Capturing the “Faces of Faith”
The classic question: “Why we are here and where are we going?” inspired Academy of Art University’s School of Photography MFA graduate Daniel Kramer to create his photo essay “Faces of Faith”, which was recently featured in F8Magazine.
Photography by Daniel Krame
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This epic photo essay depicts several predominate religious leaders from around the world. When Daniel was teaching a photo essay course, a student submitted an inspiring photo essay called “Structures of Faith”. At this time, headlines proclaimed that the Archbishop Desmond Tutu was infuriated that the Dalai Lama was refused admittance into South Africa. "Hmmm,” Daniel thought to himself. "I've photographed both of them... and Mother Teresa and Pope John Paul II...." He started to put together all the photographs he had taken that involved spirituality and religion. “Photography and spirituality came to me at the same time, one allowing the exploration of the other,” said Daniel. “This essay spanning 20 years is the chronological result of those explorations.”
Photography by Daniel Krame
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His exploration lead him to discover that “the Aztecs performed human sacrifices in the name of religion, and Christians drink the symbolic blood of their Savior. ‘Faces of Faith’ isn’t an in-depth, comprehensive, documentary project on Earth’s Religions…. It’s my exploration of what’s on the menu…. Photography enabled me to search, to look over the menu and, brick by brick, to develop my own belief system,” Daniel stated.
“When I first enrolled at Academy of Art University, all I wanted was a career at a large, metro daily newspaper,” explained Daniel. But after corresponding with Academy Photography Instructor Ken Light, Daniel was shown a different path. “If I hadn't met Ken, I probably wouldn't have gone into teaching (photography),” stated Daniel.
Photography by Daniel Krame
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Now an accomplished photographer, Daniel is continuing his creative explorations and will be exhibiting his photo essay “Re-Marking Twain's Equator” at this year’s Fotofest in Houston. This photo essay retraces Mark Twain's route around the world exactly 100 years after his journey. “In all, that project took me through 11 countries in 10 months,” Daniel explained.
Daniel encourages current Academy of Art students to “work hard. Work hard. Work hard. Be open to constructive criticism, seek great editors. Look at great work.”
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