Tune in to Episode 30 where we speak with Nigerian born filmmaker, Emmanuel Afolabi explores the notions of identity, giving his subjects and clients individuality and dignity through visual storytelling. He is a Multidisciplinary filmmaker specializing in content creation, with a degree in film production. He’s worked with clients such as Adidas, Foot Locker, Fox, and the LA Galaxy.

Tune in to Episode 29 where we speak with Los Angeles-based portrait photographer, documentarian, and photojournalist, Tara Pixley. She holds a Ph.D. in communication and her personal projects explore Black joy, gender, sexuality, and the different representations of femininity. She is the co-founder of the Authority Collective whose aim is to bring up and support the next generation of women and non-binary photographers.

Tune in to Episode 28 where we speak with Polly Irungu, a Kenyan born multimedia journalist, photographer, and founder of Black Women Photographers, a global community and online database of Black women and non-binary photographers.

International photography comes with a set of rules that apply from one culture to the next. You have to respect the culture you are visiting in order to successfully photograph the story. You need to be comfortable with being uncomfortable and that takes a certain type of personality. Nicky Woo is from Brooklyn, is half Black and half Hawaiian, and has spent the last few years telling stories in East and West Africa, Indonesia, and Vietnam. She has photographed stories ranging from bombings in Sri Lanka to water erosion in Senegal to the alternative medical system in Tanzania.

New York-based filmmaker, Thomas Allen Harris sees the Black Family Photo album as a battleground for representation. It is where Black families have the freedom to present themselves as genuinely as possible. He is the creator of the documentary Through a Lens Darkly: Black Photographers and the Emergence of a People which was released in 2014. He is a filmmaker and artist whose work across film, video, photography, and performance illuminates the human condition and the search for identity, family, and spirituality.

Kris Graves blurs the lines between portrait and landscape photography. He creates artwork that deals with his perspective of what's wrong with American society and aims to use art as a means to inform people about social issues. Kris has a long list of clients, including Vanity Fair and National Geographic. He also has two publishing companies to help photographers print books of their work. 

Khalik Allah discovered drama on the corner of 125th st and Lexington Ave and turned it into a Street Opera. He practices camera ministry and it’s evident in how visceral and beautiful his films and photos are. His work forces us to see the beauty and humanity of people who have been discarded by society. This Harlem corner served as the foundation for his feature length film, Field Niggas as well as his first photography book “Souls Against Concrete. His award winning films have been seen in festivals, museums and schools around the World and he is a member of Magnum Photos.

Thank you to the Black Shutter Community for tuning in and supporting us as we share stories of some amazing Black and Brown photographers.

Tune in to Episode 22 to hear Washington DC based documentary photographer Dee Dwyer discuss the importance of connecting with the communities she photographs. She talks about gaining access and gratitude and why it’s important to say ‘Thank You’ to the community when the project is done.

Tune in to Episode 21 where we chat with London based fashion and portrait photographer, Aisha Seriki. Aisha remembers growing up visiting museums and not seeing herself represented on the walls and how that fed her insecurities about who she was as a black person and as a black woman. That prompted her to pick up the camera and document black women in an empowering and respectful light with honor and dignity. She is a fashion and portrait photographer and she has recently been considered one of the 20 black photographers to follow by GQ.