After completing this photography project a couple of people, a fellow photographer and one of my models, asked where did I get my ideas. In other words, what was my inspiration? The short answer was that I get my inspiration from the music I love to listen to, my surroundings and my alter ego. For example when I listen to music automatically my mind is taken to a scene as I give sway to the melody. My husband and I spend many weekends exploring the beautiful city we live in. We don’t just explore the known places but we try to discover the underworld and unknown gems that add to the mystique of where we live.
Explaining those first two inspirations was easy. Explaining how my alter ego inspires me is a little more difficult. When I started photographing my “Urban Charm” series it was about capturing the beauty of the urban world as I see it. Suddenly, as I starting creating each shoot and reviewing the finished product, my alter ego came alive. She is the woman I was and still am. This part of my photography gave me the opportunity to show everyone who I am inside. I am an Urban Beauty, an Urban Street Fighter and the Urban Retro Afro Queen. Before I discovered photography these parts of me were only in my head for me to enjoy during quiet moments while listening to my favorite music or explored my favorite part of town. This woman can not be described as just a dream or a fantasy. And at my age I couldn’t go around playing dress-up. I would have been sized up to wear a little white jacket. In any case these are facets of me and who I am. I know, it sounds a little bit schizophrenic.
Photography has released the inner me for the public to see. I realize that not everyone is going to like what they see and some people might not know how to relate to it. But I’m so very happy to set these life long characters free from my head through the lens of my camera.
I believe that this is proof that no one really knows a person until they are able to reveal themselves from the inside out. I also believe that everyone has an alter ego. Some choose not to share that part of themselves with anyone, others might share it with a special someone or two. Then there are the few that dare and have the capability to share this side of themselves with the world. We call those few artists.
As long as I am able and I have a camera the world will see me —— all of me —- like it or not.
Urban Charms Link: http://images-frozen-in-time.smugmug.com/Fashion
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