Polly Irungu founded Black Women Photographers (BWP) to empower, and inspire Black women and non-binary photographers to create.
Launched in 2020, Black Women Photographers (BWP) was founded as a global community with over a thousand active members, dedicated to providing resources to Black women and non-binary photographers, who are typically gatekept out of the industry.
This year BWP worked with Nikon to grant $10,000 worth of gear and $40,000 cash to recipients from all across the world.
This year’s grant was judged by incredibly extinguished and experienced photographers in the community, including celebrity photographer Jessy J, Director of Photography and videography at The Philadelphia Inquirer, Danese Kenon, and Nikon Ambassador Audrey Woulard.
Many of these creative recipients will use their cash-based grants, to fund projects to elevate communities and uplift those who need it. Others will use their grants towards their photo-related business cost.
Nikon has also rewarded four mirrorless cameras to other entries.
Coming out at the number one spot, Tiffany Suton is a digital and film photographer based in St. Louis. As the art director of Washington University’s, The Spectacle, she is elevating BIPOC in the art world.
Sutton works with Black women exclusively, as a way to reconnect with herself and discuss social movements. Sutton will be using the grant to fund a month-long project in June.
This project is a film and portrait series capturing Black women and their everyday life there.
Shaw is the principal photographer and owner of Shaw Photography Group. Her specialty includes dance portraits and wedding photography. That doesn’t stop her from exploring other genres of photography.
With her experience and vision, she develops a signature style that sets her apart from others. Shaw will be using her grant to focus on empowering youth and autistic children with free project sessions.
Raised in Nairobi, Gitau is a self-taught photographer, who moved to London in 2017 where she began freelancing. According to her website, for Gitau, “photography is all about life; it is a mixture of colors and themes.”
Working to uplift those similar to her, Gitau will use her grant to help educate and mentor the next generation of women photographers in Nairobi, by teaching the youth basics and giving them the equipment to capture their stories.
Zhané GayByrd, (@vibrance_bw) – Oakland, California
Zhané is a Photographer from the Bay Area, who focuses on capturing the essence of reliance, beauty, and versatility of Black women and nonbinary people.
Her works explore the many ways Black women choose to heal by capturing true, raw emotions. Zhané will be using her grant to focus on helping Black women in the Bay Area with their own mental health journey, by offering them a therapy.
Watt is a Canadian and Senegalese photographer based in London and Geneva. Featured in multiple outlets, Watt explores belonging through, social, cultural, and gender identity.
Watt will help Black women who were sexually assaulted or harassed reclaim those spaces with portraits, film, and give them access to therapy.
$3,000 BWP Grant Recipients – Non-Project based
Nicky Quamina-Woo (@nickywoophoto) – New York and Southeast Asia
Woo tells worldwide compelling stories with her photographs. Her work focuses on human unrest and social justice with projects that put the harsh realities of western colonization.
Woo examines the changes that come with the aftermath of trauma caused to her, adaptation is survival.
Kwangala explores the narrative surrounding identity, belonging, social injustices, and Gender-Sexuality with the intent to not sexualize, fetish or stigmatize. With an endless list of achievements, Kwangala aspires to educate and narrate with their images.
Chimi brings her own style to fashion photography. As a fashion and portrait photographer. She’s been working endlessly, learning everything she needs to stand out. Chimi has been featured in Vogue Italia, Nylon, and New York Magazine.
Melissa Bunni Ellen (@hellobunni)- New York, New York
Ellen is a storyteller and visionary making an impact. Ellens images capture humanity. Her portrait works are beautifully composed and reflect the genuine emotions of her subjects. She will be speaking with other storytellers this year at Storytelling for Change Summit hosted by Photographers Without Borders.
Baptiste was an engineer, before becoming a photographer. Today she captures the world around her, looking for moments of magic which she says “can appear and disappear in an instant within a scene or a human face.”
Her pictures give viewers an immersive experience.
Who’s about to level up with that Nikon gear hookup tho?
Allie Eve Knox is the crypto cutie we’ve all been waiting for as she has found a way to monetize sex work on the blockchain.
Photo by Allie Eve Knox
Cryptocurrency has created a digital renaissance for all types of artists. Many creatives are making rent through cryptocurrency, while performers in sex work are left out of the conversation.
Despite sex workers depending on cryptocurrency, they’re not taken seriously in the space due to the negative stigma surrounding their work.
Adult entertainment workers have been involved in the crypto market long before Bitcoin came into the mainstream. Allie Eve Knox, an adult entertainer, has also been involved with crypto since her Paypal was shut down in 2014.
Also known as “Crypto Cutie”, she consults others, creates NFT’s on Rarible, and runs her own business as an entertainer.
Knox is more than meets the eye, coming into the game with two undergrad degrees and a graduate degree, respectively.
After being shut down by Coinbase, Knox saw the opportunity to work with Spankchain. Spankchain, a site where sex workers couldn’t be shut down, offered their own Crypto for adult entertainers. Knox was treated with the same respect as a Developer, at Spankchain pushing their project forward.
“My relationship with Crypto is kind of different, it’s more I have to use rather than I like to use”
Aliie Eve Knox
Aside from accepting payments in Crypto through Spankchain, Knox mints NFT’s on Rarible. While most of her NFT’s are sexually explicit, others are simply selfies, artwork, and beautifully composed photoshoots. She is actively involved in the blockchain, collaborating and consulting others.
A sex workers dependency on crypto
For many, adaptation is survival. Sex workers’ dependency on crypto is due to necessity as opposed to a luxury. Sex workers such as Allie Eve Knox depend on cryptocurrency to put food on the table or pay bills.
“We talk about Crypto being this like solution for things, whatever, I always say its a solution, not the solution”, Said Knox. “It’s been helpful, it’s saved our asses a bunch of times, its how we pay our bills, its how we take our income in”.
Knox is one of the few sex workers in the crypto space who thrive in the Blockchain. There are still those out there who are only surviving. The dependency sex workers have on crypto, while not taken seriously stems from a greater issue.
Those who produce sexually explicit content openly on the internet, are detested in the public’s eye.
“We still face the stigma, it doesn’t matter how many apps people build or what type of products they build, what kind of company pops up, this is still a social problem”
– Allie Eve Knox
It’s no surprise, Knox is successful, in her line of work. However, everything she received did not come without taking a few risks or putting in hours of work.
Many believe that sex work is easy, but the reality is many of these workers are running their own businesses. Marketing, Scheduling content, and client interaction are the tip of the iceberg.
