Houston Heat Wave

Christian K. Lee likes to live by a Nina Simone quote: “An artist’s duty is to reflect the times.” Lee, an Austin-based photographer who shot our essay on rising Houston musicians [“Hot Scene: Heavenly Houston,” page 78], captured the protests in Ferguson, Missouri, in 2014, which changed the trajectory of his career. “It taught me that photography can have a greater impact than just your local community,” says Lee, an Army logistics officer who was raised in Chicago. “I want people to see my images and be motivated to make society better. Even in music, I don’t want to just take pretty photos — I want to reflect who that person is.”