Through the Lens: Shooting for the 50/50 Women’s Photography Exhibition
Two women, two visions, one lens. For the 50/50 Women’s Photography Exhibition at Doubting Thomas Gallery, I partnered with fellow artist Cynthia to capture each other in our most authentic spaces: her home, my nature. What unfolded was a collaboration rooted in trust, sisterhood, and artistry.
Some projects feel like assignments. Others feel kismet.
When I was invited to take part in the 50/50 Women’s Photography Exhibition at Doubting Thomas Gallery, I knew it was going to be more than just about portraits. The concept was brilliant: pair women photographers together, one over 50, one under 50, and let them collaborate. Not just a photoshoot, but a dialogue across generations, a merging of perspectives through the lens.
I was paired with Cynthia, which felt less like a surprise and more like a blessing. We already knew each other from moving through the Cleveland art scene exhibits, openings, and conversations that bloom in community spaces. There’s a comfort that comes with collaborating with someone you already trust, and I knew that comfort would translate into the work.
We met briefly at her home first, a short visit because I had a family commitment. But even in that limited time, I felt the essence of her space. Her home radiated a spirit that was so Cynthia. I told her immediately, “We need to shoot here. This is where you live, breathe, and create it’s authentically you.” And she agreed.
For my side of the shoot, Cynthia insisted on something just as authentic: nature. She knew how much I love the earth, how I see myself as an “earth queen,” and she wanted to place me in that element. She found the perfect places: Sulfur Springs, a hidden waterfall, and Henry Churchill Rock. Each location felt like stepping into a dreamscape. At the springs, I dipped into the water, feeling the current wrap around me, feeling completely in my element. Water has always been healing for me, and it became more than a backdrop; it was part of the portrait itself.
The results? Pure alchemy. Cynthia captured me in my truest element, and I captured her in hers. Two women, two spaces, two visions, and yet one shared story of authenticity, artistry, and womanhood.
The images turned out better than I could have imagined. There’s something magical about trusting another woman to see you as you are and reflect that through her lens. That’s what this exhibition is about, not just photographs, but dialogue, trust, and transformation.
✨ The 50/50 Women’s Photography Exhibition is still open at Doubting Thomas Gallery. Make sure to see it before it closes. These portraits aren’t just pictures; they’re conversations. 🌸
Art Is Not just a Luxury — It’s the Alchemy We Need
In this expressive and introspective post, Asia Armour explores why art is not a luxury but a vital, visionary force — especially in uncertain times. Inspired by the TED Talk Your Art Is Activism, this soulful reflection reminds readers that creation is a powerful form of healing, resistance, and rebirth. Through lush, symbolic language and her signature soft feminine aesthetic, Asia shares how artists can turn emotion into alchemy. Whether you work in floral art, collage, or everyday rituals, your voice matters. This is emotional visual storytelling for the contemporary creative.
Inspired by the TED Talk: “Your Art Is Activism” by Bayeté Ross Smith
We’ve been sold a lie — that making art in dark times is frivolous, selfish, or insignificant. But lately, I’ve been reminded how false that is.
I recently watched a powerful TED Talk titled Your Art Is Activism by Bayeté Ross Smith, and it stirred something in me: a deep remembering that what we create, especially in times of uncertainty or fear, isn’t just expression — it’s resistance. It’s healing. It’s alchemical.
As artists, we are translators of energy, emotion, and truth.
We turn grief into gardens.
We turn silence into color.
We turn pain into poetry.
That is not passive — that is power.
We are not here to escape reality through our work.
We’re here to reimagine it.
And the world needs that now more than ever.
So it is your duty—your prime purpose—to create.
Not because the world is perfect, but because it isn’t.
Not because it’s easy, but because it’s necessary.
Creation is how we remember who we are.
It’s how we feel.
How we dream forward.
And we don’t have to think narrowly about what creation means.
Creation does not start and end with a canvas — it starts and ends with you.
With the way you tell your story.
With the way you arrange your altar or your garden, or your home.
With the softness you allow in rooms that have only ever known sharp edges.
With the beauty you dare to bring into spaces that feel forgotten.
If the world is on fire, then artists are the water — and sometimes the spark.
Let this be your reminder:
Keep going.
Keep making.
Keep blooming through the cracks.
Because this is how we grow past this.
This is how we alchemize — together.
In this moving TED Talk, multimedia artist and cultural curator Bayeté Ross Smith explores how art functions as activism — especially in times of uncertainty, fear, and social change. He reminds us that creativity is not a luxury, but a powerful tool for truth-telling, community-building, and healing. Whether you're painting, performing, writing, or simply choosing to live intentionally, your expression matters. This talk is a call to action for all creatives: your art is needed now more than ever.
