2022 PHOTOJOURNALISM SERIES: "COMING OUT" + VISIBILITY 


THIS YEAR I DECIDED TO REVIVE THE PHOTOJOURNALISM PROJECT THAT STARTED MY PHOTOGRAPHY JOURNEY BACK IN 2019.


I INVITED ANYONE AND EVERYONE WHO IDENTIFIED WITH OUT COMMUNITY TO BECOME VULNERABLE AND ALLOW THEMSELVES TO BE PHOTOGRAPHED BY ME AND TO OPEN UP ABOUT THEIR EXPERIENCES WITH FINDING THEIR OWN SENSE OF VISIBILITY.


SOME WERE FRIENDS, ONES I SAW OFTEN, OR SOME I HADN'T SEEN IN QUITE SOME TIME, AND SOME OF YOU HAD NEVER EVEN MET ME BEFORE. ALL OF YOU STEPPED INTO MY STUDIO ANTICIPATING TO BECOME YOURSELF IN ALL YOUR RAWNESS BEFORE ME EVEN JUST FOR A MOMENT. 


I MET PEOPLE FFROM EVER BOROUGH, FROM OTHER STATES, AND SOME EVEN FROM OUT OF THE COUNTRY. YOU WROTE YOUR RESPONSES TO MY PROMPT EXACTLY HOW YOU INTERPRETED THEM AND SOME IN YOUR OWN NATIVE LANGUAGE. I LEARNED ABOUT ALL OF YOUR ZODIAC SIGNS, SPOKE OF IMPACTFUL MOMENTS, AND DISCUSSED OUR HOPES FOR THE FUTURE.


IN THESE MOMENTS YOU ALL GAVE ME THE GREATEST GIFT, ONE THAT IS LACKING IN OUR WORLD TODAY, ONE OF PURE CONNECTION. I LEFT THESE SHOOTS FEELING INSPIRED, ENERGIZED, OR SOMETIMES EVEN WORRIED IF I HAD MADE A BAD IMPRESSION. ULTIMATELY, WHAT I WAS LEFT WITH WAS MY OWN PASSION, KNOWING DEEP DOWN THAT WHAT I DESIRED WAS THAT SENSE OF CONNECTION. I HOPE THAT EVEN IN JUST SOME SMALL MOMENTS THAT YOU FELT SEEN, IN SOME WAY, EVEN BY SOMEONE YOU DIDN'T EVEN KNOW. IN THIS WAY I HOPE, THAT LIKE ME, YOU ALL BECAME AND SAW YOURSELVES AS MORE HUMAN. 

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