This project seemed to be a cool idea, but I never truly focused much attention to It until that summer 2017.
Kendrick Lamar’s 2x Platinum selling album DAMN. has been on repeat. This was the type of album you would have to go back to and revisit more than once just to grasp any and everything. I found myself looking over each song feeling each beat and listening keenly to each line. This was truly an album that would take me on an adventure through my mind. The album allowed me to delve into forums and YouTube comments of fans expressing their theories and ideas of not only recent Lamar releases but of ones before. It stirred up excitement to see where else this album would take me.
Out of excitement to what my mind was cooking up I reached out to close friends and family, for insight and what they thought of my idea. They were pleased and also excited to see how I would tackle this anomaly of an album. In my opinion this album was art, It kept my brain stimulated and always on my toes from the very first song to its last. There was no choice but to share this same excitement I received from this work. I soon reached out to my one particular friend which is now my roommate, Shannon Treadwell, let’s just go to say she was rather joyed by my project idea. From then on I knew she would be great help and another great creative person to have by my side. We would find ourselves up for hours not only sharing our insights on this album but on how we can connect our creativity and use of photography with such a masterpiece. I had no doubt in my mind to not allow this album to become a driving force for a project.
It began as an idea, and then written on paper...
This was something very important to me, just from the impact of this album. I gathered printer paper and bonded It together by African printed cloth, with just a couple pages, a pen and ideas in my head I was ready to put this album to the test.
I searched for models based on each song I listened to, paired them by the rhythm, beat, rhyme and everything in between. Shannon was a tremendous help in terms of creativity, she deserves credit, she stayed up late hours even till the last day before the release. Even while still working she would take some time and come along with me to shoots. Not only her but also my other friend Nashé Francis, who was also a big aid in helping making reach the finish line. No money, just a camera and school rented equipment day by day, date, time and location, I had my little white book wherever I went continuously jotting ideas down and making changes.
This project forced me out of my comfort zone as a photographer, It taught me so many skills I probably wouldn’t learn if It wasn’t for this particular album. I set my ideas on paper, acted them out and now we are seeing the fruits of our labor. I made a deadline for myself, and It was to finish in one month, and I must say I am proud to see that I stuck to my word and that I had friends to help me along side.
Shannon is considered a creative director in my eyes, she has come up with so many ideas that she doesn’t deserve anything but a platform where she can freely put her God gifted talent to use. That is one out of many things that pushed me forward in this project.
God has been my daily guide in how I think, react to my problems and how I respond to others. This has all been a test of my faith and how I use His gifts to show how great He is. What amazed me the most is that the same God who allowed Kendrick and many others to share their art is the same God in me. We all have bits and pieces of his greatness that I️ truly wanted to shine a light on. I stayed up nights praying, and talking to God, even if I was stressed or happy I still expressed my appreciation for everything He was doing in my life. So I see this entire project as a true blessing. Not only does this album make you more aware of the world around you, It allows you to become aware of God and yourself with the life we all live. From the very first statement of the album, “You decide.” It has been becoming a reality of choices in life which is what the entire album is about. The choices we make can bring us life or death It is all up to us. Another important theme to this album is What Happens on Earth, stays on Earth. It is a scripture in The Holy Bible in 1 Timothy 6:7 “ For we brought nothing into this world,and It is certain we can carry nothing out.” Meaning exactly what I️ titled my project to be. When I leave this Earth I want people to see what God blessed me with, a life that was rich in love, rich in Christ and so much more.
I must say as I wrap this up, I want to give a huge thank you to whoever believed in me, to the models who took their time out of their day to make this project what it is, to those who were put in the freezing cold with me at nights lugging around heavy equipment. To family and friends who helped me on this journey and pushed me to challenge myself. All in the name of getting better, doing better, doing what you really love, trusting and having faith in yourself and in others.
I said this to myself everyday, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not to your own understanding, in all your ways acknowledge Him and He will direct your path” and I must be nice say my path has been truly directed.
