“The images in Domesticated are my interpretation of real events. The journey to a final image is long. I start with an idea of the photograph, find the animal, scout the location and then assemble it all in front of the camera. What’s next, as revealed in the contact sheets, is a process not unlike that of a movie director, where I compose the elements in service of the narrative and the frame. Often, the elements are working against me and it becomes a race to find the perfect frame. Such was the case of the shoot that produced In Between.

The light was fading and I knew we had to make the photograph before the darkness closed in. We drove up and down the highway looking for the perfect spot where the built and natural landscapes intersected. When I saw the stretch of highway where the mountain sloped down to the road and the service road, which fronts the big box stores, came into view I knew I had found the right location. But the light was fading fast and the beautiful blue glow of dusk was darkening into black. After positioning the deer just within the safety of the median grass, I searched it’s eyes for a look of indecision and fear. Of course, this was a fool’s game because the deer was inert. But looking closer, there was some expressiveness in the eyes. Perhaps it was the light or my imagination. The deer stood frozen caught in between the two roads.” – Amy Stein