Posted on December 9, 2020 by LaShawnda Jones — Leave a comment

My Favorite Things About NYC

As presented to a kindergarten class.

Today I did my first photography presentation to a K-5 class in Southern Tucson.

I’ve been subbing and yesterday, I had a conversation with teacher about where we were before Tucson. When I shared about Harlem, she mentioned that her lesson plan this week included a comparison storyline between New York City and the small town of Alden in Upstate New York. She then asked if I would mind speaking to her class about my time in New York City. I immediately said, yes and, “I’ll bring some pictures!”

Well life being what it is, I didn’t have time to sort through thousands of images on my hard drive to select what I considered to be kid-friendly – food, animals, parks, etc. When I got to school today, I stopped by Ms. Joseph’s class to tell her I hadn’t had time to search my photos the night before. She was like, “No, problem, just talk.” I immediately saw that I wasn’t getting out of the K-5 presentation I had agreed to. On the way back to my first post of the day, I realize I had a photo archive in my pocket on my Instagram feed.

The classroom equipment in this school is sort of space-age in my opinion. Computers, laptops, a transparency projecting machine that looks like a reading light! I’ve been hard-pressed not to let my awe show. Because of the excellent classroom tech, I realized I could simply connect my phone to the teacher’s workspace to project my images on the white board at the front of the class.

It all went off without a hitch and now I’m a hit with the five year-olds! 🙂 I can’t tell you how they made my day! Later, in the halls, at lunch and during end of day dismissal, they and their teacher, made sure to tell me how much they enjoyed my presentation, which pictures were their favorites and how others should get to see them as well.

So here, I am sharing some more. All images below were taken for my real estate IG account @ljonesrealtor. Connect with me there.

The skyline, architecture and buildings have individual and combined stories.

Freedom Tower and Battery Park along the West Side Highway
Looking Uptown from Greenwich Street. Skyscrapers are stretched across Midtown
Chinatown and the Manhattan Bridge
The Chrysler Buidling
The Empire State Building
Midtown, near Herald Square. Macy’s and Empire State Building
Night skyline of lower Manhattan from Brooklyn Bridge Park
Fourth of July fireworks on the East River, between Manhattan and Brooklyn
Fourth of July fireworks on the East River, between Manhattan and Brooklyn

I LOVE Central Park!

Bottom of Central Park looking north towards Harlem and beyond. Taken from office building conference room off of 5th Avenue and 56th Street.
The Plaza Hotel in the lower left foreground. Taken from office building conference room off of 5th Avenue and 56th Street.
Bottom of Central Park looking north towards Harlem and beyond. Taken from office building conference room off of 5th Avenue and 56th Street.
Horse drawn carriages in Central Park South
Cyclist in Central Park North, riding along Harlem Meer (pond).
Cyclist in Central Park
Me enjoying a ride in Central Park after work.
Me enjoying a donut in Central Park on another day after work. Twilight at Harlem Meer.
The Reservoir in the center of Central Park. Looking towards the West Side from the East.
Winter at Harlem Meer in Central Park

Brooklyn Bridge Park is like a state secret

The Carousel at Brooklyn Bridge Park.
The Carousel at Brooklyn Bridge Park. Taken from Brooklyn, looking across at Lower Manhattan beyond the Brooklyn Bridge
The Carousel at Brooklyn Bridge Park. Taken from Brooklyn, looking across at Lower Manhattan beyond the Brooklyn Bridge

Harlem is part of my heart.

Lady Liberty represents the spirit of the City

Statue of Liberty from the Hudson Bay
Statue of Liberty from the Hudson Bay

ALL I REALLY NEED TO KNOW about how to live and what to do
and how to be I learned in kindergarten. Wisdom was not
at the top of the graduate school mountain, but there in the
sandpile at Sunday School. These are the things I learned:

Share everything.
Play fair.
Don’t hit people.
Put things back where you found them.
Clean up your own mess.
Don’t take things that aren’t yours.
Say you’re sorry when you hurt somebody.
Wash your hands before you eat.
Flush.
Warm cookies and cold milk are good for you.
Live a balanced life, learn some and think some
and draw and paint and sing and dance and play
and work every day some.
from All I Really Need To Know I Learned In Kindergarten
by Robert Fulghum

Posted on October 18, 2020October 18, 2020 by LaShawnda Jones — Leave a comment

Don’t Psych Yourself Out!

