Of his photography, so much of which focuses on marginalized, or self-marginalizing, groups (voodoo practitioners, Haitian slaughterhouse workers, seal hunters), Karen says: "I guess I prefer stories with a little edge to them. I find it extremely interesting to document a controversial belief system -- to capture people when they're in a vulnerable state, running on raw emotion. It's about being allowed into someone's personal space, respecting that trust, being grateful for the chance to see something that most don't get to see."