WHO ARE YOU?

One does not have to reveal who they are by showing their face. With that thought in mind, I photographed my classmates and fellow photographers at NYFA in my first semester, with whom I became friends over the first few months. They are the people who make me feel safe and help build my confidence. Meeting them has made me a better photographer and enriched my personal experiences. While the series started with a simple thought, I wanted to challenge myself by showcasing their identity without revealing their face. Something that enabled me to do this while photographing their silhouettes was having them bring something they felt represented by while being photographed. Everyone had many interesting and unique objects that spoke to and about them. As I worked throughout the series, I got to know and understand my friends and classmates better and found a part of me I had not yet discovered. Silhouettes were invented as a cheaper form of taking portraits for people who could not afford to take their pictures in a studio with good lighting and backdrops. But this experience and what I am trying to get out of these photographs was so precious and important for the new journey I have set for.