The Mountain

Sometimes we focus on the mountain. We become fixated on the seemingly insurmountable obstacle we would never even dream of overcoming. Ironically, it’s the self-defeating language we speak to our inner selves that leads to poor imagination. We predetermine we are not able to do, to conquer, to overcome what is before us then we lay down and play dead… or put our heads in the dirt… or crawl into caves for extended hibernations.

Alternatively, we can choose to simply look at the mountain for what it is: something that has multiple sides and levels. There is always a way up, over, around, under and through it. Be assured, getting to the other side is achievable. Remembering this simple truth about every impossible situation will shift perspective and focus immeasurably. The mountain may not become a molehill, but it will become manageable. It can then be approached as a challenge or trial in need of an action plan.

Mind Shift

When we no longer view our obstacles as insurmountable they stop being the opposition of our life, the limits of creative thought, the borders of vision and the anchors of our energy.

How we react to external problems reflect our internal conflicts. The human condition seems to be a lifelong process of constantly striving to get to the other side of fear, and therefore to the other side ourselves. First, we have to see that it’s possible to do so.

The Process of Change

A few days ago, I resuscitated my bike; it had been sitting on flats in the garage for over a year. One of the things that attracted me to the Sonoran Desert was the thought of cycling with my camera throughout the year. Unfortunately, when I got here, everything about riding in the desert seemed like a death wish. Long expanses of curving road. Impatient drivers. Wild animals. Cactus needles. Dehydration. Sun-burn. Unending upward mountain climbs.

The fear snuck up on me.

I had been riding around New York City and parts of New Jersey since 2011. I had done cycling events – The Five Boro Ride several times, a couple of half centuries, and countless other organized and solo rides. Yet, I when I got to a wide open road in the desert, I believed the limits of my sight. New York City didn’t have mountains! Where’s the shade? Where can I rest? What if I run out of water? What if I get hit and no one sees me in a ditch?

The obstacles I created impaired my ability to actually do one of the things I enjoy most and something I’ve wanted all my life to do around the world. During the two years I’ve had my bike in Arizona, I’ve gotten on it no more than two or three times.

Getting to the Other Side

All this to say, the other day I went out on my bike for the first time in a long while. For two days prior, I had walked a nearly three-mile route. The same route I had tried to ride last year and ended up feeling as if I had outdone myself with. It completely took my breath away, or more aptly, it was so hard to breathe that I turned around and went home. One and half miles did me in. And kept me off my bike for a year. I could have pushed through. I could have tried again that next day. I did neither. I limited myself and refused to even try again.

This time, I did push through. This time I huffed and puffed up this incline and whoo-hooooed all the way down! The downhill return was mind-blowingly-smooth and I basically coasted back to my subdivision gate. The below video was made during this ride. In it I talk about how the payoff is worth the effort.

Remember Who You Are

When I got home, I reviewed my ride stats on my phone and saw old ride stats that sort of blew my mind.

This three-mile roundtrip in my neighborhood had an elevation gain of 269 feet. Isolated, that sounds like a lot. The 269-foot climb must be what took my breath away, or so I thought. But my old stats show rides around Manhattan with 100 to 600 feet of elevation gain. One Staten Island event had a route elevation gain of 3203 feet. Since the highest point I reached was 396 feet above sea level (practically the tallest peak on the island), I believe the gain indicates the combination of hills I went up that day.

While writing this piece, I’ve finally realized I never accounted for the need to acclimate to a higher overall elevation. New York City is 33 feet above sea level. My home address in Marana, Arizona is at 2425 feet above sea level. My lungs are working harder here due to altitude and thinner arid air.

