Somebody has to go first. Inspired and emboldened, a few others follow. Slowly, they cut a path that others can more easily follow. Brooklyn-based unit still photographer Vanessa Clifton is one of those path-makers. As the Kalamazoo, MI native describes: “There have been many Black women before me in this industry, although so few as unit photographers, so I am very proud to do whatever I can to boost our ranks. People like [Local 600 Unit Still Photographer] Anne Marie Fox inspire me. I’ve followed her work for a few years, and it’s pretty cool to walk in her footsteps.” Clifton, who’s been in the Guild less than a year, chose the industry when she realized there was an opportunity for photographers to build long-lasting careers and create iconic images. She earned a BFA in photography from Western Michigan University and did some non-union projects before landing her first union gig, which was an impactful one: shooting the unit and key art for Hulu’s drama Wu-Tang: An American Saga, Season 2. “That was my first time working with big-name actors and directors,” she shares. “And I am very proud that Hulu trusted me enough to go in and create work. Seeing it in the subway station and the billboards here in New York, as well as in different cities, has been mind-blowing. That is something that I will take with me for a long time.” As one of the industry’s few female Black unit still photographers ( joining trailblazers like Nicola Goode, SMPSP, [600
Live! June 2020] and Fox), she expected some reticence on set. “I learned that this is a myth, and the crews I have worked with have been friendly and incredibly helpful,” Clifton adds. But she also thinks the role could be given more respect, “not as an ego thing,” she says. “Our images get used for marketing; that marketing sells the film or series, which creates more viewers, which generates more money into the industry. Especially with TV, the more views, the more likely it is for additional seasons to get picked up, which leads to more work for crews.” Clifton isn’t the only trailblazer in her family. “Monique Grayson, who is my first cousin, but we grew up like sisters, is one of the few Black female pilots flying for a major airline,” she adds. “I’ve watched her navigate racism and sexism in an industry that is dominated by white males, similar to the camera department. When I feel like I can’t accomplish something, I look to her for inspiration, and it helps me to keep moving forward.” Clifton embraces her position as a pathmaker. “Representation and visibility allow others behind you to know that their dreams are achievable, that there is a door for them to enter,” she concludes. “Yesterday I had a younger Black female photographer ask me about being in the union, and it felt good to advise her on how to start building a portfolio of set photography – even as I continue to build my own!”
UNIT STILL PHOTOGRAPHER AGE: 32 CURRENT RESIDENCE: BROOKLYN, NY HOMETOWN: KALAMAZOO, MI EDUCATION: BACHELOR OF FINE ARTS, EMPHASIS IN PHOTOGRAPHY, WESTERN MICHIGAN UNIVERSITY BUSIEST GENRE: EPISODIC DRAMA CURRENT PROJECT: PARTNER TRACK (NETFLIX) YEARS IN GUILD: EIGHT MONTHS PORTRAIT BY: CLIFTON PRESCOD
Vanessa
72
DECEMBER 2021