FAQ

When did The Identity Project launch?

The Identity Project History:

In January 2014, the first photo from The Identity Project (one of me as a Queer Femme) was posted on Facebook and a call out for participants was put out  on social media. What I thought would be a small photo project, only 50 portraits or so, grew exponentially when I received over 250 requests to be photographed within the first month of the project being launched. I photographed folks in the Bay Area for half of 2014, and then I decided to do an Indiegogo campaign to raise $10k to travel to other US cities. So far, I've photographed folks in New York, Chicago, Portland and Austin. In September 2015, I traveled to St. Petersburg, Russia to have the first ever exhibition of the project and I also did a presentation about the project at the annual event there called QueerFest. Most recently, I was able to photograph the beautiful LGBTQ community in Taiwan and in December 2022, I am headed to Australia!

Where can I keep up with The Identity Project?

Follow along with the project on Instagram. 

How do you choose the people that will be photographed?

Everyone interested in the project will fill out an intake form and I spend a lot of time reaching out to individuals and groups and I invite them to be photographed. I'm committed to reflect the beautiful diversity of our LGBTQ communities and am actively seeking participants who are POC, trans*, bisexual, youth, elders, disabled, immigrants and otherwise identify outside of the mainstream lesbian and gay culture.

How can I become part of the project?

Easy! Just fill out the online application form that is open on the website, if you can’t find it or have an issue, send in a form through the contact page. I’m just going to ask you a bunch of information to help me organize the photo shoot.

What does the photoshoot entail? What should I expect?

Photoshoots are organized by me and I will find a studio or communal space to take your photo and add it to the project. Once you fill out the form and the photoshoot date draws near, I will reach out to you and add you to a schedule. I photograph people in 10 minute increments because I want time to connect with you and find out more about you, what terms you think you will use to define yourself.

What happens after the photoshoot?

After the photoshoot, I send along 2-4 photos for you to choose from. Your top favorite photo goes into the project and you get to keep the high res images. Once I add the terms to your photo, I will put your photo up on this website and I’ll post it on Instagram too.

How do you help people prepare for the photo sessions?

Once you’re scheduled, I will send along a pretty extensive email advising you on what to wear, what not to wear and what to expect. Most importantly, I ask people to practice your facial expressions/poses in the mirror beforehand. You would be surprised at how much better photos are when you actually practice what your face looks like in the mirror. 

What are you shooting these portraits with?

I am using my Canon Mark III body, and a 35mm 1.4 lens. 

What post processing are you doing on the images?

I process all of my images in Lightroom.

If you have additional questions, send in a form through the website. Thanks!