Team El
They were just teenagers when they were convicted of murder and sentenced to a combined fifty years in prison.
Lashonia and Sean Thompson-El never knew each other growing up but still found themselves locked up, hundreds of miles apart, and alone with their anger and trauma. Today, the two are married and dedicate their lives to trying to prevent the violence they themselves used to cause. Their commitment to healing prevails through the pain and stress that come with life post-incarceration. Together, they have crafted a love that liberates and empowers.
Team El is a collaborative project exploring the way society views individuals convicted of violent crimes by combining photographs made by the artist with photographs made by Lashonia and Sean. Through these intimate images, we hope to break the chains that continue to confine returning citizens by judging them irredeemable.
Lashonia and Sean on a Sunday afternoon
by Hadley
Sean
by Lashonia
Jumprope
by Hadley
Lashonia
by Sean
Lashonia and Sean in bed
by Hadley
Hadley Chittum
Roanoke, VA & Washington, D.C.Hadley Chittum is a documentary photographer from the mountains of Southwest Virginia, currently living in Washington, D.C. Hadley strives to make intimate images and connect with the people she documents on a personal level, ensuring agency to her collaborators. She employs various media in her storytelling, creating a convergence of fine art and photojournalism. Her projects are crafted with empathy and a desire to address the complexities of the criminal justice system, challenging its foundation and how we view those who have been wronged by it.