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Natasha Komoda

Natasha Komoda

Natasha Komoda is an editorial and commercial photographer based in Bloomington. She is devoted to portraying her subjects with complete authenticity and presenting to the viewer the unique essence that lies beyond physical appearance. Natasha is also the founder of Femmeography, a photographic service that uses the art of portraiture to heal body image negativity. Natasha puts a lot of heart and compassion into her work and cherishes every person she has the opportunity to photograph. View more of Natasha's work at www.natashakomoda.com.

Posts by this contributor 14 results

65 Years of Desegregating Little 5 — at Every Turn

Ever since a team from a Black fraternity raced in the inaugural Little 500 in 1951, the race has had few minority participants. A concerted effort in the 2000s seemed to have broken the color barrier, but today the men’s and women’s races are nearly as white as ever. Sarah Gordon takes an in-depth look at race in the most important race on campus. Click here to read the full story.

Will the Show Go On? Strip Club Faces a Changing City

Night Moves, Bloomington’s only strip club, faces a changing city. Writer Paulina Guerrero looks into the misperceptions, contradictions, and challenges faced by not only the longtime establishment but also its dancers — and by the sex work industry in general. Click here to read the full story.

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Harm Reduction: A Challenging New Approach to the Drug Scourge

The drug-addiction epidemic in southern Indiana has defeated almost every effort people have tried to address the problem. But writer Paulina Guerrero looks into how some groups, such as the Indiana Recovery Alliance, are finding that a new method, called harm reduction, often has better results than the decades-old war on drugs. Click here to read the full story.

Are Market Forces Ruining B-town’s ‘Sense of Place’?

Bloomington’s downtown landscape has changed dramatically in the past decade — influenced more by college students who desire modern amenities than by longtime residents who want to preserve their hometown. Writer Sarah Gordon considers how the conflicting goals of property development and historic preservation affect our “sense of place.” Click here to read the full story.

Food Insecurity, Part 2: Seniors and Children Are the Most Vulnerable

In part 2 of this three-part series, Sarah Gordon looks at two of the larger groups of Americans who are experiencing food insecurity — seniors and children. Not only are they more vulnerable and susceptible to hunger and malnutrition than most of the population, they’re also less able to improve their situations. Click here to read the full story.

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Can Permaculture Make Society Sustainable? Part 1

Permaculture, says writer Daniel Bingham, originated as an attempt to reshape industrial agriculture into sustainable ecological design that works in harmony with the natural world. First applied to farmsteads, it’s also used to create self-reliant homesteads. Part philosophy, part methodology, and part science, permaculture integrates humans with the natural environment. Click here to read the full story.

Food Insecurity, Part 1: Misconceptions Persist About Who Needs Help Getting Food

In this three-part series, Sarah Gordon investigates the popular misconceptions about “food insecurity” — the inability to afford nutritious, or even enough, food. Most people considered food insecure are seniors and families with children. Many are our neighbors. Local experts say the problem is more systemic than most people are aware. Click here to read the full story.

Fair, Open House on March 26 to Showcase Artisan Alley on S. Rogers St.

A collective of glassblowers, painters, welders, photographers, and more, Artisan Alley is on property slated to become part of Switchyard Park. For now, though, founder Adam Nahas is providing a home for artists with a variety of artistic needs. On Saturday, March 26, the collective hosts an art fair and open house. Click here to read the full story.

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Managers of Local Bars Say Preventing Sexual Assault Is More Art Than Science

While alcohol is called the single most common date-rape drug, at least one study shows that the culprits of unwanted sexual contact in bars are usually sober. In this report by Sarah Gordon, the people who run three bars in Bloomington and the prevention programs coordinator at Middle Way House talk about preventing sexual assault. Click here to read the full story.

14 Books Kids Will Love to Get as Gifts

Books, arguably, make the best presents. And children’s book expert Mary D’Eliso knows some of the best books you can give. Since 2004, after 15 years in the children’s department at Monroe County Public Library, D’Eliso has been the librarian at University Elementary School. As writer Jen Hockney Bratton puts it, “This librarian knows her stuff.” Click here to read the full story.

Book by Local Poet Ross Gay Selected as Finalist for the National Book Award

The National Book Foundation just announced the Finalists for the National Book Award. Among them is Catalog of Unabashed Gratitude, a collection of poems by Indiana University professor Ross Gay. In this profile by Brian Hartz, Gay reflects on his work, on the powerful influence Bloomington has had on his poetry, and what this national recognition means to him. Click here to read the full story.

Sitcom Theatre: Situational Comedy Local experimental theater troupe explores themes both alien and familiar in their genre-spanning productions.

McKee Woods and Natasha Komoda attend rehearsals of Trading Faces, the latest play from Sitcom Theatre, a local theater troupe that creates experimental plays “with a tight lens on the absurd and cleverly bizarre.” Co-founders Bethy Squires and William McHenry reveal how their creative inspirations (from ’50s sci-fi movies to Friends sitcom episodes to the local punk-rock scene) help to inform their themes — whether wacky, campy, straight, or queer. They will perform Trading Faces Friday, September 25, at The Back Door. Show at 8 p.m., doors open at 7. Click here to read the full story.