Shardé Pettis: Photographer, Psychologist, and Storyteller

The Phillips Collection Fellow Arianna Adade meets with Digital Intersections artist Shardé Pettis.

What is your hometown? 

I was born in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.

When did you first learn photography? 

I can’t remember a time when I wasn’t interested in photography. As a child, I used to spend hours upon hours in my parents’ bedroom sorting through family photos and asking questions about our family’s story. I think I valued the archival nature of photography before I came to see myself as a photographer, which was actually more recently within the past two years. I haven’t received formal training in photography and have learned everything I know from my community. I’m grateful for all the family members and friends who have offered to teach me and help me grow.

Who are some of your favorite photographers?

Some of my favorite photographers are Dee Dwyer, Carrie Mae Weems, Justin Hardiman, Gordon Parks, Ming Smith, and Jamel Shabazz.

As a child psychologist and a photographer, how do these two roles impact your work, particularly in terms of understanding and portraying your subjects’ emotional depth?

Psychology and photography are quite the dynamic duo! My understanding and appreciation of the dance these two disciplines do with each other has really evolved over the past two years. My attunement to people’s emotions prompts me to be observant and aware of the emotional experiences of people in my environment in a way that I think sets me apart from some photographers. I find myself catching moments on camera that other people might overlook. For example, I’m a part of the communications team at my church, The Life Church DMV, where I photograph our church events and services. During praise and worship when most eyes are on the worship team singing on stage, my eyes are focused on the audience members as I scan the room for the intimate, emotional moments taking place in the room. It has been really encouraging to see my two passions—psychology and photography complement each other in my work and I look forward to continuing to hone my craft in both areas. 

Given that your work focuses primarily on community, how do you ensure that your photography authentically captures the cultures and people you engage with?

It’s important to me that I make an intentional effort to spend time within the communities I’m photographing, even if just for a short time, whether it be 5 minutes or 5 days. I’m deeply curious about people’s perspectives and lifestyles and have a desire to know people. That’s another way that my background as a psychologist comes into play in my photography. I’ve been told that I have a knack for building rapport with people quickly and easily. I believe that I manage to authentically capture the culture of the people and communities I engage with because I spend time getting to know the people and/or communities I’m photographing and make myself knowledgeable about the issues impacting these communities.

How have your experiences living and working in diverse cities across the United States, from the South to the East Coast, impacted your approach to storytelling using photography?

Higher education and training to become a psychologist afforded me the opportunity to live in several different cities across the East Coast, in the South, and in the Midwest. My interest in photography was ignited while I was living in New Orleans, where culture oozed out of every crevice of the city and in every person I encountered. My photography is inspired by the closeness that I felt to my heritage as a Black woman while living and learning in New Orleans. Now living in the Washington, DC, area and working in Southeast DC, another culturally rich community, my photography continues to tell the story of Black people simply being.  

How do you envision photography evolving as an instrument for societal change in the future, and what role do you hope it will play in increasing awareness of social and cultural issues within communities?

Photography as a medium has the power to invoke significant societal change within our local and national communities. Over the past several months, I have been inspired by the important work that photographers are doing as they document the genocide taking place in Gaza. Digital and print photography allow stories of people to have a further reach and therefore, greater impact than those stories may have without photojournalism. Stories of people all around the world that would otherwise likely go untold, be altered, or only reach a few, are now being told out loud for the world to see and hear. Change is being ignited through the use of photography and I’m excited to be an active part of this movement that has already been so pivotal across history.