The fashion industry is home to some of the most dynamic and fluid trends that the world has ever seen. No doubt, the existence of this ever-changing and highly creative environment is mainly as a result of the diversity and creative uniqueness of the individuals that constitute it. However, even with this seemingly all-inclusive and globally encompassing genre, there is a prominent neglect that seems to be growing even further: the underrepresentation of black female photographers.
Racial divide and marginalization has been a big problem in most fields and even more so in fashion photography. One may argue that this issue spans across all other aspects of black women participation in the fashion industry and there definitely would be a point there. However, the contribution of black women to fashion and beauty photography has brought about great innovation at both ends of the camera and it is a wonder that there are so many of these talented individuals flying under the radar with very little representation.
Photography by Joyanne Panton
A vital point that must be noted is a severe lack of appreciable participation in the industry as a whole as a direct result of the marginalization that these woman face. Not only do they lack a strong platform that provides more opportunities for them in all areas of the industry, black female photographers seem to lack the proper exposure necessary for them to get their work noticed by the larger audiences. Even more interesting to note is the remarkable talent of the few black photographers in the industry. Any in-depth research will reveal a good number of black women who are doing groundbreaking work in their functional spaces and possess a strong portfolio of projects under their sleeves.
Photography by Letura Idigima
Photography by Kia Caldwell
Why then do the big photography companies and other major players in the industry not shine enough light on this demographic? And why does their work seem to be hidden among their fashion photographer counterparts? Why aren't they standing on the forefront as ambassadors or speakers for any of the photographic companies or community in general? Whatever the case may be, the amazing talent that black women have to offer has proven to be a tasteful and revolutionary touch that cannot be ignored. Bringing more notice to this faction would require the creation of strong platforms for these voices to be heard and for their works to be showcased. This helps to provide an avenue for proper recognition while creating prospects for opportunity and progress. By doing this, these women not only get to learn more about themselves but also find support and motivation in one another by fostering a professional community of like minds.
I did months of researching to compile a list of black female fashion photographers. These ladies are talented and deserve a bit of recognition. I am happy I am able to give them a platform to showcase their talents and work.
All images used with permission.
Attractiveness can be a function of race & sex or not. If you had a skin disease that caused you to be covered with warts and pustules all over your body, race and sex would be the last thing anyone thinks of.
If I walk into a room, predominantly filled with white people, nobody would think of me as white. If, however, I'm wearing a pink suite, that'll be the thing people call out but it won't be who I am.
I am a son of God. Everything else is incidental. Not a very good son, mind you, but nonetheless. :-)
No. Not at all. I just don't see any of them as being the default reason. Perhaps naively, I see the world through my eyes where race and sex are irrelevant. Well, except for a potential mate where only sex matters. I never thought of it as such but I'm informed I'm in a mixed race marriage. :-)
"If I walk into a room, predominantly filled with white people, nobody would think of me as white."
So, if you're a black woman, and walk into a room predominantly filled with white people, what will people think of you as?
"predominantly filled with white people"
being a minority means walking into a room predominantly filled with people who aren't like you. At that point, what do you think you'll be seen as? Something other than your sex/race?
I can't control how people see me. But think of it this way. According to you, "white man" is what I am if I walk into a room mostly filled with another group. Does who I am change with the people I encounter? If I walk into a room filled with only white men, do I cease to exist?
"Sexism, racism, and politics are real things"
"I'd take a wild guess you're a white guy, with very little to zero compassion."
Don't make the mistake of doing exactly what you are against.
You've just stereotyped.
no, that's incorrect.
A room full of men, cannot relate to what a woman goes through.
A room full of Latino women, connect relate what it's like to a man.
It's easy for a white male to say "racism/sexism" is not a big deal when it's something they cannot relate to or experienced. That's why it's relevant that he's a man, and white.
If a large number of women say there's a problem with sexism, it's a problem it needs to be looked at.
If a large number of minorities say there's an inequality problem, there's a problem and it needs to be looked at.
Look at all the people complaining about this article.. Is it a bunch of women or minorities?
"And some things that people take advantage of to benefit themselves and the organizations they work for."
you, default to looking down on minorities as dishonest. Because all they are trying to do is "taking advantage" and want a "free ride" is what you're saying.
"That said, many minorities are dishonest in their intentions and do in fact want a free ride and special treatment." that's all that needs to be understood about your thoughts.
Rich people, who are born into wealth NEVER expect special treatment. NEVER hide behind their daddy's pocket to avoid being drafted while people with less privilege have to go.
"many minorities are dishonest" is that why 90% of pan handlers I see are white people begging for money yet you look down a day labors trying to actually work for money who are minorities? I wonder what would happen if you put those dishonest minorities in power of banking and the housing market... I'm sure it was them in 2008.
Thankfully, the USA has such a clean and honest record/history of treating EVERYONE (women, minorities, immigrants) with respect and no special treatment for anyone.
Bob, you're the problem. The saddest part is you have no clue... that's why this problem will continue to exist.
