Thomas Alleman: “Social Studies” is a unique look at regular events. (Photos.): Thomas Alleman began writing for a political tabloid in Lansing, Mich., in the early 1980s. Although he liked the writing at the weekly, he wasn’t impressed with the photography. So he began to teach himself to take photographs; he modeled his style after artists he admired, like Sylvia Plachy and James Hamilton. He turned out to be a quick learner.
“Almost immediately I discovered ‘my picture,’ ” Alleman wrote via email. “The subjects that mattered to me, my point of view, my technical response as a picture-maker, even the style of printing that best served the negatives. Out of the blue, I felt expert and decisive and very seasoned.”
