Untitled, 2009 by Erica Allen

I find myself almost mesmerized by contender Erica Allen's image above, but I can't land on the central reason why. I thought that it might be the graphic composition, the shadows, or maybe the inharmonious shades of green. But I think that it's the way all of these visual elements come together to hold my attention, even without a clear rationale. When I encounter ambiguous work like this I often go to the wall text but the image is called Untitled, 2009.

Erica's portfolio shows rigorous editing, with just two bodies of work presented. Additionally, her statement is extremely brief, stating only that she is "interested in creating and capturing quiet moments of hope and solitude in the urban landscape." Sometimes to say this little is just enough. These images are not burdened by justifying concepts or theoretical explanation, they are mainly about seeing and feeling.

Untitled Gentleman #14 by Erica Allen

Also of note on Erica's website is the series Untitled Gentlemen, a very different kind of work than her urban moments. The images are composites of found studio portraits and barbershop hairstyle posters. When these two anonymous and mass-market forms of portraiture are fused, they create images that are surreal, personal, and emotive.

Erica's work has been featured in print and online at The Exposure Project Blog and Women in Photography who awarded her an Individual Project Grant Runner Up Prize for Untitled Gentlemen. Several more images can be found at Erica's portfolio.