Photography

Art Direction & Film



1. “The Beloved” (2026)
Photographed & Art Directed by Curt Saunders
Styled by Carmen Davis
Model: Hadassah McGrew
Song of Songs 1:5 - “I am black and beautiful, O daughters of Jerusalem, like the tents of Kedar, like the curtains of Solomon.”


“The Beloved” in Songs of Songs is a Black woman who unapologetically speaks for her heart’s desires to be seen and heard. This photo story affirms the character and beauty of the Black woman, as so done in the text.

2. “The Chandeliers” (2025)

Art Direction + Photography - Curt Saunders  
Models - Alia & Delcia Johnson 
Styling - Carmen Davis 
Makeup - Leola Brown 
Production Assistants - Nzinga Stewart & Justin Holoman
Production - Salem Studios



“The Chandeliers” is a story of two stylish sisters living their adult lives, while remaining connected to the inner child within them both on an idyllic morning to afternoon journey.

Together, they share a unique rhythm through whispered secrets, loud joys, and bold acts of self celebration with their elevated fashion. Their unshakeable bond shows what it means to be present with themselves, and with each other.




3. “Everything That Has Breath” (2025)
Photographs by Curt Saunders
Models - Dontaya Bobb & Syl DuBenion
Production - Salem Studios
“Everything That Has Breath” is a visual portrait inspired by the ways the Divine meets us in our everyday practices.

The way Life is breathed into us, and is translated as music.

The ways that the Spirit’s movement moves us as it moves others.

The ways that our gifts honor the gift of the presence of the Giver.

The ways in which our bodies are Temples, and our personal spaces are sanctuaries of their own.


1. “SPARROW” (2024)
Directed by Curt Saunders
Starring Samara Joy & Antonio McLendon
Cinematography: Kareem Cooper & Ty Lance
Art Direction: Curt Saunders & Hector Santos
Still Photography: Dondre Green
Production: Salem StudiosFor 3x Grammy Award winner Samara Joy, “His Eye is On The Sparrow” is more than just a well known gospel hymn, it’s also the first full song she sang for her father. 

In this visual story, we witness a full circle moment where heritage and future harmonize, and honor the humble beginnings that nourished a household name.



2. “For A Moment in Time” (2024)
Written & Directed by Dondre Green
1st AD/Co-Writing/Score - Curt Saunders
Producer - Sonyi Lopez
DP and Editor - Jelani Ameer 
Assistant Editor - Dondre Green
Supervising Sound Editor - Colin McGabe
2nd AC - Hector Santos
3rd AC - Alex “The Bronxer” Rivera 
Stylist and Assist - Jahmar FrancisYoung love is as precious as it is vulnerable, and as deep as it is thrilling.
 
What happens when the elements change? 
Who is left with the remains, and who leaves with everything intact? 

“For A Moment In Time” is a story of two lovers exploring all of these relationship dynamics from varying perspectives. 

Who will time favor, and who does the moment belong to? Hakeem and Amaya face these questions as their journey together leads them to journeys apart.



3. Spotify - Hip Hop 50 (2023)
Mural Art - Raj Dhunna
Art Direction & Copy - Jessica Diaz-Hurtado, William Oswin, Curt Saunders
Creative Direction - Stevie Laux
Production - Ava Abdoulah
For a genre that started at a block party in the Bronx, this milestone is a testament to the massive impact and influence hip-hop has had in virtually every corner of the globe.

One of the most distinct aspects of hip-hop culture is its regionality, with the unique sounds coming out of local U.S. scenes like New York, Atlanta, Los Angeles, and Miami helping one of the most dynamic genres in the world flourish.

Spotify chose to celebrate these iconic regions with a series of murals created by Raj Dhunna.


4. Spotify Classics (2024)
Art Direction - Spotify Creative Team Spotify CLASSICS is Spotify’s first-ever program to celebrate catalog music. For the first iteration, we looked at albums from the streaming era, 2015 to the present day. Through a selection process examining an album’s holistic impact, Spotify’s North American editorial team has put a spotlight on the ones that helped define the streaming era.

Curt Saunders

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