Experience Black Photography
A tool for community building and system disruption.
Year: 2020-Present
Role: Art Director, Curator, Photographer
Project Concentration: Art Direction, Archive Curation, Stock Photography
Description: Curating images of Black people and instances of Black people pictured in design, to share, inspire, and prompt sites’ algorithms to push those images to the forefront.
As a photographer, I love love love engaging in the work of my peers. From urban portraits to international landscapes, if the shot is hittin’, I’m liking and sharing with all of my people. This is especially true when the work is produced by my fellow Black creatives. That’s why I’ve made it my personal purpose to curate Black photographers’ work and images of Blackness on as many popular platforms as I can. The aim is to contribute to the growing digital internet archive with the additional goal of creating art accessibility.
Photo via Pexels by: Rafaelle Naiara
It hit me when I got my first job as a billboard designer.
Only a few months in, and I noticed that not only were most of my white coworkers not choosing images of Black people, but our national (mostly southern) client base would actively reject any depiction of Black skin. That’s when my wife and I started taking photos of our friends: all Black, mostly women, and often queer.
This work paired exceptionally well with Pexels - a free stock photo and video website and app. My photos of Black people expressing themselves authentically performed well enough to win Pexels awards, appear in their art show, and have an article written about my history, beliefs, and process. It’s a great read. Ten-out-of-ten would recommend.
Diversity in the photography of differing Black identities and experiences is underrated, underappreciated, and under-discussed.
That’s why I love using platforms like Behance and Pexels to curate my absolute favorite images of Black folks and grow a small community of followers who share in my taste.
Looking to support this purpose?
Contact me to pre-order Experience Black Photography T-shirts.