Art project from 1997

During my senior year of college, I took an independent study in advanced photography to complete my photography minor. The professor and I brainstormed project ideas, and the one we settled on was that I would spend the semester photographing diners: the staff, the food, and the regulars. He was convinced that little hole in the wall diners were becoming relics and that this would be an interesting project. He wanted me to photograph them in color, not black and white. The project was fun despite the fact that I gained about twenty pounds eating all that diner food. I met with him a few times over the course of the semester, and the last meeting, he suggested that I "embody the project" by dressing up like a waitress and doing some self portraits, after the style of Cindy Sherman. So I went to the Salvation Army Thrift Store in downtown Florence, AL, bought some polyester uniforms, got some hairnets, and did just that. Here are the results -- the ones I selected to go into the collection:

I feel compelled to say that while yes, I'm smoking in one of these pictures, it's something I haven't done or had any desire to do since January 1, 2002.