Shayne Hood, Fremont floaters (Single Shot 2017)

Earlier this year, I did a road trip through California, Nevada and Arizona. I decided to travel alone in the efforts to confront some pressing mental health issues (namely depression). Growing up I always felt like an outsider. As a young person, I grew up around a lot of violence, drugs and crime; these kinds of experiences separated me from the rest of the world. I didn’t know how to comfortably connect with people that hadn’t been raised in simular circumstances. This was until I found photography. Being a photographer allows me to be comfortable being an outsider, and I find that many people the connect with my photographs, better understand me through the frames of life I am lucky enough to capture. I took this photograph in Las Vegas. I was drawn to this beautiful couple while walking down Fremont Street. Although, some people were giving them foul looks (jealously is a curse), I saw the beauty, strength and confidence in being the outsider. I’m sure they didn’t realise it at the time, but their presence felt so liberating. It was truly a special moment in my life. Thank you for considering my application. I hope you enjoy the photograph. Shayne Hood aka Johnny Brixton

Images have been resized for web display, which may cause some loss of image quality. Note: Original high-resolution images are used for judging.