MARCH 2008 FEATURED PHOTOGRAPHER HELENE EHRLICH Pisces, hip-hop feminist, lover and photographer It took me a long time to identify myself as an artist. I can't draw, paint or sing. I take photographs. I capture what I see and understand around me. It helps me conceptualize those things that are hard for me to grasp or accept and it makes me happy. Once I realized that what I was doing was defining myself by the pictures I took, I realized that being an artist is putting your emotions and your visions out there for every one to see. It's about being brave and doing what you love, not matter what others think. My favorite series of work are photographs that tell stories of my family, my friends, and my passions. My family has always been my most beautiful, consistent subjects. I have photographed memories that have long been forgotten. My friends are my models and guinea pigs for ideas that only they can understand and make real. And my passions, such as hip-hop, have lead me to my most recent piece of work, Women in Hip Hop. As a woman who also defines herself as a hip hop head, I realized how few females I know who are apart of my hip hop world. As a feminist photographer and UCSC alumni, I wanted to intertwine my passions. I was given the perfect opportunity to do so within my major. As a Community Studies student, I was able to choose what I want to do for my senior project. I started my project with the notion that I was going to create a link between music and sexual identity in relation to the scripts [Diva, Gold Digger, Freak, Dyke, Gangster Bitch, Sister Savior, Earth Mother and Baby Momma (Phillips, Stephens, 6)] set forth by hip-hop and rap culture. I would show how female musicians create and maintain their own identity by being apart of the music that creates and maintains these scripts. But once I started taking pictures it evolved into something more holistic.   Woman have transcended through hip-hop. My photographs will show the strength, femininity and talent that woman possess, when given the space to learn, grow and succeed within a male dominated industry. To see more of Helene's work, peep her website at www.images-women-hiphop.com Eternia I met Eternia at a benefit show for Girls for Gender Equity in New York. I was blown away by her skills on the mic. I had to have her for my photo documentary. I asked, she said yes and the rest is history... Gwen After moving back from Brooklyn, I had to get myself back into the Bay Area hip-hop scene. I wasn't really sure how. Gwen answered an ad I placed on Craig's List looking for females in hip-hop to photograph. From late night bombing missions to acceptance to Syracuse University for a Masters in Art, Gwen's art keeps graff alive. Aiko Aiko also answered my Craig's List ad. Little did I know I was going to be photographing an old schooler who has been in a scene for a long time! My camera lens was blessed to be able to document her poppin' and lockin' skills. DJ Eko I remember listening to Eko back in 2000 on KZSC. She turned me onto the Grouch and every weekend my tape deck was ready to record her choice of music for the evening. I was lucky to have been re-introduced to her skills on the decks at Cafe Mare in Santa Cruz. When she agreed to be apart of my photo documentary I was overjoyed!