Sunday Edition: Jack Sorokin
PHOTOSNACK #349
Every Sunday, I contact photographers previously featured on PHOTOSNACK and ask them to send me their spontaneous thoughts, observations, reflections, or advice.
Today, I am sharing the message I received from Jack Sorokin.
Jack Sorokin
I’ve been thinking a lot about the spaces where nostalgia and reality intersect—places that carry the weight of memory yet remain unburdened by it. This photograph, taken at the North Carolina Mountain State Fair, is one of those spaces for me. I was drawn to this young man working the fastball stand, and after a brief conversation, he agreed to let me make his portrait.
There was an intriguing contrast in him—a mix of potential vitality and a deep sense of being drained. He seemed low energy, perhaps a bit depressed, yet still carried the unmistakable presence of youth. He shared that he had spent the entire summer working at fairs around the region with his aunt, traveling from their home in Tennessee. In less than a month, he’d be back in school. The weight of a long summer of work seemed to hang over him, a stark contrast to the bright, frenetic energy of the carnival backdrop.
Carnivals, with their flashing lights, chaotic energy, and transient nature, have always fascinated me. They’re places where the boundaries between joy and melancholy blur, where the excitement of the crowd can leave you feeling more isolated than connected. This particular image speaks to that contrast—capturing a moment that feels suspended between innocence and the inevitable passage of time.
What draws me to scenes like this is their ability to reflect the broader human experience. There’s something deeply poetic about the way environments like this subtly mirror our internal landscapes. As someone who has spent years exploring the tension between loneliness and fellowship, tenderness and crudeness, I find that these in-between spaces often tell the most compelling stories.
Jack Sorokin was featured in PHOTOSNACK #245.
Sunday Editions connect you with photographers whose work you previously explored through PHOTOSNACK.
I want to reveal some authentic parts of the people behind the cameras.
I don't ask them any specific questions. I ask them to share whatever comes to mind when they think about YOU, the newsletter readers.
It makes their responses genuine and personal.
I hope you enjoyed today's Sunday Edition.
Until next time,
Tomasz
Great find!