The Photographer Behind Rihanna’s Instagram Is Her BFF

In Tuesday's Lenny Letter, Lena Dunham offers a glimpse into the work of Melissa Forde, photographer and best friend of Rihanna. You've probably seen her photography already if you've ever checked out Rihanna's Instagram. That's how Dunham was first introduced to her photos, and they left quite an impression. The pictures "are not about pandering to some perceived male gaze but instead about embracing the fun of being young and in your body," Dunham wrote in the newsletter. As for Forde's general body of work, Dunham wrote, "My favorite thing about her pictures is their cheerfulness, their sensuality (man, I don’t use that word a lot), and the way she appreciates and captures both the natural world and the artifice of stardom. Her work has an authenticity and a spirit that every clothing website aimed at millennial women is trying to capture and just can’t." Here are a few highlights from her Instagram feed.

The two have been tight since their childhood in Barbados, according to Stylecaster, and Forde's frequently spotted on the road with Rihanna. It looks like they've got a fulfilling professional relationship as well as a friendship.