Laura is a portrait and documentary photographer who specializes in social issues, including homelessness, prostitution, the physically challenged, and disenfranchised youth. She currently is developing a collaborative piece on the concept of time. Her work is exhibited and published regionally, nationally, and internationally. She recently received a Jerome Foundation grant.

Artist's Statement I make photographs to understand the world around me, to examine social issues, and to portray human relationships. These images enlighten, reveal prejudices, and dispel myths. My photographs in "Home Sweet Home" come from two documentaries I made for the Wilder Research Center's Project on Minnesota's Homeless Youth. To fulfill this assignment, I had access to emergency shelters, the American Red Cross, and transitional-housing facilities. I work almost exclusively in black and white, and use either a 35mm single-lens reflex camera or a medium-format camera. For these social documentaries, I used a 35-millimeter camera and worked quickly, using available light and subjects.

Visual Art | Laura Crosby