all culminates in a photograph that is hard to be proud of and even harder to hand to someone without apologizing.

Today was the third citizenship drive that I’ve participated in as a photographer, a half-day of going through the rote, formulaic process of making photographs for people who will be applying for a passport with the ultimate goal of earning their citizenship.  These workshops give immigrants the opportunity to visit with lawyers, specialists, and volunteers who help with all kinds of administrative fun (like making the right number of photocopies and filing papers in the right order).  I’ve been collecting photographs from these events in a folder on my drive and finally crossed the 100-picture threshold this afternoon.  As a composite, these boring little squares tell a not-so-boring story about real people playing this strange game of bureaucratic chess.  

And for people who believe in this kind of work, here’s a couple Colorado-based organizations working on these much-needed clinics:

Fuerza Latina: http://www.cjpe.org/Fuerza_Latina.html

Latina Initiative: http://www.latinainitiative.org/take-action/donate-now