LEO

"LEO" is a body of work that I began in 2014 and continue to pursue. The images follow Leo’s journey immigrating to New York from Dominican Republic. I hadn’t returned to the island in eight years. The night I landed so many family members were waiting for me outside of the airport. Leo was three or four, he broke his way through the crowd and with his tiny finger pointed up towards me and exclaimed in spanish, “You’re my brother!” We were instant friends and I began to photograph him with immediacy. Soon I learned that Leo would be moving to the states. He would be leaving his mother behind to join his father and begin school. A very similar path my own mother took with my older brother, this of course intrigued me. Within this body of work I try to document the transition of a child leaving his home, capturing him as he grows and his surroundings change. The images aren't just about hardships, they show a child, growing and learning. For as long as I am able I hope to create a record of Leo and the dreams he chases.