Tonya Barnes Photography, Project Photographer
“When people ask me what type of photographer I am, I tell them ‘I photograph what my eyes are drawn to.’ I can find beauty, chaos, and a message in everything I look at. I've never been a person who can easily express emotions with words, so I have adapted by telling my stories and conveying my emotions with the images I create through my photography. My methods are unorthodox, when it comes to photography. I am often "called out" on my theory, design, and concepts - in the end, photography is something I do for myself (how I heal) rather than your typical nine-to-five. Photography has been my form of communication over the last ten years. My work has been featured in numerous online magazines, printed magazines, and even featured in national news stories due to the content [read: she is not afraid to ruffle some feathers]. If it gets people to think and question the current state of their surroundings, I count that photo as a successful one. Long story short - photography is my voice.”