As a portrait photographer, I focus on capturing images that reveal the vitality and dignity of my subjects. The photographs from my Being Seen project acknowledge the power and strength of all women, and the importance of seeing the humanity in each one as a first step towards fostering empathy.
In the first part of my project, Being Seen, the photographs were taken during art and photography workshops I conducted with women who live in shelter in various cities in the United States. The women collaborated with me on their portraits which reflect the way they wanted to be seen—with strength and grace—but also reveal the instability, uncertainty and complexity connected with shelter living.
As my Being Seen project expanded, I conducted similar workshops for women who are tenants of a Brooklyn non-profit, HousingPlus, an organization that provides community-based housing and comprehensive services to women, gender diverse people, and their families, to assist them in overcoming poverty, homelessness, addiction, trauma, and the effects of incarceration. The images embody a personal power they work to achieve on a daily basis. In Rochester, NY, through the assistance of Catholic Family and Community Centers, an organization that helps refugees from around the world, I captured images Syrian and Afghan women who fled to the United States, and other parts of the world, in 2021 when the Taliban swept into Kabul. Many came to this country as recently as 2023. My subjects portray an individual authority as they wrestle with the hardships of holding onto their traditions while living with the mores of a new country.
The images from my Being Seen project are presented as diptychs, pairing portraits with handwritten autobiographies fostering personal connections and bridging the emotional distance between marginalized individuals and broader society. These narratives reflect larger political realities, challenging the historical silencing of marginalized voices in mainstream media. Together, the portraits and stories reshape perceptions of feminine strength, furthering compassion and restoring agency to the women featured.