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When I was young I wished that my eyes functioned like a camera. I would only have to blink and whatever image that was in front of me would be captured and saved exactly as it was, to preserve and store the moment. Today I imagine my whole body as a camera, light comes in and through, recording and reflecting. Mechanical technology is what I use to actually document images but the idea that my eyes are also a lens has stayed with me.

These images were taken with various small plastic cameras where I scanned the film and then edited and printed digitally. I am drawn to the unknown aspect of these cameras, of not having a light meter or even a real way to focus. What results are rough-edged and blurred looking photographs that point to the presence of the photographer; they signify the real while reminding us that photography can never really represent it.

Liz Donadio will be receiving her MFA from Towson University, MD in 2012. More of her work is at lizdonadio.com.