What makes professional photographers different from an average person with a camera is their ability to make the simple things in life look phenomenal. Photographers all over the globe have taken it upon themselves to showcase a side of things often overlooked my most people.

But even today, the art industry in the US is mostly dominated by white males. People of color have to work a lot harder to increase their visibility and get recognition for their amazing work. They need to bring something entirely unique to the table to even stand a chance.

Here, we’ve prepared a list of 4 black photographers on Instagram that you need to know about.

1.   Texas Isaiah

One photographer who goes by the name of Texas Isaiah tells a visual story through his photography. He’s a portraitist who brings out the best parts in the people and the places he captures.

For him, photography is about the subject as much as it’s about the way they’re photographed. Through his work, he shows the beauty of being human, taking advantage of texture, framing and the little details to make the viewers see far beyond the picture.

Follow him @kingtexas

2.   Joshua Rashaad McFadden

Joshua Rashaad McFadden is a visual artist who’s known for his portrait photography. He doesn’t shy away from exploring the themes of masculinity, gender, and identity through his projects.

His latest project titled ‘Come to Selfhood’ gives the viewers a glimpse of what it’s like to grow up as an African-American man and how they’ve been affected by race and masculinity.

Follow him @joshua_rashaad

3.   Endia Beal

Endia Beal is one of the famous contemporary female photographers whose main focus in photography is to highlight social issues in a cynical way. Through her work, she challenges her viewers to take a look inside and reexamine their prejudices.

Although based in North Carolina, she’s known internationally for her work that shines a light on issues regularly faced by the marginalized communities in the US.  Her project ‘Am I What You’re Looking For’ captures the struggles of young women of color when they’re seeking opportunities in the professional world.

It conveys how these women are put in a position of choosing between their identities or conforming to societal standards of beauty just to make a living.

Follow her @endiabeal

4.   Shamayim

Shamayim is a fashion photographer known the world over. He shoots in black-and-white and sometimes in color and knows how to make the model look effortlessly beautiful. He takes full advantage of the location and the lighting to introduce an element of drama in his photography.

Follow him @shamayim

Final Thoughts

With the advent of social media channels like Instagram and Tumblr, it has become a lot easier for aspiring photographers of color to find their audience and tell their story. Seek them out and help them reach a larger audience so they’re able to get the recognition they truly deserve.