EP 62 • Rita Harper
About Rita
Rita Harper is a documentary photographer and photojournalist from Atlanta, Georgia. A quiet child, she grew interested in imagery and observing her surroundings – both skills that have greatly benefited her work. With no formal art education, she began to take to the streets of Atlanta and discover a style of her own. She quickly realized the affinity she had for capturing Black life and Atlanta culture simultaneously.
It is her goal to show the beauty of the everyday person. Rita has captured images of everyone from unsung pillars of tight-knit communities to regular people fighting against powerful, faceless corporations. She wishes to amplify the voices and narratives of everyday, working-class Black people and people of color as a reminder that all our lives have a purpose, importance, and value. That you do not have to be famous to have a story worth telling.
Her photos have been featured in exhibitions all around Atlanta, including shows at the Future Dead Artists Gallery, Mint ATL, Georgia State University, and the Auburn Avenue Research Library. She has also been published in The Wall Street Journal, The Washington Post, National Geographic, The Today Show Digital, Pro Publica, The Guardian, and Ilford Photo.
Show Notes
Website: www.ritapharper.com
Where are you based?: Atlanta, Georgia
Most influential photographer from the past and the present day?
DaWoud Bey/Renell Medrano
Tell us your favorite lens and how you use it.
My favorite lens is the 105mm 2.4 for the Pentax 6X7. I use it mainly for environmental portraiture.
What is the quote you live by?
"In the end, we only regret the chance we didn't take, and the decisions we waited too long to make."
Instagram: @__rita.p
Twitter: @RitasView_
