I have known, photographed and been a fan of Reesa Renee since I first saw her performing at the Thanks Obama event on January 19, 2017. She was different. Her look: cute but in no way cutesy. Her aura: welcoming and friendly but also rough and street savvy. Her voice: soft and smooth but also powerful and edgy. Her music: soul meets R&B meets hip-hop with a pop sensibility soaked in jazz stylings. Simply said, Reesa is, in all respects, a style of her own. Call it, as she does, Wonderland Cool.
The first time I knew that there was a special connection between Reesa and my photographic style was later in 2017 when I photographed her at the Howard Theatre. Among several great photos was one that remains one of my favorites from my music portfolio, and one which has garnered attention and awards. There have been several other shoots since then and some truly great photos, but none that combined all the elements into something quite so special.
On Friday October 7 2022, Reesa performed at Long Bridge Park in the newly dubbed National Landing community of Arlington, VA. The venue offered no real stage, no FX, and no lighting other than a quickly fading sun and a fairly distant street light. Yet, as always, Reesa shined in a way that led to a set of wonderful images.
Here is how I saw it…
For more Reesa Renee, visit her at https://reesarenee.com, follow her on Instagram or like her on Facebook.