The Local Voice — Lancaster is an initiative that incorporates large-format documentary photography and journalistic writing that is an opportunity for regional dialog on issues and perspectives that matter to residents of Lancaster County. The project sheds light on Lancaster County — portraits and stories to convey the reality of place and identity.
In our increasingly polarized social landscape, The Local Voice explores—through photography and storytelling— different and unique personal perspectives that connect to communities, increase awareness and visibility and engage individuals to action: we help people to see.
Emphasizing the traditions of documentary photography as a way of seeing and interpreting cultural life and issues, much of the imagery for The Local Voice - Lancaster is through the lens of large-format, black-and-white, hand-printed silver gelatin film photography. Using this unconventional photographic approach in a digital-driven age gives the project a distinctive visual aesthetic (the unusual photographic methodology of the project has the potential to reach a broad audience from local interest to national media) and will harken back to the influential Farm Security Administration photographers of the mid-20th century to reveal “life as it is.”
Content is a combination of documentary photography and journalistic writing — voices personifying Lancaster.
Readers will be acquired and retained by providing educational and informative journalism, modeled on and reminiscent of how Life Magazine captured public attention in the mid-20th century. The unusual photographic methodology of the project will reach and resonate with customer segments desiring a human-centered approach to journalism.
Our approach will address the “decline in connection and community as Americans navigate a world full of social media. News organizations at the local and national levels are reducing cultural coverage.” Washington Post, January 27, 2024
"This project holds significant value in showcasing the remarkable individuals in Lancaster who are making waves in their fields. It's crucial to shine a light on those who are actively contributing to our community today and demonstrating how they are utilizing their talents and time!"
Blake Showers
