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BE A COLLECTOR
Choose an image from my Truths collection and be a Molly Ahearn Collector, or ask to see more of my Truths photos.
Truths, Lies and Legends
The common thread throughout all of my work as photographer is that I consider myself a storyteller. Until now, I have used a photojournalistic approach where multiple images seen together tell one
complete story. In contrast, the images in the Truths, Lies and Legends collection each tell a distinct visual story—as well as written stories—of their own.
The foundation for each image is a spectacular natural setting. I transform the scene from a still landscape into a stageset by placing something in the frame. Why is a bicycle in the middle of a country road with its wheel spinning under a threatening sky? Is it because little Stevie was riding up and down his driveway one crisp, Autumn Saturday morning, and carelessly abandoned his bike when he saw a huge snapping turtle crossing the road? Or, did a tornado spin the little red bike thousands of feet into the air and drop it harshly onto the pavement five miles away? I include a few story ideas separated by the rejoinder “Or…” which opens the door for viewers to concoct stories of their own. The stories are included in the final piece as type framing each image.
Many of the places in these photo stories are near my Hudson Valley, New York home. As I travel winding
farm-filled roads on the way to baseball practice or the A&P, certain places stick in my mind. When I think of a scene I’d like to create, I sift through this mental catalog of landscapes for the perfect setting. A hillside apple orchard lit up with white spring blossoms is the perfect backdrop to recline a wedding dress—both symbols of spring and new beginnings. I flip a pair of fried eggs on a desolate road, their
yellow yokes echoed in the center line and a distant road sign. Black-as-night Angus cows watch with
interest as I set up a table-for-one with a gingham tablecloth and a raw porterhouse steak on a blue willow china plate outside their gate.
The first images in this series were shot with Velvia film and digitized. The majority of the images were taken with a Nikon D2X digital camera. Prints are 12” x 18” archival giclées.
