When Vogue unveiled its annual fashion issue earlier this month, the Internet took notice — not just because Beyoncé graced the cover but also because of the photographer behind the image.
That credit goes to Tyler Mitchell, a 23-year-old from Atlanta who became the first African-American photographer to shoot a Vogue cover in the magazine’s 125-year history.
“Photographers live their whole life to shoot this cover slot in this month,” Mitchell told All Things Considered host Audie Cornish. “But I think I kind of approached it with a kind of practicality of trying to shoot [Beyoncé], like how I would shoot my friends. So it was beautiful and nerve-wracking and exciting all at once.”
Before being chosen for the fashion issue cover, Mitchell had worked with TeenVogue on a cover and other pieces for the magazine. But to land the Vogue cover on this particular month, he says, was a huge deal.
“It was at once totally unreal and also felt like I had been living my whole life to receive that call,” Mitchell said. “So I think there’s a level of amazing kind of magic to it.”
Tyler Mitchell On Being The First African-American To Photograph A ‘Vogue’ Cover
Photos: Courtesy of Vogue and Tyler Mitchell