Andrew H. by Joe Claus

Joe Claus and his new portrait project Let Go: photographs of talented people in Silicon Valley who’ve been dumped by local businesses is a feature story on the NewsHour with Jim Lehrer (some of which was shot on location at KALEID gallery)

from the NewsHour with Jim Lehrer website:

At the end of last year, Joe Claus was working at a small electronics company in Silicon Valley doing photography, marketing and design. And then he got laid off. "I was pissed," he said. But there was an unforeseen upside to his loss. No longer stuck behind a desk all day, he devoted more time to his photography.

Claus has turned the personal conflict of unemployment into the basis of his artistic practice, photographing people who have lost jobs in the recession. He asks them to close their eyes as he gets closer to them, saying it "brings down a barrier" between subject and viewer.

To see the full story and video segment, click HERE.

To view more portraits from this series, visit: http://www.joeclaus.com/Let_Go.html

And if you have been laid off and would like to participate in this ongoing project, email Joe at: joe.claus[at]gmail.com