“There’s a lot of us that have degrees in marketing, or sale, we can do all kinds of shit, we run our own businesses”, said Knox. “If I was to make a resume of all the shit that I do on a daily basis, it would blow actual jobs out of water”.
Allie Eve Knox continues to grind…
Cryptocurrency allows sex workers to work comfortably in the safety of their own homes and choice of partners. The fluctuating value of cryptocurrency is only one example of the inconsistencies sex workers face. For instance, many banks threatened to penalize platforms like Pornhub and OnlyFans by refusing payments.
As a result, causing them to abruptly ban sexually explicit content. In addition, other sites go through a more time-consuming process before allowing producers to upload their content. However, nothing is guaranteed to be uploaded. For those who have bills to pay, time and assurance are important.
“I spent 14 hour days at the computer, completely scheduling my OnlyFans that was for 2022 like that took me almost three months,” said the crypto cutie. “Here the problem if OnlyFans comes through and decides there not gonna allow nudity again, well that whole fucking time for me is wiped, that whole income for me is gonna be wiped.
Tokenomics is becoming more mainstream. New startups are popping up each quarter, making headlines. Meanwhile, those who have been surviving on cryptocurrency since the beginning, accumulating tons of knowledge are rarely given a seat at the table
“Crypto is that thing where it’s all the hell raisers, so you think there would be more a community vibe across the board, but it hasn’t been that way”
Eleven-year-old rapper Ray Da Yungin creates fire lyrics with vibe and flow but doesn’t miss his shot to speak on gun violence in his community.
The independent artist from Louisiana described his sound as “definitely one of a kind,” as he blends Hip-Hop and RnB stylings through his sharp lyrics.
Ray Da Yungin came onto the scene in 2019, with his debut single “Up Next,” and has since released his first album “Look Out World” with 8 tracks and 15,539 streams on Spotify.
All under his own self-created music label ‘MadHouse Muzik.’
An antidote to the hate-violence epidemic
Kid visionary Ray is on a path to make a change for both himself and those around him, amidst the current national epidemic of gun violence and police brutality against Black Americans.
“It always feels good to express myself through music,” said Ray.
His most recent release “Miss You” reflects on the deaths of his two school friends, 12-year-old Xavier Perry and 13-year-old Oxford “Ox” Foster who lost their lives to gun violence and a car crash respectively. Ray calls attention to how difficult dealing with loss and trauma is, especially at such a young age.
With lyrics like:
“How do I handle all this so young?/ Yeah, how do I know if I’m ‘posed to cry? Every day know I thank God we breathin’/But why I feel like all my brothers leaving…’”
Ray uses his song almost like his own personal grieving ground, giving his all to make sure he remembers his brothers and spreads the message he wants us all to hear.
That we have to stop the violence and hate that caused such tragic deaths.
Rapper Ray’s “Miss You” lyrics and music video are crucial for today’s rap game. They aren’t just a general commentary on – and protest against – the murderous environment that Black people face, like Childish Gambino’s “This is America,” Beyoncé and Kendrick Lamar’s “Freedom,” or J. Cole’s “Be Free.”
Ray actually gets into a story of personal trauma and loss, that should drive home exactly why: gun violence, racial profiling and brutality, and the Black poverty line are problems we must solve right here and right now.
Anecdotal and storytelling rap should be at the forefront of the BLM movement right now, and Ray is taking a huge step forward to help achieve that.
He is stepping up to the plate alongside artists like Janelle Monae and her track “HELL YOU TALMBOUT,” which mentions specific tragedies at the hands of racism and prejudice:
“Trayvon Martin, won’t you say his name?/Sean Bell, say his name.”
Ray Da Yungin and reconciling hatred with music
With mass shootings becoming a daily occurrence in America (shown through record-highs of 610 mass shootings in 2020), gun violence is a serious threat to any American’s life.
Never mind when weapons of mass murder are driven by poisonous American societal norms – endorsing harmful preconceptions and racist attitudes in the country’s highest institutions.
The police, the courts, and even the White House itself have been twisted and tainted with bloodied footprints and answerable bullet holes. Ray Da Yungin takes an active stand against this in “Miss You,” leaving the listener empowered with love and commemoration for victims of such senseless gun violence.
But much more importantly, Ray is paving the way for the most powerful tools we have.
Our voices.
“Tap into whatever it is you like to do as long as it’s positive. Try to do it as much as possible and you’ll feel better.”
Ray Da Yungin is breathing new life into this simple power that we all have to make a difference. Just within our reach, we have voices and hearts that can protest with more fire and power than the firing of a gun ever could, and Ray is here to remind us of that.
With his flow stressing just how bad the losses can be, alongside just how equally strong the justice for them can be:
“Oh you know imma miss you/Real life I was just ‘wit you/These memories never gone fade away/Make sure that they don’t forget you.”
His melodic bars hit us in just the right place, and all that from an 11-year-old makes you think that any notion we have of being powerless is false.
Ray demonstrates to us all that it just takes one voice to make a change
Future plans
The future is bright for the young star, as Ray Da Yungin gives himself hope each day. “In the next 5 years it’s my hope for me and MadHouse Muzik to be at the top of the game,” Ray Da Yungin said.
SIDUS HEROES is building a foundational infrastructure for the metaverse at the perfect time. The gaming industry is the fastest-growing sector in entertainment today and is predicted to have a market value surpassing $314 billion by 2026.
All this growth is enabled by advancements in virtual reality technology, cloud gaming, and graphical processing units that together make it possible for users to have an immersive gaming experience.
For this reason, the technology at the forefront of the metaverse is driving the rapid growth of the gaming industry. From virtual reality technology to cloud computing and even decentralized ledger technologies, the success of the metaverse is seen through the lens of gaming applications as the industry advances the infrastructure needed to build the metaverse.
While various non-gaming platforms such as virtual concerts, digital art, and collectibles also highlight the social and interactive features of the metaverse, gaming platforms offer the closest definition of what a fully-fledged metaverse would look like.
After all, most gaming platforms already espouse some of the metaverse’s primitive features.
The fierce pace with which the gaming industry is developing and advancing towards the metaverse means that the current computer equipment and most of the underlying technology are barely able to keep up.
Most supporting hardware technologies and infrastructure is becoming outdated.
Infrastructural Challenges in the Gaming Metaverse
Cloud computing technologies and virtual reality devices are a significant part of today’s gaming industry. These tools make it possible to create immersive worlds that allow multiple players to log on simultaneously and experience a game’s graphic interface.
