Sandro Abate

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Powerful Words

Mori Taiye performing at Sisternity

The culture in and around Wynwood isn't limited to graffiti and street art, there is a vibrant spoken word poetry scene and a lot of it is very good. I have photographed a few dozen of these performers and few if any have moved me as much as Mori Taiye did. As soon as I saw her in the crowd at Sisternity I was captivated by her presence but I was not prepared for the power of her words. Usually when I'm shooting a subject my concentration is on the image, I'm framing and composing, wondering if I have enough light, trying to anticipate movement so I can place myself in the best spot to capture a special moment. But somehow her words penetrated trough my concentration and soon, despite being busy taking photos of her performance, I found Mori's words bringing tears to my eyes, to the point I had to stop to wipe them away so I could see what I was doing. Thankfully I was able to compose myself and continue taking photos of her powerful performance. I hope I did justice to her work.