After photographing in the aftermath of the 2015 Baltimore Uprising, I became concerned about contributing to an oversimplified representation of a singular moment of crisis. To illuminate the richness and complexities of life in Baltimore, I am committed to building long-term relationships with community groups and continuing to document my city. 

Commodore John Rodgers: 2022

In the 2021-2022 academic year, the Commodore Photo Collaborative came together to document the impact of the late-stage COVID-19 pandemic at Commodore John Rodgers in East Baltimore. CJR is a Baltimore City Public School serving grades PreK-8. Aylin Cerezo, Destiny DeChamps, Lola Jones-Carter, and Glori Mahammitt worked with mentor and photographer Nate Larson, borrowing cameras for the year to document the school community. We made photographs both separately and together, and come together weekly to discuss the nature of photographs, composition and technique, as well as what it means to make a portrait of a community. The artist book contains a selection of 32 photographs from the 3,685 photographs made over the course of the academic year. Thank you to the Commodore John Rodgers community for your trust. Special thanks to Michael Rennard, the CJR Gifted & Advanced Learning Coordinator, and the CJR administration for facilitating our collaboration.

Commodore John Rodgers: 2019

In the 20218-2019 academic year, the Commodore Photo Collaborative was formed by Miya Jones, an eighth grader in the Gifted & Advanced Learning Program, and Nate Larson, a photographer and professor at MICA. Commodore John Rodgers is a Baltimore City Public School serving grades Pre-K-8 in East Baltimore.

Miya borrowed one of Nate’s cameras for the year and together we documented the school community. We made photographs both separately and together, and come together biweekly to discuss the nature of photographs, composition and technique, as well as what it means to make a portrait of a community. This volume contains a selection of 35 photographs from the 1,501 photographs made over the course of the academic year.

Thank you to the Commodore John Rodgers community for your trust. Special thanks to Michael Rennard, the CJR Gifted & Advanced Learning Coordinator for facilitating our collaboration.

Jubilee Arts: 2015-2022

For seven years, I worked in collaboration with Jubilee Arts to make portraits of Baltimore City youth. Jubilee Arts is a non-profit that provides arts classes and other services to the residents of the Sandtown-Winchester, Upton, and surrounding neighborhoods. The portraits come out of conversations, sometimes quickly and sometimes slowly, sometimes planned and sometimes spontaneous. As I photograph, the images downloaded from my high-resolution camera to my linked phone, which is shared with the youth as we discuss the nature of the representation. The youth frequently share the photographs to their own devices and social platforms. This body of work is a part of an ongoing long-term engagement with the neighborhoods and communities that make up my city.

Creation of these photographs is made possible, in part, by a Rubys Artist Grant from the Greater Baltimore Cultural Alliance. I wish to gratefully acknowledge Nora Howell and the Jubilee Arts community for their trust and collaboration over the years.