Black and white photograph of an elderly African American woman sitting on a cluttered porch, holding up a Bible in her left hand and holding up her right hand as if testifying.

Backstory: The Believer

  The most successful photographs usually have an important backstory. The making of this photo, The Believer, played a significant role in my evolution as a photographer. In the documentary film Everybody Street, the late photographer Mary Ellen Mark said, “Often, your subject matter can show you what the picture is. I’m not a strong …