For most gamers, the frustration caused by hardware overheating, especially when playing in multiplayer mode, is common, especially with gaming platforms that are built on centralized servers.
As more gaming applications advance their graphical user interfaces and embrace the metaverse concept, even the most advanced GPUs will eventually struggle to deliver optimum results.
For these games, decentralized cloud computing is a must-have as it situates the decentralized network of servers as close to the end-user as possible. Compared to decentralized cloud computing games, games running centralized network architecture encounter critical UX challenges, such as frame drops and glitches during gameplay.
In a fully scaled metaverse, such challenges will only be compounded as applications in the metaverse demand even greater computational and storage capabilities.
As things stand at the moment, many games are only launching on certain hardware, since old hardware continues to become outdated. For example, the price of the latest PlayStation can go as high as $1000, plus extra costs for the video cards needed for the full gaming experience.
Even though decentralized gaming alternatives exist, GameFi applications still possess poor quality graphics that repel players from centralized gaming platforms because they are accustomed to high-quality graphics and a premium user experience.
SIDUS HEROES Infrastructure for the Metaverse
For this reason, SIDUS HEROES is developing the world’s first-ever platform to combine both traditional gaming concepts with decentralized networks, thus providing gamers a metaverse-ready infrastructure.
SIDUS HEROES is built with a sophisticated infrastructure that not only enables access from anywhere on the globe, it also guarantees high scalability and performance.
To solve the problem of glitches and frame drops, the SIDUS HEROES metaverse is being built on the revolutionary WebGL (Web Graphics Library) technology. This is a javascript API that is commonly used to render impressive 3D graphics on ordinary browsers.
With the implementation of WebGL in concert with SIDUS HEROES’ blockchain for NFTs, SIDUS’ developers will have an easy time creating immersive 3D games that will be accessible to anyone, from anywhere in the world, using a simple browser.
Players and platform users will no longer need sophisticated machines or complicated plugins to access metaverse-ready platforms. Simply by using the user’s in-built graphics processing unit, WebGL makes it possible for any device to render complex visual elements.
In addition, the distributed blockchain network that SIDUS HEROES is built on will store players’ in-game assets in the form of non-fungible tokens throughout the SIDUS HEROES ecosystem.
Conclusion: Advancing the Metaverse
As gaming platforms advance closer to the metaverse concept, other non-gaming platforms will follow suit. The metaverse is the next logical step in the evolution of the internet.
However, existing infrastructure currently lags in terms of its capacity to support a completely immersive digital experience.
SIDUS HEROES is building the infrastructure required to support the development of an easily accessible, immersive, decentralized and entertaining virtual world that is the precursor to the gaming metaverse.
With SIDUS HEROES’ blockchain network, developers will be able to create in-game assets in the form of NFTs and the WebGL implemented in the SIDUS HEROES ecosystem will help to enhance users’ experience with lifelike 3D graphics.
Compared to the gaming industry, social media is a fairly new phenomenon. However, these two industries are becoming increasingly entwined.
More developers than ever are embracing social media platforms to promote releases and engage with audiences. Meanwhile, social media channels provide the perfect platform for video gaming communities to connect.
By the end of 2022, it’s estimated there will be more than 3 billion gamers worldwide. With many of these gamers also being active social media users, social media will certainly continue to shape gaming communities and the industry as a whole.
Social Media Lets Gamers Monetize Their Streams
In recent years, streaming networks like Twitch have made it possible for video game enthusiasts to earn money from doing what they love.
Expert streamers can earn an average of $4,000 every month, providing they deliver around 40 hours of content on a weekly basis. This level of income can be boosted further by securing additional advertising revenues.
While Twitch is considered a streaming network, rather than a social one, the two aren’t mutually exclusive. Many of the most lucrative Twitch streamers, including Ninja and Tfue, actively use their Twitter and social media channels to promote their Twitch streams.
Social Media Cultivates Online Communities
Gone are the days when video game enthusiasts had to meet in musty basements and backwater messageboards. The gamer of today is only a tweet away from connecting with legions of fellow enthusiasts.
Social platforms not only facilitate online discussion and friendships but also allow like-minded players to connect to form online teams and leagues. As the esports market continues to boom, social media channels will remain a key line of communication for budding professionals looking to connect with potential teammates and sponsors.
While the most established esports tournaments like the EVO Championship Series and Fortnite World Cup require little introduction, smaller tournaments will continue to capitalize on social media to promote fixtures and results.
Social media will have a crucial role in promoting more minor tournaments, helping facilitate a broader spectrum of playing leagues that encompass all skill levels. Looking to follow the action yourself?
In the past, the success of a game largely hinged on physical sales. While digital downloads have largely supplanted physical formats, social media is also changing the way we think about success metrics.
Social media has redefined the relationship between gamers and developers. Developers can leverage social channels to generate buzz for new releases and upcoming DLCs.
Likewise, it also allows unhappy gamers to express their issues with half-baked gameplay and problematic bugs. In the worst cases, social media uproars can snowball and prove devastating to the reputation of a developer.
However, developers can also take heed of this feedback and engage with their audience. Several developers have been able to save themselves from disaster after releasing lackluster launch editions by listening to complaints from players and providing downloadable upgrades for free.
The Future of Gaming and Social Media
More than anything else, social media has allowed gaming to become a global multiplayer experience.
For developers, it’s an incredibly valuable platform for gleaning feedback from audiences and, in an age where digital formats are the standard, the chance to remedy issues quickly.
For gamers, these platforms have transformed the very nature of gaming, turning it into something truly social.
News broke that Kayne West will be replacing Travis Scott at Coachella this year. Now a petition by Travis Scott fans is in motion to get the performer back on the Coachella stage.
This comes in after it’s been announced that the rapper is stacked up with lawsuits over the Astroworld tragedy have amounted to over billions at this point.
Travis Scott Full Performance at Coachella 2017
According to a Variety article, it was revealed that the festival informed Scott’s longtime agent, Cara Lewis of the Cara Lewis Group, of its intent to pull Scott from the bill, which he was to headline, and that it would pay a kill fee for the cancelation, typically 25 percent.
It’s confirmed that 10 people have died on November 5 at Astroworld. People have criticized the role Travis Scott played in the dangerous environment. Some have called out his “ranging” culture to be the main cause for so much of the chaos that night
In the interview with Charlemagne, Scott was asked about the culture of “ranging” and the critiques that have come out about it.
