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'Making It Up As He Goes Along' Story & Interview by Matt Carasella Photographs by Glen McClure Article rating: 8.00

When shooting Irish landscapes, double-engine power yachts, mangled silverware from the local dump and lush greenery at the local botanical garden was just not enough creative satisfaction, Glen McClure, a Norfolk, VA photographer decided to add a little chance and serendipity to his photography by taking random portraits.  Although not completely free of planning, McClure's new spontaneous approach would allow him the freedom to catch life's everyday diversity as it passed before the lens of his Calumet 4x5 field camera.

McClure first began shooting random portraits of everyday people in late 1998, exploring the idea with so much success that he continued chasing the idea across his home state, pursuing a documentary style look into the lives of Virginians.  He recently unveiled the result of this self-assigned photo project appropriately labeled “A Random Portrait of Virginia”.

McClure's artistic strategy has been simple in that he photographs people as they are and as they are going about their everyday lives. There are no paid models, fancy make-up designers and new line fashion involved because Glen McClure shoots people as he sees them and he would have it no other way because he seems to enjoy making it up as he goes.

When McClure first began shooting random portraits literally outside his Norfolk studio entrance at 2100 Colonial Avenue on November 14, 1998, he had no idea that his new concept would take him beyond his doorstep. Or did he? Actually, McClure did not expand his project until March 2002. From there on out, he arranged to photograph 12 cities across Virginia so that he could capture everyday people in the same fashion for "A Random Portrait of Virginia."
   
After that monumental November day of shooting and documenting the lives of Norfolk's everyday people, McClure knew he recorded more than just another day and eventually published 2100, a large format 11x17 book containing the life-telling portraits of the people he met during his six-hour photography session.

In 2100, McClure's crisp black and white portraits are paired with Norfolk writer, Doug Pilley's short stories about what the individuals were doing that day. Some were heading nowhere in particular, one child was going to a pizza party and one guy was just killing time while his girlfriend attended an audition. Regardless of their stories, everyone involved in the session was certainly at the right place at the right time and apart of a chance encounter that brought life to 2100.
 
Glen McClure has celebrated life as a photographer for nearly half as long as he has lived. Considering that McClure entered photography with little more than his passion and desire to fulfill a strong drive that he had as a teenager, he certainly has followed through with his dreams. At the age of 23, McClure pursued his photography interest by sending letters to every photography related service in the area seeking any available opportunity. McClure admitted he even offered to sweep floors just so that he would be around photography. His persistence paid off and he finally landed a gig at Studio Center Corporation and started assisting, moving lights, packing bags for location shoots, mixing chemicals and developing film.

Now twenty-six years later McClure has come along way from the hungry kid accepting of anything to a photographer who has won national awards, lectured at workshops and participated in shows at the Chrysler Museum of Art in Norfolk, the Contemporary Art Center of Virginia in Virginia Beach and the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts in Richmond. His resume reads of accomplishments and looks like the table of contents to a success story.

Nevertheless, McClure has much more to add to his autobiography especially since his current project, "A Random Portrait of Virginia," is still underway in post-production. McClure's concept and strategy for the project was simple and followed the same format as 2100 but featured statewide subjects.
   
During his nine-month tour, McClure picked 12 cities throughout Virginia and set-up his mini-studio at popular locations like truck stops, bookstores and movie theaters. During the course of the day, with the help of his assistants, people were stopped in passing, explained how McClure was documenting the diverse people of Virginia, showed a copy of his book, 2100, and asked if they wanted to help. If everything went well, and they agreed, subjects were directed in front of McClure's camera as he shot away until he was satisfied. And that was it. There was nothing to it and it did not cost participants a nickel because McClure did not make a dime. Confused about his motives, do not be because it all goes back to Glen McClure's dream of becoming a photographer.

When asked what he has learned during his project, McClure said, "I learned all people are interesting and I love to meet new folks." He added by saying that most everybody has something interesting about their appearance or a story to tell and that some tell their story with their face and others with their appearance.

>>Click here to see more pictures and read an interview with Glen McClure...

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