Behind the Scenes of Our Photoshoot With Skateboarder Brooklinn Khoury
 Behind the Scenes of Our Photoshoot With Skateboarder Brooklinn Khoury
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 📸For Your 👀 Only:  Ryan Young for BuzzFeed News We reached out to skateboarder and photographer Ryan Young in October to spend a day with influencer Brooklinn Khoury, also a skateboarder, for a piece that our reporter Nicole Fallert pitched. Fallert's story on Khoury, whose life was upended when she lost part of her face when she was attacked by a dog last year, discussed her insecurities, Instagram, and finding a way to be true to herself. Her positive outlook resonated with young people across social media, and with Young. "Some assignments I just keep it moving," he told us over the phone from Southern California. "This one I had a lot of feelings about." We asked him about the experience, his favorite photograph, and eating shit in the Venice Beach skate park.  Ryan Young for BuzzFeed News "This shoot was close to the heart. I was inspired in a lot of ways. I've never really seen someone like that, who is so unapologetically herself, so un-shy. She's in one of the most well-known skate parks in America, teaching grown men to skateboard and hanging out and getting in it with people. [A guy] took a really bad fall right before [her], and she went right over and started coaching him through it in a very non-mansplainy, encouraging way. She was the ideal coach. It can get annoying at the skate park, especially when a dude wants to tell a girl how to skate, and it's the most irritating thing. Brooklinn's approach was ideal. She was so down to interact with people. She is so much a woman of her own word and the real deal for sure.
I think that everyone around Venice knew her. I don't know if it's her story or what, but she felt like home, and in a place that doesn't really feel like home to anyone. It's Venice Beach, there's so much foot traffic. The way she says hi to everyone, and everyone knew her, that sense of community was really awesome to see as an outsider. I avoid that park at all costs — it's like going to NYC and going to Times Square. As a skateboarder, that's how I equate Venice Beach. If I'm scared of trying something, I don't want to go through my rails in front of a bunch of strangers hoping I'm going to eat shit.
I'm not going to lie, I was a little self-conscious being there. Tourists from all over the world come to the skate park to take pictures, and it's so cool that her with her scars is so open to skating there, and I was so open to us being there."  Ryan Young for BuzzFeed News "When you skate, you can tell if someone skates or if they don't. Not that people who don't skate are fully alienated from the shoot, but I know how to be around skateboarders and ease them in. There's a lot of spontaneity, it's not planned out. Like the slide shot. We were going from the restaurant to another skate spot, and she asked, could she play around on this?
My setup, my approach, and the way I texted her before the shoot and we talked about skateboarding, I think really helped. I have a small lighting setup that I can move around freely. Before the shoot, we talked about what to do, and I said to call up a friend, it will be very day-in-the-life, I won't interrupt your day. I don't even want to give myself credit for easing her into it, because you could have put anyone out there, and she would have been 100% cool. A kid teased her on her way out, and she was unwavering, just kept her cool and kept it moving.
The other really big insight I had [while spending the day with her] was how much she loves dogs. She wouldn't pass one up without saying hi or pointing a dog out to her friend or to me. She's obviously a little bit skeptical about bigger dogs, but she really has no fear or resentment toward dogs. A lot of the fallout from her accident I feel like really needed to be covered, and I get that the story has to talk about social media and its effects on mental health. But with her particular story, I just felt about how insane it was, and how sad that half of her family had stopped talking to her after this, and cut her off after this happened and the dog was put down. Her family was pro–pit bull, and I am too, but people would come into her DMs telling her like why did you have to say, "This is a pit bull, I wish the dog had killed you." To have to go through this attack, and then have people take it as a political stance on pit bulls and throw hate your way, it broke my heart that she has to deal with that, too."  Ryan Young for BuzzFeed News "I think [a photo shoot is] a collaborative effort when you do a day-in-the-life shoot. I've photographed rappers, music producers, high-profile people, and if they want to go to Equinox or the gym, then that's what we do. With a young skateboarder, it was very much a similar approach.
My favorite image was the slide, the drop-in on the slide. [Khoury's friend] Nani was such a big part of her day, the way she and her friend met, and how Nani has her back 100%. I loved their relationship, and it sums up the day. It was a fun, spontaneous moment, and that photo included everything from the day. You could feel that energy. It wasn't just about a scar, it was about the spirit of this girl, and how she does what she wants when she wants on her own terms. It makes me happy. Her story could easily be a sad, heavy sob story. There's elements of that for sure, but her energy is just so rad."
 📸MORE FROM OUR DESK 📸 As always, here are some of the best photo stories from around the internet, and what we loved from our desk. TERRIFYING PHOTOS OF THE ALTERED ENVIRONMENT WE ARE ALL COMPLICIT IN MAKING  David Maisel, courtesy the artist and Edwynn Houk Gallery
THESE UNFORGETTABLE PHOTOS OF POVERTY CHALLENGE THE IDEA OF THE AMERICAN DREAM  Matt Black / Magnum Photos
SHE TOOK PHOTOS OF NEW YORK CULTURE FOR DECADES. NOW SHE'S FINALLY GETTING HER DUE.  Ming Smith, courtesy Nicola Vassell Gallery
5 THINGS WE LOVED THIS WEEK 1. Everyone needs to immediately see these photos by Daniel Arnold here
2. This profile of Nick Relph, who wins for most creative use of a Magic Wand
3. Christy Carlson Romano would like your attention, please
4. In honor of the Adele album, her most recent Vogue shoot is a joy
5. the Vogue Italia photo festival starts this week on Nov. 15
LAST LOOK  Saul Loeb / AFP via Getty Images Still not over these turkeys chilling in a hotel room last year while waiting for a pardon — I hope they tipped the cleaning staff well! "We are making photographs to understand what our lives mean to us." — Ralph Hattersley That's it for this week! Kate + Pia
📝 This letter was edited and brought to you by the News Photo team. Kate Bubacz is the photo director based in New York and loves dogs. Pia Peterson is a photo editor based in Brooklyn. You can always reach us here.
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