00:00There's no rule book in this industry. You kind of just figure it out.
00:07My name is Aitasha Jordan. I'm 41. I am a photographer in the fashion industry and I have been actively pursuing this career path for about 14 years.
00:20I've been very blessed to work with a lot of respected individuals, especially women. I have worked with Iman, Tina Nose, Taraji Henson, the list goes on.
00:35We aren't used to having an array of black professionals in the industry, so it's just breaking down those doors and barriers that's happening at a slow pace.
00:47I was very blessed to have a very thorough arts program in school, so I started shooting when I was between 15 and 16.
00:57And of course I was so young, I didn't think this far ahead. I just did it because I tried it out and I liked it.
01:04But I feel like it's just within the past 10 to 15 years that it's been more public about these jobs.
01:13You know, not that they didn't exist. What people are saying, oh, this is available to me.
01:18You don't have to go the traditional route of going to school to be a medical doctor or whatever it is.
01:24People are more vocal about how you can work and work in your passion.
01:29I am typically more laid back and quiet, I would say, like letting my work speak for itself, but that's no longer good enough.
01:37Like, I have a duty to speak on it because it is rare.
01:42A recent experience is when I shot an ad campaign and it was the first time I was invited to also be involved in the creative process.
01:51So, I was involved in everything from the casting, the idea, and they literally hired me because of my work with women of color.
02:04So, you have double sides. People aren't hiring you or they're hiring you because you do something specific.
02:10And a lot of times, I shied away from being pigeonholed into, she shoots black women well.
02:18However, I wanted to be respected and being able to shoot everyone.
02:23So, this was the first opportunity that I was involved from beginning to right up until the end of, you know, post-production.
02:33In the very, like, meetings and talking about my ideas, you know, so I felt heard.
02:38And many times, it's people telling you, you're going to do this, you're going to do this, you're going to do that.
02:44If you are 15, 16, watching this message, I cannot emphasize enough to study your craft because the bottom line is, I would say more than race, even though that is an issue, you need to know or be well-versed in what you're doing.
03:00We're in an age where everything is so easy.
03:02You can just go and pick up a camera.
03:04You can shoot with your iPhone and make beautiful images.
03:06When I was coming up, I immersed myself in books about photographers that I admired.
03:14I was taking classes outside of my college courses.
03:17I was obsessed.
03:19And it helps you just have a greater understanding and outlook on what you're shooting.
03:23I'm willing and ready to take on the challenge of shooting anyone.
03:27Maybe someone that traditionally someone would think that I wouldn't shoot.
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