This project is born out of frustration. Frustration with the lack of interest and, frankly, the lack of respect for this niche. Yes, it’s a niche within a niche: depression and suicide ideation. You’d think these themes would resonate deeply with the mental health community. Surprisingly, they do not. Even those who identify as suffering from depression have turned away. But this work isn’t here to be liked. These photos are raw, unfiltered, and real. Each image carefully crafted from direct accounts of survivors. Nothing is staged for the sake of drama. Everything is approved by those who’ve lived these moments.

I won’t apologize for these depictions. I won’t water them down to make them palatable for people who are too uncomfortable to face the truth. Society left these individuals to fend for themselves, medicated them into numbness, and abandoned them to institutions. Where were the friends, the family, the “support” everyone loves to talk about? Nowhere. And yet, when I capture these stories, real stories, from real people there’s pushback. “This isn’t what depression looks like,” they say. But how would they know? these survivors are fighting wars with themselves everyday. Wars that most of us can’t even imagine.

I’ve been told to put my camera down. I’ve been told to rethink this project, to “understand” depression better. As if I haven’t lived it myself. But I refuse to change my approach. I refuse to sanitize these moments for the sake of comfort. To do so would be to silence those voices, just as society already has. I won’t forget their stories.

These photos are created with a mix of digital, 35mm film, half-frame film, medium format film, and 4×5 film. Every prop was made by hand. Every model volunteered their time and believed in this project because they understand how important it is to tell these stories. Honestly, and without compromise.