Sometimes we have to give ourselves a break and consider the practical elements of our environment and what adjustments we need to make to adapt better.

I had long proven to myself I’m capable of overcoming physical obstacles. Yet when my new environment proved more of a challenge than I expected, I gave up. I didn’t examine why it was more challenging or how I could adapt to the environmental changes. Focusing on the mountain ranges surrounding me defeated me. I psyched myself out.

Now that I’ve reminded myself that I did more in New York than I’ve even attempted in Arizona, I’m gonna retrieve that fearless, can-do attitude and go ride these desert roads!

Be blessed. Don’t psych yourself out. Keep moving. Keep moving. Keep moving! Amen!

I used to be an athlete.

Bike the Boros: Staten Island

Morning Stretch and Praise Break

Posted on October 27, 2018 by LaShawnda Jones — Leave a comment

Test Shoot: Rhonda, “Delete the rest.”

I may go to friend jail for this, but I think it’s worth it. An old friend, Rhonda, visited last week to celebrate her 50th birthday. I told her to bring something she wants to be photographed in and to think of her Woman word for my I AM WOMAN Project. When she got here she gleefully said she was happy to take pictures for the project, because when I was in Milwaukee (where she lives) in July she wasn’t in a good place to participate.

No worries. No offense or judgment. Keep it moving.

I told her I had a new lens – it’s a Zeiss Batis 85mm portrait lens – I wanted to practice on her during her visit. Being a woman of my word, I did exactly that. She was in NYC for three full days. Her entire trip was essentially chronicled through my lens. Though that wasn’t my intention, I got some amazing shots.

On the second night, during our visit to the Brooklyn Bridge, I knew instantly the close-up images of her with Freedom Tower as her backdrop, where the images to use for I AM WOMAN. I told her right there, in the moment, “These are your money shots!” I also told her she was a natural in front of the camera. The images I was getting were simply amazing. To me, anyway. And perhaps I’m biased on three levels: as friend, photographer and project curator.

My goal was to avoid turning her visit into a counseling session and simply do things she had expressed an interest in. I stayed silent and performed as her personal photojournalist – with a good deal of excitement initially.

While on the Brooklyn Bridge, I asked her what her word was. She said a couple of words that didn’t represent her at all. I then framed the question for her, “I’m not asking for an aspirational word, a word you hope to become. I’m asking for a word that represents how you see yourself. Or what your womanhood means to you.” She said she would think about it and get back to me. I explained that I use the word as a guide for the shoot. A reminder that the shoot was in progress…. She never consciously gave me her word.

I thought about posting her I AM WOMAN image as “I Am [unknown].” However the core of this project is about how Women SEE and IDENTIFY themselves. So I took a step back. I sent her image gallery to her as something of a memory book. Images I knew she liked and wanted as well images I like (some of which were images she insisted she looked “ugly” in and immediately insisted I delete. I refused on the spot. The images she defamed as ugly were taken at the 9/11 Memorial Fountain at Freedom Tower and across the road in front of the Oculus. The images are somber, unmasked, and intriguing. Frankly, I think they’re beautiful.

But again, this isn’t supposed to be about me!

I AM WOMAN is a project about womanhood. All of it. Everything it means to be a woman. The first phase of this project is focusing on the experiences of Black Women in America. By and large, we embody pain, disappointment, rage, resentment, bitterness and frustration. Yet in the same body and space we are joy, love, loyalty, commitment, faith, grace, forgiveness and eternal hope. For most of her adult life, Friend Rhonda has only focused on the dark emotions. The residue of her constant focus is visible. It’s audible. It’s painfully disturbing to witness.

The short of her response to her image gallery was, “Thanks for all your hard work! I see sickness in most of my photos…. I choose the ones I like…. I ask that you delete the rest.”

I was stunned, angry and very much offended. Not only did I see the images as work product, they also represented a great time in the City with an old friend. Over the last few days, I released my frustration over her request and comments. I literally have much bigger issues to deal with. However, at the same time I don’t want to dismiss this episode as inconsequential, because it is not. It actually speaks to heart of my project. The juxtaposition of ones womanhood not being anything to celebrate against fully embracing ones womanhood with all its pain and glory.

