A Deeper Look Into the Work of Tyler Mitchell, The First Black Photographer to Shoot the Cover of Vogue

Tyler Mitchell made history when he photographed Beyoncé for the September 2018 cover of Vogue—the 23-year-old NYU graduate is not only one of Vogue‘s youngest cover photographers, he is also the first black photographer to shoot the magazine’s cover, ever.

Mitchell’s photographs exalt the black body and showcase powerful, youthful voices with great sensitivity, from his portraits of Moonlight‘s Ashton Sanders to the actress/activist Amandla Stenberg. A deeper look back at some of the photographer’s previous work shows Mitchell’s keen interest in documenting the intersections of gender, race, age, and other visible identities. Take a look, here.

Beyoncé by Tyler Mitchell for Vogue in September 2018.

Model Aweng Chuol poses on the beach for Tyler Mitchell in June 2018.

Aweng Chuol by Tyler Mitchell for More or Less in June 2018.

Survivors of the Parkland Shooting, photographed by Tyler Mitchell for Teen Vogue in April 2018.

An unknown teen photographed by Tyler Mitchell in January 2018.

Teens in Havana, Cuba, photographed by Tyler Mitchell in November 2017.

Abdulaye Niang photographed by Tyler Mitchell in June 2017.

Moonlight star Ashton Sanders photographed by Tyler Mitchell in February 2017.

Photograph by Tyler Mitchell in December 2016.

Amandla Stenberg photographed by Tyler Mitchell in October 2016.

Photograph by Tyler Mitchell in June 2017, as part of a “personal series about the fears and ambitions of leaving college and entering industry.”