Read more about the project on the New York Times Lens Blog
This Life I Lead is a long-form photo essay following Shanon Fulcher as he navigates the ups and downs of life in Oakland California over three years. The project explores the mundane moments that make up the fabric of everyday life and Shanon's battle with structural racism in the quickly gentrifying Bay Area where the wealth gap is comparable to that of a developing country.
Shanon and his daughter Moriahatiana, Moe, at the San Francisco Zoo on her 3rd birthday.
Shanon talks on the phone while staying at a friends apartment in downtown Oakland.
Shanon, center, in the streets of downtown Oakland, California.
Unable to maintain permanent housing, Shanon stays with various friends around Oakland where he often plays a parental role.
Shanon shows Jamesha's tattoo with his name while shopping in downtown Oakland.
Shanon prepares a meal in an apartment in downtown Oakland.
Shanon waits in line to pick up his welfare check at the welfare office in Oakland.
Shanon looks at the bear enclosure at the San Francisco zoo during his daughter's 3rd birthday celebrations.
Shanon with his partner Jamesha at Jamesha's mother's house. After his relationship with his daughter mother dissipated, Shanon started a relationship with Jamesha.
Shanon walks Jamesha's son to the park in Oakland.
Shanon with friends in the streets of downtown Oakland.
Shanon left, with his partner Jamesha on the streets of Oakland with Jamesha.
Shanon choses between different salsas while shopping at Grocery Outlet, a Discount Groceries in Oakland.
Shanon irons a shirt in preparation for a job interview.
Shanon tries on a tie in preparation for a job interview in downtown Oakland.
Shanon yells at Jamesha, as she defiantly puts a cookie in her mouth on the streets of Oakland.
Shanon found work as a security guard at a magazine shop in downtown Oakland. Knowing the community well, he acted as a liaison between his friends on the street and the store staff.
Shanon, left, mimics shooting a gun in downtown Oakland.
A tender moment between Shanon and Jamesha at a drug rehab center where they check themselves in with the goal to get clean.
As part of his drug rehab program, Shanon starts going to church. This church, located in north of Oakland, caters specifically to those dealing with drug addiction.
Shanon walks down the street to buy snacks for staff members at the drug rehab center. Rules are strict and residents have limited access to the outside.
Shanon in the backyard of a drug rehab program.
Shanon works out in the backyard of a drug rehab program.
Shanon plays with Jamesha's son in the park in downtown Oakland.
Shanona and Jamesha during an argument at the rehab center.
Shanon screams in pain, as Jamesha slams him over the edge of a table during a fight at the rehab center. They break up after Shanon is asked to leave the center.
After the rehab program, Shanon goes back to staying with a friend in downtown Oakland. Soon after, Shanon's friend is evicted from the apartment.
Shanon gathers his personal belongings to try and return to the rehab program. After some back and forth with the staff, he moves back in.
Shanon gathers his personal belongings to try and return to the rehab program. After some back and forth with the staff, he moves back in.
A fish tank in Shanon's rehab center.
Back at the rehab center, Shanon becomes violent during a drug-induced mental breakdown. An ambulance is called and Shanon is taken to a mental health hospital.
After four days at the hospital, Shanon is released and becomes homeless, living on the streets of Oakland. Among various different places, he slept on a pile of discarded mattresses in the parking lot of a hotel.
Shanon in his cell at the Glen Dyer detention facility in downtown Oakland. After months of living on the street, and battling mental illness, he was arrested in March 2015.
A hand made calendar hangs on the wall of Shanon's cell at the Glen Dyer detention facility counting the days he is imprisoned.
Shanon looks at letters and photos sent from friends hung on the wall of his jail cell at the Glen Dyer detention facility in downtown Oakland.
Shanon's desk in his jail cell at the Glen Dyer detention facility in downtown Oakland. Shanon spends his time reading, writing and planning his future once he gets out.
Shanon sits for a portrait in his cell at the Glen Dyer detention facility in downtown Oakland.
This series centers around one of Kenya's largest informal settlements or slums in Nairobi, called Mathare. Mathare's population is estimated at around 400,000. In Nairobi over 65% of the population live in slums with two million persons living on only five percent of the available land.
“The Rwandan cycling team not only has become an athletic success story but now appears on the radar of the international development world, where any project achieving its goals—in this case turning young men and women, most of humble origins, into world-class athletes—becomes a matter of great interest.”
In 2017 I worked on the film We Who Remain which explored the conflict in the Nuba mountains of Sudan which broke out in 2011 between the Sudan government and the rebel Sudan People’s Liberation Army-North (SPLA-N). At the time, outsiders rarely venture to this region. Humanitarian aid had been blocked, and Sudanese journalists were banned from covering the war, facing potential imprisonment for doing so.
The following images document my time behind the scenes creating the film.