Charlemagne asked, “Raging has been a part of the culture of your shows… You’ve encouraged, I guess, the kind of energy that could have led to something like this happening. Do you think that contributed to the energy of this night?”
Travis Scott replied, “ It’s something I’ve been working on for a while just creating these experiences and trying to show the experiences happening in a safe environment, us as artists we trust professionals to make sure that things happen and people leave safely …. it’s was just like a regular show it felt like to me… People didn’t show up there to just be harmful people.”
Travis Scott explained further, that people “showed up to have a good time” and concluded that the tragedy was “something unfortunate happened”
What is now left for the Sicko Mode Rapper? He is still facing mounting lawsuits, and while that is going on behind the scenes Travis Scott’s has been keeping a pretty low profile.
He was spotted back in late December with his daughter Stormi for a Huston Holiday Food and Toy Drive. According to Billboard, the event was a collaboration between the city of Huston, Scott’s Cactus Jack Foundation, and the Mayor of Huston Sylvester Turner.
His most recent post on Instagram was of himself for New Year’s Eve. He is also expecting another child with Kylie Jenner this year. His next album Utopia is expected to drop this year as well.
Only time will tell what is in store for Travis Scott the reminder of this year. Here are three ways Travis Scott can pivot and possibly prove that he’s ready to take the Coachella stage.
1. Tap in with Cactus Jack artists
Back in mid-April of last year, it was announced that artist SoFaygo, a Michigan rapper who blew up last year for his hit single “Knock-Knock”, which went viral on Tiktok, signed on to Cactus Jack Records .
As it stands, Cactus Jack has the likes of Don Toliver, Chase B, and Sheck Wes on the label. Travis Scott could take some time out of the spotlight and focus on furthering developing these artists’ careers.
Investing time and resources to help further push his record label can allow him to build up a good reputation for his label separate from him as an artist.
Playing in the background can allow him to get back to the music which seems to be his main focus when it comes to his brand.
2. Go back to producing
Tapping back into his record label gives him full reign to step into his producer bag.
Travis Scott already has a history of producing some hit songs and albums. He has produced for Kanye West, Jay Z, Wale, Big Sean, Dj Khaled etc. This can be the perfect time to step into the producer space and continue to play a background force in the music industry.
Cactus Jack Records is a fertile ground for creating an environment for musical artists to thrive and take the music into their own hands. Pivoting into the producer role can allow him to still have an influence and make waves in the industry.
3. Tap in with Houston Community
One major move Travis Scott and the team should focus on is the ways they can go above and beyond for the Houston Community. Many visitors of Astroworld were natives of the city and Scott intentionally investing in Houston would be a step in a good direction.
Teaming up with organizations that are on the ground and creating material changes would be a good way for the Astroworld Rapper to reinvest his image and influence.
Will Travis Scott make it to Coachella?
Who knows what will happen after backlash from the Astrowrld tragedy will fizzle out? What do we know? Travis Scott fans will always be there for their artist and hopefully, their Coachella petition works.
Addiction rehab centers are changing as rehabilitation practices for alcohol and drug addiction have evolved significantly over the past few decades.
More and more people are opting to go to rehabilitation centers instead of trying their luck with an in-house treatment program. This is because rehab centers offer a lot of benefits, and if you need it, here is how to choose the right place to recover.
Locating the right addiction rehab centers
The first step is to locate the nearest rehab centers. The Internet can be very helpful in this regard. You can search your area and find the one that can work for you best. If you live in Florida you can use RecoveryDelivered in Florida or some other treatment center you like.
The location of addiction rehab centers also matters a lot because the most important thing about treatment is your support system.
You need to be supported by family and friends in order for your rehab program to work well. Thus, it is better if you select a center that is close by, so you can get support from family and friends.
Quality of treatment
Another essential factor to consider while looking for an addiction rehabilitation center is the quality of services offered there. It’s not just about choosing someplace or another, it is about selecting the best addiction rehab centers that will offer you all the required things that would help in your recovery process.
Though every reputable and certified center offers similar types of services, some might differ on their quality and level of expertise. You should also check if they have highly experienced staff members. The staff is the other major deciding factor when deciding on a rehab center.
Before hiring any member, the center should conduct detailed interviews so that they can select the right person for the right job.
Cost and financing
The cost of rehab is another important factor. The cost mostly varies with the location, services offered and quality of treatment. You should also check if they have different payment options so that you are flexible when it comes to financing.
Although many companies offer free initial consultations, you need to remember that this is just a marketing ploy used by these centers in order to attract more clients.
You should always contact them for detailed information about their services before meeting them face-to-face. It is also critical to verify whether the center offers a money-back guarantee.
Reputation and trustworthiness are important when it comes to addiction rehab centers
It is very significant that you choose a rehab center with an excellent reputation and without any negative reviews from past clients. This way you can save yourself from therapies or treatments that might not work for you or may even be harmful to your health.
It is also essential that you make sure the center has quality staff members and certified rehab counselors. You can do more research on these aspects of treatment before making a final decision. Additionally, make sure the place provides round-the-clock care so that there are no safety issues during your recovery process.
Once you have done your research and found a rehab center that matches all the above-mentioned criteria, it’s time to make your final decision. You should get in touch with this center and see if they offer services that meet your requirements.
If they do, then you can proceed with further arrangements. So, don’t worry, just follow these simple steps, and you will manage to find the best rehab addiction centers that fit your needs.
PWRFWD and Sony Michel have made it to the Solana blockchain…
To commemorate his first year in LA, Sony has once again chosen to team up with PWRFWD, the athlete-to-consumer marketplace, to release top-shelf physical and digital products that let fans engage with Sony and the broader PWRFWD community.
This is the NFL star’s first NFT project.
Pictured Sony Michel
What’s an NFT again?
Advancement in technology increases at an incredible rate every day. Cell phones, computers, and the resource that is online digital world is constantly evolving on a daily basis.
There are more and more careers that can be done remotely and elements of life are becoming more and more efficient. The most recent innovation the internet has blessed us with, are called NFT’s.
NFT stands for Non-Fungible Token. An NFT is a unique and non-interchangeable unit of data stored on a blockchain. A blockchain is a digital form of a ledger.
An NFT exists on the internet and can be anything from a photo, audio, video, basically anything digital. What makes it special is that when it is an NFT, it has what is essentially a certificate of authenticity.
