Evan Susswood, a journalism student at the University of Oregon, recently released Seen And Not Heard, a 64 page photo book centered around youth culture, friendship and growing up. The photographs provide an intimate look into the lives of Susswood and his friends as they navigate the later stages of their adolescence. The deeply personal project is Susswood’s first self-published piece.
“I think for me photography is very much about storytelling,” Susswood said. “I wanted to tell a story with my photos that was kind of open ended so people could interpret it in different ways and get their own experience out of it.”
Susswood began the project with specific photos outlining the general narrative of his vision. “Then I looked for what could fill the gaps in between those photos,” Susswood said.
Aside from the dedication and acknowledgements sections, Seen And Not Heard is a fully visual project.
“Like 90% of the process was photo selection,” Susswood said. “Looking at the same pictures over and over, and beating myself up over things that no one else is going to pay as much attention to as me.”
An important part of Susswood’s process was killing the doubtful thoughts and prioritizing the finished project over the potential reactions of his audience.
“It’s so intimidating for me, and I think most other people who work in creative stuff, to put themselves out there,” Susswood said. “I think the biggest step that you can take is trying to break down that barrier of being afraid of showing people what you’re doing.”
Since its release, Seen And Not Heard has had a positive reception. With limited pressing, Susswood printed one hundred copies which have been purchased by friends, family and strangers.
“I think the most special response that I’ve had was when I got to show it to close personal friends or people whose photos were in the book,” Susswood said. “Some of the photos in the book tell my story and some of them tell other people’s stories, but the majority of them are kind of about where my story and someone else’s intersect.”
Rather than draw inspiration from people working in the same medium, Susswood’s photography is influenced by alternative culture and friends who exist in those spaces.
“I grew up skateboarding but my friends that are very into it, very talented, inspire me and drive me in a way that is super different than a peer or a more established photographer or artist,” Susswood said. “I walk around inspired by a million things every day that make me want to work and make me want to tell stories.”
One challenge that Susswood faced in compiling Seen And Not Heard was the personal quality of his photographs. “Sometimes I like to be a subject in my own stories,” said Susswood. “But it can also be a challenge putting together such a personal piece of work.”
Seen And Not Heard captures intimate moments in life, something Susswood admits he likely wouldn’t have been able to emulate without the close relationships he had with his subjects. One of those subjects was Wren Piña, who passed away earlier this year.
Piña “was a super talented photographer,” Susswood said. “He had expressed wanting to make a zine before he passed and we had talked about it, so in a big way he was a big part of the inspiration for me doing this and being a photographer in general.”
The photobook is dedicated to Piña, followed by the words, “We love and miss you.”
Susswood has already begun working on a new photobook, though this iteration will be less personal. Susswood remained vague about his future project, revealing it will include content about America and challenge him by flipping his creative process upside down.
“Seen And Not Heard started as work that I had already done, photos that I had already made, and then the idea came to me afterwards,” Susswood said. “Now I’m starting with an idea and I have to do all the work.”