Basically, I think her images and her comments add a great deal to the larger conversation of Black Womanhood in America. How we internalize our grief and disappointment. How they solidify and weigh us down in a deep abyss of cyclical suffering. How we can become incapable of seeing pass that one thing (situation, heartbreak, betrayal) that first knocked us down. I do believe she can’t see pass the sickness within her. I also believe that sickness is the result of years of anger, resentment and bitterness that she has consistently refused to let go of. We become what we harbor and feed.

I would love to hear your thoughts, not just on the images but on story as well.

Equipment: #SonyAlpha7iii, #ZeissBatis85mm

She liked less than 20 images. Some are below.

These are some of the ones she wants deleted.

Posted on October 27, 2018August 9, 2021 by LaShawnda Jones — 2 Comments

Test Shoot: Friend R, “Delete the rest.”

I may go to friend jail for this, but I think it’s worth it. An old friend, R, visited me in New York City to celebrate her 50th birthday. I told her to bring something she wanted to be photographed in and to think of her Woman Word for my I AM WOMAN photo essay project. When she got here she gleefully said she was happy to take pictures for the project because when I was in Milwaukee (where she lives) in July she hadn’t been in a good place to participate.

No worries. No offense or judgment. Keep it moving.

I thought about posting her I AM WOMAN image as “I Am [unknown].” However the core of this project is about how Women SEE and IDENTIFY themselves. So I took a step back. I sent her image gallery to her as something of a memory book. Images I knew she liked and wanted as well as images I like (some of which were images she insisted she looked “ugly” in and immediately insisted I delete. I refused on the spot. The images she defamed as ugly were taken at the 9/11 Memorial Fountain at Freedom Tower and across the road in front of the Oculus. The images are somber, unmasked, and intriguing. Frankly, I think they’re beautiful.

But again, this isn’t supposed to be about me!

I AM WOMAN is a project about womanhood. All of it. Everything it means to be a woman. The first phase of this project is focusing on the experiences of Black Women in America. By and large, we embody pain, disappointment, rage, resentment, bitterness and frustration. Yet in the same body and space we are joy, love, loyalty, commitment, faith, grace, forgiveness and eternal hope. For most of her adult life, Friend R has only focused on the dark emotions. The residue of her constant focus is visible. It’s audible. It’s painfully disturbing to witness.

The short of her response to her image gallery was, “Thanks for all your hard work! I see sickness in most of my photos…. I choose the ones I like…. I ask that you delete the rest.”

I was stunned, angry and very much offended. Not only did I see the images as work product, they also represented a great time in the City with an old friend. Over the last few days, I released my frustration over her request and comments. I literally have much bigger issues to deal with. However, at the same time I don’t want to dismiss this episode as inconsequential, because it is not. It actually speaks to the heart of my project. The juxtaposition of one’s womanhood not being anything to celebrate against fully embracing one’s womanhood with all its pain and glory.

I would love to hear your thoughts, not just on the images but on the story as well.

Equipment: #SonyAlpha7iii, #ZeissBatis85mm

Related posts:

She liked less than 20 images. Some are below.

These are some of the ones she wants deleted.

Posted on June 14, 2018 by LaShawnda Jones — 1 Comment

I AM WOMAN. A photo & essay project.

New Project Announcement!

SH-Images wants to hear from, and photograph, Women for our I AM WOMAN Photo and Essay Project. Our goal is to share a collective story of Womanhood and Sisterhood. This will be a multi-phase project. Phrase 1 is Black Women’s Experience of Womanhood in America.

Even though Phrase 1 is about Black Womanhood in America, we are embracing women of all ethnicities who want to participate in this project. Our goal is to develop multiple sister projects based on the themes that emerge from the our conversations with participants.

