Shonny

Lighting decisions made on the fly, no set conversation topics, and no idea where the hours would lead - I just wanted to connect with people. I thought I was building a series that asked poignant questions to elicit reactions akin to moody “real” celebrity portraiture. When I stepped back to look at the types of people I was reaching out to, the answer was already apparent: These are the artists that move me. 

I asked Shonny what dance meant to her. After a quiet moment of reflection, her answer was the second photo. She went on to tell about how the power of dance and the influence of her community may have saved her life more than once. I fully felt that. I still feel that moment.