"As a location photographer with a background in photojournalism, I’ve been fortunate to frequently capture real people in real situations with a creative approach. One of my most recent and rewarding projects has been working as the stills photographer for the Contemporary Arts Memphis Summer Fellowship, founded by renowned New York artist Derek Fordjour, who grew up in Memphis. This body of work documents the entire programme.

Each year, 25 high school students are selected based on their art portfolios to attend a summer camp, where they study art intensively during a three-week residential stay. They take university-level classes in painting, ceramics, printmaking and drawing, taught by college instructors. They also visit local galleries, artist studios and museums.

In the fourth week of the programme, the group flies to New York for five days of museum and gallery tours. In addition, they visit artists’ studios to view the work of established New York artists, and attend a private event at a collector’s home, featuring a panel of curators, collectors and art buyers. In both settings, the students can ask questions and learn directly from leading figures in the art world."