Writing Black Joy

Karen Roswell - Photography and changing narratives

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Today's guest is Karen Roswell.

I met Karen earlier this year in a call related to a class I took in the past, and we got along instantly. Since then I have seen her work in action as an amazing photographer and coach - in addition - she is the photographer behind my new cover art and we had an amazing photoshoot a few months ago.


Working with Karen before the photography session was incredible as her work is deep and transformational. Her practice both as a photographer and a coach is very rooted in values - both hers and her clients. She believes in the power of collaboration and as a result her work is highly collaborative, particularly as she considers the dynamic between a photographer and the person being photographed, and this also comes into her work as a coach and into her ideas - some of which we explore in this episode. 


Karen and I have spoken a lot about the narratives that are portrayed about Black women in art and in photography, as well as the narratives that we tell ourselves, and she believes in rewriting those narratives - and that is what brought us to this conversation today as I knew I wanted to have her on the show. 


Here are some of the things we talk about. 

  • Attitudes she has seen in women and how they feel about having photos taken,
  • Her journey as a photographer,
  • The narratives she discovered being told by and about Black women in relation to photography and art - and how the photographer's narrative is often based on their own understanding as opposed to the subject of the photo,
  • How these narratives can shape what people think of us and what we think of ourselves,
  • How her own life experiences have shaped her photography in wanting the narratives to tell the full spectrum of human experience,
  • How images can impact the person looking at them,
  • How she works with values and her clients so that they can write and re-write their own narratives - as well as the stories their photos are telling 

    • And so much more.  

    You can find the video "Flowers" that Karen and I discussed here - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pSgecA2nSvM&ab_channel=KarenRoswell

    And you can learn more about Karen's work over on her website:

    And you can follow the Writing Black Joy podcast:

    Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/writingblackjoy/

    Substack: https://writingblackjoy.substack.com/


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    Writing Black JoyBy Safiya Robinson