An example of this related back to the world in real life would be something like the Mona Lisa. Although there are several photos, duplicates, etc, there is only one official, and authentic version.
Currently, artists and musicians are taking advantage of this technology, but we have barely seen the tip of the iceberg when it comes to the utility it can provide. Many artists are favoring selling their work as NFTs vs tangible products.
In the past, for example, a painter would have to sell their work for a fraction of what the seller would end up flipping it for. But when they sell as an NFT, because it is authenticated and recorded on the blockchain, they can receive a royalty every time it is resold.
Not only is there a value in terms of collectibles or memorabilia, but it could also provide exclusive advantages. For example, a business could release a limited amount of NFT’s that are essentially like a “VIP” card and say when in possession, the owner will receive a discount on all purchases. Another unique form of NFT is called “ZED run”.
On this platform, you can use Ethereum (a cryptocurrency) to purchase racehorses. Each horse is an NFT that you can both sell, race, and breed. When you win races, you are paid in Ethereum. This is great because the value of Ethereum has gone from $775 on January 1st, 2001, to $3767 on December 31, 2001.
Cryptocurrency isn’t the only thing that has been bullish the past few years. It took the world a few years to recognize NFTs but the NFT market over the course of the past three years has been exploding. In 2019 the trading volume was $8.6 million.
Eleven days into 2022, the volume is over $2.3 billion dollars on OpenSea alone, which is an online marketplace for NFT’s.
NFT trading volume timeline 📈
2019: $8.6M
2020: $85.7M
2021: $19.6Billion
First 11 days of 2022: OpenSea alone has seen ~$2.3Billion
Celebrities have also been embracing the NFT world. Jay-Z, Serena Williams, and Logan Paul have all purchased NFTs for upwards of $250,000 dollars.
Sony Michel’s entry into the NFT world
Los Angeles Rams running back, Sony Michel, is not only patronizing NFT’s but he is also releasing his own. To commemorate his first year in LA, he is launching a limited edition drop of NFTs.
The platform he is using to release both his digital and physical products is called ‘PWRFWD’, an athlete-to-consumer marketplace.
“I love what PWRFWD is about and I’m excited to drop my product in such an innovative way.”
-Sony Michel
In order to make this come together, Sony partnered with graphic designer and former Washington State football player Dallas Hobbs.
The collaboration they were able to come up with produced an abstract representation of Michel sporting a set of horns in front of a royal blue cityscape.
“We’ve got the buildings and palm trees in the background to pay homage to LA, but the centerpiece is Sony.”
Ultimately, the collection is a nod to the Rams running back’s reputation for physicality on the football field. “When I look at the concept,” said Michel, “it reminds me of my running style. That’s me, always focusing on yards after contact.”
NFTs will be minted on the environmentally friendly, low-fee Solana blockchain to make it easier for fans to participate. The drop, which goes live on Friday, January 14 at 9:00 a.m. EST, will consist of three tiers:
Unique: Auction winner will receive a heavy-cotton tee and accompanying signed NFT that unlocks access to attend athlete-led creative sessions, win tickets to games, receive VIP passes to PWRFWD events, and more.
The winner will also be invited to participate in a future Sony Michel PWRFWD creative kick-off session, receive a curated package of TWO_SIX gear, a personal message directly from Sony Michel, and autographed memorabilia.
There will be one available (auction ends January 15 at 11:59 p.m. EST).
Rare: Holders receive a heavy-cotton tee and accompanying NFT that unlocks access to PWRFWD’s private Discord community, early access to all future PWRFWD NFT drops, and entry into a lottery to win Sony Michel autographed memorabilia. There will be 50 available.
Limited: Holders receive an archival print and accompanying NFT that unlocks access to PWRFWD’s private Discord community. There will be 100 available.
Through PWRFWD’s partnership with Encore, the rewards platform for fans built on the blockchain, fans will be able to earn rewards by completing athlete-specific challenges.
Top scorers on Sony Michel’s challenge will win free products. Terance Mann of the Los Angeles Clippers and Zia Cooke, a star basketball player at the University of South Carolina, both have PWRFWD drops scheduled this January as well.
If you’re a big reader, then you’ve probably read celebrity-authored books in your time. Just about anyone who’s ever appeared in a movie, or played a professional sports game has their own dedicated book, it seems.
Yet some of them break away from the traditional ‘all about me’ narrative. These celebrity books cover other topics, some interesting, some downright crazy.
If you feel like learning how top celebs play poker, losing yourself in a dystopian landscape, or simply feeling like an eight-year-old again, then let the following famous writers show you the way.
Serena Williams – The Adventures of Qai Qai
When Serena Williams gave birth to her daughter, she found it tougher than any tennis match she’d ever been in during her career of over 1,000 matches. The star said that she nearly died due to complications following an emergency C-Section birth and was bed-ridden for six weeks.
The trauma has made her appreciate life in a new way, and much of it includes precious time spent with her daughter Alexis Olympia and her doll Qai Qai.
The child loves her doll so much that Serena decided to write a book about her, one in which the toy takes center stage and embarks on a series of adventures. Qai Qai even has an Instagram account (run by Serena) and has accumulated a large following.
Who knows, if Qai Qai is half as energetic as her sporty creator, then we might see a sequel or two soon.
Molly Bloom – Molly’s Game
The thing that sets traditional poker, roulette, and blackjack apart from online casino games are the characters you meet around the table. Former professional athlete-turned-poker host Molly Bloom met so many she decided to write a book about them.
But it wasn’t just regular players that you find in any poker room: Molly’s clientele happened to be A-list celebrities, including Leo DiCaprio, Ben Affleck, and Tobey Maguire – many of whom made fascinating poker players.
Maguire, for example, had a desire to win at any cost, according to Molly, and was often mean to her and other players. At one point, the pot stretched into millions of dollars, which made for a white-hot atmosphere.
Molly had already had an interesting life as a professional skier before her spell as a high-stakes host, but this memoir hits new heights.
Kendall and Kylie Jenner – Rebels: City of Indra: The Story of Lex and Livia
Watching an episode of Keeping Up With The Kardashians, with all of its strange moments, feels like peering into a dystopian future for many people; so much so that two of its biggest stars decided to write a novel about a futuristic world.
Kendall and Kylie Jenner write about two young heroines, twins Lex and Livia Cosmo, based on themselves, who embark on a series of adventures in the fictional city of Indra. It’s a future in which the Earth is dying, forcing cities to be self-sustainable.
