One of the reasons I chose to feature Jonathan's project "Fans" is that aside from his wit, he really gets into the thick of the "fandom" to get people's true reactions, emotions, and expressions of being a fan.
What made you choose this project?
About five years ago, I was working with photographer, Julian Germain. After looking at my portfolio, he suggested that I do a personal project on fans. I decided to start by going to a celebrity signing, one of the more obvious places to find fans. I realized that in order to get at the essence of what being a "fan" meant, I would have to branch out. I talked with and photographed people outside of sporting events, waited with people in line hours before a show was starting, and have even gone to midnight book releases. Its easy to get as excited as they are when you get surrounded by hundreds of people who feel the same about something.
How many photos were there before you edited it down to the featured images?
This has been an ongoing project for me over the past five years. I continually update my site with new work. I have been preparing to make a book of these photographs.
What was your favorite aspect of this personal project?
My favorite part is getting to meet the people. This project has taken me all over the place. I've eaten sausages with Patriots Fans outside of Gillette Stadium, taken a charity walk with Hanson fans, and even did 10-pin bowling for the first time with Big Lebowski fans. We are all fans of something, no matter how different it is, being a fan is the same.
Check out Jonathan's project here and the rest of his portfolio at jonathanbeller.com
