4 Black Fashion Photographers That Are Making an Impact
By Jessica GreenJul. 20 2023, Updated 10:43 p.m. ET
Have you ever wondered who were the photographers behind your favorite photos in Vogue, i-D, and other magazine mainstays? If you don’t usually think about Black female (or male) photographers, you wouldn’t be the first people to forget these black creators after you’ve closed the magazine.
However, these photographers and creators are not to be ignored. From the amazing 23-year-old Black male who was the first black photographer to shoot the cover of Vogue (who shot a superstar in her own right: Beyoncé) to the African street style photographers who want to prove that there are fashionistas in developing countries, you can read on for more information about these talented black female photography creators.
1. Tyler Mitchell
In 2018, Tyler Mitchell became the first Black American to shoot a cover for America’s edition of Vogue. To add to his astronomical success, he shot multiple GRAMMY winner Beyoncé for Vogue’s 2018 September Issue.
If you thought this was Tyler’s career swan song, you would be sadly mistaken. Since the historic Vogue cover, Tyler has shot for art exhibitions all over the world, fashion couture campaigns from some of the biggest designers known in fashion history, and more high-profile magazine covers. He even inked a deal with UTA, which could give him projects in both film and television.
2. Joshua Kissi
This street-style photographer described himself to PopSugar as a multimedia artist who is based in NYC. The streets of New York are where he gets his inspiration for his next projects. This has happened since the age of 17, the age when he first started to take photography seriously. The next decade consisted of hard work, study, dedication, and more than a little hustle. This hustle got his photos on the cover of Brazil Vogue, Teen Vogue, and a gig with Nike.
3. Dana Scruggs
Tyler Mitchell isn’t the only Black photographer making history. Dana Scruggs was the first Black female photographer to shoot a photo (of the late Olympic gold medalist Tori Bowie) in ESPN Magazine’s “The Body Issue” in 10 years, as well as the first Black female photographer to shoot a cover for Rolling Stone in 50 years.
Scruggs started her photography magazine where her primary focus is on photographing and preserving the male form. Dana has also contributed her work, as well as covers to world-renowned publications such as Essence, The New York Times, GQ, and CR Fashion Book.
4. Mahaneela
Mahaneela is a multimedia artist based in London, UK. Some of her innovative photography has been in widely circulated magazines and newspapers such as The New York Times and Vogue, as well as shooting well-known bBlack celebrities such as award-winning artist Wizkid, FKA twigs, and many others.
How to Support Up-and-Coming Black Fashion Photographers
If you’re an art lover of color who is looking for new artists to follow on social media or just want to do your part for social justice by finding BIPOC artists to support, this list is a great place to start.
Art lovers in big cities can look for local BIPOC artists to support in their neighborhoods. For those who live in a small town, the Internet can do a lot until you can either visit or move to major metropolitan areas. You can even buy art no matter where in the world you live.
