Finding My Voice 3: B FRESH Photography

Fast-forward two years.

One day in Chicago, I was snappin’ some photos with a cheapo camera my dad and I went half on. I was taking random pictures of interesting looking sculptures and masks in my partner’s bedroom. I was quite surprised at the “interesting-ness” of the photos, so I showed him some of the shots I took- he was quite impressed. I began taking snapshots at some of his shows and theater productions, at rallies and of my family. I never took any kind of art class, so I didn’t know much about composition, focal points, F-stops and lighting. Yet, I knew what looked good!

My first real photo shoot was with my roommate in college. We designed posters that said “We Will Not Be Silenced.” We had sheets, lamps- the whole nine. I have to really laugh as I look back because it was a two-day long session. I was encouraged to enter the final collage from that shoot into the B-Girl Be visual arts exhibition: The Art of T&A: Truth and Activism. I was so nervous about applying to be in a gallery, and was almost sure that I wouldn’t get accepted. I was artistically incompetent, right? "Non-artists" don’t get into galleries, period. I got lucky, and was selected as one of 39 featured artists. It was over after that. B-Girl Be changed my life, but that’s another whole blog…

Since the exhibition in 2006, I have been actively documenting the Hip Hop scene in the Twin Cities, and have branched out into freelancing and covering theater, political events, doing photo shoots with up-and-coming models, CD covers- you name it, I do it.

I recall the first show I got a photo pass for. I was in Chicago at the time, and I wanted to take pictures at a show at First Avenue. I did a little research about how to get access, so I immediately sent an e-mail to the Minneapolis record label Rhymesayers requesting access. I didn’t think I would be able toget access since they had no idea who I was and I wasn’t getting them published!! Who is this B-FRESH girl???Nevertheless I got a response from them that granted me access. I sped back (don’t tell on me, please) to the Twin Cities. To my surprise, I got a shoot one of my favorite artists, Psalm One, who was ironically from Chicago. I got to the front counter to get my pass and, little did I know, that I didn’t have to pay for the show because I was press. Not pay for the show? What?! I had no idea because I had such little knowledge of the music and entertainment industry. I simply was a passionate music fan, and was trying to develop as a photographer.

The strong mentorship and amazingly talented group of people that I have been able to work with and look up to have given me the support and know-how to go out there and really use my artistic voice!! To date, I have shot artists like KRS-One, N*E*R*D, M.I.A., Saul Williams, EPMD and activists like Angela Davis and Rosa Clemente. Baiscally, if you’ve rolled through the Twin Cities in the last few years I probably have your face on my hard drive.

Can't wait for my B-Girl Be summit blog? Here are a few samplers that will tide you over until then:

2005 video sampler by Rachel Raimist-


2006 video sampler-


B FRESH Photography 2007 blog