Photographer strives to say ‘thank you’

TGIF

March 5, 2010

JAMICA C. ASHLEY The Daily Southerner Fri Mar 05, 2010, 11:21 AM EST

"Photography is a very effective and powerful way to express ideas, communicate emotions and document history for the world to behold," said Michael Cunningham.

Part of the Edgecombe County Memorial Library's Black History Month activities, Cunningham was originally scheduled for a book signing and mini hat and fashion show last month but due to a major snow storm in Maryland while he was in that area, the event was canceled.

Cunningham will be in Tarboro at 4 p.m. Sunday and will be in the Mobley Atrium of Edgecombe Community College.

The notable photographer will be on hand to discuss "Crowns: Portraits of Black Women in Church Hats" (2000), "Spirit of Harlem: A Portrait of America's Most Exciting Neighborhood" (2003), "Queens: Portraits of Black Women and their Fabulous Hair" (2005) and "Jewels: 50 Phenomenal Black Women over 50" (2007), all of which he was photographer and collaborator.

With notoriety that stretches across the nation, Cunningham said that those books were his way of saying thank you.

"I don't know if there is a specific purpose for these books, just my way of saying "thanks" to beautiful, powerful people who don't always get to show off God's gifts to them and the world," he said.

Having four sisters, Brenda, Juanita, Ersel and Taricia, Cunningham is well aware of what goes into black women's hair and the importance of the Sunday hat.

"A friend of mine had just returned from a family reunion and mentioned the big fancy hats her relatives wore to church service and a light goes on in my head," explained Cunningham. "I could see those women's faces, the hats and my mother quoting a scripture to us as children, that women should cover their heads out of respect for God.

"I grew up seeing my sisters go through the rituals of pressing, fighting, generally dealing with hair issues," he said. "My co-author, George Alexander, and I wanted to explore this unique relationship."

Cunningham's career in photography began when he was 12 when an older brother brought home darkroom equipment he was using for a class.

"Being in the darkroom (our bathroom) allowed me personal time away from my six brothers and sisters and I was amazed at how I could expose a piece of light sensitive paper in chemicals under a red light and an image would appear," he said. "When my uncle eventually bought me a camera for Christmas, a Minolta XG-9, I was excited to take pictures of my large family and record moments in time to be cherished later."

By 18, Cunningham had started his own photography business but got his start at a North Carolina newspaper.

"I started out shooting general assignment for a newspaper in North Carolina. My personal work, my books, deal with real people, real life," he said. "I started my own photography business back when I was 18, there weren't many, still aren't, black commercial photographers around.

"No one in my family had artistic aspirations on a professional level," said Cunningham. "I credit my Uncle, Ernie Pitt, for giving me the courage to follow my dreams and become a professional artist."

During his career, Cunningham has had Coca-Cola USA, Lowes Foods, Sara Lee, RJR Tobacco and the Charles Stewart Mott Foundation as clients.

His portrait work as received national attention in publications such as the New York Times, Ebony magazine, the Boston Globe, Los Angeles Times and USA Today.

Cunningham, 41, now lives in Winston-Salem and tells aspiring photographers to have a statement in mind when picking up the camera.

"Have something you want to say with your work," he said, "a statement, your personal vision and stick to it."

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