Niagara Region Surreal Portrait Photography

Meet Dejauna

After a hiatus, I'm focusing on portraiture, branding, and surreal work that tells the story of the client in front of me.

This time, it was Dejauna. A mother of 4 that is a Mi'kmaw and Jamaican model and activist.

During our time together, Dejauna was very candid about her life growing up, the fact that she was a foster child, and the trials she has faced, never feeling like she fit into one community or another. DJ appeared to me to be a very fiery and grounded creature all wrapped up in a pretty bow. How do I portray this?

Our location was rich with broken glass, ticks, trash, and was in truth, very abandoned. Uncared for. A fitting spot to contrast a woman's beauty and underlying fighter spirit.

I admired Dejauna for her tenacity. For her frank discussions about the time she spent feeling she didn't "fit in" because she's Mi'kmaw or didn't fit in because she's Jamaican. Or didn't fit in because she's both of one thing, but definitely not enough of something else. She will tell you of her kids, and it was plain to see that she's raising them to walk a path that she cleared for them. A path with kindness and acceptance and an appreciation for exactly who they are and how they fit in.

In this image, Dejauna is wearing a dress created by artist Jason Baerg for Ayimach

As a professional photographer, I have long wanted to begin a storyteller phase of my career. To not just capture, but document a person, a family, or an event. I felt strongly that Dejauna's soul is best depicted with sharp contrast, nature, and making the best of what you've got. She certainly embodies those traits.

To learn more about Dejauna and the many things she stands for and champions, please visit her instagram page here.