The Bronx is notorious for being a poverty-stricken borough. There is stigma around being a Bronx resident and, of course, this is not by accident. It’s been intentionally subject to economic and environmental disenfranchising through colonization, redlining, building fires by landlords for insurance money, the birth of the Cross Bronx Expressway by Robert Moses, and the decimation of affluent Black and Brown neighborhoods culminating in the current conditions of its residents. These include higher rates of violence and poverty than the rest of New York City, abnormally high asthma rates, and rampant cardiovascular disease due to the lack of healthy and affordable food. This project challenges the stigmas by photographing beautiful lighting scenery, people I encountered, green communal spaces, motions, and remnants of violence. These elements are present throughout the city, so I included photos from other boroughs that align with this project.

Like a good portion of film photographers, I was drawn to photograph scenes during golden hour because (depending on when it was taken and the position of the sun), it may only happen a couple of times during the year. I love to capture the extraordinary in the everyday.