50 years of Black history through a creative lens

TROY HULL | THE CHARLOTTE POST

Members of Alpha Kappa Alpha sorority march after graduating Johnson C. Smith University in 2022. The image was taken by Charlotte Post photographer Troy Hull.

As a part of the 50th anniversary of the Johnson family’s ownership of The Charlotte Post, a forum will be held at Johnson C. Smith University’s James B. Duke Library on June 20 at 6 p.m. to discuss the art of photography from the publication’s photographers. The forum is free, but registration is required at https://form.jotform.com/241423295512148.

Some of Charlotte’s best-known photographers have been published in The Post since Bill Johnson bought the newspaper in 1974, including James Peeler, who captured many of the defining images of Black Charlotte over a 40-year career; Calvin Ferguson, who paced the company’s digital photography transition and Curtis Wilson, who set new artistic standards in news and sports.  In a Q&A with longtime photographers Troy Hull and Daniel Coston, they talk about their experiences at The Post, memorable assignments and what it takes to create memorable photojournalism. Responses have been edited for brevity and clarity.

Topic: What year did you start with The Post and how did you get connected?

Hull: I think it was 2014 or 2015 when I started. I was shooting for Johnson C. Smith, and I ran into the sports photographer Curtis Wilson, who passed away a few years ago. He told me that he was shooting for The Charlotte Post. I was looking for other opportunities to expand my photography business because I had just gotten out of TV news and was starting to get serious about shooting stills as my own business. So, I reached out to Herb [White, the editor-in-chief] to see if I could get some freelance work. He said he would send some stuff over, and here we are 10 years later.

Coston: I believe I started photographing in 2010. I was a photographer for The Charlotte Observer for many years, from 2000 to 2016. I remember going to an event at the Harvey B. Gantt Center, and there were several people there from The Post that knew me. They all went to Gerald [Johnson, the Post’s CEO and publisher] and said, ‘That guy; you need to bring him to come shoot for us.’ That is what I have done from the summer of 2010 ‘til now.

Topic: What are some cool things that you remember having the opportunity to shoot for The Post, whether it be news, sports, arts or entertainment related?

Hull: Sports wise, my first Panthers game for The Post stands out. Curtis was out of town with his family in Orlando. It just so happened that it was a game against the [Houston] Texans in 2015, the year the Panthers went to the Super Bowl. Cam [Newton] did this run where he flipped into the end zone, and it was right in front of me. That was the biggest sports moment. My biggest moment was when [President Barack] Obama came to town to endorse Hillary Clinton for president in 2016. The Post got me in the press corps, so I got great shots of Obama. I was the only Black person shooting in what they called the buffer zone while Obama was shaking hands. As he turned around and saw all of the photographers, he looked at me and gave me the brother nod.

Coston: I always remember photographing the Maya Angelou luncheons with Miss Angelou. She was wonderful to work with. The way she gave directions and to the honorees. That voice – you don’t forget things like that. She was very nice to the photographers like myself.

I think I am proudest of being able to document a lot of people in the community that are no longer with us, from Miss Angelou, Daisy Stroud, oh gosh, a number of people. Whether it was a feature story or social event, I got to know people really well. I am proud to say that I have been able to document the last 15 years in Charlotte with The Post. There has been a lot of growth.

DANIEL COSTON | THE CHARLOTTE POST

United House of Prayer for All People shout band at GospelShout on April 9 as part of the CharlotteShout celebration.

Topic: In what ways is capturing photos for a hyperlocal African American-focused newspaper different from other newspapers or places you’ve shot for and how do you craft your work to capture the culture?

Hull: The National Press Photographers Association is kind of like the governing body for news photographers and videographers who work in major media. They did a study that showed that in newspapers, white people only really ever showed up in the business section, where Black folks showed up in the crime section or the culture section. But they also looked at if they sent a white photographer to cover something, usually they would shoot pictures of white people. But, if they sent a Black photographer to an event, there was a good chance they would get pictures of Black people. They are always looking for diversity in a story. So, when I go out, Herb will tell me, ‘Make sure to get pictures of Black folk.’ But I am already doing that anyway. I am always looking for us.

Coston: The way I do things is I treat everything as if it were the most important thing in town. Because people that are reading your newspaper are curious about what is in there, and that goes across cultural lines. With The Post, I know the people there and what folks are going to be reading about and what pictures they want to see. So, as opposed to The Observer where I may go get a couple different shots from different aspects; with The Post, I am looking at how to cover an event for the people that really care about it. I think to myself, if I am reading this, what do I want to see and I start from there.

Topic: How has your own work gotten better and maybe even changed in your time shooting for the Post, and how has it helped you grow as a photographer?

Hull: My time at The Post has made me more creative. In hard news and sports, the action is right there. With the features is where it pushes my creativity. It allows me to think outside the box a little.

Coston: I would certainly hope it has gotten better over time. It has definitely opened my eyes to know that there is still a lot I’m still learning about communities here in Charlotte that I hadn’t had the opportunity to explore and know more about through the years. I have been exposed to more communities. Sooner or later, a photograph has to be more than a picture. It has to reflect something about the people and the place that you are shooting. Hopefully over the past 15 years working with the Post I have been pushed to take better pictures.

Comments