Collected Item: “Photographer/Student”
Your Name
Emma Aurora Simões
Your Pronouns
she/they
Instagram handle, if any
@emmaasimoes & @hotrubbishfilm
Work Title
Photographer/Student
Work Year (We are not accepting images older than 5 years)
2024, 2025, 2026
[Image Rights] Do you confirm that you hold the rights to this image?
Yes
[Eligibility] The Curve Photo Contest proudly centers and uplifts people who identify as lesbian, bisexual, transgender, and queer women and nonbinary people. Please share how you self-identify, using language that feels most accurate to you. Feel free to include all intersections of your identity. (Examples: lesbian, trans person of color, Latinx queer woman, radical faery, butch, etc.)
Femme Lesbian
[Artist Statement] Tell us more about your photo by sharing a brief artist statement OR answering this prompt: "This is what being ______ means to me..." (Max. 100 words)
I'm a self-taught photographer and Bay Area resident, focused on representing queer and marginalized folks in a magical way. Being queer means everything to me, and allows me to capture moments that feel romantic and inspiring. I grew up with a fondness for vintage style and movement, and recently finished a degree in the performing arts.
Sagittarius sun, Leo moon.
Sagittarius sun, Leo moon.
[Visual Description] Describe your photo so we can provide alt-text. Example: "Two women holding hands and smiling as they walk in a pride parade, surrounded by rainbow flags."
Two transgender women embrace during a steamy house party.
A curly red-headed woman stares at the camera nude, while hugging a blonde woman with glasses after a passionate make-out.
A curly red-headed woman stares at the camera nude, while hugging a blonde woman with glasses after a passionate make-out.
[Agreement] In the event that you win the 2026 Curve Photo Contest, do you consent to having your photograph printed for the sole purpose of displaying at The Curve Foundation's one-day event at Yerba Buena Center for the Arts (San Francisco, CA) during Lesbian Visibility Week? The Curve Foundation will cover printing costs, but will not cover costs for mailing the print after the event ends.
Yes
[Agreement] Do you consent to The Curve Foundation storing, sharing, and using this image and its description as we deem appropriate, including disseminating on our social media, website, and Curve Archive and Curve Quarterly?
Yes
[Agreement] By checking 'I understand' below, I acknowledge that this contest upholds values of diversity, equity, and inclusion, and I confirm that my submission does not contain anti-LGBTQ+ or other discriminatory, hateful, or exclusionary content.
I understand