The project See Me as I Am focuses on the Ethiopian and Eritrean (Habesha) communities in Atlanta. This series is made of two photographic styles: portraits and still life. All the photographs are taken with medium format and large format black and white film. Using this traditional way of photographing this project is not only an aesthetic choice, but also echoes the ancient history of Ethiopia.
See Me as I Am is more than a photographic series — it is a practice of communication, in which I am communicating with the local Habesha community to participate in this project; it is an adapting of differences, in which this community is accepting me as an outsider; it is also an understanding of culture, in which viewers are seeing and learning about this culture through my work.–Shine Huang
Photography can explore something and it also can be self-reflective. See Me as I Am is a small window showing an immigrant group who comes from a very different cultural background. It is also a mirror reflecting my own thoughts and understanding of being an immigrant.
Shine Huang is an international photographer, who born and grow up in Shanghai, China. He started his photography career as a photojournalist in Xinmin Newspaper Shanghai in 2000.
Shine moved to the United States in 2008. He obtained Bachelor of Science Degrees in Sports Management and Journalism at Arkansas State University. After graduating, Shine relocated Atlanta, GA. In 2017, he completed an MFA in Photography at Savannah College of Art and Design. In the past ten years, Shine worked in The Herald Newspaper, KAIT-TV Region 8, CNN Films Project and CTRL Studios.
Now Shine works as a freelance photographer developing project. He had several exhibitions in Mason Fine Art Gallery, SXSE Gallery, and SCAD Open Studio. Shine is specialized in black and white film and historical photographic process.
Contact:
(404)903-0572
shinelightbox@gmail.com
Instagram: @shine_atl
All images copyright Shine Huang