While the theme might be topical, the plot doesn’t make much sense, according to reviews. Still, if you’d like to see how well reality TV stars can write, then this might be the celebrity book for you.
Tyra Banks – Modelland
Tyra Banks made her name on the most prestigious catwalks on the planet in a career that began at the age of 15. She’s experienced many highs and lows in that time, some of which she channels through her character Tookie De La Cremé in Modelland.
The plot focuses on Tookie’s time at model boarding school, where she meets models of all shapes and sizes. After several trials and tribulations, they form a bond as they attempt to change the school’s repressive nature.
The celebrity book has been described as ‘warped’, ‘nonsensical’ and ‘tacky’ by critics, which suggests that we might not see many more literary efforts from Tyra or, at least, ones worth reading.
LeVar Burton – Aftermath
As Lt.Commander Geordi LaForge in Star Trek, LeVar Burton is used to acting out scenes set in the distant future. His 1997 book Aftermath deals with a more immediate future, though – in fact, one that’s already passed.
In the novel, the USA of 2019 has just suffered a huge earthquake, economic depression, and an assassinated black President, which has caused the second civil war in the nation’s history. It centers on four characters, all flawed personalities, who have the potential to save the country. But can they do it?
Fans of science fiction may enjoy reading this book, which portrays a world disturbingly closer to this nightmarish scenario than 25 years ago.
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar – Mycroft Holmes
Did you know Sherlock Holmes had an older brother? Mycroft Holmes isn’t talked about anywhere near as much as his famous sibling, but he does appear in several of the detective’s novels.
It’s something that intrigued NBA star Kareem Abdul-Jabber; so much so that he decided to write a novel about this ‘older, smarter character’, who works in the highest levels of the British government as Secretary of State for War.
Kareem was keen to show another side to the character shown in the original Sherlock novels, which might appeal to celebrity books fans interested in a different take.
Adrian White is a photographer originally from a small town in North Carolina called Stanton’s Burg. White’s photographic process is one that mainly consists of documentary and portraiture photography.
As he moves back and forth between California and North Carolina he creates phenomenal imagery surrounding memory, family, and history and its relation to the Black experience.
Photograph by Adrian White
Moving through his work is very much traveling through a shared experience, our practices meet where White’s use of archival imagery comes into play.
Through his film, ‘White’s Only’ you can view some of the ways White uses his family archives to explore concepts of preservation, and at times loss. Certainly, a film one should spend time with.
White also has a way of capturing a moment that feels steady and the works that he creates will hold viewers far into the future. He regards his work as a living breathing archive that his decedents will be able to view and interact with. This act of preservation is once more a prominent concept in his practice.
While speaking with White I felt this overwhelming sense of familiarity. Though it may be our Southern upbringings that made me feel connected to him. Nonetheless, his work calls to mind a quote I came across in 2020, “Black People exist in the future.”
White’s work exists in this space of radical remembrance. The photos we collect as Black people are connected by the oral histories we share, and his work pays homage to that tradition.
Adrian White
Working in a new environment
Adrian White: Presently, I’m working on a project here in South Central LA where I do street photography and portraits on the street. Also, when I go home, I always try to document what’s going on in my small town.
Jade Rodgers: The work that you’re doing in LA, is it random individuals that you’re working with?
AW: Yes, I started in the Crenshaw and Inglewood area. That’s kind of what I do, I walk up to random people. There are quite a few shrines up for Nipsey Hussle. That’s almost like my base of operations and I branch out from there.
JR: How did you get started in photography?
Photograph by Adrian White
AW: I went to an HBCU, North Carolina Central University. While I was there, I linked up with one of my homies from Trinidad. His name is REM, and we had a TV show together. I would say that was the start, even though it wasn’t photography, per se, it was video. The TV show was us going around and talking about what was happening on campus. There was a humorous element associated with it. Then from there, I went on to the military. I was a combat photographer, so I document documented everything that the US Navy had going on. I was in Haiti after the earthquake, that huge earthquake. So, I saw a lot of crazy things and travel the world. How I got my start in photography through the military.
JR: It’s already stressful to be a photographer. In certain situations, especially documentaries. Did you feel as though it was hard to make images at times? Or you just were on orders? And you were doing what was asked?
AW: They’re hard in the sense that they put you in tough situations sometimes. They’re also telling you what to go out and shoot. So, in that sense, it was easy, but yes, you’re absolutely in tough situations. How would I say it? It taught me how to problem-solve. That’s something that I carry with me now. How can I get into a particular place? How can I document this thing? You know? So, it’s a skill that I’ve carried on to the present day.
How Adrian White found photography
JR: What was your draw to fine art photography? After the military did you think this was the best path? Where did you go from there?
Photography by Adrian White “Dionne in Cotton Field”
AW: When I got out of the military, I went on to Brooks Institute of Photography. It was a world-renowned institute specifically for technical photography and commercial photography. I was there and I was one of the only Black faces there. One time in my class, one of my professors really challenged me. It was then when I said to myself, there are a lot of black photographers out here doing this. What would I say to the world? What would I communicate to the world? I think that’s when I decided I wanted to be a fine art photographer. I do commercial photography a little bit, but I feel like my focus is mostly on fine art.
JR: Do you feel as though it’s easier to communicate your thoughts through fine art?
AW: I created tension in my work, as an extension of my thought process. For me, photography is easier than talking.
JR: When it came to learning about the history of photography, you’ve already recognized that you were the only black person in this space. Did you feel that the history itself made you want to tell black stories even further?
Influence of Black Photographers of the past
AW: I think it was my introduction toGordon Parks. I started to study Park’s work and I thought that he was a self-made photographer. His work was beautiful. I read a few of the books on him and saw how he just threw himself out there. He told people that he was a great photographer when he didn’t know anything about photography yet. If he could do it, I should be able to do it, too. I really don’t think I figured it out until a little bit later, from my own history.
At least when I first started photography, I was trying to take pretty pictures. I think that’s kind of played out. I tried to figure out a way where I could tell my own story. The deeper I went the more of my own story began to surface. I look at the camera as a weapon or tool. So, I’m always walking around with it. What can I say with this thing that I got in my hand?
JR: Gordon Parks is also a favorite of mine. Also, in your work especially your use of the archives. I get a sense that some of the people in your photographs are family.
That it’s important to you to highlight that personal story and history. In what ways do you feel like you use the archives? Also how important is that in the work that you share. Versus work that you might do commercially? Also, for family photos do you find that you keep some to yourself?
