The Hours Before Dawn
January 17, 2025
For the past three months, I’ve been working as a seasonal team member at our local Target. It’s been a fun and rewarding experience. I started setting my alarm for 3 a.m. to start work by four in order to unload the semi-truck with upwards of 2,500 boxes. After unloading, our inbound team “pushed” the inventory to the sales floor or to a number of back stock locations throughout the store. Seven to eight trucks a week, week after week. During the holidays, the amount of merchandise that is sold at this location alone is staggering, and I was unaware of how things seem to magically appear on the shelf at stores I frequently shop.
Jumping back into retail after more than 35 years has been eye opening. Processes and technology have definitely made an impact. But being inside of what is reported to be the largest Target in Tennessee, with only a handful of people, hours before the store opens, feels strange. The contrast to the hustle and bustle of aisles full of shoppers is palpable. Large spaces in subdued light. Quiet aisles with empty shelves. Dark night skies over the parking lot with rows of empty carts.
After the first few days I knew I had to try and capture this overwhelming feeling. To document and tell the story of this behind-the scenes environment was a blessing. It was difficult, at times, to find even a few minutes during a shift to capture a single image. But the saying is true: a picture truly is worth a thousand words.
What follows is an unauthorized visual representation of the hours just before dawn, when time seems to stand still.
“Black and white [photography] creates a strange dreamscape that color never can”
– Jack Antonoff
The season is now over. Will I continue? Sure. The work, although more physical than I imagined, is fun. And finding the vignettes to photograph. These things are all bonuses—not that I look good in red.
But there are even better reasons to continue.
1. The people. My coworkers are hardworking and fun to be around. Their sense of humor is incomparable, while they welcomed me into my role and were patient while I trained.
2. Going out for a beer after work, only to find that it’s still just around 12 noon.
Cheers!
