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I Brought My Camera To The Beach. I Was Approached 26 Times.
The nuances of Photographing While Black.
Whenever I need a creative reset, I do what most photographers and filmmakers do: I shoot the world around me. We are an eccentric bunch and there are enough people interested in photography — or the idea of photography — who like to approach photographers and filmmakers to start small talk. And photographers and filmmakers have a reputation of being jerks in public for the sake of “art” so sometimes people want to assert their right to not appear in your “art.” That’s fine.
But is it possible to go beyond natural curiosity and friendly conversation into hostile interrogation? Yes, and I am going to assert it happens more often with Black people.
I can cite numerous incidents where I’ve been interrupted, distracted, approached, and harassed while working even when it’s clear I’ve been hired to be where I am. It appears the more “official” I look, the more questions I receive about why I am in a certain place. But this isn’t one of those incidents.
This is about a time I took my camera to Dauphin Island, Alabama, for the day just for fun and how I was approached by white people at least 26 times. When I mean approach I mean walking into my space and asking me what I’m currently doing. Or commenting…