“If God is a woman, on Sunday I’ma worship us
Take my mirror out the bag and fill it with confidence
Yeah, a woman’s worth is everything without you, baby (Ooh)
Put your blinkers on if you don’t wanna hear it, baby
If it all falls down, I’ll make another way again
‘Cause I’m feeling so high”
I’ve always been surrounded by women.
I have four goddaughters; I have eight sisters; I have 16 wives – and only one of those is a lie (wink).
Okay, so yes, I do have brothers; but for most of my life, I’ve either lived with one or none of them. Whilst I’ve always lived with at least three sisters at a time. I guess that environment kind of shaped my comfort zone.
It’s pretty much a coincidence as well that I have only goddaughters. That’s how the cards were dealt. Even though there were at least two occasions where I could’ve had godsons, but because of my track record, it didn’t pan out that way. I ain’t mad, though.
I feel as if all of this has given me a different type of appreciation for women. It has also taught me a world of lessons on how to interact with them, even if that’s a lesson that you never stop learning. (Complex is an understatement.)
The photography world is pretty much tipped to the side of women – at least that’s how I feel about it. Not that it works in their favour, but more so that it’s an industry that has more women than men model-wise.
Given my environment, it has always been easier for me to work with women versus men, as models. Getting women comfortable in front of the camera, interacting with them to get the shots I want and just vibing on a whole is like the back of my hand – I know it.
If you scroll through my portfolio, the ratio of women to men is like 27:2. I don’t know why I chose those numbers specifically, but that’s what came to mind first.
I’ve had models tell me how comfortable and safe they felt with me. I’ve been asked questions like: “How do I know if a photographer is a creep?” I don’t know; I guess I’m just happy to be in a position where I can show that type of appreciation and love to women.
My sister Zoya and I dropped a video on Monday just discussing some of the things that women have to deal with. From historical oppression, to unsolicited advances and everything in between – and I know, I know it’s not just women. It’s men. It’s blacks. It’s the gay community. But I guess I just have such an appreciation for women that I get a little extra worked up when I hear crazy stories and see some of the things they legit deal with daily.
I really wanted to do a series this month highlighting some key women (teachers) in our community, but after last month’s series, I’m burnt out mentally. Lol. So I decided to do a maternity special to show some love to the moms-to-be. The flyer should be circulating on my social media platforms already, but if you’d want any other information, just hit me up directly.
And until next time; stay thirsty, my friends – or whatever he said.
*Yo, Siri, play Woman by Nao ft. Lianne La Havas*
