| | How did coming from a smallish town in Georgia shape your worldview?
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It has made me appreciate simple living and a less-is-more attitude and has vastly shaped my idea of beauty. Much of my current work is an ode to the freedom I felt when I was in those natural landscapes. READ MORE
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| How do you describe your work?
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The photographs I create of people and landscapes are imbued with a sense of warmth and connection to the world. I started off learning how to create documentary-style photographs and still use that as a foundation for my work now. I want my photographs to come from a place of realism but to shift into a dream-like state by the use of color and light. READ MORE
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| Share the story behind your personal project “Tenderness.”
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The American South, also known as the Bible Belt, is not an inherently inclusive region for those who present queer. I grew up in a religious household—my mother was raised in the Sanctified Holy Church, and my father was raised Southern Baptist. As a result of the beliefs I had been taught since birth, I did not feel comfortable coming out as queer until I was 21 years old. This photo series came to fruition around the same time, so I publicly came out when I started sharing this project online. READ MORE
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| Tell us about a recent editorial project.
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I loved photographing Jack Harlow in Atlanta for Billboard magazine. I knew I didn’t want to photograph him in studio because he had been in that setup many times, so I pitched a friend’s home that had wild interiors. READ MORE
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| How about a recent campaign?
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A commercial shoot that sticks with me was my work for the Gucci Cruise Collection for Vogue Italia. I worked alongside Alessia Glaviano, senior photo editor, and designer Alessandro Michele, who was then at Gucci, to pitch my concept of photographing around 20 friends of mine in acts of kindness. I location scouted, cast, styled, set designed, and photographed the campaign with the help of two assistants and one HMU person. READ MORE
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| Who inspires you as a person, and who inspires you as an artist?
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First and foremost, I am inspired by nature. I try to be as present with the earth as possible, through daily walks, hiking, climbing, and kayaking. Also, I find inspiration in the strange photographs ZZYZX by Gregory Halpern, Caspian by Chloe Dewe Mathews, and Corbeau by Anne Golaz, as well as the insightful writings of David Wojnarowicz, Eileen Myles, and Mary Oliver, and the music of Brian Eno and Ryuichi Sakamoto. READ MORE
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 PEYTON ON HER FIRST MONTH LIVING IN LA | VIEW
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