Nastassia Davis
Photographer Nastassia Davis asks us to look inward and to think about what paths we will choose in life with her self-portrait titled "Fork in the Road."
Davis used her camera, a tripod and a self-timer at the Knife & Fork Inn restaurant in Atlantic City to capture the portrait and then superimposed images of forks on the ground. Of her image, she said she is "making a statement about going through life and overcoming obstacles or moving through the forks in life to make major decisions on the right path to go."
We asked Davis to share how she is navigating her journey.
"Overcoming obstacles comes with having a strong sense of self, perseverance and a goal in mind. Write down your destination and keep it some place where you can see it everyday. What has gotten me through my toughest obstacles was always following my gut, my instinct. Sitting in a quiet space to center myself, praying and then listen to what my heart tells me to do. If it doesn't feel right, I don't move forward," she said.
The first photographs that caught Davis's eye were taken by her father who created portraits in the 1970s and early 1980s. "He had a real talent for capturing people's personalities and style. I fell absolutely in love with photography from that moment on," she said.
Davis founded youth photography workshops called Lightshooters as a way to use art and photography to combat gun violence. She has worked on many art related projects for the Noyes Arts Garage of Stockton University and the School of Arts and Humanities.
In the summer, she leads photography classes for Atlantic City and Pleasantville youth through the Coalition for a Safe Community. See more of her work on her Facebook page Nastassia Davis Photography LLC and at ndavisphoto.com.
This Voice was orginally published in 2020.
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