Thank you.
Kendrick Lamar’s 2x Platinum selling album DAMN. has been on repeat. This was the type of album you would have to go back to and revisit more than once just to grasp any and everything. I found myself looking over each song feeling each beat and listening keenly to each line. This was truly an album that would take me on an adventure through my mind. The album allowed me to delve into forums and YouTube comments of fans expressing their theories and ideas of not only recent Lamar releases but of ones before. It stirred up excitement to see where else this album would take me.
Out of excitement to what my mind was cooking up I reached out to close friends and family, for insight and what they thought of my idea. They were pleased and also excited to see how I would tackle this anomaly of an album. In my opinion this album was art, It kept my brain stimulated and always on my toes from the very first song to its last. There was no choice but to share this same excitement I received from this work. I soon reached out to my one particular friend which is now my roommate, Shannon Treadwell, let’s just go to say she was rather joyed by my project idea. From then on I knew she would be great help and another great creative person to have by my side. We would find ourselves up for hours not only sharing our insights on this album but on how we can connect our creativity and use of photography with such a masterpiece. I had no doubt in my mind to not allow this album to become a driving force for a project.
It began as an idea, and then written on paper...
This was something very important to me, just from the impact of this album. I gathered printer paper and bonded It together by African printed cloth, with just a couple pages, a pen and ideas in my head I was ready to put this album to the test.
I searched for models based on each song I listened to, paired them by the rhythm, beat, rhyme and everything in between. Shannon was a tremendous help in terms of creativity, she deserves credit, she stayed up late hours even till the last day before the release. Even while still working she would take some time and come along with me to shoots. Not only her but also my other friend Nashé Francis, who was also a big aid in helping making reach the finish line. No money, just a camera and school rented equipment day by day, date, time and location, I had my little white book wherever I went continuously jotting ideas down and making changes.
This project forced me out of my comfort zone as a photographer, It taught me so many skills I probably wouldn’t learn if It wasn’t for this particular album. I set my ideas on paper, acted them out and now we are seeing the fruits of our labor. I made a deadline for myself, and It was to finish in one month, and I must say I am proud to see that I stuck to my word and that I had friends to help me along side.
Shannon is considered a creative director in my eyes, she has come up with so many ideas that she doesn’t deserve anything but a platform where she can freely put her God gifted talent to use. That is one out of many things that pushed me forward in this project.
God has been my daily guide in how I think, react to my problems and how I respond to others. This has all been a test of my faith and how I use His gifts to show how great He is. What amazed me the most is that the same God who allowed Kendrick and many others to share their art is the same God in me. We all have bits and pieces of his greatness that I️ truly wanted to shine a light on. I stayed up nights praying, and talking to God, even if I was stressed or happy I still expressed my appreciation for everything He was doing in my life. So I see this entire project as a true blessing. Not only does this album make you more aware of the world around you, It allows you to become aware of God and yourself with the life we all live. From the very first statement of the album, “You decide.” It has been becoming a reality of choices in life which is what the entire album is about. The choices we make can bring us life or death It is all up to us. Another important theme to this album is What Happens on Earth, stays on Earth. It is a scripture in The Holy Bible in 1 Timothy 6:7 “ For we brought nothing into this world,and It is certain we can carry nothing out.” Meaning exactly what I️ titled my project to be. When I leave this Earth I want people to see what God blessed me with, a life that was rich in love, rich in Christ and so much more.
I must say as I wrap this up, I want to give a huge thank you to whoever believed in me, to the models who took their time out of their day to make this project what it is, to those who were put in the freezing cold with me at nights lugging around heavy equipment. To family and friends who helped me on this journey and pushed me to challenge myself. All in the name of getting better, doing better, doing what you really love, trusting and having faith in yourself and in others.
I said this to myself everyday, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not to your own understanding, in all your ways acknowledge Him and He will direct your path” and I must be nice say my path has been truly directed.
Thank you.