Scott was born in Michigan and also lived in Chicago for 20 years. His passion for photography stemmed from his time in the Army where he learned the trade and worked as a photographer. Although documentary work was what he loved he set his sights on working in advertising and editorial, which he did for 20 years. Like many have done recently, he reevaluated his life and what he really loved to work on. Scott has come full circle and has rededicated himself to working on projects in traditional black and white film for the past 5 years. Scott’s works his day job as a creative project manager while shooting his personal photography in his spare time.
Same Town, Different Place
I remember playing in the street, in the rain, while my mom sat on the
porch with our neighbors chatting and gossiping about things going on in
the town. It happened just about every other evening. Occasionally we
would wander off to see our friends on their porch around the corner only
to be met with a loud call to get back home. My mom raised four children
without a father in a small town in Michigan. She came to rely on the
neighbors to help watch us until we were old enough to watch ourselves.
At a point about three years ago, my interest started turning back to the
beginnings, and to the things that inspired me at first. I have traveled back
to my home town along with new places to photograph them and to
explore how they maintain their stature in American life. I walk
neighborhoods with a camera and talk to strangers. Sometimes I am
passing through, and sometimes I am invited into their homes to have
lunch. There is a simplicity on the surface but the details, landscape, and
people of these smaller towns tell many stories. I am interested in how
they lay life’s groundwork for the people who live there, as it did for me.
To view more of Scott Brownell’s work please visit his website.