Black History Month: Celebrating KEH Employees

This February, we’re taking the opportunity to celebrate Black History Month by highlighting a few of our best and brightest employees and photographers. Each of these photographers spans different roles within KEH and contributes to the culture and growth of KEH daily. We’re proud to celebrate them today and every day.

As a team, we were excited to launch this campaign that would consist of celebrations of historical and present-day trailblazers, as well as our employees. To kick off our employee highlight, we sent a list of questions to nine photographers to learn more about their work and experience with hopes and expectations of joyous agreement from our team. Instead, we didn’t get responses from anyone.  To our surprise, our team was hesitant to answer a few of the questions. We learned that they felt the questions were inauthentic and somewhat impersonal. Some were even honest about not knowing how to answer some of the questions. 

For 40 years, we’ve championed diversity and inclusion and have made a concerted effort and desire to make sure we fostered an inclusive environment, and yet in this moment, we failed to have our employees feel heard and understood, so we knew we needed to do better. To start, we simply listened. We sat down with the team of photographers we reached out to at KEH to find out where we missed the mark. As we began to understand why the questions caused hesitancy, which we’ve since corrected, one general question was thrown out to the group by Ken Hamlett, our Director of Pricing & Analytics, Head of Photography, and member of our DEI Advisory Board.

“Do you consider yourself a Black photographer or a photographer who is also Black?” 

This seemingly simple question launched a real and honest conversation where our employees, teammates, and fellow photographers felt safe to speak candidly about their experiences. For Ken, he still can’t fully answer that question. Still, it created an opportunity for each photographer to sit with the question, share their background, experiences, and feelings about what it means to be a photographer and what it means to be a Black Photographer. 

Continue reading below to learn more about a few of our amazing team members at KEH, their work, inspirations, and experiences. 

Ken Hamlett, Director of Pricing & Analytics and Head of Photography 

Ken Hamlett is a professional photographer of 30+ years and a Lead Member of APA. He has spent the majority of his career photographing architecture, but now he is back to photographing fashion and beauty work, his original love. His work has appeared in numerous magazines including Elegant, Malvie, and Vanity Fair.

How would you describe your photography style?

“I describe my photography as very clean. I like the subject to be very prominent in my images.”

Who inspires you to create?

“I’m inspired by many but Patrick Demarchelier has had the greatest influence on my work. He and the Italian painter Caravaggio.”

What does Black joy mean to you, and if applicable, how does your work represent Black joy?

“Tough question, but Black joy means keeping my family safe in a world where we’re not always wanted. My work doesn’t directly represent Black joy. I find it joyful to photograph the beautiful Black women I have the pleasure of working with, but it doesn’t directly represent Black joy.”

What does it mean to you to be a Black Photographer? How does this make you proud?

“Hmmm…am I a Black photographer? Or am I a photographer that’s Black? I have a sense of pride in my Blackness and a sense of pride in my work. What makes me proud is doing the best work as a photographer that I can. Being Black is the icing on the cake.”

What impact do you hope your photography will leave on your communities? 

“I don’t know if my photography will impact my “community”. What I hope is that my photography can inspire others, regardless of their community, to pursue photography if that’s where their heart lies.”

Keith Jackson, Tech Line Supervisor 

Born and raised in Atlanta, GA by way of East Point, Keith is an avid music lover, and sports fan of all the Atlanta teams. Keith previously worked in the optical industry before coming to KEH. He considers his style a combination of documentary and street photography, which began as a hobby. He has been professionally freelancing for the last 5-6 years.

Who inspires you to create?

“I’m inspired by the work of Andre Wagner and Devin Allen. They are Black male street photographers that have achieved a lot of success without compromising their style and who they are. I’m also inspired by the work of Stan Johnson, Lu Smith, Rita Harper, Nicole Buchanan, and Lynsey Weatherspoon. These are all Black photographers based out of Atlanta. The majority of my work is based in Atlanta, so I just try to show the faces and communities that were so familiar to me growing up here.”

What does it mean to you to be a Black Photographer? How does this make you proud?

“Being a Black photographer, I do feel I have a responsibility to represent the Black community in my work. It is very important to me to show the beautiful range of Blackness and what that means.”

