Life in an Snapshot
“Art is subjective” and “the picture is worth a thousand words” are two phrases that are commonly thrown around. It’s because they are true and for me, there is no better example of this than through the art of photography. It is amazing to me how photographers are able to capture a mood and tell a story, sometimes in a singular photo. The rise in smartphone sales was driven in a large part, by cameras and people’s desire to capture the important moments. It has mad even amateurs become better, however, there is still something that the best photographers are able to do when they focus and put forth all of their effort into one great shot. With World Photography Day, I wanted to showcase some of the Black Photographers that have made an impact both historically, and contemporaneously. Check out our list of 11 Black Photographers with great impacts and let us know who are the up and coming photographers we should be keeping an eye on for the future. As always support Black Culture, Black Businesses, and Black artists many of which you can find in our listings here at Buy Black Main Street.
Gordon Parks
When it comes to African American visual artists, Gordon Parks is the icon at the top of every list. After seeing photographs of migrant workers in a magazine, Parks bought himself a camera and taught himself the art of photography and almost immediately his talent and keen eye began to pay dividends. His notable work began as a product of the government run FSA program where he documented poor rural Americans and led to his photo series in Life magazine. His photography is seen as important because it documented the everyday effects of racism and segregation in the South. Gordon Parks is also a talented portrait photographer as well as a film director. One of his seminal works, “Harlem Gang Leader” from Life Magazine in 1948 can be seen here on Google courtesy of the Gordon Parks Foundation.
For people my age, especially black kids who grew up on Hip-Hop in the late 80’s and early 90’s, so much of our lives was influenced by the work of Chi Modu. The Nigerian-American photographer is known for his depictions of all of the biggest rap acts of the era. It’s no exaggeration, his photos of Tupac, Snoop, Biggie, Eazy-E, Method Man, and more are the visual icons of the era. If you’ve perused a Source Magazine from the era, hell, if you’ve looked at album covers, you have seen his work. Unfortunately, he succumbed to cancer in 2021 but his legacy lives on.
Today I learned that Kwame Brathwaite helped to popularize the phrase “Black is Beautiful”. He was inspired by the writing of Marcus Garvey and Carlos Cooks and his 6 decade photography career allowed him to document the intersection of fashion, art, activism, and culture. When looking at some of the images that he is known for, you can see how crisp and composed they are. With the subjects standing out even while you can still see the background. When I compare it to what I normally am drawn to, it is interesting that he managed to compose images like this.
Deanna Lawson is an artist whose photographs, for me, show a direct lineage to those by Gordon Parks during his FSA days. You can put the images side by side and you get so much history and frustration in the juxtaposition. Amateur analysis aside, Deanna Lawson’s work is seen as focused on the black body and are impeccably staged. This includes the interiors of rooms where ehr visuals are set, although it is not without some criticism. That aside, her work is has s trong modern impact, influencing a new generation of directors, photographers and students.
Being in the right place at the right time catapulted Baltimore’s Devin Allen onto the national stage. His coverage of the Baltimore Uprising after the 2015 murder of Freddie Gray by the Baltimore Police Department made him only the third amateur photographer to end up on the cover of Time magazine. Since then he has continued to excel in the field, covering activism and protests. The Gordon Parks Foundation fellow also has published his first book, “A Beautiful Ghetto” along with the founding of “Through Their Eyes”, a youth education and photography program.
In an era where digital rules, Andre D. Wagner still practices classic photography with his Leica camera and black and white film that has become his trademark. Don’t be fooled for a minute and think that limits him however. While he is known for his street photography, he also stays busy with commissioned work. From his promotional work for movies like Queen and Slim and Aretha, to shoots with John Boyega and Steph Curry, Andre is still pushing the boundaries and making his mark as an artist.
While I was looking up photographers to research I came upon Mark C. Clennon and the first image that drew me in was this one of Mike Tyson. Going through the rest of his instagram, I could see that he enjoys a close up like I do. One of the most interesting ways to shoot a photo to me is the up close shot. There is nothing like it for me. I just enjoy how he composes his shots. He is also interesting because he is self-taught and didn’t come from a place of loving a camera to start with. For Mark, it began with an iPhone and it grew from there and in around 2 years, he quit his job and began shooting full time. For an individual to take such a swing and be where he is now, working with large brands is a wonder and testament to hard work in the modern era.
Jamel Shabazz is a photographer with a book that I own in my collection, “A Time Before Crack”, a book that showcases New York City life in the years before the powerfully addictive drug took over. While there are many photographers who are based in New York, Jamel remains one of the most well known for his depictions of life in the city. That is not his only collection, so there are plenty of ways to support this artist and his goal to preserve world history and culture through his lens.
Jeffrey Henson Scales is a photographer who I learned began a long and illustrious career at the age of 13 when he began taking pictures of one of my favorite subjects, The Black Panthers. Published in Time at 14, his pictures of the leaders of the movement were recently published in a book “In A Time of Panthers, The Early Photographs”. His illustrious career includes editorial photography for some of the era’s biggest artists and featured in campaigns across all genres from music and film to publicity campaigns.
It can be amazing that there are still so many groundbreaking things that can be accomplished. Mostly it is because entities aren’t active in including others from the beginning. Dana Scruggs is one of those photographers who is still breaking new ground. In 2018, she became the first black woman to shoot an athlete for ESPN’s “The Body” issue. Later in that year, she also became the first Black person ever to shoot a Rolling Stone cover in the magazine’s history. Known for her attention to detail and her work with the male body, she is one of the current artists of the medium with her own strong vision. Her grind and commitment to shooting has put her in position to continue to be one of the most influential photographers of the era.
Myesha Evon is another photographer I found while doing this research and her photography just pops. From portraits to scenes of life and editorial work, each of the pieces I saw was very well composed and made great use of shadows and light. The Parsons School of design graduate boasts an impressive list of clients who have contracted her for work. She is also known for her photography of the human form and her depictions of relationships from underrepresented communities.
