🎥✨ Be Part of the Story! ✨🎥
We’re creating “A Local Autonomous Network Story”, a documentary about radical community action in the so-called Philippines!
🚀 Help make it happen! Watch the trailer and support the project—https://www.radical-guide.com/lan-story-a-documentary/
🌱 Let’s amplify voices building liberation!
#ALocalAutonomousNetworkStory #MutualAid #Anarchism #Solidarity #DocumentaryProject
‘Ameriguns’ Photo Series Reveals the Unique Culture of Guns in the USA
#inspiration #america #documentary #documentaryphotographer #documentaryproject #environmentalportraits #guns #portraits #project
Photographers Wins the Trust of Strippers to Capture Candid Portraits
#features #spotlight #dancers #documentaryproject #nightclub #photographyproject #rachellenaesterline #sanfrancisco #strippers
Photographer Documents the Final Years of a Breast Cancer Battle
Photographer Angelica Edwards took on the emotionally difficult task of documenting the final two years of a woman's losing battle with stage four breast cancer.
Edwards, now a photojournalist, wasn't exposed to the trade until she got into college as a journalism major. Soon after she took her first photojournalism course in 2019, she quickly fell in love with visual storytelling and hasn't looked back since.
It was out of pure coincidence that Edwards met Nunny Reece, a 41-year old mother with stage four metastatic breast cancer (MBC) and the central figure of Edwards's future documentary project. At the time, Edwards photographed Reece for a photo assignment for The Daily Tar Heel newspaper. During the assignment, they both quickly built rapport, which led Edwards to consider photographing Reece again.
Treatment options for cancer are limited in Hope Mills. Nunny Reece must be driven to Chapel Hill or Durham to get CT scans, chemotherapy, blood drawn, radiation, and more. Depending on traffic, the drive can take two to four hours. "It's not just for older women anymore," Reece said. "Most everybody I know now that have breast cancer is my age… especially in the Black community."
"I didn't want to make an impulsive decision about doing a photo story with her," says Edwards. "There were logistical challenges: she lived two hours away, I was a full-time student, and I had a job. There was also the unshakable truth that she was dying from an incurable disease. I had to make sure I could handle the emotions that went along with that."
Nunny Reece lays back during chemotherapy while her husband, Scott, waits at the N.C. Cancer Hospital. When Nunny and Scott were informed by a doctor about her diagnosis, "the first thing Scott asked was, is she gonna die," Nunny said. "And, you know, he sat there and cried and I sat there and cried, and you have these two young people and this doctor sitting there with tears in her eyes."
A few weeks later, Edwards bit the bullet and decided that she wants to take on the story. At the very least, she wanted to approach Reece with the idea because she didn't want to miss out on telling a powerful story that could make a difference.
Reece excitedly agreed and let Edwards into her family's life, giving her as much access as she needed. Edwards tells PetaPixel that Reece wanted her son Ryan, who was 10 at the time, to have the photos so he could understand more about what his mother had gone through when she was no longer here. Just as importantly, Reece also wanted to share her story to raise awareness about MBC, especially in women of color.
Nunny Reece waits to be seen at the UNC Hospitals Hillsborough Campus in Hillsborough, N.C. "Treatment haven't really been that good," Nunny said. "The longest I've been stable for is six months."
Both established boundaries prior to embarking on this journey, but Edwards was quickly given access to intimate moments of Reece's life which was photographed between October 2019 and February 2021.
It wasn't an easy task for Edwards -- there were highs and lows, especially as the pandemic brought upon difficulties of limited access to Reece at the hospital. Edwards made up for this when the world slowly opened back up and COVID-19 testing became available.
Nunny Reece, 42, grasps the hands of her aunt, Tina Foster (left), and a group of her "prayer warriors" at her home in Hope Mills, N.C., shortly after conveying the news that she has weeks, or possibly months to live because of the progression of her stage 4 metastatic breast cancer. Without God, "the depression, the sadness, the pain … all of that would have took over by now," Reece said.
"It was hard documenting the last months of her life. The image of her praying with her prayer warriors was made shortly after conveying the news that she had weeks or perhaps months to live. That was the first time I felt like she was dying. I knew from the beginning that she had stage four MBC, but she still had treatment options and was optimistic. It really hit that day that she was running out of time. By then, I had known her for over a year. She was my friend."
