Black is Beautiful!

[cgw]

The life and times of Kwame Brathwate:

The Photographer of the Black Is Beautiful Movement

Kwame Brathwaite’s landmark work, beginning with a show in 1962, had a titanic impact on fashion and identity.

www.newyorker.com

 

[terri]

Fantastic story! Thanks for this link. I only wish they'd included more of his photography. He was the real deal in a dynamic time.

 

[smoke665]

It took me many frustrating attempts to learn how to photograpgh the real beauty of dark pigmented skin. While Black is a term used to refer to a race, actual skin tones can vary greatly from a rich honey caramel to a deep ebony. Each shade has their own challenges. With lighter skin it's more about not blowing the highlights. With darker pigmentation it's more about bringing out the midtones and shadows as there's less light reflected the darker the pigmentation becomes.

Have a set coming up in 2 weeks with a couple of teenage girls and their parents. Lots of variation to deal with, should be interesting.