As an artist I have always been critical of the way my visual world is organized, down to the smallest details. I have been known to spend hours arranging desktops and searching for odd color pairings to complement my space. The same is true of the way I approach the two-dimensional world of photographic imagery. The process of conceptualizing a shoot from start to finish; seeing it in my head before arranging all the pieces and players, directing the slightest shift of an eyebrow then finally, putting the finishing touches on it all at 3a.m. in front of my monitor while trying not to spill coffee on the keyboard… all of these elements are part of a creative process that I love.

Many times photographers have asked me why I no longer shoot myself. They ask how it is possible that I could be content to orchestrate and edit when I so clearly love the process. The answer is that in photography as in writing, the true art of the craft is in the editing. A slight crop or a minute tonal alteration, the careful placement of one photograph next to another, all of these elements and actions can drastically alter the meaning and impact of even the most mundane images.

I love the creative power that this affords me. More so, I love that the ability to participate at this stage of the creative process allows my energies to be particularly refined, able to focus in on the slightest detail; a speck of dust, a subtle shift in the face of a subject that turns an ordinary portrait into something otherworldly, capable of inspiring the rawest of emotions with the most delicate of changes.

After an unfortunate attempt at becoming a painter, Darcy Totten switched directions while completing a B.A. in studio art at Mills College in Oakland. After graduating with an emphasis on Studio Photography, she moved on to photojournalism with internships at the Washington Post and the Smithsonian Institution's photographic department. While freelancing as a journalist and sneaking in fine art photo shoots whenever the opportunity presented itself, she completed a Master's in Journalism with an emphasis on photography at The University of Texas. After finishing school, she returned to her hometown of Sacramento and began working as an editor, focusing on the photographic and written content of a variety of publications before finally settling in to a role she was made for; that of an explicitly visual editor. She is currently the Photo Editor at Prosper Magazine, working with print and web-oriented content, and of course, traditional magazine format and design. Her personal work can be found on the walls of Dante Creative Group and 1310 Warehouse Gallery in San Francisco, as well as in various publications and online sites such as whoisisabella.com, Soundcheck magazine, Window, washingtonpost.com and Midtown Monthly.