Lonna Kelly

Photography helps me define my life. I’m rarely without a camera and find myself an opportunistic photographer, documenting what I see rather than studio work or things set up in advance. I move between photographing people on the street of nearby cities, events (Women’s March NYC, Diner En Blanc, NYC Dance Parade, Pride March) to photographing the scenery of the Harlem and Hudson Valley.

Experiments with Camera Obscura fascinate me and include installations both with a tented camera obscura and in homes and studios.

Starting in 2016, inspired by the mail art of Ray Johnson, I began a yearly practice of designing a postcard and inviting the public to modify the cards and mail them back to me. The many postcards I’ve received back from my co-creators (many are strangers) have resulted in a remarkable assortment of responses.

I Got Your Message is a recently compiled series of messages artists and individuals are compelled to share roadside.

A favorite source of photos are large and raucous parades and marches. The Women’s Marches in NYC, the NYC Dance Parade and the NYC Pride March are filled with exuberance and passion and with, a media pass, I’m able to get right into the action.