So if a large number of white men say there's no problem, there's no problem? I'm not saying there isn't a problem but your logic is flawed.
Sam, you claim - "I am a son of God" buy yet you say this to me:
"Go fornicate with yourself!" and "If we were talking face to face, I doubt you would have said that but, had you done so, my response would have been the same but less politely worded."
Yet, you want to talk about logic? I'm sure your "god" is really proud of your maturity and telling another man to "fornicate" themselves.
I also said I'm not a very good son. You, on the other hand, appear to be practicing at deflection so your god (whoever/whatever that may be) will be proud of you. Seriously, there's nothing wrong with admitting you got nuthin'. If you can't bring yourself to do it, just don't reply. That'll look like you're ignoring me instead of being unable to counter my argument.
Edit: BTW, did our previous discussion narrow down to single letters in your browser? I couldn't read what either of us wrote but it was probably really good! :-)
I'm not deflecting anything.
I'm a Latino male. There's no way I can remotely imagine what ANY woman goes through. What a gay man goes through. What a transgender person goes through.
If anyone from those groups says anything about their experiences, I'm out of place to say "ohh, I can 100% relate" or "that problem doesn't exist or it's not that bad". To a certain extent I can relate on discrimination bc I experience that being Latin, but not from the POV of someone else's race/sex/orientation.
You like to ignore race/sex/orientation and believe the main issues are "other none measurable variables" as if racism, sexism have never been issues before. Yet, you act clueless when someone tells you're marginalizing their problems.
When everyone is the same (e.g. everyone in the room is white), YES you being a white guy becomes irreverent. You don't "stop being a white guy", but you also don't stand out. Standing out by being different, isn't always necessarily a good thing.
People by nature like to be around those similar to them, and that includes race & sex. You act like race & sex have NEVER been an issue.
How do you think Jackie Robinson felt when he played his first MLB game? Do you think he was welcomed with open arms by everyone? The fact is, neither of us can relate to that because we're not black. But by your way of thinking, you'd say something like "well, Jackie was a hell of ball player. He made it b/c of a other none measurable variables and he happened to be black".
Look at the history in the USA, and in the world with race/sex and people being different. Yet you want to pretend those are none issues. This can go on forever.... if you want to get the last word, knock yourself out
It's not all or nothing. Of course race and sex are an issue at times. But they're not always THE issue or even the biggest issue. Sometimes...yes. Always...no.
Also, yes, I'm always white but that's a attribute of me, not the essence of me. I'm also 5'-8" tall. But that's not who I am either. I have gray eyes. Nope...not who I am. And I'm white. Again, not who I am.
To agree again, I don't know how anyone in any of those groups feel. Hell, I don't know how any white male feels. But if, for example, I couldn't get a date when latino men have women lining up for them, sure, it might be because I'm white. In some of those women's eyes, it probably is. Some others might ("might" I wrote) not want to date me because they think I'm homely. Some might be turned off by my personality. Some might see me as a photo geek.
Again...it's NOT all or nothing.
While I don't tend to side with Mr Brady on many things I think you've misinterpreted his comment to being about minorities and social programs when he didn't explicitly make that point.
You are completely correct that people cannot relate to what it feels like to be a part of a different demographic and with that same fact it should be clear that it's also not possible for a minority to be able to rightfully assume what it's like to be a white male. There are many of us who would are totally for civil rights and treating others as equals but when the projected enemy is the white males, you throw the baby out with the bathwater. I don't see what systematic racism should have to mean white people vs everyone else. The system is perfectly capable of being changed to work better but we have to be reasonable in how we define what the problem is or else we just end up putting the shoe on the other foot and commit the same mistakes towards another group.
I believe you Ms Cole, are only one of two black female contributors to Fstoppers. Which is only 1.4%. Maybe Fstoppers needs to be pressured to represent that demographic more.
I've edited this comment because i could not remove it.
I do not despise the west or americans. All this argument, all this things went way too far.
So, lesson learned, stay away from US issues, and stop visiting Fstoppers.com as this is America Only.
Profile picture removed.
Gallery deleted.
Social data removed.
Stay well with Trump and America First.
Bye all
POC don't look at their skin color..Some Non POC do, and judge some of us for it. So until that no longer happens, discussions need to be had.
and for the record. I live in Norway. It's better than the U.S.A. but nowhere in the world is free from these issues !
I'm white so I necessarily look at skin color? Hyperbole has its place but not in serious discussions as this should be.
Not all.. some !
Better. Thank you! :-)
This is a dangerous statement. You're essentially saying that all POC are non-judgmental and that all non-POC are judgmental.
POC don't look at their skin tone as a bad thing. It is what it is. I did say 'THEIR' skin tone.. meaning themselves.
This may be a case of semantics but I don't think white people look at their skin color as a bad thing, either.
