Chinatown, Manhattan
Back in 2009, Jess and I became internet pals thanks to Tumblr and then briefly penpals before we realized that since we were already talking online a couple of times a week it was pretty redundant to also be writing letters. For ten years we maintained our internet friendship on Facebook and Instagram, just occasionally responding to each others posts and watching time pass. In February 2019 I went to New York to visit my high school (actually elementary) friend for a long weekend. While in town, I messaged Jess to see if she and her girlfriend Lauren wanted to meet up. I also asked if we could do this photo series since I had never gotten to shoot portraits in New York. I got to our brunch spot about twenty minutes early because I was jittery nervous about meeting this girl I'd only been connected with online, but as soon as Jess and Lauren walked up I was immediately at ease, there's a reason why we clicked during our high school tumblr days. After a delightful brunch in a shoebox sized restaurant, we took a long walk and shot these portraits as we found interesting spots.