Oct 11 2023 53 mins
Kamal is a photographer who wanted to capture the essence of what really was happening in America in 2020. He wanted to use photography to let all of the division, hate, fear, anger, sorrow, love, compassion, and humanity show its true self--the true story of what was underneath it all.
As you'll hear, he is also just a really authentic, thoughtful, self-aware person. It was fascinating to hear his stories, how he became so passionate about photography, and what he learned about humanity as he created his book, Black Astronaut.
I love talking to photographers because most of them are natural observers. They feel compelled to look at the world around them and see what is going on. Those are the types of people I want to hear from because very likely they've seen things I haven't, and I can learn from them.
A more complete bio from Kamal is below:
I am Kamal X, a professional photographer that has been documenting my travels throughout the world since 2015. Photography found me at a time in my life where I felt confused and voiceless. I wasn’t sure of where I was internally and what direction I wanted my life to go. I welcomed my challenges and I found myself drawn to creating images that evoke emotions rooted in the many universal elements of the human experience. My goal is to tell stories from all walks of life and give a raw voice to the world we live in, through compassion and honesty.