Photographed by Adrian White
AW: The first time I was introduced to photography was through the family photograph. My mom dusted off the family album, and she opened it up. She started to tell stories, because I mean, as photographers, that’s really, really what we are, right? We’re all just storytellers. Now I try to connect it to how can the archives and my contemporary photography work hand in hand.
That’s how I started that project, down in North Carolina called Pickled Memory, where I put old family photographs in the jars with corn syrup and tried to get my family to interact with them. I’m not just talking about those old family photographs. They tell stories that even contemporary photography can’t duplicate, all the different layers on top of each other.
When Dreams become reality
JR: That concept and those photos are beautiful. Pickling a photograph and trying to preserve something where maybe that person or place might not exist anymore. That was just such an intriguing body of work. Could you talk about that project more?
Photographed by Adrian White
AW: That project started as a dream. One night, I had had a dream about what if you put photographs inside of a jar, and bury those photographs? When you’re really in touch with your entire process and trying to figure out how am I going to do this? Why am I going to do this? What am I going to do? You come up with some interesting ideas. My family probably looked at me like I was weird a little bit. Put the photograph in a jar and you want us to dig a hole and put them in it?
They did it because they believed in what I was doing. It also turned into this fun thing especially interaction between my nieces, nephew, and my sister. They still talk about it to this day. Burying the photographs in the ground and putting the eggs on top of the photograph. It looks almost like a burial site.
JR: Watching “White’s Only” and seeing the process of burying was a bit sad for me. When I viewed the film, I was listening to your nieces talking in the video. Asking these questions like, why are we doing this? What is this for? For me, that amplifies the feeling of, we’ve already put the images into a jar. We’re already preserving them for some purpose. Now the aspect of burying that just added another layer for me. Especially the aspect of preservation. I really love your work. I really do.
Photographed by Adrian White
AW: Thank you so much. I really appreciated it.
JR: I was very curious about how you came up with that idea. The dream wasn’t something that you had repetitively or was it a one-off dream?
Photographers…Keep a journal and write down all your ideas
It was just a one-time dream.
– Adrian White, Photographer
AW: Though in graduate school I walked around with a journal all the time. When you write down everything. You tend to come up with an idea. If you come up with an idea you should always write it down. It stuck out to me because of that. I still walk around with my journal, but everything is accentuated when you’re in graduate school because you’re just trying to figure things out. I ran with the idea and thought, let’s take these photo photographs to see what that looks like.
JR: I love and respect the way you focus on black stories. Could you speak about visibility as it relates to blackness and how you engage with the history in the contemporary? I know you’ve made images that exist in the realm of creative activism. I’m curious to know your relationship to these sorts of images.
Photograph by Adrian White
AW: I think my images do several things. I feel like I document but a lot of my images focus on my family too. I’m creating more images for the family album. I’m creating a place in history. I also feel like for so long, black people weren’t being shown in galleries. We didn’t see the stories of black people. As I said, Gordon Park was one of the first photographers, the first black photographer, anybody ever told me about. I wanted more representation; I needed more representation.
Why were photographs that showed pictures of people like my nieces and my nephew and my sister, mom, and dad? Why weren’t they in galleries? It’s all about representation and visibility. That’s the cool thing about the camera, that the camera is all about visibility. I walk around the earth with that camera, I’m showing you what I see. So, it’s almost like an autobiographical journey. Wherever I go, you can see what I see.
Working at a Protest…Think about ways to protect your Subjects
JR: Well, your images tell a story, and it’s clear where your focus is. The Black Lives Matter protest images that you sent over. I really love the way you address anonymity and protecting the people that are involved in these protests. Could you talk about what it’s like making images in that space? When do you decide to cover up faces or not?
AW: I remember the dialogue that was going on at that time. We’re out there on the street and everybody is saying, you can’t show who’s at the protests because the police might come after them. That they could be arrested. I decided to add an extra element to it. By covering up everybody’s faces. The crazy thing is the people that were jumping on the cars and all that a lot of them were white people. Yes, a lot of white people. The black dots on their faces were so you couldn’t really tell who they were.
I remember a conversation that I had at one protest. People would come up to us and basically say, we’ll take care of this part we’re trying to protect y’all. We don’t want you to do the nefarious thing, like, we will take care of y’all, we’ll do that part. A lot of times when I was out there, I would put headphones on, and I would listen to a soundtrack that would get me in a particular space. I felt like that opened my eyes a lot more I was able to see things that I wouldn’t typically see because of the soundtrack that was going on in my head.
Photograph by Adrian White
JR: Personally, when I go to protest, I’m usually super attentive to my surroundings. Did you feel as though the music at all hindered your awareness?
AW: I feel like it heightened my other senses in a weird kind of way. I was paying attention to everything more. Of course, I couldn’t hear things, but I could see better. That was the whole point of me being out there to see.
JR: I think a lot about the way protests are portrayed in the media. Oftentimes incredibly violent, and people running the street but it’s not always that either. We’re all there for a reason from mourning or simply annoyance and displeasure at the state of things.
AW: Yes, every protest is different. I’ve been to some violent ones I’ve been shot by rubber bullets, but some are very calm. Some are simply us standing here together. So, every protest is different. It’s kind of weird in that way. I know exactly what you mean. It’s always the negative stuff that is portrayed in the media.
Photograph by Adrian White
JR: It’s really frustrating at times though I would love to talk more about your image Sankofa. The woman in the water wearing a mask, I was intrigued by the title because of its meaning but also just how beautiful the image itself is.
Creating Photographs in the Present that Reflect the Past
AW: That’s a performance artist that I worked with. Her name is ISIS and was taken off the shore of New York. What we were trying to recreate was the massacre that enslaved Nigerians committed when they were brought over from Africa (Igbo Landing Mass Suicide 1803).
They killed their slave masters, and then they all committed suicide. We went out to the water, and it was very cold it was in the winter. Sankofa is about looking forward to the future but also remembering your past. The two faces that are evident in the image are prominent.
The mask is looking in one direction and her face is looking in the opposite direction. She’s from Rwanda even though we were we were focusing on Nigeria the mask is Nigerian.
Photograph by Adrian White
JR: Oh, wow. I’ve never heard that story before. Thank you for teaching me that.
AW: Yes, they wanted to have control over their lives they didn’t want to be controlled by slave masters. They would prefer to just kill themselves.
JR: You’re also a photo professor, right?
AW: Yes, I teach at California Baptist University and Santa Ana College.
