Freedom. What a huge topic. Working with refugees this year opened my eyes to so much. I began to question if I actually understood what freedom means. If I have never fought for it, know nothing else but it, am of a color that in my country means no discrimination, have never had to flee because of someone challenging my rights…do I understand freedom?

I’m not ready to answer that question. I may never be.

Instead, I’m inspired to get to know what freedom means to other people.
I’m inspired to celebrate the freedom I do have. This video has such a sense of freedom to it.

Because when we can create freely, we can express ourselves freely.

My video this week brings the idea of freedom to life. On any given day I can wake up, get in my car (that I can afford), drive to a beautiful location (that I am allowed to create openly in), take pictures of myself dressed however I see fit (because I live in a country where, as a woman, I can make those decisions without fear), and share online without worry of what people think.

What a LIFE.
Seriously, what a life.

I take this for granted. I want to take the freedoms I am given with a full heart and a serving of gusto. I want to take them by the horns and blast full steam ahead, because if I gave these same freedoms to some of the people I have met in my travels, they would do so, so much.

Which do you prefer?
Monochrome or Color?

I had a meeting with The Light Space teacher in Greece this week. The Light Space is a photography school for underprivileged groups that I started alongside Laura Price of Blossomy. We began in India and now have chapters in Thailand and Greece. Our Thai chapter serves anti-trafficking organizations in the area, teaching photography so that they may create better images for press and fundraising. Our Greek chapter serves refugees.

During my meeting with Olga in Greece, she told me about how one of the students got approval to move to Sweden. Many of the refugees in Greece are there for a safe haven but are looking to relocate somewhere permanently. It is a joyous thing when they are able to move on.

Olga told me our student moving to Sweden wanted to take a camera with her to continue her photography journey, but we couldn’t let her take one of the school cameras. I’m sending her one of my older cameras to her new home in Sweden so that she can continue her artistic life there.

When I agreed to be sponsored by Sony, it was only after a big condition – that they provide cameras to my schools in various countries as I continue to run The Light Space program. They agreed happily, and so raised my respect for a big company that didn’t have to agree to anything of the sort.

Another big factor has come into play. Because a perk of sponsorship is getting new equipment so that I have the latest to shoot with, that means I can give my older cameras to graduating students of The Light Space to further support their dreams of becoming photographers. The camera I’m sending to Sweden will be my third personal camera donation to a graduating student of TLS.

Which brings me to this: If you have a camera you want to donate to a graduating student of TLS, please let me know in the comments or email me. Because the students often move away from the TLS headquarters after graduation, they can lose access to cameras. Giving a camera to a graduate of our program ensures that they can continue to express themselves through a medium they have come to love. Plus your camera is going into a specific person’s hands, and you know it is going to be thoroughly loved.

If you feel in any way moved by the work I’m doing with The Light Space, you can donate here.

Finally, congratulations to Ale Fragoso for winning the free mentoring space this month! Signups for mentoring will take place on August 1st, 2018.

How serendipitous that turned out to be, for it is that understanding of darkness and seeing the light at the end that ties me so well to my new friend Jenny, who I had the privilege of photographing in April. When we met, and we sat down together at lunch and I got to hear her stories, I felt so connected in a way that I’m not sure I can describe – it was a completely silent recognition of myself in the way she lives her life…and while I cannot lay even an inch’s claim to how amazing she is, I can identify with the struggles we both go through.

It was only late in the process of going to photograph Jenny that I learned of what a huge presence she is in the literary world. As a New York Times #1 bestselling author and popular blogger (like…really, really popular), I felt like I was going to meet a celebrity. And after meeting her, I have that feeling even more so. Not because of her demeanor, but because of her humble way of almost rejecting the spotlight while refusing to be anything but herself.

When the shoot rolled around I felt so comfortable with everyone. I toured her house and marveled at the treasures they’ve collected over the years, and then shyly asked if we could tear down a particular birdcage that I had fallen in love with. When we got to the location, I asked if she could jump up into a tree. The answer was ‘no’, but not for lack of trying, as the tree was taller than she was. So her amazing husband lifted her up into it, and we got to shooting.

I explained the concept as best I could and, after pinning fabric all around her (I’m not sure anyone understood what I was doing), we moved the fabric about to create motion as I told her how to pose, and I got the shot quickly and swiftly. I lit some smoke bombs to photograph with the bird cage, capturing many different angles just to be sure it would fit together, and afterward, I said, as I always do: I’m not sure if that worked, but I’m going to try my best. And I meant it.

I got home and I did try my best, putting pieces together. And only when I felt as though the image conveyed the strong and beautiful woman that she is did I send it along. I was heart-pounding nervous for a response, and cried when she said she liked it. You can read her blog post about it here: Jenny the amazing Bloggess.