Arlo (he/him) is an artist, educator, and dear friend. We spent our college years collaborating on projects and he was my first roommate when I took the leap to move to New York City. Our friendship went through its fair share of ebbs and flows, but during the pandemic he reached out to share his self-discovery of being a trans-man and asked me to document his transition.

Much like his transition, this creative collaboration with Arlo is ongoing. I began to photograph him in November of 2020 when he started to present as male and then when he started testosterone injections, I photographed him over weekly Zoom calls. During this time, we had to respond to the unpredictable circumstances surrounding the pandemic and our in-person photo shoots were limited. It was only recently that I had the opportunity to photograph him in person again.

Throughout these weekly photo shoots, Arlo and I discussed our realizations about our own queer identities and all of the hints that led us to our self-discoveries. We were drawn to each other under the safelights of a darkroom during our early college years as hetero-identifying with little knowledge of what our futures held. I was humbled to photograph Arlo as he transitioned into the best version of himself. I’ve been a witness to his growing confidence, his body changing, and his ever-improving relationship with himself and those who surround him.

2020-2021