If done well, I believe the photographic representation of the human subject has the potential to be more revealing than what is revealed by the eye alone, since the human glance is usually a momentary one.
Dawoud BeyBlack people have been killed for directing their gaze at the wrong person. I want my subjects to reclaim their right to look, to see, to be seen.
Dawoud BeyImprovisational things about picture-making... learned from working with the small camera early on have served me well in being able to think quickly when making [portraits].
Dawoud BeyI always wanted my photographs to challenge the status quo, to contest the kinds of images that existed in popular culture.
Dawoud Bey