As you develop your written submission or prepare for your mini photo shoot with us on one of our scheduled dates (listed below), please use the following questions as a starting point to get you to where you want to be to represent yourself in words and/or images. What does womanhood mean to you? How do you navigate in, or through, different spaces? Are you always fully present in your womanhood or do you hold back in order to move forward? Where or how do you find your joy? How do you nurture your spirit? Do you use your voice to call out, improve or destroy? How would your advice to your younger self differ from your advice to your older self? Would it differ at all?

The fee for the written submissions is $25. The collected fees will help with editing and initial printing expenses.

Women of all ethnicities are welcome to participate in the FREE mini portrait sessions that will be held in Chicago, Milwaukee, New York City, Phoenix and Tucson from June to August 2018. Though the sessions are open to the public, women are encouraged to register for a time slot on Eventbrite. The sessions are 2-3 hours and all photographs will be taken by LaShawnda Jones.

Images captured throughout the project will be shared via blog posts and social media. Signed photo releases are required. Download: PHOTO RELEASE FORM

There will be a small stipend for images and written submissions chosen for print publication. A complimentary e-book copy will be sent to all participants who provide an email address. Participants selected for publication will be notified by September 30*, 2018.

If you or someone you know is interested in being part of the selection/editorial committee, please email Shawnda@Spirit-Harvest.com.

Timeline

Submission Period: June 1 – July 31, 2018

Notification of selection: Week of September 30*, 2018 *corrected

#Photography #portraits #project #essays #blackwomen #ethnicwomen #womanhood #IAmWoman #shareyourvoice #perspective #life #experience #submission #opencall #contributors #editors #photoshoot

Essay & Portrait Project, Phase 1 Topic:

Experiences of Black Womanhood in America

1. The Written Word

Submission Guidelines

We are currently accepting essays, short stories, poems, prose, reflections, devotionals and prayers for the upcoming coffee table book, I AM WOMAN: Experiences of Black Womanhood in America.

This book will be a collection of the written word in various forms accompanied by portraits of Black Women in their daily lives.

We have a small team and will not be able to respond to every submission individually. However, writers of chosen submissions will be notified by September 30, 2018. If any editing is needed, we will collaborate with the author before publishing.

Payment: We will pay a minimum of $75 for each written submission accepted for publication.

Submission Fee: There is a $25 fee for each submission. And with your submission, you’ll receive a complimentary e-book copy of I AM WOMAN: Experiences of Black Womanhood in America.

Formatting document: Your document should be in Arial 12-point type, double-spaced with at least one-inch margins and no more than ten pages. Unless you’re submitting poetry. Poetry can be single-spaced and in the format desired for presentation (alignment, indentation, spacing, etc.). Also, for those submitting poems, you can submit multiple poems totalling no more than ten pages as a single document for one submission fee. All documents should have your name, email address, and telephone number typed at the top right corner of the first page.

Visit https://SH-Images.com/IAMWOMAN for up-to-date information.

Submission dates: June 15 – August 31, 2018

Notification of selected submissions: By September 30, 2018

All submissions will be received and processed via Submittable. You will have complete a Submittable profile. It’s free, quick and painless.

2. The Portraits

SH-Images will conduct several open call photo shoots throughout June and July. The open call indicates all women are welcome to show up for a mini photo session. However since we anticipate bottle-necks as participation ebbs and flows, we suggest booking a time slot in advance. Time will be scheduled and allotted in 10-15min increments. So Ladies, come ready to do your thing, get that shot and keep it moving!

The overall theme of the project is “I AM WOMAN. I am _________________.” We want you to fill in the blank with how you would describe yourself. We are looking for one word here, however, on your consent form we ask for two to three sentences about what womanhood is to you.

Your “I am _________________.” statement will accompany your photo on social media and in the book should your image be selected for print publication. So think about your word and how you want to represent it in an image. As an example see below.

Women of all ethnicities and faiths are welcome to participate in the free photo shoots. However, keep in mind, the first phase of the project is dedicated to capturing, cataloguing and presenting a collective story of experiencing Black Womanhood in America.

FREE Mini Portrait Session Details

Click a date below to reserve a spot on Eventbrite.

