New York, New York

I recently have been given an awesome opportunity to participate in the New York Times Student Journalism Institute. In previous years, the institute took place in Arizona and Louisiana. This year the program was held in New York City and although the reporters of the institute were asked to focus on the Harlem area, the visual journalists were able to venture out around the city. Last summer, while interning for the Louisville Courier-Journal, I read a book that featured some of the best street photographers in the world. I have always loved the challenge of capturing moments and light in a single image, especially while walking down the street. I am still experimenting with my technique and who I photograph, but I wanted to share some of my favorites that I have taken so far. 


Felon Voting Disenfranchisement

This semester I was fortunate enough to be named a Fleischaker-Greene Scholar. This opportunity afforded me the ability to learn about our nation’s democracy (or lack thereof) and contribute visuals to humanize issues that are affecting our democracy. The group I worked with identified felon voting disefranchisement as a major issue in not only American government but also Kentucky’s elections. 

My role in the project was to find felons that were interested in talking with me about their ability to vote and how the charge has affected their life. I was able to talk with three different individuals that all agreed that voting was very important in their household growing up and they long for the right to continue the tradition. Here is Jeff, a Tennessee native living in a halfway house who doesn’t blame his parents anymore for his actions. 

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