The film We Who Remain, is an immersive virtual reality film that takes the viewer into the heart of this forgotten conflict amid an active fighting season. The film weaves together the lives of four people – a student, a rebel soldier, a journalist, and a mother – who struggle to improve their lives in the midst of a relentless war.
Jordania, a student who has survived repeated bombings, takes us inside her school. Al-Bagir, a father, left university to become a mobile unit commander on the front lines. He hopes his son will not have to follow the same path. The journalist Musa John, who earned the nickname “Mosquito” because he buzzes here and there, is recovering from an injury suffered in a recent bombing. And Hannan, a mother who is struggling to feed her children, shelters in a makeshift home on the mountainside after her town was destroyed by the fighting.
Travelling from his cramped life at the Central Methodist Church in Johannesburg to visit his home village in Zimbabwe, Reymond Mapakata shows us how attractive the potential of succeeding in South Africa really is, no matter how small the probability.
Reymond Mapakata on the roof of the Central Methodist Church in Johannesburg, the "biggest inside refugee camp in South Africa." (left) Reymond in his home village, Bikita, Zimbabwe. Mapakata fled his home in Zimbabwe to "seek greener pasture" in South Africa.
The region of Bakita in Zimbabwe. Thousands of Zimbabwean refugees crossed the border to South Africa to escape political turmoil, lack of food and economic opportunities in Zimbabwe.
Reymond Mapakata and his friends slaughter a goat for dinner in his village, located in the region of Bakita in Zimbabwe. The village is about a 40 minute hike from the closest shops. Thousands of Zimbabwean refugees crossed the border to South Africa to escape political turmoil, lack of food and economic opportunities in Zimbabwe.
Reymond Mapakata , sits under a Jacaranda tree in his village which is located in the region of Bakita in Zimbabwe. Raymond left his home to seek "greener pastures" in South Africa. The village is about a 40 minute hike from the closest shops. Thousands of Zimbabwean refugees crossed the border to South Africa to escape political turmoil, lack of food and economic opportunities in Zimbabwe.
Reymond Mapakata , sits under a Jacaranda tree with is son and friends in his village which is located in the region of Bakita in Zimbabwe. Raymond left his home to seek "greener pastures" in South Africa. The village is about a 40 minute hike from the closest shops. Thousands of Zimbabwean refugees crossed the border to South Africa to escape political turmoil, lack of food and economic opportunities in Zimbabwe.
A drying rack in a village, located in the region of Bakita, in Zimbabwe. The village is about a 40 minute hike from the closest shops. Thousands of Zimbabwean refugees crossed the border to South Africa to escape political turmoil, lack of food and economic opportunities in Zimbabwe.
Kids play a game with rocks and a fruit fallen from a tree outside their home in the region of Bakita in Zimbabwe. The village is about a 40 minute hike from the closest shops. Thousands of Zimbabwean refugees crossed the border to South Africa to escape political turmoil, lack of food and economic opportunities in Zimbabwe.
Reymond Mapakata gathers water from a river in his village, located in the region of Bakita in Zimbabwe. The village is about a 40 minute hike from the closest shops. Thousands of Zimbabwean refugees crossed the border to South Africa to escape political turmoil, lack of food and economic opportunities in Zimbabwe.
In his old village, now abandoned, Reymond Mapakata sits in front of hut. His village is located in the region of Bakita in Zimbabwe. The village is about a 40 minute hike from the closest shops. Thousands of Zimbabwean refugees crossed the border to South Africa to escape political turmoil, lack of food and economic opportunities in Zimbabwe.
Reymond Mapakata and his friends slaughter a goat for dinner in his village, located in the region of Bakita in Zimbabwe. The village is about a 40 minute hike from the closest shops. Thousands of Zimbabwean refugees crossed the border to South Africa to escape political turmoil, lack of food and economic opportunities in Zimbabwe.
Kids walk to their mother in a village, located in the region of Bakita in Zimbabwe. The village is about a 40 minute hike from the closest shops. Thousands of Zimbabwean refugees crossed the border to South Africa to escape political turmoil, lack of food and economic opportunities in Zimbabwe.
People cook dinner in a hut in a village, located in the region of Bakita in Zimbabwe. The village is about a 40 minute hike from the closest shops. Thousands of Zimbabwean refugees crossed the border to South Africa to escape political turmoil, lack of food and economic opportunities in Zimbabwe.
People make fire at night in a village, located in the region of Bakita in Zimbabwe. The village is about a 40 minute hike from the closest shops. Thousands of Zimbabwean refugees crossed the border to South Africa to escape political turmoil, lack of food and economic opportunities in Zimbabwe.
People make fire at night in a village, located in the region of Bakita in Zimbabwe. The village is about a 40 minute hike from the closest shops. Thousands of Zimbabwean refugees crossed the border to South Africa to escape political turmoil, lack of food and economic opportunities in Zimbabwe.