JR: What are some important histories of photography that you feel your students should know about?
Photograph by Adrian White
AW: The main thing is that photography is autobiographical in a way that people don’t quite understand. A lot of people just go around making pretty images. I think the stories that we tell are way more important than pretty images. Since we have Instagram now and Facebook,Tik Tok all these platforms have a lot of mimicking and copying. Sometimes you just need to close your eyes and figure out who you are, and what you’re trying to say to the world. I think that’s just more important.
JR: Yes, absolutely. It’s hard for some when you’re constantly viewing images online. You may start to think, oh, maybe I should be doing that. Then I’ll get this type of recognition. I think you must ask yourself, what are you doing it for?
AW: Absolutely. I feel like I’m trying to be in conversation with people that aren’t even born yet. More so family members that aren’t even born yet. Especially when I’m not on this earth anymore. I want them to still be able to look at my images. Oh, I didn’t know I had this relative. I didn’t know about this thing that happened here or then. That my uncle moved to California, and he was the professor. He did this and he did that project in South Central LA. These are all things that I want to happen when I’m no longer here. Where I can have this body of work that even though I’m not here, I want my legacy to persist. I want my images to persist.
JR: I feel like they will. I really do. I’m so drawn to this image titled matriarch. Her powerful gaze and being situated in nature and in all black. I really fell in love with that image when I saw it. Could you talk about what it was like making that and who that is to you? Also thinking about women as being head of households in our community.
Photograph by Adrian White
AW: Yeah, I think women have quite a bit of power. That’s my mother. She is a God-fearing woman, who is deeply religious and she’s a mother of the church. We put her in her church clothes, and the photo was taken in our backyard. It’s a body against space and it’s also talking about the history of black people in North Carolina. Which isn’t always that pleasant. I did protest. My mother talked about some of the protests that she was involved in, growing up.
I wanted to make her look powerful. Against that backdrop of the trees, the acres of land that we now have. She certainly looked powerful with that gaze that she’s given me; as I’m looking at her. She’s looking at me. As if to say, yes, I am, who I am. Something else to add to that is, in our front yard. There’s a sign that says 40 acres (about twice the area of Chicago’s Millennium Park) of land for sale.
JR: That is amazing that you all have land to call your own. Personally, my immediate family hadn’t owned any land until 2015. We still don’t have much, but it’s enough. It’s a great feeling when you and your family can have a space to be. That is a beautiful idea to photograph her in a space. Also, I love the church hat. It reminds me of the days my family and I attended church with our grandmother in Washington D.C.
AW: Another reason she’s wearing that hat is that she was battling cancer at the time and trying to cover that up as well.
JR: I’m sorry to hear that, but she looks so beautiful in that photograph I’m glad you were able to capture that moment. Also, I love to hear more about this image of the young boys. (Titled, Four Boys)
Photograph by Adrian White
AW: There’s a video installation associated with that project. I was in Harlem when I was at Parsons, right there on Lenox Avenue, and I went to the store, and I got these boys some water guns. I had them shooting at each other. After they finished playing around and I photographed them sitting down. There’s this posture that black men learn at an early age. As if you must communicate that you’re not one to be messed with.
Whether you’re talking about Europeans or talking about outsiders, you got to show people that they can’t mess around with you. There was a lot of posturing going on like the boys are trying to be tough in the image. They did that all on their own. I didn’t even direct them to do it. It’s just this kind of natural thing that happens with young black boys and black men. I mean, you’ve even seen the prison photographs where they try to do the same thing. It’s all about displaying toughness, displaying your dominance.
JR: Yes, absolutely. I see it. You know, my little brother every day is getting older. I always ask him what are you doing? They’re watching older Black men and men in general. My father has always been one of those men of men. Very macho, and the men the young boys are looking to are from a different era. I see it in that photo, and especially the boy in the middle.
JR: What projects are you currently working on? Things that you might hope to create in the future.
Photograph by Adrian White
AW: I’m trying to get deep into the project here in South Central LA. The biggest thing right now is that I’m a black man from North Carolina. When I’m here, I’m black but I’m considered an outsider. I didn’t grow up in Inglewood, Crenshaw, or South-Central LA.
I’m trying to figure out diverse ways to infiltrate the community. I know that sounds like a weird word choice. Though to create more images that’s what I need to do. So, I can tell more stories. There’s nothing nefarious about that but I want to tell the stories of black people.
To tell stories of people that look like me. A lot of times people will say they can tell when you’re not from their areas. Then they’re questioning what you’re doing here bro? Or why do you want to take photos of me? That’s the biggest thing right now.
JR: Yes, that is tough. I relate to that so much because I was raised in Georgia. I moved back to Maryland where I was born, and a lot of people thought I wasn’t from there or they could tell. It’s tough to integrate into a community and sometimes to really connect with that community if you aren’t rooter there in some way. Though I always believe it’s important to try and build a community as you make work. It can be challenging.
AW: You walk around with the camera; talking to people. That’s how you start to tear down some of these walls. After a while, they know who you are.
JR: Could you talk about these archival images that you have here? What is their relationship to your work?
AW: I took this class when I was in graduate school called History, Memory, and Trauma. One of the things that I gleaned from that class was how you need to really talk to people while they’re still here on Earth. I feel as though those archival images can be a launching point. If I show a photograph of something or play a song and it makes people talk about their memories.
I saw a photograph and my brother might say, oh, I remember this happened right here. Then my sister might have a completely different story and I’d have a completely different story. It’s almost like we’re comparing notes in a way. That’s one of the beautiful things about those archival images. It shows how perspectival memory is. How I remember isn’t the way that someone else will remember. Which gets us to talk to one another and reminisce
JR: Absolutely. The archival image as an entry point to memory and history is an important aspect of the photograph. I love that you brought that up and you should certainly add that to your journal if you haven’t already.
AW: Oh, for sure. I really appreciate you interviewing me. There’s this song called grandma’s hands. Have you ever heard of this before?
JR: No, I haven’t actually.
AW: It’s by Bill Withers. In a lot of ways that song works kind of like an archival image. I sent that song to my family’s group chat, and we just began telling stories about our grandmother who passed away years ago. Where I mean, it’s this kind of beautiful, archival image and music that works hand in hand.
JR: I really appreciate you taking the time to chat with me. I saw your photos previously and I really want to emphasize this because the way you work with your family archive is beautiful. Thank you again, when I saw your work, I knew I had to hear more about it.
