The 25twenty-five project is a long-term, documentary photo series telling stories across & about South America. In order to re-imagine a continent negatively painted & historically ignored by Western cultures, I am telling stories for 25 different non-profit organizations (and more!) in order to spin a more positive representation of these countries & cultures.
My approach with the project & my photographs is to first introduce audiences to people, places, & causes they've previously ignored. I am introducing (and even re-introducing) audiences to digestible visual stories like volunteer doctors working in vulnerable communities, the plight of internally displaced persons and their need for not only healthcare but social inclusion, and stories of trash-picker cooperatives fighting for legal rights and a healthier work environment. I am working to gradually change the stigma of South America and highlight the humanity of these places usually disregarded & ignored by Western populations. I believe that once we can begin to change the stigma, then we will have a real chance at creating tangible change.
