Art Feature:

By Brittyana Pierro

De’Ja Marshall is a sophomore here at Evergreen with a talent for photography and a passion for representation.

“I’ve always been really interested in representing things visually,” Marshall explained.

Coming from a family of artists, Marshall has been interested in using pictures as a form of expression since she was in grade school. One of the influences that pushed her into the art of photography came from the desire to document her experiences.

“In the 4th grade I had this teacher who wanted us to have journals that we would keep in the class. And she would have us write about different prompts. And then sometimes give us time to free write. And so I remember after I left that school I would go back and look into the journal and just read all of these different things. And I was like, ‘Wow I wish I had some way to remember those visuals. I think that like pictures did that for me. Pictures just hold a lot of feeling.”

The next year Marshall and her family moved back to Washington, D.C. to stay with her extended family. While she was there she got her first glimpse at the world of photographic art.

“My granddad is a photographer. [One day he] just let me pick up his camera and start going. I looked through that viewfinder and it was like a whole different world. That’s when it all started.”

Starting in the ways a ten year old would, Marshall took pictures of the things most interesting in her life: plants, sunsets and stuffed animals.

“Do u remember those little Domo things? I used to take pictures of those,” Marshall said. “As I got older, more into like middle school and high school, I started to photograph my friends. So I wasn’t interested in like portraiture really, I was just interested in capturing memories.”

Taking pictures of friends eventually became more than a hobby for Marshall, as she now specializes in portraiture photography. Last year Marshall completed her first ever photo portrait  series, titled I’ll Put it In a Letter. Each one of her subjects is photographed in different lighting, using distinct poses, meticulously edited to convey particular emotions. From Love, to Hope, and Clarity, Marshall represents her own personal journey through the faces of her friends.

In contrast to popular media images that often have little model variety, Marshall’s models range greatly in size, race and gender. Bringing the diversity of her friend group to the forefront of her work was one of Marshall’s favorite parts of being a portrait photographer.

“I think that when I am able to make a really beautiful photograph, it enables people to see themselves in ways that they wouldn’t have otherwise been able to see. That’s why it means a lot to me to be able to shoot People of Color and marginalized people, because I think that there can be a lot of power in those types of images,” Marshall shared.

“If you’ve grown up all your life with people telling you that you’re not beautiful because of the color of your skin or because of your identities; seeing a photograph of yourself is like, surreal in a way.”

“I think it’s really important to just be able to like find power in your existence.”

In contrast, there are alot of unseen intricacies to working with live subjects. Trying to purposely convey certain messages can be challenging, especially if you are not working with paid professional models.

“In terms of like being in the studio, I never want to make a model try to portray something that they’re not actually feeling. Unless they’re experienced in that regard, and they know how to make that specific emotion come across. Oftentimes I find that I’m able to achieve that [feeling] with lighting.”

Marshall has been interested in how lighting can be utilized since she began photography. “I do a lot of work with gels and using colors, thinking about things like color theory and how different colors can bring about different feelings and emotions,” she said.

After all the capturing, lighting and staging is over, Marshall takes to her Mac and makes magical things happen. What she cannot achieve in the physical shoot, she creates in photoshop, adding detail and variety to her already intricate work.

“Editing is a super huge part of what I do. Photoshop is my life. That’s how I portray a lot of the feelings that I want. When I want a photo to make somebody feel something, [and] it’s not present in the photo, then I will make it.” Marshall explains her editing work consists of working with what’s there, “and then also bringing out my inner vision. Making that come to life.”

Marshall is currently in the process of drafting an ILC for her next quarter that is based around similar concepts as that of I’ll Put it In a Letter. Her ILC will be using photographs as a form of representation for QTPOC exclusively, exploring the concept of ‘existence as resistance.’