Ep. #31: The Complexities of Appalachia - Challenging Photographic Truths with Stacy Kranitz

🎙️ Welcome to Ep. #31 of The Urbanaut Podcast, in partnership with Urbanautica.com. In this captivating episode, we sit down with the insightful American documentary photographer Stacy Kranitz. Stacy's work explores the intricacies of photographic representation, delving into the lives and environments she captures through her lens.
About Our Guest: Stacy Kranitz
Stacy, a Guggenheim Fellow hailing from Kentucky and residing in the Appalachian Mountains of eastern Tennessee, interrogates the veracity of photographic truth. Her notable projects include "As it Was Give(n) to Me" and "From the Study on Post Pubescent Manhood," where she explores themes of cultural perception and the cathartic role of violence in Southern Ohio's dystopian settings. Her work is featured in major collections and has been presented internationally, embodying a documentary style that challenges and redefines conventional narratives.
Tune in to this episode to:
* Explore Stacy's critical approach to documentary photography, challenging the truth and probing the depth of human experience.
* Gain insights into her major projects that look at life in Appalachia and a unique group of young men in Ohio.
* Discuss the impact of environmental and social dynamics on photographic storytelling.
Don't forget to:
* Subscribe to our channel for more episodes that delve deep into the realms of art and documentary.
* Like and share this episode to support diverse narratives in documentary photography.
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EPISODE LINKS:
Stacy's website: www.stacykranitz.com
Stacy’s Instagram: @stacykranitz
OUTLINE:
0:00 - Coming Up
1:47 - Introduction to Stacy2:29 - Stacy's Background
9:34 - Thought on Photojournalism
12:10 - Shifting and adding Fine Art to her Practice
19:19 - The role Intimacy in her work
19:58 - Interesting rules for Photographer on Assignment
22:41 - Pushing the edges in her work
23:39 - “Objectivity” in photography
35:01 - Her process
20:54 - Influences
47:52 - Exploring "From the Study on Post Pubescent Manhood"
1:12:16 - Deep Dive into "As it Was Give(n) to Me"
1:36:08 - How does the work take form?
1:38:53 - Advice for photographers
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#StacyKranitz #TheUrbanautPodcast #DocumentaryPhotography #Appalachia #PhotographicTruth #Urbanautica #PatrickLeeHubbard

[@SteveBisson]

Stacy is such an inspiring photographer, and teller. Amazing podcast

[@mayer2592]

Really insightful discussion. As a photographer, I found this discussion helpful.

[@TheUrbanautPodcast]

You should explore more. I've encountered some incredible things, and the insights are true gold. There are many more I think you'll enjoy coming up.

[@BOBMAN1980]

I'm glad the youtube algorithm is a little off the scales, or else this little gem wouldn't have come my way.
Albeit: making Appalachia a subject for photography is a little cliche, Stacy Kranitz' take is candid and novel -- on so many things -- and sooooo refreshing for this reason.
(I work in news, and/or know several self-supposed 'photographers', and practically none of these 'journalists' or artists have any insight besides treating their craft as simply some kind of button-pressing occupation.)
And even with my criticism about her subject, her pictures are still good, and actually show there's more going on than drugs, sex, and deep poverty.

[@TheUrbanautPodcast]

This is such a great comment! Thank you for sharing your thoughts. Stacy was a fascinating guest and her approach is (to me) inspiring. We have a lot more coming up. Stay tuned.