SPB: The connection to the camera definitely translates into my work. The SL system has a certain feel to it that I really can’t put it into words.  When I’m shooting, it allows me the freedom to concentrate on my creativity instead of worrying about the camera. I don’t have to think about anything else.

SPB: I’m a self-taught photographer, but when I first started out, I also learned a lot from professional photographers. They taught me about the basics, using shutter speed and aperture. To this day, I shoot manually with my SL. I’m always dealing with the dynamics of f-stops and shutter speed, and it allows me to create the images I’m photographing. I can be technical, but I want to concentrate on my feelings and what I see when I’m working.

SPB: I do shoot some of my protest images on auto focus and auto settings. It depends on the situation, but I shoot protests in manual mode, too. It’s more about my activity and artistic practice.   

SPB: Before I entered school to receive my MFA in photography, my shooting style varied from portraiture to documentary.  Graduate school expanded my understanding of the Conceptual Art Movement of the 1960s and 1970s. It emphasized the importance of an idea or concept over technique and aesthetics. I think of myself as an artist who blurs the line between fine art, documentary, and portraiture.

SPB: The camera is my buffer. I like to say it’s my alter ego. People tell me that I don’t make the same type of images that are projected in the media. The camera allows me to capture quite moments. I shoot a lot with portrait lenses because I don’t want you to just look at my images, I want you to hear and feel the images I make, to engage with them.  

I come from a military family, and I grew up in Germany until I was about seven years old. I remember the first time I realized I was black. Someone called me the N-word. I couldn’t understand why people looked upon me differently. That moment has stayed with me and is reflected in my practice.