The Spectrum of Self

My project, The Spectrum of Self, is an intentional deep dive into the complexity of identity. My core aim is full representation—a commitment to capturing people of color across all their brilliant shades, forms, and identities.
As a photographer, I began by asking a simple yet profound question of each subject: Who are you, exactly? And critically, how does that intrinsic "you" translate and emerge at first view?

Crucially, I wanted to tell their story entirely from their perspective. I gave no directions on hair, makeup, or styling. Instead, I told each person: "You are the Director of your own story." My role was simply to guide where needed and capture the pictures.
To enable this exploration, I set them a task: to choose a single garment that acts as the visual argument for their selfhood. This was an exercise in self-definition guided by four core words: identity, authenticity, artisticity, and aesthetics. The clothing had to be the honest answer to my prompt: How can you show me who you are in your clothing?

The final element is the setting—a deliberate placement in dialogue with their truth. For some, I chose a specific, bustling city center—a location with which they hold the deepest affinity. This was a challenge: to stand in the middle of a crowd and be their absolute, authentic self, even when everyone is looking. This project is a study in unveiling and a powerful celebration of identity asserted and embraced.