What impact do you hope your photography will leave on your communities?

“I always hope my work gives people a better perspective on the Black community. My work gives people a sense of pride and inspires people in some way. I want people to see the beauty in each other.”

Jasmin Moore, Senior Digital Marketing Manager

Jasmin Moore is a multi-faceted creative, born and raised in Augusta, GA but currently resides in Atlanta. Jasmin began as a traditional artist focused on drawing and painting, later transitioning to Graphic Design with a degree from Georgia State University. Humble beginnings in design helped her explore other creative avenues such as beauty and portrait photography and videography. She’s worked with big-name companies such as Harley-Davidson, Hublot, and Grand Hustle Ent but she’s most proud of all the fantastic small businesses that came to her to help them grow.  

Who inspires you to create?

“Kwamme Bathwaite – Coined “Black is beautiful” and shot a lot of icons in the 60s and 70sB

Hannibal Matthew – My first internship with a photographer in Atlanta. He shot a lot of rappers like Lil Wayne, Young Jeezy, and Wiz Khalifa.

Bozoma Saint John – A super influential black female marketing maven. She’s worked at Uber, Pepsi, Apple, Netflix, Beats, and more.”

What do you enjoy shooting? What do you want to shoot more of?

“I enjoy shooting landscapes even though that’s not what I’m known for. I’d like to shoot more landscapes!”

What cultural impact do Black photographers and Black photography have on the world?

“Black photographers show the world we can be more than just athletes or musicians. They show the world from a black perspective. Sometimes it’s hard to get people to understand what you’re saying without a visual representation of what it is. Imagine if we didn’t see what happened to George Floyd, Anthony Brown or the protests during the Civil Rights Movement.  These events and how we’re seen would be left to interpretations and stereotypes. And likely, our stories would have been misconstrued without those photos.”

What impact do you hope your photography will leave on your communities?

“I hope my photos show that Black people are beautiful even though we may not fit the Eurocentric beauty standards.”

Andrew Etheridge, Lead Tier 3 Associate

Andrew J. Etheridge is an American filmmaker and photographer born and raised in Atlanta, GA. He is the Lead Associate of Tier-3, overseeing the straps, caps, and other gold nuggets that come through KEH. Having graduated from the Savannah College of Art & Design in 2019, he has already developed a distinct sense of aesthetics informed by his passion for art, style, and culture. Andrew creates collaborative and self-initiated stories in the form of films and photography that expresses a range of emotional depth, intentionality, and unique visual authorship.

Who inspires you to create?

“I inspire myself to create. I say that with the least amount of ego possible. For me, creating is an act from within –  very intentional, and very intimate. I draw inspiration from a medley of sources from films, music, and life, but the actual doing, the act of creating an image is a desire that comes from me. It has to. Creation that comes from the core of an artist’s emotional realm is the work that resonates.”

What does Black joy mean to you, and if applicable, how does your work represent Black joy?

“Black Joy is a term I’ve never consciously thought of in my work, and I take a lot of images of a lot of people. I photograph moments; the scenes that represent joy and love aren’t a conscious act to capture “BLACK JOY” but an unconscious act to capture a beautiful moment.”

What does it mean to you to be a Black Photographer? How does this make you proud?

“That’s not how I see myself. I see myself as a photographer who is Black. It’s something to be grateful and appreciative of, not because I’m Black, but because I have the privilege to explore and express my understanding of the world through images. People who look like me didn’t have this kind of opportunity back in the 1920s, and the fact we’re having this conversation is a privilege that was unheard of for folks 80 years ago. This whole arts lifestyle is a huge luxury and gift.”

Andre Buchanan, KEH Retail Associate

Andre Buchanan is a photographer based out of Atlanta. You’ll find Andre with either his film or digital cameras capturing portraits, street photography, and concerts.

Who inspires you to create?

“It’s more of a what and not a who. I get inspired simply by going outside and walking around with my camera.”

What do you enjoy shooting? What do you want to shoot more of? 

“I enjoy shooting street, concerts, and all-around documenting life. I would love to document more people and tell more stories.”

What cultural impact do Black photographers and black photography have on the world?

