Pride in open photography

On Unsplash, Pride month is an invitation for us to reflect on the role stock imagery can play in authentically representing – and celebrating – LGBTQ+ identities. We spoke with three Unsplash contributors about everything from the importance of representation in photography to what Pride means to them.

ANNA SELLE

Originally from Kansas City, Anna Selle now lives in Brooklyn, working most prominently as a portrait and music photographer.

How does your identity and sense of self filter into your work?

The biggest part that identity plays in my photography is what I find myself feeling drawn to make images of. In my own work, I explore a lot of themes of identity and self, but in my freelance work, I also find myself being really excited and engaged in projects that allow me to work with other queer people. There's a really keen sense of the importance of perception when it comes to queer and trans bodies, and having that lived experience myself helps me to be more thoughtful and compassionate with the people I'm working with.

Why is it so important for stock photography to represent the LGBTQ+ community?

Just like with other historically underrepresented identities, normalizing queer bodies in the media we consume is a very humanizing experience. It's important that we see queer people not just when we're talking about queer identities and experiences, but also when we're talking about everyday normal life experiences like going in for a check-up at the dentist or taking your dog for a walk. Queer people are everywhere, just living our normal daily lives, and there's no reason we shouldn't see that represented in media.

How would you like to see Pride/the LGBTQ+ community depicted through stock photography?

We're coming into a time where culturally we see people really living as their authentic selves. That's what I'd like to see more of in the imagery we consume, including stock photography. Gender and sexuality are just two parts of our identities, but being able to openly express those two parts of our identities can also open us up to explore so many other parts of ourselves. The vast array of ways that we can present ourselves outwardly to the world is so beautiful to me.

What does Pride mean to you?

Pride to me is when you can show up as your authentic self, feel accepted by a community, and choose to accept others in that community when they do the same. We get a lot of external messages telling us to suppress ourselves, so when we actively push back against that and embrace others that do the same, that feels like something to be proud of. Historically, too, Pride has been about moving progress forward and carving space for queer and trans people to be seen and cared for by one another and by our allies and accomplices.

Why do you choose to explore LGBTQ+ themes in your own work?

In general, I think it's important to explore themes that you're close to as an artist. I don't exclusively explore gender and sexuality, but my personal journey in understanding those parts of myself has been long and winding, and that makes it an interesting topic for me to keep digging into in my art and freelance work.

SHINGI RICE

Shingi Rice is a fashion, portrait and lifestyle photographer based in London, UK.

How does your identity and sense of self filter into your work?

I would say my rawness and my shamelessness filters through, somehow.

Why is it so important for stock photography to represent the LGBTQ+ community?

It’s important for everyone to be represented in the media, to document all truths and bring them together, especially when it comes to stock imagery.

How would you like to see Pride/the LGBTQ+ community depicted through stock photography?

As it actually is, Pride as we know it is very white, very cis white and very white cis male for that matter. I want to see the queer Asian Community, the trans Latinxs community, I want to see the real deal, not a whitewashed version. It’s far from outdated.

What does Pride mean to you?

Celebrating our beautiful existence and not listening to how the white man has taught us to celebrate ourselves.

Why do you choose to explore LGBTQ+ themes in your own work?

I choose to document marginalized communities, and being able to document my community, not only as a witness but as someone who forms part of it is beautiful. The queer gaze is important when it comes to telling out stories.

M. COOPER

Originally from Oklahoma, M.Cooper now works as a photographer in New York City.

Why is it so important for stock photography to represent the LGBTQ+ community?

I'm a Millennial who was able to enjoy a lot more freedom of expression than the generations before me, who protested, fought and suffered for the rights I have now. But homophobia & transphobia are on the rise again in the world and things are, in a lot of ways, worse for the younger generations coming up than when I was coming up. Being from the Midwest in particular, I have a lot of concern about queer youth. Stock photography representing the community is important representation because it allows us to be seen in some cases where we are historically not seen. It allows brands & publications, should they choose, to show the mainstream that we're here and we have our own lives and joy as much as anyone else. And not to forget about us.

What does Pride mean to you?

Pride is something that represents love & self-love to me. It doesn't necessarily have to be queer pride, but in my case it helps me to confidently navigate a world that can feel both joyful, complicated or lonely. It helps me to remember that the fear that others have of me is a reflection of themselves. It helps me to remember that the world is a larger place than my own stubborn ideas of it may be. It helps me to remember to try to identify with everyone and be accountable to my community. Through pride, strangers connect. Through pride, communities come together who have nothing in common to celebrate each other. If we are guided by pride, we'll have each other and we will maintain the visibility that our queer ancestors dreamed for us.

How does your identity and sense of self filter into your work?

Like I said, when you're a professional creative you can easily get trapped in taking commissions that you're disinterested in to pay the bills. It's very hard to carve out a niche of personal work that leads to professional work, and even harder when you're a queer creative. By the time the pandemic began, I was pretty well burnt out. I was unhappy with the work I was doing because it didn't mean much to me. The pandemic suspended the flow of commercial projects for so long that many of us had to check in with ourselves to figure out what we really wanted to do. For me, I knew the answer was to pick up my camera and reach deep into myself and into my community and release my identity as a queer creator. I have since built the majority of my collaborations & portraits with members in my community, even extending into commissions where I am no longer shooting projects without identity.

We thank Anna, Shingi and M.Cooper for sharing their thoughts around Pride, and how platforms like Unsplash can better represent the LGBTQ2S+ community. Throughout this month, we’ll be highlighting images from Pride over on our Current Events Topic.