Nunny Reece entered in-home hospice care after running out of treatment options and relies on her husband to help her dress, bathe and get up. "You really can't prepare for the worst," Nunny said. "Nobody wants to change from being the active mom to the mom who can barely move. Who can't go to baseball games anymore. [Who sometimes has to] get around in a wheelchair at her doctor's office."During the final moments of Reece's life, she struggled to communicate with Edwards while in the hospice. However, both had already had conversations about hospice and funeral arrangements beforehand which made Edwards feel more comfortable documenting this sensitive situation.
Nunny Reece, 42, falls asleep while in at-home hospice care in her home in Hope Mills, N.C. Nunny struggles with staying awake, speaking, and moving about as her cancer has progressed significantly. COVID-19 protocols have resulted in her receiving very few visitors during her hospice care. Nunny Reece's oldest sons, Tylan (left) and Tavon (right) pay their respects to their mother. Nunny died on Feb. 1, 2021 — nine days before her 43rd birthday. Her funeral service embodied what she loved: God, her family and the color purple. The home-going service was preplanned. Nunny picked out the worship songs, speakers and decorations she wanted before she died. Scott and Nunny Reece shared two decades, three kids and a life together. Before her death, Nunny prewrote letters to her husband and children, which included advice for major life events such as graduation and raising their future children. For Scott, she wished him to "move forward with life and to be able to enjoy life … because he has spent so much time taking care of me."
Although the journey took an emotional toll on Edwards, it was equally as rewarding and there were moments where Reece was able to have fun and enjoy her life outside of the hospital, such as her wedding and casual outings.
In 2000, the Reeces married in a courthouse and promised to renew their vows. Two decades and three kids later, Scott proposed to Nunny at her 40th birthday party, after her stage 4 cancer diagnosis. "People when they know they're gonna die, they have like a, what they call a bucket list," Nunny said. "And I have what I call is a live-love-life list because I still continue to live." Nunny Reece picks out her wedding dress with her bridesmaids. Reece felt relieved to find her perfect dress because of concerns of swelling as a result of her steroid treatment. "As soon as I put it on, my eyes lit up," Nunny said. "And I just knew that dress was for me … and it was really, really beautiful." Nunny Reece spent the night with her best friends in a hotel where they ate food, laughed, and prepared for her big day. "They are the two that you know will stay with me in the hospital, call on a weekly basis to see how I'm doing," Nunny said. "Having that girl time … it's good to have that." Nunny Reece gets dressed shortly before renewing her vows. "I was able to have … the wedding of my dream," Nunny said. "It was better than what I thought. I mean my dress, the decoration, everything was purple like I love." Nunny and Scott Reece celebrate after renewing their vows on Feb. 8, 2020, fulfilling Nunny's dream of having a big wedding. "I just wanted to remind him … that I take my vows seriously, too. I think he wanted to show me that he's not just my caregiver," Nunny said. Nunny Reece hugs her son Ryan after renewing her vows. "That little boy, he just makes it known that he is all about his mom. And he loves his mom. He needs me here. And he wants me here."
This experience confirmed Edwards's dedication to visual storytelling and gave her confidence in her skills to tell important and difficult stories. Although she is uncertain what the future holds for herself and her career direction, the story of the final moments of Reece's life has shown her the power of long-term, human-centered storytelling.
"I hope people look at this story and feel like they knew Nunny. I hope they get a sense of her spirit and how loved she was. Hopefully, it encourages people going through medical hardships and their families. It also serves as a reminder about the disparities within healthcare and how far the cancer research has to come."
More of Edwards's work can be viewed on her website and Instagram.
Image credits: All images by Angelica Edwards and used with permission.
#inspiration #spotlight #cancer #documentary #documentaryproject #health #photojournalism #photojournalist #project #womeninphotography #womenphotojournalist
Photographer Documents U.S. Military’s Fake Middle East Villages
One photographer had documented locations that many may not even know exist -- fictitious Iraqi and Afghan villages on the training grounds of U.S. Army bases that are quietly tucked away in forests and deserts.
Christopher Sims has many professional titles under his belt: photographer, photo archivist, undergraduate Education Director, and Associate Professor.
Prior to learning about pretend villages, Sims was taking part in editorial coverage of Fort Bragg, a military facility in Fayetteville, North Carolina. During one such visit, a young U.S. Army private told Sims that there is a more compelling site to capture and took him to visit a fictitious village for the first time.
