In the beginning, these photos weren’t a series at all. They were just disparate portraits of friends, taken from time to time over the years. Initially there was no grand design, which is why each one was so special to me when taken, almost like a secret I kept locked away. Only later, when I was asked to provide existing work for a local group show, did these photos end up living together. That group show was titled Embodiment, and I, along with the other artists featured, was asked to provide work to fit that theme. Though these are portraits, each photo also embodies an idea, not just a person. While that made them perfect for the show, I’m forever grateful because it brought these photographs together as a series—and I never felt a need to change the name.