Face Value: Looking Beyond Beauty
Evolved from an unpublished personal project called ShadowCast, Face Value was already thematically aligned with the TEDx JaffaWomen event — seeking to celebrate the power of women working together — when it was originally commissioned.
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About the Exhibit
A collaborative exploration of women's empowerment, sexual and social identity, and cultural representation, this exhibit reflects a photographic expression that sits at the intersection of portraiture, editorial, fashion, and documentary work.
Drawing from an evolving canon of critical theory and photography that examines the role of women as subjects—from Laura Mulvey's influential 1975 essay "Visual Pleasure and Narrative Cinema," which introduced the concept of "the male gaze," to contemporary insights from photographers like Rineke Dijkstra and her groundbreaking "Beach Portraits" series (1992-1996)—this exhibit presents a distinctly different creative perspective.
Rather than the elegant yet vulnerable objects of beauty found in Richard Avedon's work, or the fetishized, sexually charged subjects of Helmut Newton's photography, the women in these images (and behind the scenes) are engaged collaborators who actively co-create their own narratives, identities, and presence. They are celebrated for their complete selves—their strength, beauty, journey and contributions to community—challenging viewers to reassess their own biases, preconceptions and attitudes.
Island Time
The pace of the shoot was intense. But the Jamaicans made it all feel fun. High energy and upbeat, a close knit team, trash talking each other in native Jamaican Patois, a colorful creole dialect shaped by their African, Spanish, French, Portuguese and English colonial heritage. And, though I struggled to understand a word, they never once let me feel like an outsider.
Who is who
I shot almost everyone who worked with us during that week. Models, footballers, makeup artists, dancers, actors. All had grace and style. I was present in every moment, excited for every shot.
Crossing Jamaica
After spending a couple of days shooting on location at some of the clubs and stadiums around Kingston, Jamaica’s capital, we headed to the Northwestern part of the Island, to Montego Bay.
Creativity on the fly
One of the things I enjoyed most about this assignment was the ability to shoot in the moment, see a frame and capture it. I challenged myself to try new angles, new styles and feel more than think. It was a truly freeing experience.
As the Jamaica assignment drew to a close, I felt a warmth and strong connection to the place and the new friends I had made come over me. A ‘future nostalgia’ coupled with a sense of certainty that I would return.
