Capturing the Crescent City
Today's photographers capture tomorrow's history. They materialize moments, capture a subject's essence, and provide the visuals for timeless stories.
New Orleans is brimming with talented photographers, including the legendary Polo Silk. He is a Black New Orleans photographer that has captured vibrant and stylish Black locals for decades in front of his signature airbrushed backdrops, showcasing a unique edition of portraiture.
Now, local Black photographers are creating in all areas of photography, from lifestyle and events to fashion and portraits. These multi-faceted Black artists have had their work exhibited in publications including Essence, The Fader, Southern Bride, and at galleries and museums such as New Orleans African American Museum, Jonathan Ferrara Gallery, and the Front.
Get to know a bit about the artists behind the photos and read how they would describe their style and niche in their own words.
1. Andre' Hubbard
@andresnapped on Instagram
Camera(s): Canon T Rebel 6i
Style: "My photography serves as a gumbo, blending how I perceive the world with how I present myself through photos, personal style, and music, all infused with nostalgic and contemporary elements."
Focus: "I'm drawn to encapsulating the essence of the Southern human experience, intertwining spirituality and the cultural significance within my community."
2. Britt Smith
brittphotosmith.com
Camera(s): Canon R
Style: "I like to create fine art and fashion style portraits for women—portraits that look like they should be in a magazine or artwork of themselves they can display in their homes."
Focus: "I specialize in women's portraits including maternity, boudoir, branding, and headshot sessions."
3. Bruce (B.Q.) Williams
b.q.williamsphoto on Instagram
Camera(s): Canon F-1N, 35mm film camera, Canon AE-1 35mm, and a Yashica-Mat 120mm film camera
Style: "Stories told through my photography speak on experiences we collectively can relate to because they show the beauty of everything that makes up communities and the spaces we live in."
Focus: "Photographing architecture, communities, characters with character, landscapes, cityscapes, and street objects."
4. Carlos Sanchez
@carlossanchez.img on Instagram
Camera(s): Canon 5D MarkIV, point and shoot digital and film cameras
Style: "Very bold and saturated colors, very dynamic lighting, and very eclectic subjects. The way I view the world is super animated, mainly based on the fact that I love anime so much, so I really feel like I blend my love for anime into my work."
Focus: "I like to consider what I shoot as creative conceptual photography."
5. Corey Anthony
iacastudios.com
Camera(s): The Mamiya RB67 and a Sony with adaptable lenses
Style: "My artistry lies in this harmonious blend, capturing the raw, spontaneous energy of the streets and elevating it with the elegance and precision of editorial photography."
Focus: "I specialize in a unique blend of editorial and street photography, where the unfiltered essence of the streets is artfully fused with the refined aesthetics of editorial styling."
6. Delaney George
delaneygeorge.com
Camera(s): Canon 5D Mark 4
Style: "My work aims to extract feeling from the viewer by consistently portraying themes of nostalgia, femininity, and history re-imagined. It's a side of fine art photography that is both a contemporary ode to the past and a safe space to display figures in spaces where they aren't commonly represented or historically welcomed."
Focus: "People, women, culture-heavy moments/events."
7. Khrystina Steib
khrystinasteib.com
Camera(s): Fuji GFX 50R and Nikon D750. Film cameras are the Nikon F5, Canon Ae 1, and the Mamiya 645 medium format
Style: "My photography is a mix of journalistic storytelling, romance, and editorial flair wrapped into one. My work is artsy and is influenced by the surroundings that I am shooting in, as well as the light that I have."
Focus: "I love to do bridal fashion, fashion photography in general, branding photography, and dreamy weddings."
8. Rayno Malone
thegoodbred.com
Camera(s): Sony A7iii, film and polaroid cameras such as the Nishika N8000, the Polaroid Big Shot, and the Mamiya RB67 medium format camera
Style: "I like to take my subjects and create a collage canvas that highlights the coolest things about them while creating pieces that make you stop and view every detail."
Focus: "I like to give my subjects new life and create out of the box worlds that coexist with their personalities."
9. Remy A. Williams
blessthefreaks.com
Camera(s): 35mm film, a Nikon N60, which is an SLR, and a Canon A-1
Style: "My work tells the stories of everyday people, those often forgotten or overlooked. The people and places that are the foundations of us as a society."
Focus: "Documenting people of the African diaspora in a way in which they are celebrated not for what they can do but for who they are. I also enjoy photographing the changing landscape of places."
10. Rita Harper
ritapharper.com
Camera(s): Pentax 6X7 and Olympus OM1
Style: "I enjoy sharing my perspective of the times of peace, stillness, and nuanced narratives that come easy to find in my everyday life."
Focus: "Documentary photography and photojournalism. My passion lies in documenting the human experience and hearing the stories of those in the community and neighborhoods I inhabit."
11. Taylor S. Hunter
taylorshunter.com
Camera(s): Canon 5D Mark IV, Canon Rebel Xs film camera, Fuji xt5, and multiple digital point-and-shoot cameras
Style: "When I take photographs, I am searching to feel the 'pulse' and then transmute that into an image."
Focus: "Commercially, I enjoy photographing intimate gatherings, events, and wellness and hospitality brands. For my portrait work, I enjoy magnifying themes of consciousness, duality, vulnerability, love, and self-care within my subjects. I also have a huge love for self-portraits."
12. Trinity Thomas
504degrees.com
Camera(s): Nikon D750 and Canon EOS ELLAIN IIE film camera
Style: "Thinking outside of the box. Even though I'm based in New Orleans, I always have the mindset as if I'm photographing overseas for a magazine of some sort. I️ love challenging myself."
Focus: "Southern culture."
