The first black hands to grasp a camera did so with intent to document. To put their image in the hands of a descendent, memories given breath. Today, photography is mostly seen as a commodification of identity. Pictures are more often an expression of hubris than our perspective. Isaiah Oscar Armstrong goes against such trends, channeling his ancestor's hands each time he handles a camera. Performing alchemy in a dark room to bring forth captured souls. Photography for him is an avenue in which he can freely put down his ego and be present. With camera in hand, he puts himself aside in order to see what's in front of him. The weight of his artistic instrument paralleling the weight of each photograph taken. His style pays homage to Gordon Parks, Dawoub Bey and his father, Oscar Armstrong III. Documenting life moments in honest form. Leaving the photo up to the movements of the muse, he brings forth images in the way they were captured. Avoiding the need to garnish them with excessive arrangement. The stack of books on the coffee table next to a stained mug. The candid expression of a firefighter preparing for duty. The odd angle at which the federal flag blows outside a courthouse. Isaiah knows that life isn't sterile. That without the clutter an image isn't capturing truth. His goal is for people to connect with his photography. Subsequently, connecting them with some warm memory from their own life. Isaiah has been practicing photography since mid 2020 but didn't consider himself a photographer until the end of 2022. The catalyst came from the trust that his family gave him after his grandmother passed. When his mother and grandfather showed comfort in him being the last person to take her picture. Outside of taking photos for family albums, Isaiah hopes that his photography will also shed light on the social injustices people, especially the wretched of the earth, face on a consistent basis. To him real living is found in the service of others. He strongly subscribes to the maxim "I am because we are." As an artist, he advocates for equality, inclusivity and against the act of othering people. The world he wants to see is one in which black people are no longer belittled but liberated. Free from stereotype and oppression. His contribution to the fulfillment of this vision is enacted through photography workshops in his community. Here he hopes to give others an opportunity to express themselves in all their vulnerability, without fear of judgement, through a creative means not often considered. Giving them the ability to choose an emotionally affirming outlet that fits their personality. Instead of an emotionally diminishing one, founded solely in survival. Isaiah is someone who accepts that he doesn't have it all figured out. Because of this he has adopted to document fully the things he sees and learns. Hoping to inspire and educate those in need of love.