Situated in the deep forests of North Carolina and Louisiana as well as in the great expanse of desert near Death Valley in California, these villages -- built as clusters -- are spread out over thousands of acres. These villages are referred to by as existing in the pretend countries of Talatha, Braggistan, or "Iraq" -- the latter likely accompanied by air quotes and a knowing look.
The purpose of these villages is to serve as a way station for soldiers and personnel who are heading off to war and for those who have fled it. The village consists of pretend villagers, who are often immigrants from Iraq and Afghanistan themselves, and now are employed to play "a version of the lives they have left behind."
The rest of the village population is created out of local communities near the Army bases, including spouses of active-duty soldiers and military veterans, some of who are amputees and play the part of wounded villagers. Others include actors who play police officers, gardeners, café owners, and more.
"The villages feel to me like they exist in a fantastical realm of sorts, but they are also worksites for employees," Sims tells PetaPixel about his " Theater of War: The Pretend Villages of Iraq and Afghanistan" project. "Overall, it’s a rather bizarre combination of elements."
When the role-players are not actively engaged in training exercises, they spend time decorating and modifying their temporary surroundings, "creating architectural spaces that are layered visions of Western and Islamic world views" as Sims describes.
"The role-players are given wide latitude in inhabiting their characters and bring an impressive range of skills, activities, and traditions to their work. The overall effect of the villages is convincingly accurate and sometimes comically misdirected, mundane, or nightmarish," he says.
So far, Sims has visited most of the pretend villages which are located on different bases throughout the country. For this project, he was granted access through the military's public affairs offices and once even replied to a call for participants to be journalists for the International News Network -- the military's version of CNN.
Sims quickly got into the role of a pretend war correspondent and in exchange for performing it, he was given the opportunity to hitch rides around the training area and go photograph places that he hadn't been able to access before.
The unique experience has left Sims asking questions.
"What did Americans think these distant lands and cultures where we were fighting were like? How are these wars present in our own day-to-day lives in the United States? Who do we believe to be our 'enemy,' and how do we imagine their lives? And how are these twenty-first-century wars, and our military’s preparation for them, hidden and not seen by US citizens, in a democracy?"
Sims has also captured Guantánamo Bay and both experiences bear similarities, he says. He felt that on both occasions he was documenting from the backstage, observing the global war on terror -- or the "forever wars -- whilst also trying to make sense of where his photographs fit in this narrative.
More of Sim's work can be found on his website, including additional information about the "Theater of War: The Pretend Villages of Iraq and Afghanistan" project.
Image credits: All photographs from "The Pretend Villages" by Christopher Sims and used with permission.
#culture #inspiration #aghanistan #army #christophersims #documentary #documentaryproject #iraq #photojournalism #photojournalist #political #usarmy
Photo Series Shows Pandemic Emotions, Starts Mental Health Talks
A U.K.-based photographer has given complete strangers a platform to share their thoughts and emotions regarding the last year with the goal of raising awareness of the pandemic's impact on mental health.
Following a deeply personal loss, Donna Bridgewater, a photographer and lecturer based in Birmingham, United Kingdom, started a local photography project that captures strangers on the street revealing their personal thoughts and feelings on living in a pandemic world.
The project, titled " Getting Through This," intends to "create a conversation about mental health," as strangers hold up a board of messages, both deeply honest and inspiring, to help people compartmentalize their feelings and put them into words.
Looking back to an animal cruelty protest in Coventry Bridgewater and her sister had attended, she recalls a local charity that used a blank board to help the community voice their concerns, thoughts, or simply to share a positive message. Similarly, having worked in a special needs environment, Bridgewater has found that many learners who are non-vocal would use a pen and paper as a form of preferred communication.
Both ideas inspired the structure of the project while the idea for the initiative was born after Bridgewater lost her sister, which further led to her incorporating other people's mental health difficulties during the pandemic, because "every day is a struggle but you find ways to adapt in life."
Although Bridgewater had story-telling project experience under her belt through her past work with the LGBTQ community and others, the forced removal of social everyday interactions during the lockdown made it difficult to go back out and approach the public on the streets.
When the photographer approached people, she shared her own personal experiences of losing her sister, however, the unpleasant weather didn't make it easy to connect with people because strangers would want to quickly pass by to get to their destination quicker.
Nevertheless, her openness and perseverance -- after many people refused to participate -- allowed her to meet people in the local community who were willing to stop, talk, and share their stories. This not only boosted Bridgewater's own confidence but also gave those she connected with an opportunity to feel part of something powerful.