“Black photographers have made a huge impact on the world by showing their point of view and expressing themselves creatively. This is the reason why I feel photography is so important because it gives people a bit of insight into another person’s world.”

What impact do you hope your photography will leave on your communities?

“I hope that my work inspires people just to enjoy being outside more. Go out, walk around your neighborhoods, meet people, and have fun doing it.”

Jeremy Perry, KEH Retail Associate

Jeremy’s love of photography and visual storytelling started at a very young age and has spanned over 10 years. He enjoys sharing and being exposed to the beauty of creating memories. 

How would you describe your photography style?

“My style is unique as I am; first an artist, then a photographer.”

Who inspires you to create?

“The world inspires me to create! The experiences and places I have seen and the people I have had the pleasure to meet.”

What does it mean to you to be a Black Photographer? How does this make you proud?

“To me, I feel like just a photographer, I don’t place a title on myself like “Black photographer”. I am proud to be able to share stories and images through my lens.”

Brody Fields, KEH Retail Associate

Brody Fields is an enthusiastic Atlanta-based photographer from Las Vegas, NV. Brody has a strong passion for capturing the fleeting beauty of people and everyday life.

Who inspires you to create? 

“Clay Benskin, Louis Draper, Frank Jackson, Jamiya Wilson, and SoHo Trendz.”

What does Black joy mean to you, and if applicable, how does your work represent Black joy? 

“Black joy is freedom. Black joy is radical. The Black joy to come from systemic equality would change the world. For my personal journey as an artist, I’ve been given opportunities I never imagined with the help of my community, family, and friends. Black joy leads to liberation and the freedom of self-expression. With this type of community and access to resources, I’m starting to paint my canvas; I get to paint my future. Every Black artist deserves that freedom. Finding your identity comes when one is given access to knowledge without boundaries.” – Octavia Ink

What cultural impact do Black photographers and black photography have on the world?

“To create a visionary language to describe our identities, past, present, and future – an intimate portraiture of our unique, beautiful, and often challenging walk of life.”

Constance Glenn, KEH Photographer 

Constance is Texas-born but unapologetically Georgia-raised! She’s hard to miss around the office rocking her big hats, but she also wears other hats as an FX/Beauty makeup artist and photographer. She loves being creative and capturing special moments or being spontaneous and creating something different. Her work has been featured in various publications such as Rolling Out Magazine and Upscale. 

What do you enjoy shooting?

“I enjoy shooting people at parties or barbecues having a wonderful time. People just enjoying their lives and being happy!”

What does Black joy mean to you?

“Black joy to me means being proud of who you are, loving the skin that you are in, and being able to live your life free from limitations.” 

What cultural impact do Black photographers and black photography have on the world? 

“We can create our own reality and allow others to see things from our perspective; our photos are our voices.”

Kendrick Carter, KEH Photographer 

Kendrick Carter is a fashion and editorial photographer in Atlanta, GA. When he isn’t spending time behind the lens you’ll find him playing his guitar, roller skating, skateboarding, or learning French! 

Who inspires you to create?

“That list can get lengthy if I’m being honest. Recently, I’d say photo duo, ABDM, cinematographer, Greg Freiser, and punk band, The Sex Pistols. Outside of that I typically like looking for anything that makes me say “What is this!?” 

What does it mean to you to be a Black Photographer? How does this make you proud?

“It means having a chance to show us in a better light. Literally and figuratively. Non-black people don’t know how to capture the essence of Black people because there’s no shared experience to bond us together. As a Black photographer, it makes me happy to be on set and not only capture amazing images, but to watch as we all can start singing the lyrics to songs like “Before I Let Go” by Frankie Beverly & Maze or even “Faneto” by Chief Keef. It’s a synchronicity that we all have that can’t be replicated or forced. If you’re Black you just get it.”

What impact do you hope your photography will leave on your communities?

“I hope to show you don’t have to be a rapper, athlete, or doctor to do well in the world. Those jobs are important, however, if there is a kid out there with a passion for art through photography, I hope I can give them the courage to break every “rule” that tries to lead them away from that path. So, if a kid out there sees this, just know that I understand the challenges you face. And the road won’t be easy, but please don’t give up. I promise you’ll thank yourself years from now.”