Miami 2020

Fresh from Yale and determined not to endure another winter, I moved to Miami in 2020. I arrived knowing few people, yet through old friends I quickly began meeting new ones — and photographing the bodies, heat, and energy that would come to define my life in the city.

Miami Polaroids 2020 captures my first connections in South Florida: the emergence of community, the electric humidity of night, and the early sparks of the work that would shape my Miami years. Working with one-of-one instant film, I treated each photograph as a marker of arrival — proof of the freedom, warmth, and desire I came searching for and ultimately found.

Young man relaxing on a lounge chair outdoors, wearing yellow briefs, with arms behind his head and eyes closed.
A young man with wet hair, shirtless, emerging from a swimming pool, holding onto the edge, with a pink sky and palm trees in the background.
A dark, blurry photograph with minimal distinguishable features.
A shirtless young man with glasses and spiky hair standing on a balcony, looking over his shoulder at the camera, with an urban background.
A shirtless young boy sitting on a wicker outdoor sofa with purple cushions, with sunlight and shadows casting horizontal lines across his body, in a patio area with bamboo fencing behind him.
A person performing a complex pose on a pink surface outdoors, with a green leafy hedge in the background.
A shirtless young man with spiked dark hair standing outdoors in front of green leafy bushes.
A shirtless young man in a diaper sitting on a gray outdoor sofa with a wicker back, in front of a bamboo fence with sunlight casting shadows on his body.
A shirtless young man with black hair sitting on a dark-colored outdoor sofa with a striped pillow, in front of a bamboo or wooden slatted fence.
A shirtless man in yellow underwear standing on a balcony, holding a banana near his mouth, with a cityscape in the background.
A young man standing shirtless under an outdoor shower with water on. There is a pink border around the photo, which appears to be a Polaroid. In the background, there are buildings, trees, and a cloudy sky.
A shirtless person with spiky black hair lying back in a swimming pool with arms stretched out to the sides, pink polka dot swim trunks, and a pink border around the image.
A person wearing yellow underwear, showing midsection and hand gesture.
A young shirtless boy in pink underwear standing outdoors against a white wall and green shrubbery, with sunlight casting shadows.
Young man with dark wet hair holding a metal shower head under a tree, with rain falling around him during sunset.
A nude person with long dark hair in a natural outdoor setting with rocks and trees, sitting on rocks.
A shirtless man with tattoos standing outdoors in front of rocks and trees, looking at the camera.
A young man with short hair and a beard takes a selfie outdoors during daytime, with a tree and sky in the background.
A shirtless person wearing a red bandana on their head, looking at a sunset over a cityscape.
Person standing on a balcony wearing a yellow bikini at sunset, with city lights visible in the background.
Back view of a shirtless person with wet braided hair, standing outdoors during sunset with trees, a pavilion, and streetlights in the background.
Close-up of a man wearing white swim trunks, showing tattoos on his upper body and a dark skin tone, near a pool during sunset.
A shirtless man wearing a pink thong and a red cap standing on a balcony during sunset with city buildings in the background.
Silhouette of a woman standing near a swimming pool during sunset, with trees, a small pavilion, and a lamppost in the background.
Group of six people outdoors wearing face masks, with greenery in the background. One person is in a wheelchair, and there is a dog present.
A shirtless man with a mustache and closed eyes, standing in front of leafy green plants with red flowers, smiling gently.
A man with a mustache and dark hair, shirtless, wearing only a white corset, thong, and high heels, standing in a garden with plants and a wooden ladder in the background.
A man with a large black curly wig and mustache, shirtless, wearing a white corset and Petticoat, standing outdoors near a tree with green leaves and surrounded by plants.
A shirtless man with curly hair and a mustache is lying on his back on a patch of dirt surrounded by pink flowers and green plants, winking at the camera.
A person standing among large tropical leaves outdoors, partially nude, with sunlight filtering through trees.
A shirtless man with an afro hairstyle and mustache sitting on a stone bench in a garden with green foliage.
A shirtless man with dark hair, a mustache, and light skin stands outdoors in front of trees and foliage, with sunlight filtering through the leaves.
A shirtless man with tattoos standing in front of palm trees in a tropical environment.
A shirtless man with curly hair and a mustache wears only white underwear, standing outdoors in front of large green plants and trees, with a string of lights overhead.
A man with curly hair and a mustache wearing a white corset and matching underwear, standing outdoors among greenery and trees.
A shirtless man with a mustache and dark hair stands against a backdrop of green leaves. He is wearing a white corset with silver buttons.
A shirtless man with a mustache and curly hair standing among tropical palm leaves, wearing only black underwear with tattoos on his torso and thigh.
A man standing barefoot outdoors among lush green plants, wearing vintage style underwear and a waist corset, posing with arms raised behind his head, with a relaxed expression.
A shirtless man with a mustache and curly hair standing in front of large tropical leafs.
Two young men smiling and posing close together, one wearing a cap and the other with long hair, inside a photo booth with a black and gold dotted border.
A person with a disability in a wheelchair poses with a young woman indoors, both smiling at the camera.
Two shirtless young men with tattoos and necklaces sitting outdoors, smiling at the camera with a pool and palm trees in the background.
Two men in swimwear by a pool with umbrellas, one standing, one seated in a wheelchair, palm trees in the background.
Two shirtless men with sunglasses smiling outdoors, sitting on a lounge chair, with green leafy foliage in the background.
Man with a bicycle in a wheelchair at a poolside, wearing sunglasses and patterned swim trunks, with several people swimming and lounging in the pool and boats on the water in the background.
A man wearing a dark uniform and a face mask stands outdoors on a sidewalk next to green bushes, with another person in the background.
A man with tattoos standing outdoors against green foliage, looking at the camera.
Two people, one with long dark hair and the other with short dark hair and tattoos, standing side by side with their backs to the camera, surrounded by dark greenery.
Person wearing underwear and showing their back and buttocks, with hands resting on their hips.
Back of a shirtless man with tattoos, facing away, standing against a dark background with some green leaves on the side.
Three women posing outdoors at night, two are topless and wearing pants, the woman in the middle is wearing black lingerie and holding her bottom.
A man with tattoos standing outdoors against green foliage, nude except for tattoos, jewelry, and rings.
A person wearing unbuttoned jeans and a white waistband with the word 'Heinous' printed multiple times, seen from the back with a radio or similar device hanging from their neck.