Tori Wright has won an Alpha Female+ grant for her project to create a series of stylized portraits of women. The look for the images is inspired by the centennial of the 1920s and how that decade was a time of empowerment for women. “The 1920s has so many iconic influences,” she says, “and is associated with many of my favorite sources of inspiration: independent women, glamour, fashion, whimsy, theater, and my hometown, St. Louis, Missouri. When the 2020’s rolled around I could not have been more excited. I wanted to link the 1920’s and 2020’s by stamping the theme of women empowerment onto this decade. My project is an editorial that pays homage to the era that inspired me to dream, create, reach my goals, and then set new ones.”
Winning the grant and bringing this project to life also has another special significance for Wright. She has only been an active photographer for a couple of years having picked up the camera as a part of her recovery from a serious accident. Wright explains, “In early 2019 I was in an accident that resulted in me being barely able to walk and occasionally lose feeling in my body. I bought my Sony Alpha 7 III camera and learned how to use it while on bed rest. As I was recovering, I used the camera as my motivation to get out of bed and get my body moving.”
As she learned about photography and how to use her camera, Wright realized that photography was her true passion. The pandemic and its subsequent lockdowns and shutdowns ended up slowing down some of Wrights photography plans, but it did nothing to dampen her enthusiasm. “A year has passed since I have been in my studio. I am still as in love with photography as I was when I first got my camera. I’m even more eager to learn and grow with my camera, lights, and variety of lenses that I have acquired.”
Over the next coming weeks, Wright will be making portraits and exploring the links between the 1920s and the 2020s. Follow along with her on social channels and Alpha Universe.
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You can apply for an Alpha Female+ grant HERE along with all of the details of the Alpha Female+ program. You can see all the past grant winners and their projects HERE.
