Sometimes capturing a person’s humanity is as simple as letting a little light in. I had no clue what it would be like to photograph Anita Hill in 1992. After being portrayed as so one-dimensional at the Clarence Thomas hearings the year before, I needed to show her beauty and dignity.

Anita Hill was so serious in the Clarence Thomas hearings. She had to be. The attacks on her were vicious. I love the shot of us together. We were laughing so hard. No one had seen that side of her.

We set up in a nondescript garage. Instead of using lights, I lifted the garage door and used the sunlight which came pouring in to backlight her. The closeup portrait is one of my favorite photographs ever.