Dawoud Bey used photography as a way of finding his voice. In that regard, considering that he is African American and has hearing loss, the photos he captured throughout his career were mainly about people within the black community. A certain race group in the United States and the history they had to endure while living here. The Birmingham Project is a good example as it’s basically a comparison gallery of witnesses who were children during the 1963 KKK bombings at the 16th street baptist church in Alabama, and the same witnesses alive today in their elderly years. This exhibition kind of creates the sense or feeling of time travel with these certain individuals. What’s really to take away from this exhibition (at least what I can take away) is that we all live, and we all die. History always repeats itself and every generation is always going to suffer a similar hardship like their parents and parents before them. All that reveals the reality of how imperfect we are as a species. With photography, it shows how much time flies and can show the difference of who we once were at younger age compared to who we will become as we grow older.
Carrie Mae Weems also uses photography as a way of finding her voice, but is done in such a fashion where she uses it to express her home life. Well, not really her personal life alone but the lives of all black women. In the kitchen table project, Carrie displays a series of photos showing herself doing different activities on her kitchen table. Doing her makeup, bonding with her children, chatting and stressing out with friends (one of her friends being a white lady comforting her from sadness), having dinner with her husband, etc. All these pictures being a representation or depiction of African American women in day to day home life scenarios. African American women in a family unit, as mothers, wives, sisters, cousins, close friends or neighbors. In these photos we can see both the joy and constant battles that can occur within an average black household. Either way it’s tough to be family, but family will always be there for each other no matter what.
How can I find my own voice in photography? To be honest, I really don’t know. Sure, myself or anyone can give some generic answer like I can express myself with taking photos but then what. What else is there? I don’t have much of an expertise when it comes to photography. Yes I have a phone, and have handled a camera before, but I don’t think that qualifies me of being a master photographer. On top of that, most of the photos I take are of very random things in the city, like going to the park or some monument to take photos on my phone. But perhaps some could say that it’s a start.
Accomplished photographers have taken a lot of photos and also a lot of bad ones. Over time
they learn what works and what what their interests are. The more they shot, the more they learned. Keep shooting and experimenting