Proust
I originally got involved with Proust, a student-run magazine at James Madison University, when they asked me to take photos for a feature story on a local band. I fell in love with their brand and their mission and ecstatically called my mom the next semester when they asked me to join their team as the head photo editor.
Working as the photo editor for Volume 2, Issue 1, of Proust taught me the importance of observing during the creative process. Observing life around me, collecting inspiration, and then bringing those ideas back to my team was, for me, the most sentimental and thrilling part of this experience. My notes app and Pinterest boards can attest to how much of my thought went into the creative process those days.
I am proud of the story that my team's photos tell. Each image had a role in capturing the issue's theme: nostalgia and the sweet sentiment of the past. I still feel that sweet sentiment when I remember holding the printed issue in my hands on distribution day, a moment where I felt that my creative vision and hard work had come together to represent Proust.
About the Cover
This issue was all about nostalgia; college senior’s nostalgia as they look back on their childhood, parent’s nostalgia as they send their children off to college, and whatever nostalgia you may feel as you flip through this issue. If you look closely, you can see all sort of hidden “easter eggs” in this cover. Each prop has its place because it evoked nostalgia in us, the creators.
Edited with Adobe Photoshop and Lightroom.
Dissecting the Cover
These pages unpack the cover and clue our readers into the meaning of each prop. Reading a magazine should be an experience and we wanted to take our readers down memory lane. So, as each reader explored the cover and caught site of hidden messages, they were able to come to this page and confirm their findings.
The Return of Y2K Fashion
My personal favorite, this shoot was an opportunity to bring some sass, life, and fashion into the magazine. To get the into the feel of the shoot, we blasted Britney Spears and Nelly Furtado on my mini JBL speaker. Left, you can see all the editorial style photos from that day and which ones landed themselves in the magazine.
Cooking with Josh
Nothing screams nostalgia more than your childhood meals, right?
This story focused on those weird food combos you ate as a kid. We went to Instagram and asked our readers about their favorite childhood snacks… and then we made and rated them. Our editor’s apartment was filled with the magical aura of cottage cheese and peanut butter post-shoot, but we had gotten the content, and that was what mattered. On the right, you will see my photos in the feature story.
Cooking with Josh Promotional Reel
To the left is an Instagram reel I created to promote the Cooking with Josh feature story.
Created with Final Cut Pro.