In the Frame
“You just got to get intentional with what you want. Intentional, every frame.”
That line stayed with me long after my conversation with Greg Cally ended. During the summer, I lead programming for my nonprofit, Frame of Mind Project. We partnered with QBA Cares to focus on photographing the game of basketball. Once a week, our members met with me to learn photography from A to Z, with a strong emphasis on capturing the rhythm, emotion, and culture of basketball in New York City.
Beyond the in-person lessons, it was important for me to expose our students to people actively thriving in the industry. Once a week, I hosted virtual conversations with photographers and professionals working in the sports world. With a play on words, In the Frame became a live, in-the-moment conversation between myself and each guest. Our members joined as a virtual audience, asking questions, sharing reflections, and responding in real time. Those sessions were consistently well received and are something I truly cherish.
I’ve written more about that summer programming in a previous Darkroom post, Photography as Conversation, which dives deeper into how those moments shaped both the students and myself.
With Greg's In The Frame, we tried recording In the Frame in person, while still livestreaming to our Frame of Mind Project members. That particular session didn’t go as planned. None of our members were able to attend live, and we ended up with zero viewers.
What happened instead was unexpected.
By the end of the recording, the conversation felt less like an interview and more like therapy. I shared openly about my mother’s battle with cancer and other experiences that have shaped who we are. It was more than Greg had anticipated, along with other experiences that have shaped who we are and how we move through our professional lives. The conversation was so personal that it took me nearly five months to rewatch it.
I don’t typically share much of myself on social media. But during our conversation, Greg and I spoke about the importance of sharing, not for attention, but because you never know who it might impact. So to open 2026, I decided to upload the conversation to YouTube. It’s something I’ve been meaning to do for a long time, and taking that first step felt significant.
What I love most about producing In the Frame is that I’m usually sitting across from friends or colleagues I’ve known for years. These conversations give us space to slow down, reflect on our journeys, acknowledge recent achievements, and fill in gaps of curiosity that never quite get addressed in everyday life. While students gain insight from hearing these stories, I often walk away seeing my own people in a completely new light.
We don’t always make time for conversations this intentional. To dedicate a full hour to listening, reflecting, and being present is something I deeply value and it’s why In the Frame continues to matter to me. As I prep for a new series of In the Frame, feel free to watch our unfiltered, reflective, and very much in the moment session below.
Learn more about Greg Cally
Watch the Conversation with Greg Cally