A dog sits by the fire at night in a village, located in the region of Bakita in Zimbabwe. The village is about a 40 minute hike from the closest shops. Thousands of Zimbabwean refugees crossed the border to South Africa to escape political turmoil, lack of food and economic opportunities in Zimbabwe.
People cook dinner in a hut in a village, located in the region of Bakita in Zimbabwe. The village is about a 40 minute hike from the closest shops. Thousands of Zimbabwean refugees crossed the border to South Africa to escape political turmoil, lack of food and economic opportunities in Zimbabwe.
Men sit around a fire at night in a village, located in the region of Bakita in Zimbabwe. The village is about a 40 minute hike from the closest shops. Thousands of Zimbabwean refugees crossed the border to South Africa to escape political turmoil, lack of food and economic opportunities in Zimbabwe.
In his old home, now abandoned, Reymond Mapakata stands in front of a ZANU-PF party cloth, given out for free during election time. His village is located in the region of Bakita in Zimbabwe. The village is about a 40 minute hike from the closest shops. Thousands of Zimbabwean refugees crossed the border to South Africa to escape political turmoil, lack of food and economic opportunities in Zimbabwe.
A cafe in Harare Zimbabwe.
Reymond Mapakata walks on the roof of the Central Methodist Church in Johannesburg South Africa. The church has an official capacity of 1,500 people. At night, more than 2,000 patrons occupy every floor space available. The church has been a sanctuary for thousands of Zimbabwen refugees who crossed the border illegally to escape political turmoil on Zimbabwe.
A father dresses his son in the morning at the Central Methodist Church in Johannesburg South Africa. The church has an official capacity of 1,500 people. At night, more than 2,000 patrons occupy every floor space available. The church has been a sanctuary for thousands of Zimbabwen refugees who crossed the border illegally to escape political turmoil on Zimbabwe.
Reymond Mapakata on top of the Central Methodist Church in Johannesburg South Africa. The church has an official capacity of 1,500 people. At night, more than 2,000 patrons occupy every floor space available. The church has been a sanctuary for thousands of Zimbabwen refugees who crossed the border illegally to escape political turmoil on Zimbabwe.
People sleep on the floor in the Central Methodist Church in Johannesburg South Africa. The church has an official capacity of 1,500 people. At night, more than 2,000 patrons occupy every floor space available. The church has been a sanctuary for thousands of Zimbabwen refugees who crossed the border illegally to escape political turmoil on Zimbabwe.
Reymond Mapakata in the Central Methodist Church in Johannesburg South Africa. The church has an official capacity of 1,500 people. At night, more than 2,000 patrons occupy every floor space available. The church has been a sanctuary for thousands of Zimbabwen refugees who crossed the border illegally to escape political turmoil on Zimbabwe.
The third floor of the the Central Methodist Church in Johannesburg South Africa at night. The church has an official capacity of 1,500 people. At night, more than 2,000 patrons occupy every floor space available. The church has been a sanctuary for thousands of Zimbabwen refugees who crossed the border illegally to escape political turmoil on Zimbabwe.
A young man cooks on the 3rd floor of the Central Methodist Church in Johannesburg South Africa. The church has an official capacity of 1,500 people. At night, more than 2,000 patrons occupy every floor space available. The church has been a sanctuary for thousands of Zimbabwen refugees who crossed the border illegally to escape political turmoil on Zimbabwe.
People beer in a cafe in Harare Zimbabwe.
Reymond Mapakata on the roof of the Central Methodist Church in Johannesburg South Africa at night. The church has an official capacity of 1,500 people. At night, more than 2,000 patrons occupy every floor space available. The church has been a sanctuary for thousands of Zimbabwen refugees who crossed the border illegally to escape political turmoil on Zimbabwe.
A man takes a nap in the medical room of the Central Methodist Church in Johannesburg South Africa. The church has an official capacity of 1,500 people. At night, more than 2,000 patrons occupy every floor space available. The church has been a sanctuary for thousands of Zimbabwen refugees who crossed the border illegally to escape political turmoil on Zimbabwe.
The follow images document my behind the scenes journey making the multi part series The Okavango Experience for National Geographic.
Over the course of three weeks I had the incredible privilege to join a group of conservationist on an expedition across the Okavango Delta in Botswana. It was an incredibly challenging and rewarding journey that culminated in a 4 part VR series shot for National Geographic. The series follows a team of conservationist on an expedition across the Okavango Delta, one of the last surviving wetland wildernesses on the planet.
My inspiration for creating this work came after various nights of observing the protest for myself and covering the protests for the San Francisco Chronicle.
