Photo: Art by Breanne Johnston
Breanne Estelle Johnston is a recent Evergreen graduate who takes photos as a way to express her love for the people and places she gets to share her life with. She grew up in Bremerton, Washington, surrounded by the Salish Sea and hugged by the Olympic and Cascade mountain ranges. These places are currently recognized as Suquamish, Duwamish, Kalallam, and Skokomish territories, and have been inhabited by these people and their ancestors since time immemorial.
Many of her color photos consist of bright palettes that pop through the warm color range offered by film. I was moved by the strong artistic identity this entails, and the versatility demonstrated by her ability to capture a variety of subjects in both black and white, and color. Out of a drive to know more, I asked her a few questions: Here are her thoughts.
What would you consider to be your most formative experience at Evergreen regarding your art?
“Honestly, I feel like my memory went through exponential decline throughout my years in college. I don’t know if it was the late study nights, lack of heat from trying to save money, or eating ice cream and chips like they were main food groups. But whenever I get my roll of film back from the lab and see the images, sounds, smells, and feelings come rushing back. Each image is like a time capsule of stories and memories.”
“Other than that, exploring my own multiethnic identity—Filipina and Irish—led me to value photography as a way to represent people as they are growing and exploring. Moreover, thinking about privilege and access, there are a lot of people that don’t have photos of themselves growing up or currently. Of course, this is changing with new technology like smartphones, but there is something about physical photos to pass down that feels very special to me. Getting to look through photos of my family that lives in the Philippines and on the [U.S.] East Coast helps me to feel connected to where I come from, which informs me on where I am going.”
A lot of your pictures involve people: What is it like to work with people generally for photography, and can you talk about an experience or two that stands out for you of all the people that you’ve photographed?
“Since the majority of the photos I take are of people I know pretty well, it usually only takes a few moments of asking. But a common theme is people feeling awkward when the camera lens and attention is solely on them. There is a certain level of vulnerability with getting your picture taken, that’s why I try to stay behind the lens as much as possible…Usually people want to know what to do so I will spend a few moments posing them, making sure my settings are right and then let the magic of expression happen. Doing a serious model face tends to end in some genuine laughter so that kind of ensures I get a variety of expressions.”
“One occasion that sticks in my mind is when I got to travel with my grandparents and uncle to Manila, Philippines, to meet up with my mom’s aunt, cousins, and their kiddos. It was early morning and my grandparents and I were in the hotel room alone, with beautiful light streaming through the window. My lolo was already dressed and sitting on the bed and I called my lola over for a photo. I took a few photos, and with each one, they seemed to melt into each other more and more. They have been married for 50 years and when I took these photos my lolo had recently been diagnosed with dementia. I felt such comfort and a strong sense of peace during these fleeting moments. I also never thought I would get to go to the Philippines with my lola and lolo so that added to the sacredness of the photos.”
“When I was 17, my best friend and I decided to take a road trip. I put the first roll of film into my camera and off we went, planning to make it to California. She was passionate about making films and in our high school, hormone-induced state, we decided to make a project to figure out what love was. We interviewed people we met: an old couple who owned a small art gallery, a young and in love couple at the local farmer’s market, an Australian surfing couple who were living in a van for their summer, and an old man and his dog singing by the campfire.”
“Getting up the nerve to ask strangers to take their picture and then the moments of just you and them interacting in an intimate way is really invigorating. I thrive off of human connection and so those seconds of sharing who you are with someone and really seeing someone are super special. Unfortunately, when I got home, I found out that the camera was broken and so my entire roll was blank! I feel like the people that I photographed are etched into my mind because I never got to see how the images I took expressed them.”
What are some of your goals regarding your art now that you have graduated?
“Well, I am a crafter by nature, so since graduating, I have thoroughly enjoyed having more time to do projects and connect with other artists in my community. Growing up, I had freedom to do a bunch of crafts which really made an impact on my confidence and determination. I want to be a middle school teacher and am always thinking of all my future students. I want to provide them with a space to explore and create.”
What’s your grandest vision for an art project?
“I am always dreaming up projects that I want to do. One photography project that is on my list is to do portrait sessions for families with members who are differently abled. I work at a weekend respite camp for people of all ages with all different types of disabilities called Camp Stand By Me. I am so thankful for the relationships I have built with my campers and have grown exponentially in my knowledge of the unique marginalization people with disabilities overcome. Being photographed is inviting people into your life and there is a level of vulnerability that comes along with that. Also, there is usually a financial barrier to getting photos taken. I want to provide free photo sessions—since photography is just a hobby, I don’t ever charge—and create a space of freedom to be and capture that on film.”
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Breanne is currently on the path to become a middle school history and language arts teacher. She tells me that she hopes to instill within her students a similar drive for photography and capturing people’s stories. You can check out her website www.breannestelle.com or find her on Instagram @beanpodbreanne.
