Favorite Photograph 1/7

So....

The number question I keep getting ever since I began updating my website and am now blogging is:

How did you start doing photography? 

The number 2 question is:

Which is your favorite photograph that you've taken and why?

Well, I started photography when I was in college during my 3rd year and then really became obsessed during the last year.  I guess I was always "artistically" inclined and enjoyed drawing, dancing, music and well... beautiful photographs.  The first person I did portraits of was of an absolutely beautiful Nigerian classmate of mine at UVa and at the time coworker.  We worked at the movie rentals place at UVa in Clemons library on the 3rd floor and I remember sitting next to her day after day having this crazy desire to just photograph her.  I started seeing her in different lightings and colors in my head and finally one day got up the courage to ask her.  I told her exactly what state I was in.... I had been photographing inanimate objects and was especially interested in macro photography- I wasn't very good and didn't have much experience yet, but I was REALLY curious about specifically taking her portrait.  The deep chocolate color of her skin, her incredible facial features, her infectuous smile and spirit inspired me in a way that I can't explain.

Luckily, she was as crazy and brave as I was and together we decided to do a series called "7 Colors."  The first time we used the color red, the second it was this bright neon/teal green that she really loved.   It was actually a piece of satin cloth that she had that she brought along and we just worked with it.  What was amazing was that she let me actually draw on her with eye liner and that her Nigerian heritage allowed for me to attempt an African theme in all of her photographs.

One of my favorite pictures (of which true to form I have 7 of and will share the other 6 as the year goes on) is the one below.

Til this day, what I am most interested in doing when I shoot portraits is primarily accomplishing a cultural sense of identity for the person I am photographing.