Pride Month Client Spotlight: Action Wellness and AIDS Fund

Happy Pride!!! As the month wraps up I wanted to shine a little rainbow on those doing the work, like my client Action Wellness. These images are from this year’s recent Black-Tie GayBINGO event, my second time covering the iconic annual fundraiser!

Now in its 26th year, Black-Tie GayBINGO! rolls out the glitz and glamour  to raise significant funds for live-saving programs to help those with  HIV disease. This year’s event holds special significance as AIDS Fund,  the original creator of GayBINGO!, will be honored for over 35 years of  leadership in the fight against HIV/AIDS and for establishing one of  Philadelphia’s most iconic fundraising events. After passing the torch  in late 2024, Action Wellness now takes the helm, ensuring the legacy of  GayBINGO! continues to thrive for years to come. For this year’s grand  return, guests will enjoy a fun-filled evening with a welcome cocktail  reception, silent auction, seated dinner, dancing, musical numbers,  prizes, and of course, GayBINGO! hosted by Carlota Ttendant with  Philadelphia’s famous BVDs (Bingo Verifying Divas).

Thanks to my second shooter, Janean Malloy, for helping photograph this beautiful night!  Janean’s a talented local photographer you might know, but if you don’t,  please check her out here.

Natives at Penn 12th Annual Powwow – Sep 24

Images from a beautiful day- my first time documenting the Natives at Penn Annual Powwow.

No event too big or series too sprawling

It’s daunting to plan, launch and execute any event or event series, especially on a budget. You can feel confident that when choosing a collaborator for your documentation, I have it covered. My photography practice can scale up or down depending on your needs.

Take for instance, Common Field, hosted in Philadelphia in 2019. This yearly, multi-day, multi-location event connected thousands of attendees, supported, and advocated for the artist-centered field from 2015-2022.

To cover this ambitious project, I contracted with two other talented, like-minded photographers/videographers and together we produced dynamic photography + video content to cover all key events and locations, all while staying within budget.

Later in 2019, I took on a five-day long shoot for The School for Temporary Liveness, Vol. 1. Experiments in practice, performance, and pedagogy. Thankfully in one location, the Philadelphia Art Alliance/Rittenhouse Square, this programming centered mainly around visually-stunning, but at times very challenging to capture performances and workshops.

Featured above is a sampling from the series, including the haunting performance, Existing Otherwise by Isabel Lewis and #Punk by nora chipaumire. The School for Temporary Liveness was presented by University of the Arts School of Dance and supported by The Pew Center for Arts & Heritage.

Earlier this year, the experimental series returned for the first time in person since 2019, I was once again asked to cover it. Still ambitious, Vol.3 was three days and two locations, Slought Foundation and the Rotunda, across the street from each other in University City. This time around, I partnered with the excellent photographer Ricky Yanas to cover everything.

I relish the opportunity to capture the most intimate moments alongside dynamic, active and downright joyful moments of communities based on care, performance and art.