Category: Photojournalism

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Looking Back. Moving Forward — A Special West Wednesday at Red Emma’s

On Wednesday night, I had the honor of photographing a very special edition of West Wednesday—its 611th gathering—hosted by Baltimore Beat at Red Emma’s.

The panel was titled “Looking Back. Moving Forward”, and it marked 10 years since the death of Freddie Gray and the 2015 Uprising that followed. The evening served as both reflection and rallying cry—a chance to grieve, to remember, and to imagine what justice can still look like in our city.

The Panelists

The conversation was led by some of Baltimore’s most powerful voices:

  • Tawanda Jones – Activist, sister of Tyrone West (killed by Baltimore Police in 2013), and the driving force behind West Wednesdays
  • Devin Allen – Award-winning photographer whose images from 2015 made national headlines
  • Lisa Snowden – Editor-in-chief of Baltimore Beat
  • Lawrence Grandpre – Author and Director of Research at Leaders of a Beautiful Struggle
  • Eze Jackson – Musician, moderator, and one of the city’s strongest community voices

Each of them brought truth, vulnerability, and a fierce clarity to the conversation.

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Last night was the launch of the Baltimore Peace Movement Weekend Rally. I went out and took pictures.

Tonight was the launch of the Baltimore Peace Movement Weekend Rally.

We gathered at Mount Holly & Edmonson Ave, a block west of where we normally meet. Because of the cold, St Bernardine Roman Catholic Church opened its doors so that those who were cold could warm up.

We stood on the corners, encouraging drivers to honk their horns, as we kicked off the Peace Movement Weekend.

The Baltimore Peace Movement began as the Baltimore Cease Fire, a movement to stop gun violence in Baltimore. Since then, as it has become a successful instrument in reducing the homicides and violence the city has traditionally experienced, it has expanded its mission to be more helpful to the people of Baltimore.

While we were gathered, one of our Ambassadors pointed out that just a block away, a young man, Lamel Edwards, had been killed.

The Baltimore Peace Movement has been doing Sacred Spaces since early in its history. We gather in spaces where someone has been hurt by violence in the city and intentionally bring peace to that space.

And so we did that tonight as well.

I also made a video:

The Baltimore Peace Movement has been an important reason why violence has decreased lately. Their work helping with mediation, comfort, and support for the families who have lost loved ones, and many many more things have been a healing salve on the city.

If you’d like to learn more about them and contribute to their work, you can do that here: https://baltimorepeacemovement.com

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Long Point Beach

I went to the beach today.

And; I know. If you’re thinking “Who the hell goes to the beach in Canada on the last week of December?”, then two things:

1. You clearly haven’t been following me long enough; I do this kind of stuff all the time.

2. It was the warmest day of the week, it wasn’t bad.

My first stop was in the marshlands. They had this tower you could go up and look out from the top of. The sky was mostly overcast, with bits of blue peeking through. And the clouds were moving FAST.
It has rained the night before; which meant that every trace of anything having ever walked on the beach before was erased. It felt like walking on the moon. In the direction the wind was coming from, a thin slice of gold lit up the sky…
Knowing I was truly alone; I let music fill me as I walked. @
jboogiejustin filtered in my earbuds, syncopated with the sounds of the surf and the buffering of the wind.
The coastline was golden and inviting, but dipping my hand in revealed it was anything but. Maybe if I had some heated towels and warms arms waiting for me in the car, I might have risked a swim. But not this time.
The clouds churned as I walked; the band of gold growing wider and wider. I headed south along the beach, knowing it could take me forever. I wasn’t going to get another workout today, so I walked until I got tired.
I found a heavy log nestled among some dune cliffs, and sat to meditate as the light grew.
As I sat, the light exploded around me as the sun shot through the opening in the clouds. Instantly everything felt warmer, and I closed my eyes, basking in its glow. This shot is completely unedited; the colours are exactly as they were.
The sun wasn’t long for this hemisphere; and though this was its first appearance of the day, it was ready to rest. The wind picked up, sending waves chopping upward as the sun lit them. The log was cold all alone, so I left it.
It seemed impossible to take a bad photo at this point, nearly everywhere I went seemed stunning. Walking back took much longer, I kept stopping to drink everything in.
As the sun crested the horizon, the water grew dark and glassy, a mirror refracting the dark swirling clouds above.
As I crossed the dunes, the magic faded behind me, and the sky drew dusky. A rustling caught my attention as I pulled my earbuds out. A red heart lay tangled in the branches of some driftwood. The air grew cold and crisp. I breathed deep and walked on.

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A Vigil for Barry Lee

On the tail end of the original Baltimore Ceasefire weekend, a man is killed in West Baltimore

During the reading of the names at the end of the Baltimore Ceasefire weekend, Barry Lee’s name was the last to be read. His mother requested we attend his vigil in West Baltimore.

We later discovered he had been out to Cease Fire events.

We gather, slowly, a combination of family and Baltimore Ceasefire members to remember Barry Lee.
We gather, slowly, a combination of family and Baltimore Ceasefire members to remember Barry Lee.

More family arrive for the vigil, spelling out Barry Lee’s name in candles.
More family arrive for the vigil, spelling out Barry Lee’s name in candles.

Continue reading “A Vigil for Barry Lee”