Decolonize Photography

Color film was built for white people. Here's what it did to dark skin. (video)

This short video explains the origin of Kodak’s color reference cards, later known as Shirley Cards. They used a single White woman as the standard and set up a bias towards light skin in color film development. 

Dark Skin People Get Their Ideal Photographs (video)

This video includes history and firsthand accounts of the harm that is caused when photographers do not know how to light and photograph dark skin tones. 

“In the 1950s, most of the people who bought cameras in the US were white, so Kodak didn’t feel the need to expand their equipment for a wider range of skin tones. As time went on, color palettes became more diverse. But some believe that the same standards for a perfect color image are still held in photography today.”

How To Photograph Dark Skin Tones | Aundre Larrow (video)

In this video, Aundre shows how to mindfully shoot dark skin tones with a DSLR or phone camera. Learn how to nail photographing dark skin tones both in natural and artificial light.

Keeping ‘Insecure’ lit: HBO cinematographer Ava Berkofsky on properly lighting black faces | Mic

“‘When I was in film school, no one ever talked about lighting nonwhite people,’ Berkofsky said in a phone interview with Mic. ‘There are all these general rules about lighting people of color, like throw green light or amber light at them. It’s weird.’ These rules are a start, but they’re far from a complete picture.”

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