Nope, this isn’t about the actual black and white photos that folks take (sorry for the clickbait). This is about black photographers and white photographers and the challenges we face (or I face, let me speak for myself) in the photography world. The racism is quiet, but it’s there, and I want to speak on a few points. I thought of this post when I attended a conference last week. You can read about that conference here. There were only 5 black people (that I counted) during the entire conference, and I felt out of place. A friend asked me why I went, and my response was that I want to learn, and where are the conferences for black folks? There may be some photography conferences just for us, but I don’t know about them. So let’s discuss some things when it comes to black and white photography regarding race.
I love a good black and white photo. It gives you the image without color so that you can see the realness of the image without distractions. In every portfolio I do for a client, I will always find one photo that I can turn into a black-and-white photo. When it comes to shooting photos, I want all the colors in my portfolio because America is made up of so many colors, and I love that. As a black photographer, I have been asked…Can you shoot a white family? Yes, I can, but am I given the chance often? No.
One of the things I saw at this conference was that white photographers dress their clients. As a black photographer, I wish I could tell black people what to wear. Even if I suggest it, black folks will look at me crazy. It makes a difference, though, in what you wear to a shoot. You want something pleasing to the eye, but also something that captures the viewer’s attention and puts all eyes on the subject at hand. If I have a client wearing a bright lime green, people viewing will be seeing the lime green before they see the actual person. As a documentary style photographer I want people to view the story, the person’s emotions, the smiles, not focus on what they’re wearing.
Another huge difference between black photographers and white photographers is that they charge a higher price. What’s the price, you ask? $1200 for 20 senior photos. Black folks (the regular ones) ain’t paying that much for senior photos. I’m a whole photographer, and I think the most I am willing to pay is maybe $600. This is a huge problem because we don’t want to pay, but white photographers are getting paid, and white people are willing to pay the price. Why is that? I’ll answer…I’m cheap. I like finding good things for a fraction of the cost. It’s a me thing.
Have you heard of the Shirley Card? It’s a reference image of a fair-skinned woman used to calibrate and color balance photos. Any appearance of red, yellow, or brown tones in the film’s chemistry was largely left out, meaning darker skin tones were consistently poorly done. In plain words, cameras weren’t really made with us in mind. We have had to fight to get to the top to be respected. To be able to take photos for huge magazines. To be the lead photographer on set for a movie. To be in the room period when it comes to a lot of things.
Racism in the photography world exists. I can’t ignore it, especially when I attend a conference, and I see very little diversity. Not saying it’s a race thing, but let’s be real, the conference wasn’t made for us in mind. We can come, we can speak, but does what we do matter to others? We shouldn’t care, but there is a need for black photographers to tell the story through our eyes. We see things differently, and we want the chance to tell the story through our lens.
As a black photographer, here are some of the things I see online
- We as black photographers, fight too much over who charges what. There is room for all of us. I charge a bit less because there is a need for it. You charge higher because there is a need for it. We focus too much on the pricing and fighting each other over it. Charge your price and if you aren’t making money, then pivot.
- Again, I ask where are the black photography conferences or at least one where there is more diversity, and no, I’m not starting it
- We, as black photographers, are always asked to do things for free within our community. Barter or in-kind services are asked about a lot on social media. I do things for free, but some of y’all be running out. I think you should pay something and I get that some photographers do things for free to build their portfolio but still….offer something or if you barter, make it worth something.
- We gatekeep a lot. I learned more about photography from white people than my own people (free too). This has been my experience; I can’t speak for you.
Overall, I will continue to shoot, and I will continue to tell the story through my eyes. What are some differences that you see when it comes to white photographers vs black photographers?
