For the next 15 weeks we will have Dope Girl Thursday.

Each week we will post a new portrait of a new girl that was featured in THE DOPE GIRL PROJECT, a photo series created by me Nakeya B. (and features the other two-thirds of ATEtraks, SamSun and Doctor Sanchez). Be sure to check in every Thursday for the next dope lady.

Occupation: Photographer
Resides: Brooklyn, NY
www.marianasheppard.com

We both met out of our passion for photography. Somehow she found my work and we just have been kicking it with eachother ever since. When I first met her two of her features stuck out he most.

First was her hair. She had the coolest afro. When I asked her her nationality she replied Dominican. What’s cooler than a Dominican with an afro?

Second was her accent. Although she resides in Brooklyn, the rich culture of New Orleans runs through her veins and seep out her pores. Anyone who couldn’t pick up on her thick accent just isn’t listening.

We shot in Williamsburg in April and believe it or not, it was freezing. We found this American flag spray painted on the garage door and thought it would be cool to shoot in front of it. The Black Power fist and the au-natural ‘fro were small ironic symbols Mari felt she wanted to portray. Her photo came out to be one of my favories in the series. Nothing but L.O.V.E.

-Nakeya B.