Curlfest returned to Prospect Park this weekend and brought out all the ladies. The event celebrating natural hair and beauty, organized by Curly Girl Collective, keeps growing yearly.
Lines were long, with sponsors in attendance giving out products or discounts. I stuck to the less crowded areas as the clouds formed to create the perfect lighting for photos.
Everyone in Brooklyn has a hustle. I guess you can say mine is photography, as well as modeling and acting.
Hustling in Brooklyn is the subject of Uber Presents: Da Republic of Brooklyn, a new series of films by Spike Lee. The series follows 5 Uber drivers navigating their way through the borough.
I’ve teamed up with Uber to create a campaign showcasing the Brooklyn I know. New York’s most populous borough is a place filled with diversity. Because of New York’s history as an immigration hub, most people in the country have some type of connection to Brooklyn. A fast-paced hotspot where something is always happening, Brooklyn fuels hustle.
And how does Uber facilitate my hustle through Brooklyn? When I have acting gigs, sometimes our call times are at crazy, odd hours. So if it’s within reasonable distance, I’ll just call an Uber to get me there quickly. You ever try to catch the subway at 4:30am? It will leave you with nothing but stress and heartache. Or if I’m working on a street shoot on a hot day where I need to be looking my best, I wouldn’t want to sweat through my clothes on the way. But Uber will get you there and have you looking right.
Here is our journey through Brooklyn.
Models: Stephanie, Karen, Sonya, Boshia, Prosper, and myself
Check out more at Uber Presents.
Another year, another Afropunk. The festival keeps growing, with bigger crowds and bigger performers. Saturday was somewhat hard to navigate, with Solange bringing out massive audiences. Sunday was a bit more chill, with Raphael Saadiq closing out the weekend. I feel like I didn’t get as many epic shots as last year, but it was still a fun time. Good seeing everybody!
Curlfest: Third time attendee, first time blog poster. Curlfest is an annual event in Brooklyn’s Prospect Park organized by Curly Girl Collective celebrating natural hair and beauty. And the celebration keeps growing with more sponsors and more activities. Spike Lee was in attendance this year to discuss his upcoming She’s Gotta Have It Netflix series.
Curlfest has jumped to the top of my favorite NYC events. Who wouldn’t want to be surrounded by pretty women who like to be photographed? But all jokes aside, it’s a place filled with love and support. I had a good time seeing friends, familiar faces, and meeting new people.
Of course as soon as I left, I realized I had spent all day with the exposure settings on my camera a little too high. But I managed to get some good shots regardless.
It rained on our parade, but mermaids are meant to be in the water. The 35th annual Mermaid Parade opened with a downpour, but that didn’t stop the party. I captured some of the overcast activity around the boardwalk as well as the Coney Art Walls. Politics played a heavier role this year, with several costumes and characters taking aim at the Trump administration. Joining me were Christie, Stephanie, Maurice, and Sonya +1.
Jim Drain
Lee Quinones
The London Police
Retna
Ben Eine
Miss Van
Nina Chanel
Eric Haze
Daze
Lady Aiko
Nina Chanel
Nychos
Lee Quinones
Ben Eine
The London Police
Nina Chanel
Eric Haze, Shot by Maurice
Despite the mostly dreary weather in NYC, summer has crept upon us. This means a lot of events to showcase. The Bushwick Collective held its 6th annual block party this weekend, featuring new work from graffiti and street artists, as well as performances from Dipset and other hip-hop artists. I spent the day with familiar faces and making new friends. Thanks to The Stylish Flaneuse for getting the shot of me in the last photo.
Hops
Minuseke
Jeff Henriquez
Love Notes
Chor Boogie
Case Maclaim & Pixel Pancho
Dasic Fernandez & El Cekis
Eric Inkala
Beau Stanton
Poem
Ruben Ubierea
Virgin Arte’s body paint with model Magdaline Davis blending in with Ethan Armen’s wheatpaste art
Whisbe
Michel Vert
Ghostbeard
Love Notes
Chor Boogie
Danielle Mastrion’s Biggie mural still running strong
La Femme Cheri
Eric Inkala
New York Fashion Week is here. This weekend brought the third annual Essence Street Style Block Party to Brooklyn’s DUMBO neighborhood. It was a busy Saturday, but I managed to stop by to see some familiar faces and capture some of the beautiful people in attendance.
This Labor Day brought the annual West Indian Day Parade and Carnival celebration to Brooklyn. Thousands hit Eastern Parkway for the celebration of Caribbean culture while revelers were in full costume to play mas. I played the sidelines for a while until I finally had to cross the barriers and join in on the march down to Grand Army Plaza and get even more shots. Always a good time.
This weekend welcomed the Afropunk Fest to Brooklyn, a yearly celebration of music and culture. This was the 12th installment (including expansions in Paris and Atlanta,) and my 5th time attending (RIP Afropunk 2011, a victim of Hurricane Irene.)
Thousands of beautiful people come to Afropunk ready to be photographed, so it’s always a perfect opportunity to take your camera and get some quality shots. Shout out to everyone I took a picture of, the familiar faces I saw, and the new people I got to meet.
The 34th annual Mermaid Parade took place in Coney Island this weekend. Like all parades, getting a good view can be a bit hectic. Luckily, there was enough action to catch in the surrounding area.
Coney Art Walls is a public art project curated by Jeffery Deitch. Running in its second year, it features a good collection of street artists and muralists. The parade afterparty provided a nice opportunity to catch mermaids in front of artistic backdrops. Shout out to Sonya, Stephanie, Christie, and everyone I photographed.
London Police
Retna
Lady Pink
Timothy Curtis
John Ahearn
D*Face
Eric Haze’s tribute to Adam “MCA” Yauch
Sheryo & The Yok
Ben Eine
Lady Aiko
Icy & Sot
London Police
Tristan Eaton
Nina Chanel
Sam Vernon
London Police
Steve “ESPO” Powers
Lady Pink
El Seed
On the dancefloor
D*Face
Eric Haze
Pose
Wild Women of Planet Wongo
Retna
London Police
Music on the pier
Tristan Eaton
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