Some people are perfectly fine staying on the sidelines, cheering for their team. And others can cheer for so long before needing to get in the game themselves. There is an internal motivation that pushes them to take action. And sometimes that action is met with a variety of obstacles and challenges. Polly Irungu is from Kenya, moved to the United States at 4, and has been facing challenges her entire life. She’s had to adjust to a midwestern culture. She defied her parents and chose a career in journalism. When she recognized that hundreds of talented Black Women, including herself, were not getting enough photo assignments, she created the platform, Black Women Photographers to serve these women. She is based in NYC, she is a journalist, a photographer, founder of a global community, and is considered a Black Media mogul in the making.

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 (b. 1982 New York, NY) is an artist and publisher based in New York and London. He received his BFA in Visual Arts from S.U.N.Y. Purchase College and has been published and exhibited globally, including the National Portrait Gallery in London, England and Aperture Gallery, New York; among others.

Permanent collections include the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston; Brooklyn Museum, New York; and The Wedge Collection, Toronto.

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.


Tune in to episode 20 where we speak with Brooklyn based street and portrait photographer Jean Andre Antoine. He has the challenge of getting a New Yorkers attention and gaining their trust. And when he does, he focuses on the human connection to make his portraits. He finds the humanity of strangers. It takes a certain type of personality to wake up, pack your gear and hit the streets of NY to sell street portraits. Jean Andre Antoine has been doing this for 10 years and his dedication has landed him commissioned jobs with Nike and Tiffany and Co.

Tune in to Episode 19 where we speak with Baltimore native, Reginald Thomas II, about his path to becoming team photographer of the San Antonio Spurs. He lives his life based on the principle of personhood and how that principle has gained the trust of champion athletes from the high school level to the Boston Red Sox to the San Antonio Spurs.


Tune in to episode 18 of the Black Shutter Podcast. We speak with Atlanta based, Unit and Stills Photographer, Eli Joshua Ade about his career path to working on one of the top shows of 2020, HBO’s Lovecraft Country.

Tune in to Episode 17 to hear how New York based portrait photographer, painter and illustrator, Nichole Washington, finds balance and meaning by combining her different skill sets and interests.

Tune in to Episode 16 to hear New Orleans based documentary photographer, L. Kasimu Harris, discuss the importance of documenting a community that is slowly being erased and how that influences both his photography and his writing.


Tune in to Episode 15 of the Black Shutter podcast. I speak with Maryland and Los Angeles based fashion, portrait and commercial photographer, Jabari Jacobs. We chop it up about betting on ourselves, taking risks, and how to level up our presentation when it comes to the business side of things.


Tune in to hear 2-time Emmy Award-winning photographer, Jarrad Henderson, discuss how Black History sparked his love of photography. The Washington DC based photographer and video producer also breaks down the joys and challenges of choosing between photography and video.


Tune in as we speak with Ugandan Multicultural Wedding photographer, Petronella Lugemwa, who speaks about the importance of owning her heritage while growing up in a foreign environment.


Jamel Shabazz, Brooklyn native and documentary photographer, discusses the importance of using photography to freeze memories of his changing environment.

Montreal based portrait photographer, Naskademini, discusses the importance of repairing the way we see the world as Black photographers. He speaks about legacy building by capturing the grace and dignity of Black people. This is the power of representation in front of the camera and behind the lens.

Tune in to hear Washington DC based photojournalist and professor, Cheriss May, discuss her time photographing politics as a Black woman. She also speaks on her experiences as both a student and professor at Howard University and the importance of having that community.

Arlington, VA, based photographer, Lawrence Jackson, shares his journey to becoming Official White House photographer for the Obama administration. He discusses the importance of being a Black man photographing the first African American president.