The current body of work focuses on the texture of life captured directly in black and white.
For the past forty years, these photographs have concentrated on specific places and people in distinct social settings. These images are moments of connection with the subject, a recognition of our common humanity. At the same time, there is irony and humor in much of this work, in counterpoint with the alienation and sadness that are a part of everyday life.

 

The photographs are a way to break that isolation, even for a split second. This conscious desire to come in contact is expressed through an intuitive working method. When something seen is worth shooting, the camera is automatically raised to the eye and the settings for focus and exposure are almost simultaneously finished. This set of actions seems at the best of times to be a completely automatic, unconscious act. The camera becomes an extension of the body, allowing unconscious meanings of the moment to be revealed, beyond the surface impression. The abstract qualities of the images' composition are crucial to their emotional impact.

 

Technique is a way to permit these instants of personal connection to emerge. A rangefinder camera, with its direct viewing of the subject, allows for more of an emotional connection, without the momentary event being lost to contemplation. The types of black and white film used, first Tri-X and then 3200 Tmax, have strong tonal contrast with significant grain-the latter having increased texture and sensitivity in darker situations. Digital enlargement allows for the grain to be present (and sharp), even in large-scale images.

 

The intention is to invite the viewer to Poster's way of seeing the world, a feeling for humanity that is embodied in these images. He hopes that they convey his love and respect for his subjects, without denying while their folly and pain. And he feels in this work, grounded in temporal reality, a sense of poetry and timelessness.