Southsea photography studio holds shoot to raise hundreds for Black Lives Matter

Liberty Photography, based in Grove Road, Southsea, welcomed around 25 women to Butser Hill for a ‘pay-what-you-can-afford’ photoshoot.

The event raised £835 for Black Lives Matter – a movement that has hit headlines in recent months following the death of African-American man George Floyd.

Held as part of the studio’s annual Solstice celebrations, the socially-distanced shoot aimed to empower women.

Jennifer Sanchez, owner of the firm, said: ‘Last year I held the same photoshoot on Butser Hill and I was seriously criticised about there being no women of colour.

‘I consider myself to be a woman of colour – I am from a hispanic, mixed race background, but I took it very seriously that my diversity and what we put out there wasn’t representative of the community.

‘We were all affected by the Black Lives Matter movement. I was very affected emotionally and I couldn’t bear sitting still, I needed to do something.’

The idea was born after Jennifer spoke with Roni Edwards, who runs Pamodzi Creatives – a business that celebrates inspirational women in the city – about what she could do to help the cause.

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