Celebrities such as Adam Clayton Powell, Jr. and Marcus Garvey found their way easily enough into his studio, but most of his work was of the straightforward commercial studio variety—weddings and funerals (including portraits of the dead for the grieving families), teams, clubs, shopgirls, and that burgeoning class that wanted to show off its finery. Props, costumes, and other background paraphernalia became the norm. 

In recent years, Lawson has admitted to creating environments for the work itself, in order to allow for the reflection “of both looking and being looked at” she desires from her audience. Her portraits are framed in mirrored glass, so that standing at a certain angle in front of a portrait one confronts the self. Where holograms in the portraiture are embedded, does it detract or enhance the overall effect?  It’s hard to say.