Did you buy your first camera or was it a gift? Who gifted? 

My first camera was a gift. My mom bought it for me because she knew that I just really wanted to shoot. I believe it was a Nikon Coolpix . I was also passed down a Canon AE-1, that was my first film camera, that's my go-to 35mm. As time went on, I did buy my first DSLR camera in college and then I got a Canon 80D as a graduation gift, which I still have.

Does it run in your family, photography? Or it was just like they knew this was something you were interested in?

I'm actually the only artist in my family. Once I took my first art class in 5th grade, I knew I wanted to have a creative career.

How long have you been shooting for? 

I've been shooting for seven years now.

How has your photography evolved over the years? 

It was really a very personal bonding experience with my friends and collaborators . I really wanted it to be an intimate moment with my subjects. I had intention, but I didn't ever see it as growing into what it is now. I always dreamt of it, but I didn't think it would grow into what it is now. Now I'm shooting with brands or shooting with publications, or shooting artists, which is what I always wanted to do. It's a lot more dialogue, a lot more high profile people, which is a blessing. People that I've been inspired by all my life and now I'm shooting them and being in the same space with them, it’s amazing.

As you move more towards film, what kind of projects do you want to work on? Short films or commercials, or music videos, what's ideal?

I'm very much interested in doing intentional pieces. I was very heavily inspired by all the documentaries that came out this past year, talking about the Black Lives movement and remembering people that didn't get their story and their spirit really told in the proper way. But, I also really want to get into music videos. 

I was always very much inspired by Melina Matsoukas and Hype Williams when they came down to making 90s and 2000s music videos, and just how timeless and effortless they were. So, I'm trying to find that niche of understanding how do I step into the music video world and create a music video that is as effortless as what those 90s and those 2000s videos are. 

I'm always playing a music video on my projector. I really love just when music videos tell a story about the time and the culture we're in. It's the most experimental film piece you can make. I think those are the playground I want to work in. 

I do commercials as well, but commercials can be obviously very, very tedious, because it's a lot of brand standards and a lot of client-facing things you have to deal with, but that's where the money is. That's where really good checks come in sometimes. And I feel like with movies, that's ultimately what I want to do, but that takes a lot more time and budget.

Is there any particular video that you've worked on so far that stands out, that you were really stoked to work on?

I was really stoked about working on the Serpentwithfeet music video, Same Size Shoe. I was brought in to work on it 24 hours before we were scheduled to shoot because the production designer that they booked just decided to stop working on it. So I went and helped print all these images and build the framing, grabbed every book I have in my library to add into the house, just to make it as comfortable as possible. 

“I think if it all just feels something fresh and a new perspective, that's what drives me a lot. I just want to see more people of color. I want to see more queer people. I want to see more women. I want to see new perspectives of life.”

What are some changes you’d like to see in the creative industry? 

The biggest change I want to see is just diversifying crews and diversifying the film industry. There aren't enough people of color on the other side of the camera making executive decisions. 

It's sad to say that we keep getting firsts. It was the first woman of color who won for best director for Oscar for Nomadland and that's sad that we keep still only hearing first woman, first Black, first queer, first Asian. That's not okay. 

If we're going to tell these stories, we have to allow the people who are a part of the story to be behind the camera as well. And that could be besides the directing. That could be the producer. That could be the production designer. That could be the DP.

I think everyone is just like, if a person's not leading it, then that's it, but there are so many more important roles outside of the director. People take those roles for granted, for sure. I think I appreciate now the little roles that I'm doing and that will make me a stronger director someday, hopefully. 

I think we just need to diversify the film industry completely. 

I think that was the reason why Judas and the Black Messiah was so successful this year. They involved not only the son of Fred Hampton and his wife, Akua Njeri but Ryan Coogler was one of the producers, Shaka King was the screenwriter and director. And I think that's what makes it so important, when you just have everyone in one frequency and not everyone just trying to one-up each other or kind of stroke each other's ego. And I think that's essentially pretty much about egos. Just because you won an Oscar, doesn't mean the work stops. It's a lot of work that everyone in this industry needs to keep doing in order to make art that tells the story of our time.

What is one thing with photography that you haven't done yet, but you want to?

I would say I really want to do large format photography! 

I really admire Deana Lawson’s work, she’s a world-renowned photographer, and shoots in large format and I feel like that's why when it comes down to production and the quality of large format, everything looks like a film scene.

I've only done 35mm and medium format, but if I can get to do large format where it's almost like shutting everything down and I'm just taking a moment of stillness. 

Ultimately the goal for me is to see my work outside of a phone. Ideally I would prefer representation through a gallery first, then commercial representation because I want to see my work printed. And I was even just telling my partner recently, I would love to be on billboards. I would love to say, “I don’t have an Instagram”.

On Set…

What camera would you want to be your last?

I think at the moment maybe a Hasselblad, probably. Just because what it represents and just what it's been through as far as creating certain images, a Hasselblad, or probably a Pentax.

Candid or posed? Both

Flash or no flash? No flash. The sun is my light.

What mood/vibe do you like to curate on set? And how do you do it?

I read the energy in the room, but I try to make it as comfortable as possible. And then I also like it to feel maybe a little vibey, I guess, because I'll play music first. I prioritize music first. I don't care what else is happening, because I wake up with music. I'll light incense or burn sage just to get the energy right. And I'm really conversational. I just ask people questions, it doesn't have to be, "Well, what's happening?" But just to get them in a good mindset. But I think I'm really big on the energy that's being curated in the space and just burning off any negative vibes that are happening.

Do you have a go-to track that you're like, "Who doesn't love this song?" Or like, "This is what I'm vibing to."

Everybody Loves the Sunshine, by Roy Ayers. 

During the selection process what makes the final cut? What details do you usually look for in the images.. 

I try to make selects that aren't the most cliche. I try to find that cork or that something that doesn't make it seem like it's perfect because I don't think people want to look perfect. I kind of, I've always hated photography that's super airbrushed and super pristine that I like things that look off or off center, even though it's sometimes weird because I try to center things, but if you look off center or look a little bit off, then I think that's what works for me. And it has to just feel a certain way. I know what makes the cut when I just feel something. 

So I think I recently started trying to find pictures where I don't have the person looking at me. I used to be really big on photographers that would take pictures and you don't see the person's face or you only just see their body language and the silhouette. So, I think those are a lot of factors that make it for me personally. But I typically just know when I look at it.

What would you like people to take away from your work?

I want people just to see that my work is unapologetic, raw and authentic to the human experience.

Interview by 35s & 45s

04.29.21