NEW YORK CITY

Saturday, June 23, 2018, 1:00-4:00pm(Studio, 111th & Park Ave / Theme: Relaxed at Home)

Sunday, July 8, 2018 1:00-4:00pm (Battery Park @ Bowling Green / Theme: Liberty & Water)

Sunday, July 22, 2018 1:00-4:00pm(Central Park @ Columbus Circle / Theme: Nature & City Images)

Thursday, July 26, 2018 7:00-9:30pm (59th Street @ Columbus Circle / Theme: Night & Subway Images)

MILWAUKEE

Thursday, July 12, 2018 7:00-9:30pm (Location: Burke Brise Soleil / Theme: Sunset & Twilight)

CHICAGO

Saturday, July 14, 2018 12:00-3:00pm (Location: Cloud Gate (Bean) at Millennium Park / Theme: Old School Glam/A Day in the Park)

TUCSON

Saturday, August 18, 2018 8:00-11:00am (Location: TBD /Theme: Desert Refreshment/Renewal)

PHOENIX

Saturday, August 25, 2018 8:00-11:00am(Location: TBD / Theme: Grace in the Valley)

Please continue checking back for additional details. If you would like to receive updates, please complete the Contact form with a message about being updated on the I AM WOMAN project.

Posted on June 14, 2018 by LaShawnda Jones — Leave a comment

I AM WOMAN. A photo & essay project.

New Project Announcement!

The fee for the written submissions is $25. The collected fees will help with editing and initial printing expenses.

Images captured throughout the project will be shared via blog posts and social media. Signed photo releases are required. Download: PHOTO RELEASE FORM

If you or someone you know is interested in being part of the selection/editorial committee, please email Shawnda@Spirit-Harvest.com.

Timeline

Submission Period: June 1 – July 31, 2018

Notification of selection: Week of September 30*, 2018 *corrected

#Photography #portraits #project #essays #blackwomen #ethnicwomen #womanhood #IAmWoman #shareyourvoice #perspective #life #experience #submission #opencall #contributors #editors #photoshoot

Essay & Portrait Project, Phase 1 Topic:

Experiences of Black Womanhood in America

1. The Written Word

Submission Guidelines

We are currently accepting essays, short stories, poems, prose, reflections, devotionals and prayers for the upcoming coffee table book, I AM WOMAN: Experiences of Black Womanhood in America.

This book will be a collection of the written word in various forms accompanied by portraits of Black Women in their daily lives.

Payment: We will pay a minimum of $75 for each written submission accepted for publication.

Submission Fee: There is a $25 fee for each submission. And with your submission, you’ll receive a complimentary e-book copy of I AM WOMAN: Experiences of Black Womanhood in America.

Visit https://SH-Images.com/IAMWOMAN for up-to-date information.

Submission dates: June 15 – August 31, 2018

Notification of selected submissions: By September 30, 2018

All submissions will be received and processed via Submittable. You will have complete a Submittable profile. It’s free, quick and painless.

2. The Portraits

FREE Mini Portrait Session Details

Click a date below to reserve a spot on Eventbrite.

NEW YORK CITY

Saturday, June 23, 2018, 1:00-4:00pm(Studio, 111th & Park Ave / Theme: Relaxed at Home)

Sunday, July 8, 2018 1:00-4:00pm (Battery Park @ Bowling Green / Theme: Liberty & Water)

Sunday, July 22, 2018 1:00-4:00pm(Central Park @ Columbus Circle / Theme: Nature & City Images)

Thursday, July 26, 2018 7:00-9:30pm (59th Street @ Columbus Circle / Theme: Night & Subway Images)

MILWAUKEE

Thursday, July 12, 2018 7:00-9:30pm (Location: Burke Brise Soleil / Theme: Sunset & Twilight)

CHICAGO

Saturday, July 14, 2018 12:00-3:00pm (Location: Cloud Gate (Bean) at Millennium Park / Theme: Old School Glam/A Day in the Park)

TUCSON

Saturday, August 18, 2018 8:00-11:00am (Location: TBD /Theme: Desert Refreshment/Renewal)

PHOENIX

Saturday, August 25, 2018 8:00-11:00am(Location: TBD / Theme: Grace in the Valley)

Please continue checking back for additional details. If you would like to receive updates, please complete the Contact form with a message about being updated on the I AM WOMAN project.