I tried to make images that were lyrical, confusing, and ghostly. I wanted to invoke a sense of the spirit of the protest, the slow moving nature of social change, while also providing a new way to see an event that is so ubiquitously documented that the role of the photojournalist in these situations come into question.
Portitas commisioned by The New Yorker as part of the project “Inside Xinjiang’s Prison State” launched on The New Yorker’s website in early March 2021.
Exploring the meaning of a cliché.
Nearly 90 percent of future population growth will take place in cities of the global south, and with more than half the world's population living in cities, transportation is more important than ever. This series explores its role in three cities of the global south: Bogota, Colombia; Sao Paulo, Brazil, and Nairobi, Kenya. In each city, transportation takes on a unique form. From Bogota's innovative use of the BRT (bus rapid transit) system, which has since become a model for countries around the world, to Nairobi's informal and often dangerous Matatu mini bus system, to a highway in Sao Paulo that becomes a unique public space each week.
Images from Burning Man shot for Slate Magazine. Burning Man is an alternative lifestyle festival which is held in the Black Rock desert in northwestern Nevada in the United States. Read the 4 part series.
After the mans structure has burnt completely to the ground, the thousands of people surrounding the man then come rushing in towards the fire.
A young boy sprays a woman with a water sprayer as a giant chair burns.
In the medical tent Princess Palmer gets her foot rapped up by Mike Seopa a first year Burning Man EMT. Palmer fell off an art car earlier in the day.
A group of people hang out on a large wooden chair that was built on the playa. The chair was also burnt at the end of the week.
A dance party at Burning Man.
Jacks 2 years old touches a hat at Burning man.
A man hugs a another man known as "fuzzy bunny". Fuzzy bunny wears this blue bunny costume for the course of the week.
A nude man in a cowboy hat asks an EMT for a place to sit.
A man with a mega phone yells to the crowds of bunnies during a march.
Two people perform a type of dance yoga in center camp, an area that is always open 24 hours a day, and that sells coffee, displays art and has two stages for constant performances.
A man rides his bike during one of the many naked bike rides. Nudity in the city is by no means mandatory, both the clothed and unclothed are welcome.
Impulse and April both second year burners shield themselves from a dust storm while sitting in the middle of the playa. People wear goggles and dust masks to help prevent themselves from getting dust into their orifices.
After the final structural elements of the temple fall the crown slowly walks towards the flames.
“For several years now, electronic equipment seldom reaches the dump, which seems contradictory, given that electronic waste, a category that barely existed 20 years ago, is now Kenya's fastest-growing waste component. But it becomes clearer when one of the women explains that the people who transport the rubbish keep all the valuable items for themselves, including electronic waste.”
With Nairobi's pulsating population, growth municipal waste management has become increasingly relevant over the past years. With the huge influx of waste, several livelihoods depend on separating collecting and selling waste such as plastic, electronics and metals to various recyclers.
A private trash collection agency picks up trash throughout Nairobi on June 29th 2013. From glue-addicted street boys, who go door to door looking for dead electronics, to foreigners who come into the slums for the business opportunity, the e-waste industry informally sustains a myriad of livelihoods.
A private trash collection agency collects trash during a trash pickup run in Nairobi on June 29th 2013.
A private trash collection agency collects trash during a trash pickup run in Nairobi on June 29th 2013. With the legislation taking effect later in the year or early next year, the main challenge will be to incorporate the informal sector without eliminating thousands of much-needed jobs.
A private trash collection agency collects trash during a trash pickup run in Nairobi on June 29th 2013.
A private trash collection agency organizes trash in the back of the truck during a trash pickup run in Nairobi on June 29th 2013.
A private trash collection agency organizes trash in the back of the truck during a trash pickup run in Nairobi on June 29th 2013.
A private trash collection agency organizes trash in the back of the truck during a trash pickup run in Nairobi on June 29th 2013.
A electronics trader in an informal electronics market in Nairobi July 8th 2013. Many of the items that are picked by collectors end up in informal refurbishing centers. This individual collects electronics that he then uses to repair other electronics. He sells the remaining parts or electronics that have reached the end of their life to various recyclers.
With Nairobi's pulsating population, growth municipal waste management has become increasingly relevant over the past years. With the huge influx of waste, several livelihoods depend on separating collecting and selling waste such as plastic, electronics and metals to various recyclers.
A informal electronics market in Nairobi Kenya on June 24th 2013. As a country, Kenya has embraced Information and Communications Technology politically, economically and socially. With a mobile phone penetration rate of over 60%, Kenya strives to become a “Silicon Savannah.” Electronic waste or e-waste, a category of waste that barely existed 20 years ago, is now Kenya’s fastest growing manufacturing waste.
A black market trader in an informal electronics market in Nairobi July 8th 2013. Various registered and unregistered organizations buy electronic chips and motherboards from middle men.
