Hi! I am Chloe. I am a 15 year old photographer from New York City. I want to use my art to make a positive impact on the world and to advocate for social justice and human rights.
Like many people, I first became interested in photography through the camera feature on my iPhone. When my school offered a class in black and white film photography, I fell in love with old school image making from the manual functions of the camera to the chemical process of developing film. Film photography is much more difficult and challenging than digital photography but there’s more room to experiment and learn. I also like that film photography makes you think about every little detail to get that one special shot you can be proud of. I use my iPhone and Nikon Z50 DSLR cameras for everyday, but I go to my vintage Nikon F4 or Pentax P3 when I shoot with film.
My style of photography is constantly evolving. I do a lot of street photography capturing images of my experience as a teenager growing up in New York City. The city is so dynamic and its population is so diverse that there’s never a lack of subject matter. I am inspired by work of Henri Cartier-Bresson. He was the pioneer of street photography and I really resonate with his concept of “the decisive moment”.” This is when people in a real life scene spontaneously, briefly and perfectly come together to express the essence of that situation. This is so much of what I want to capture as a NYC street photographer.
During the COVID-19 quarantine, many people left the city of stayed home so it was harder to stay inspired. Being inside forced me to slow down and focus on details. I used this time to do a series of portraits of my friends and experiment with my aesthetic. There is such beauty in youth but this is often juxtaposed against the darker inner struggles of adolescence. I find this duality fascinating and strive to capture it in my art. My dream person to photograph is Hunter Schafer. She’s a talented fashion model and I love her portrayal of Jules in HBO’s Euphoria. She is captivating not only for her beauty, but her expressiveness and versatility.
Most recently, I have been exploring documentary photography to chronicle the historic nature of the COVID-19 pandemic, the George Floyd and BLM protests, and the LGBTQ+ Pride celebrations. I have documented the desolate city streets of quarantine, the angry crowds of BLM protestors, the ravaged aftermath of looting, and the colorful rainbow Pride celebrations. There is so much raw emotion to draw from. I am really inspired by the social activism photography of Devin Allen, who covers Black Lives Matters protests and communities.
I am passionate about photography because it allows me to express myself in a visual language, and to share my opinions and perspectives about the world with others. I am motivated by my desire to create meaningful and original art that actively addressing cultural power structures rather than representing them or simply describing them. I don’t want to create art that points to a thing. I want to create art that is the thing. I believe that art can be an important tool for activism and I am exploring methods to use my photography as a way to engage audiences to bring about change.
I encourage anyone who is interested to get into photography. It is a wonderful form of self expression that is easily accessible because of smart phone cameras, editing apps, and social media platforms. I think a lot of young artists like myself struggle when it comes to feeling satisfied with their work. My best advice is to push yourself to take risks and experiment with subjects and techniques outside of your comfort zone. The creative process of trial and error is therapeutic and helps challenge, refine and focus your point of view. When others view my art, I want them to feel a connection to my own reflected view of reality. I believe that the natural unfiltered image-in all its flawed beauty- is often more relatable and thus more powerful.
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