I'm sure there's an issue here. What I'm not sure of is your approach to addressing it. Personally, I think, unless it's an institutional problem, you deal with it case by case. If it is, as others have stated, you should have given details to show it to be so. If nothing else, it would stop people questioning your assertion and allow greater focus on resolution.
Thank you for clarifying and updating your statement to say "some". "Their" depending on how it's used can still encompass a group of people and not necessarily mean an individual.
Did you ever consider that Asians, Blacks, Hispanics, Latinos, etc do not want to be all thrown together in this "POC" label that liberals love to toss about? The very term is racist, lazy and shows complete lack of understanding for any of these groups of people as if the being non-white somehow binds them all together under some common ideology. Yuck.
No anti anything here. Lots of good people there, black or white. Passionate, loving and caring people. I just don't believe that a country that once reached for the stars should sink into this kind of nonsense.
Ok, then americans should stop poking their nose into other countries matters, stop sending them bombs like christmas presents. Entitled people, is what you are. I usually am kind, but with people like you...i just can't.
Great article. Those who oppose are generally those who aren't marginalized.
What does "marginalized" even mean? If it means, some people treat others as being less for ignorant reasons, of course they do and no amount of discussion will change that. If it means, "institutional" marginalization, you'll have to prove it. Even the author states she's only rarely been told her color and sex were the issue.
You can judge people's actions but you can't judge their motivation if you don't know what it is.
Guy makes unoriginal sarcastic comment that contributes nothing to the discussion while making fun of a writer who didn’t even write this article, yet we’re the ones trolling. Got it.
I guess race and sex aren't the only ways to be marginalized. ;-)
Excellent Article! Thank you for writing this. It was well written and we'll stated.
thank you Curtis 😀
You are more than welcome! 😁
Guys name me 5 top AA female photographers. Who's names are on your lips daily. I find it interesting that mostly guys are commenting.
I'll admit I can't but to say it must be due to some combination of sexism/racism is too obvious. I'm not saying it's not a factor but is it the only one? I've noticed very few women (black or white) comment on these articles. A few will vote up or down but even they rarely comment. But what does that say? I have no idea other than there aren't a lot of them, percentage wise, reading Fstoppers. Maybe they're just tired of the whole thing? ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
D'Artagnan, name five top Asian photographers whose names cross your lips daily. Name five top Asian female photographers whose names cross your lips every day. Name five top female Croatian photographers from the Dalmatian region that belong to the Muslim minority there that cross your lips every day. You probably see where I am going with this...
By the way, I hope D'Artagnan is actually your name, because that is badass.
If I am a potential client looking for a photographer, am I supposed to hire the minority photographer regardless of the quality of the work?
It's sad isn't it.
I don't know much about the fashion industry but, all of the photographers the author linked to in the article seem to do pretty amazing work. I guess I'm pretty simple minded because I don't care what the person taking the image looks like; I just care about the image. I would hope that those who hire photographic talent look at the talent and not the skin color or gender of the photographer. It concerns me that the author states in the comments below that they were denied jobs based off of their skin color by companies in the United States. I think that when there is clear and undeniable racism as the author claims occurred, these companies should be exposed for their behavior. I guess that is a personal choice the author of the article has to make, but, I think that it should be made known.
Black Women Are Phenomenal.
Black Female Photographers are among some of the most talented, poised, classy human beings on the planet. I'm currently dating a black photograpHER who pours her heart and soul into her craft, making sure her clients are happy, making sure she's ahead of the pack. This comment isn't meant as any disrespect to white male photographers but you guys know that you dominate the industry. (((and))) if you didn't know what "True White Privilege is..." please shoot me an email so I can describe it in more graphic detail.
As I read some of the ignorant comments I'm wondering if you ever had the opportunity to talk with a black female photographer to see life through her lens. (I won't assume because that would make me just as ignorant) But they are truly worth knowing.
Spread Love, Spread knowledge and help pave the way for these women to shine. Each One Teach One. Don't be afraid to embrace something new and different.
We must support black "female" photographers because they might be a minority amongst photographers now but they certainly are the future.
BTW Im Keith.
@igrindnationceo on Instagram
These images are amazing!!! Great article!
thank you Gabrielle 😀
I would like to suggest; fstoppers stay with photography and leave editorial projects to the New York Times. Do what what you do best, editorial projects is a distraction from your craft.
Garbage article. You are playing the race card in an extremely liberal industry, very ironic.
For those of you commenting who seem to think a fashion photographer is booked by their photos only, here are some key points...
1. You are not the ones booking these types of photographers.
2. When art buyers and magazine editors look for photographers they are not booking the photos they are booking the photographer - ethnicity and all.
3. Photography isn’t just about photos; it’s about business and people. Those who think that all photographers are judged entirely on the photos are naive and not eperienced enough yet to know any different.
Also, a few of you seem to think I have not spoken to many Black men and women myself and know this is what WE want and our experiences... We want to see more of us..to not be underrepresented !!
Many need to see people, who look like them, succeeding in a field to know it is even something they should try to pursue.
Not sure why that is hard to understand. hmm