The process also helped the photographer to process the loss of her sister, Leanne, with whom she had lived and shared daily life. She explains, "being open and sharing my own story about Leanne has helped me to build my own confidence when talking about her. Every time I continue the project and hear comments it make me feel happy that the messages could help someone that is struggling."
The project is still ongoing, not just because of the positive feedback received from both participants and the audience, but also because of Bridgewater plans to link it with the mental health charity Mind when pandemic restrictions eventually permit it.
Other institutions have also been eager to participate. For example, Bridgewater has been invited to deliver a talk to The Royal Photographic Society, while others have expressed that the project would work well as an exhibition, displayed in shop windows, or shared on different media sources, like news, TV, and radio.
The messages are so powerful and true and they need to be seen by more and more people worldwide. Ideally in the future I would like to produce a book to raise money for charity. I have struggled with mental health myself and I have a little positive messages book that gives me a boost now and then. It would be a nice little book that you could pick up to give you a little boost in life.
For more, you can join Bridgewater's upcoming online talk on May 17, 2021, or visit her website.
Image credits: All images by Donna Bridgewater and used with permission.
#culture #features #inspiration #awareness #coronavirus #covid #covid19experience #documentary #documentaryproject #longtermproject #mentalhealth #pandemic #personalproject #project
Photo Series Shows Pandemic Emotions, Starts Mental Health Talks
A U.K.-based photographer has given complete strangers a platform to share their thoughts and emotions regarding the last year with the goal of raising awareness of the pandemic's impact on mental health.
Following a deeply personal loss, Donna Bridgewater, a photographer and lecturer based in Birmingham, United Kingdom, started a local photography project that captures strangers on the street revealing their personal thoughts and feelings on living in a pandemic world.
The project, titled " Getting Through This," intends to "create a conversation about mental health," as strangers hold up a board of messages, both deeply honest and inspiring, to help people compartmentalize their feelings and put them into words.
Looking back to an animal cruelty protest in Coventry Bridgewater and her sister had attended, she recalls a local charity that used a blank board to help the community voice their concerns, thoughts, or simply to share a positive message. Similarly, having worked in a special needs environment, Bridgewater has found that many learners who are non-vocal would use a pen and paper as a form of preferred communication.
Both ideas inspired the structure of the project while the idea for the initiative was born after Bridgewater lost her sister, which further led to her incorporating other people's mental health difficulties during the pandemic, because "every day is a struggle but you find ways to adapt in life."
Although Bridgewater had story-telling project experience under her belt through her past work with the LGBTQ community and others, the forced removal of social everyday interactions during the lockdown made it difficult to go back out and approach the public on the streets.
When the photographer approached people, she shared her own personal experiences of losing her sister, however, the unpleasant weather didn't make it easy to connect with people because strangers would want to quickly pass by to get to their destination quicker.
Nevertheless, her openness and perseverance -- after many people refused to participate -- allowed her to meet people in the local community who were willing to stop, talk, and share their stories. This not only boosted Bridgewater's own confidence but also gave those she connected with an opportunity to feel part of something powerful.
The process also helped the photographer to process the loss of her sister, Leanne, with whom she had lived and shared daily life. She explains, "being open and sharing my own story about Leanne has helped me to build my own confidence when talking about her. Every time I continue the project and hear comments it make me feel happy that the messages could help someone that is struggling."
The project is still ongoing, not just because of the positive feedback received from both participants and the audience, but also because of Bridgewater plans to link it with the mental health charity Mind when pandemic restrictions eventually permit it.
Other institutions have also been eager to participate. For example, Bridgewater has been invited to deliver a talk to The Royal Photographic Society, while others have expressed that the project would work well as an exhibition, displayed in shop windows, or shared on different media sources, like news, TV, and radio.
The messages are so powerful and true and they need to be seen by more and more people worldwide. Ideally in the future I would like to produce a book to raise money for charity. I have struggled with mental health myself and I have a little positive messages book that gives me a boost now and then. It would be a nice little book that you could pick up to give you a little boost in life.
For more, you can join Bridgewater's upcoming online talk on May 17, 2021, or visit her website.
Image credits: All images by Donna Bridgewater and used with permission.
#culture #features #inspiration #awareness #coronavirus #covid #covid19experience #documentary #documentaryproject #longtermproject #mentalhealth #pandemic #personalproject #project
