I blog and I read blogs. A lot of them. Blogs have become my go-to source for information; they feed and comfort me. Today, bloggers are widely respected within their industries and have become our new decision makers as they showcase, analyze and filter information for us.

While it is heavily debated how modern technology can isolate us, there are undeniably many upsides to this online evolution. I believe bloggers are connecting us, bringing us closer. In some ways, bloggers are helping create a reverse wave in our technological age by forming an authentic exchange between blogger and reader. Bloggers allow for an interactive platform, a dialogue that allows for both online and offline relationships to form.

It is through our screens, these beacons of light, that the world opens up and we become literally linked to one another. I began photographing bloggers with this idea in mind, giving the viewer a peek into their intimate worlds by using their screens as the sole light source. My idea was to start with one blogger and ask them to recommend the next subject from someone on their blogroll. The same way their blogs are linked to each other’s online, the photos would be linked to each other in the series.
By looking at connectivity in this digital age and the ways in which we live and spend our time, this series shows how from these dark corners, bloggers are adding value to and changing the way people interact in the world.

Since I began photographing, I have always insisted on being in front of the lens, becoming part of the construction of my images. Photography has become my therapy, an exclusive dialogue between myself and the camera where we push each other to a point of exhaustion, both emotionally and physically. My work reveals this intimate process which I invite the viewer to partake in. In my portraiture, as I approach other subjects, I take this comfort with me and try to recreate the same intimate setting. This process from subject to intimate confidant is what drives me to keep creating.

Gabriela Herman is a fine art, portrait and lifestyle photographer who is recognized for her intimate approach and ease with her subjects. She was born in Newton, MA and settled in Brooklyn, NY after enriching her photographic palette through her many experiences living abroad. She learned to eat crepes in the cafes of France, get lost in the zocalos of Mexico, and dance samba in the streets of Brazil, all with camera in hand. Post college, Wesleyan University, with her dual US-Brazilian citizenship, she relocated to Sao Paulo for four years, where she began her professional career as a photographer. She has exhibited both nationally and internationally, been featured extensively online and most recently became a Magenta Foundation Flash Forward winner.