This photoshoot was originally all about the hair. I saw a photograph of a young lady with a similar hairstyle and I just knew I had to try it on myself (unfortunately, I can’t remember where I saw the photo). The hairstyle, to me, conveyed an essence of freedom, peace, femininity, sensuality, humble pride, and autonomy. Initially, I wanted to simply imitate the image that I saw in a photoshoot of my own. However, at the time of this shoot I was feeling an abundance of gratitude, love and awareness of self, consciousness, and an overwhelming appreciation for the greatest parts of me. This state of being made it all the more important to me to document in the physical what I was experiencing in the metaphysical since I was serendipitously rocking a hairstyle that, to me, was an external expression of this occurrence. Under the guise of full transparency, I wasn’t sure how I was going to capture all of that on camera but I just knew I had to try…and I’m so glad I did.
PS: I am in awe of black hair and its transformative powers. A new style can erect a deeper sense of connection to my most true self in a way that I have never experienced with anything else.
Otis Lily 