Collected Item: “The Water is Cold and the Sand is Sticking To My Bathing Suit”
Your Name
Jessie James
Your Pronouns
she/they
Instagram handle, if any
@jessiejames.photo
Work Title
The Water is Cold and the Sand is Sticking To My Bathing Suit
Work Year (We are not accepting images older than 5 years)
2024
[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.)
pansexual, genderfluid woman
[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)
This is what being queer and cared for looks like.
The water was increasingly cold this day, taking our breath as we waded into the water. The wind danced around us picking up sand in its path and leaving small particles over our damp skin. We made our way to the outdoor showers where I began preparing for our self portrait together. By facing my back to the camera and passersby around us, I place myself in a vulnerable position. My partner washed the bits of sand off of my back with a sense of tenderness and protection.
The water was increasingly cold this day, taking our breath as we waded into the water. The wind danced around us picking up sand in its path and leaving small particles over our damp skin. We made our way to the outdoor showers where I began preparing for our self portrait together. By facing my back to the camera and passersby around us, I place myself in a vulnerable position. My partner washed the bits of sand off of my back with a sense of tenderness and protection.
[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 people stand underneath an outdoor beach shower. There are translucent glass tiles behind them. One person with neck length brown hair and in a baby blue two piece swimsuit faces their back to the camera while squeezing a shutter release in their hand. The other person wears sage green swim trunks with a bright green swim tank. They have short curly hair with tattoos on their arms and legs. They brush their hand on the back of the other person’s back where the blue bathing suit straps are undone.
[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