“This photo is one in a set that resonated with a lot of people. It was ironic to me that it was so well-loved, since it was barely planned. Usually when I shoot there is a larger concept or narrative planned. The inception for this shoot was merely that my wife needed to do a home lighting test for her job. I had the suit already because I had planned to wear it for Easter before COVID intervened. I had the flowers leftover from a previous shoot. I bought the heels because that was already on my to-do list. We shot on the same couch we sit and watch TV on every day. Everything was very simple.
I find that photos take on their own life and meaning when we see them. They expand from the original concept and become their own. When I saw these photos, I saw myself in my Blackness and gender nonconformity, and thought of how people who identify like me are rarely given their flowers while we are physically present on Earth. If we are celebrated, it is typically after we have passed on. I see a movement of people now, largely Black women, who are trying to change that paradigm. This is where the title comes from. I added flower emojis, and colored heart emojis which represent the non-binary flag, to further personalize that message for Black non-binary folks. We deserve to be seen, understood, and celebrated while we are still here. There are so many who have gone before us who will not get the recognition they deserve. Society can be slow and resistant to these things. Still, we are making progress.”
nathaniel. (referred to by any pronoun said with love) identifies as a Black queer transfeminine non-binary man. A believer of degendering fashion, she loves to express herself through menswear and womenswear. They seek greater visibility and greater understanding for gender non-conforming people. He wants others who need to see him to see him. They value displaying beauty, because all beautiful things reflect God.
💐💐💛💐🤍💐💜💐🖤💐💛💐🤍💐💜💐🖤💐💐
💐💐💐💐💐while/we/are/still/here💐💐💐💐
💐💐💛💐🤍💐💜💐🖤💐💛💐🤍💐💜💐🖤💐💐
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