Posted on May 15, 2018 by LaShawnda Jones — 1 Comment

SH Images: Scheduling photo sessions in NYC May-July 2018

Nothing is more energizing than summer in New York City! If you’ve been thinking about updating your portfolio, getting new headshots, taking individual or family portraits with the City as backdrop allow me to help you design and capture your perfect photo shoot. Email today to reserve a session with LaShawnda (Shawnda@Spirit-Harvest.com) in New York City.

I’m available for:

Portraits (individuals and groups)
Profile
Portfolio
Fashion
Special occasion (graduation, engagement, wedding, pregnancy, newborn)
Events (personal and corporate)
Promotional
Product

With studio space in East Harlem for indoor sessions, We have easy access to Central Park, Harlem landmarks and neighborhood texture for background.

I look forward to working with you!

Continued blessings,

LaShawnda

New York City, NY

Summer 2018

Posted on October 12, 2017 by LaShawnda Jones — Leave a comment

Indigenous Peoples Celebration

The Indigenous Peoples Celebration of New York City is an annual FREE two-day gathering on Randall’s Island, NYC. It usually overlaps with the U.S. national holiday celebrating the barbaric mass murderer Christopher Columbus and lesser known Norse explorer Lief Erickson. The celebration features many indigenous performers and speakers from around the world.

For more information go to: https://redhawkcouncil.org/powwows/indigenous-peoples-celebration. To Help Support Indigenous Peoples Day in NYC, click here.

Personally, I think the United States should dedicate a year, at the minimum, to acknowledging the atrocities committed against Indigenous Peoples on the mainland United States as well as in outlying states and territories. During that year, we should also celebrate Indigenous Peoples histories and cultures, learn some of the thousand upon thousands of stories that they have held on to, and make overtures of healing and friendship to all our First Peoples populations. After that initial year of acknowledgment, recognition and celebration, we should repeat it annually for a whole month as Indigenous Peoples Month. Still too little, but much better than what’s on the table now.

Below are some image from the 2017 Indigenous Peoples Celebration of New York City. All images by LaShawnda Jones for SH Images.

The blue-black took my breath away.

My eyes eventually saw this beam of light through the lens.

Taking in my surroundings in Red Rock

The view from my hotel room. **sigh**

Amazed anew by how the vastness of the sky makes mountains look like molehills.

My hotel room has a view of the incoming and outgoing planes. This one looked especially large but still just a speck in the great big sky.

All images by LaShawnda Jones for SH Images.

Posted on July 20, 2016 by LaShawnda Jones — Leave a comment

Right to Life: Protest=Love

A series of portraits and signs carried in marches and rallies protesting police brutality. The images were taken in New York City and Baltimore between 2014-2015.

Click here to purchase any of the below prints.

Standing in the gap — Standing in the Gap

Our Lives. Our Freedom. — Our lives. Our Freedom.

Humans are greater than property — Humanity > Property

Assumed Property of the State — Property of the state

All #BlackLives Matter — All #Black Lives Matter

Aiyana Mo’Nay Stanley-Jones — Aiyana Jones

Click here to purchase any of the above prints.

Posted on March 20, 2016October 18, 2020 by LaShawnda Jones — Leave a comment

Dinner & A Movie

Living in New York City for any amount of time has a way of grinding the pixie dust from your eyes. However, tonight I was a bit star-struck for a moment and happy for the excitement it brought.

On my way home I stopped by a restaurant in Times Square and sat in a window facing the Square. This turned out to be a prime spot to watch several takes of a movie being filmed on the other side of the window.

It took several passes of umbrella-holding extras before I caught sight of the star in their midst. Do you recognize him?