Through all the research I’ve done and all the articles I’ve written, I’ve come to appreciate art’s place in everyday life. We take it for granted – photographs especially. Their artistic value and creative power can get lost. Stock images, ads, and amateur cell phone pictures are our dominant sources of photography. These pictures have purpose and meaning, but exist to fulfill a need – for a powerpoint, for marketing, to capture our sweet pets sleeping on the couch. Photography as an artform makes us feel something. When a photographer takes a picture, we can feel a tiny bit of what they feel, we can touch the emotion behind an experience – photos from Black artists can give viewers insight into uniquely Black feelings and experiences.

In every artform, Black presences are important. Black consumers should be able to find someone who understands them, who will speak on the uncomfortable truths they have witnessed and rejoice in the good fortunes that befall them. But coming across Black photographers can be difficult. Pretty much until the aftermath of the last few years, Black artists were either rare or used as tokens in art galleries. As in other professional settings, Black photographers make up only a portion of those in the space – 6.34% of professional photographers are Black, 65.45% are white. In fashion, news, and activism, photos taken by Black artists provide a special perspective. Considering the long history of objectifying and demeaning portrayals of Black people in photos, Black photographers are also essential in accurate storytelling.

Many of the most recognizable Black photographers have either passed away or experienced their prime 60 years ago. The new generation of photographers needs our attention now. They’re chronicling our lives and the curious times we live in. They bring us art relevant to us, while also captivating our imaginations with worlds unknown. Where can we find them, and how is their art different from other photographers?

I had the privilege of going to school with Daniel Square, a fashion photographer originally from Detroit. People would always look to him when graduation came along or when they needed a cool video for their organization. Square uses both photography and cinematography in his artistic endeavors around New York City and Detroit. He first ventured to New York with his friend, designer Mike Cope (his brand is GabrielAndlos), and soon found himself attending every fashion week the city had to offer. His pictures are like something you’d see in Vogue or GQ – beautiful people in elaborate, glamorous ensembles, captured artfully by his lens. Many of his photos have an air of mystery – alluringly blurred, grainy, or misty.

On being a Black Photographer, Square remarks on how his race has shaped his perspective – in his art and in life in general. He says his upbringing – witnessing some serious things at a tender age – made his life especially “different from the norm”. He admits, “…being a black creative can be challenging. The work we create can either be heavily misunderstood just because of a cultural difference”. Although a part of him knows being Black has made his path longer and more strenuous, he also knows nothing can hold him back. He won’t allow his talents to go unexplored.

Square photographs all kinds of people – as long as they have an innate sense of style and an interesting story to tell with their looks, but Black subjects make up the majority of his work. Whether intentional or not, his body of work shows Black people embracing their beauty and creativity. They are all dressed to the nines, enjoying life. Through his work, we see what’s missing from the mainstream. Considering how fashion, makeup, and hair have been so incredibly shaped by Black American culture, Square’s work represents what fashion really is and where it really comes from. He’s one of the photographers leading the future of representation.

In my research for this article, I came across so many remarkable Black photographers. Finally, after decades in the background, Black artists are being recognized. The challenges of being a Black worker in the corporate sphere is seen in the work of Endia Beal, the shield of performed “toughness” is examined and stripped away in Joshua Rashaad McFadden’s “Come to Selfhood” series, the horrors and beauty across the African Diaspora comprise Bunni Elian’s work. All of these artists are able to explain concepts foreign to most other groups of people, like intersectional workplace discrimination, the double edged sword of masculinity for Black men, the diversity of African descendants.

Having places that prioritize Black creatives are just as important as the artists who create for them. Many mainstream galleries have historically been exclusionary or exploitative. Though they’ve become more inclusive recently, the threat of insincere virtue lingers. In galleries like the Skoto, Calabar, and Thelma Harris Galleries, Black artists across mediums are at the forefront. The Skoto gallery in particular was one of the first of its kind in New York, and has provided a space for artists to exhibit, connect, and gain new audiences. Organizations like the National Black Arts Festival and the Vilcek Foundation not only give Black artists (and specifically immigrants in the case of the Vilcek Foundation) a platform, but provide funds and grants to artists.

Photography is such a sincere form of storytelling. It directly shows us what the artist wants us to know. But even with all its seemingly straightforwardness, a good photographer can elevate a photo from pure fact into a mixture of knowledge, beauty, and emotion. A Black lens is a striking tool. It can show us hundreds of years of history in a single shot, and explain what is often thought unexplainable. Expand your horizons by checking out some Black photographers today. Feel their emotions and look back at them through the lens.