I'm learning to tell stories with my camera!
What started off as a post-college whim has quickly become an exciting new chapter in my creative journey! As I progress through the wonderful photography program at Santa Monica College, I'm discovering how visuals can convey stories as powerfully as words do. This page will showcase some of my favorite shots as I develop the skills to photograph both artistically and journalistically. Stay tuned as my portfolio grows!
Leimert & Libertyville: American Villages
Leimert Park, the South L.A. neighborhood where I grew up, is a predominantly Black community with a rich history of art, music, and culture—though it's gradually giving way to gentrification. Two years ago, while attending college in Chicago, I met the man who is now my partner. Visiting his family for the first time in Libertyville, an exceedingly white and affluent northern suburb, it was immediately apparent how differently we had grown up.
While my home featured neat rows of hundred-year-old Spanish-style duplexes, jazz clubs, and murals of Nipsey Hussle and Kobe Bryant, his was a winding world of fenceless cul-de-sacs, perfectly-manicured lawns that always stayed green, and red brick McMansions that looked straight out of a movie.
Through this photo essay, I aim to explore what growing up in America has meant for each of us and how our environments have shaped our experiences.
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