At EBONY’s Power 100 gala, staff Photo Director Keith Major‘s celebrity portraits have become one of the evening’s highlights. At our 2022 event, Hollywood’s biggest stars and members of the brand’s leadership team paused to take a photograph with the acclaimed lensman. “I think my favorite thing to shoot is beauty and portraiture,” he says.
Always one to push the envelope, for his second year bringing the EBONY Power 100 photo studio to life, the Brooklynite captured nearly 100 portraits throughout the night, comprised of EBONY staffers, presenters and celebrity guests. Among this year’s notables were Power 100 host Amber Ruffin, Entertainment Powerhouse awardee Quinta Brunson, Icon Award honoree Spike Lee, Social Justice Award honorees Wanda Cooper-Jones and Tamika Palmer, and actors Jonathan Majors, Bianca Lawson and Meagan Good to name a few.
“I think my favorite thing to shoot is beauty and portraiture.”
Keith Major, EBONY Photo Director
From left: Bianca Lawson, Myles Frost, Amber Ruffin, Fat and Tobe Nwigwe, Jonathan Majors, Spike Lee, Roger Guenveur Smith, Quinta Brunson. Photo by Keith Major for EBONY Media.
The acclaimed lensman behind EBONY’s groundbreaking monthly cover shoots, Major, is known for his nuanced portraits of people of color, creating images that show his subjects as they are in real life. The lensman recently made history with the brand’s November/December 2022 digital cover experience, capturing the cast of Marvel’s Black Panther: Wakanda Forever using Google’s groundbreaking Pixel 7 Pro device to reimagine the content capture experience. “We made one big step closer to how the eye captures imagery,” he says of using a camera phone to produce the stunning visuals. “As a professional photographer, I loved the large screen. At my fingertips, I could find focus points, and I could see the entire image right away.”
From left: Kendrick Sampson, Wanda Cooper Jones, Coodie Simmons, Chike Ozah, Meagan Goode, Nicco Annan and Garcelle Beauvais.
Shooting the EBONY Power 100 gala has fast become one of the highlights of Major’s year. Not only does it provide a chance for him to reunite with notables that he may have photographed in the past; it allows a glimpse at future leaders. “It’s thrilling to meet the next generation of visionaries who may one day grace our future covers,” Major adds.
Looking for some of the most stunning images captured at the 2022 EBONY Power 100 gala? Check out the lensman’s exclusive photographs below.
EBONY Power 100 2022 host Amber Ruffin. Photo by Keith Major for EBONY Media.
EBONY Power 100 2022 Social Justice Award honoree Wanda Cooper-Jones. Photo by Keith Major for EBONY Media.
Actor Jonathan Majors. Photo by Keith Major for EBONY Media.
Music artists Tobe and Fat Nwigwe. Photo by Keith Major for EBONY Media.
EBONY Power 100 2022 Icon Award honoree Spike Lee. Photo by Keith Major for EBONY Media.
Actress and television personality Garcelle Beauvais. Photo by Keith Major for EBONY Media.
Actor Malcolm Mays. Photo by Keith Major for EBONY Media.
Actor Nicco Annan. Photo by Keith Major for EBONY Media.
EBONY Chairwoman and CEO Eden Bridgeman Sklenar. Photo by Keith Major for EBONY Media.
EBONY Power 100 2022 Entertainment Powerhouse awardee Quinta Brunson. Photo by Keith Major for EBONY Media.
EBONY Power 100 2022 Style Curators awardee designer Sergio Hudson. Photo by Keith Major for EBONY Media.
Actress Meagan Good. Photo by Keith Major for EBONY Media.
Music artists Tobe and Fat Nwigwe. Photo by Keith Major for EBONY Media.
Actor Kendrick Sampson. Photo by Keith Major for EBONY Media.
Spike Lee and actor Roger Guenveur Smith. Photo by Keith Major for EBONY Media.
Actor Olly Sholotan. Photo by Keith Major for EBONY Media.
EBONY Power 100 2022 Style Curators awardee designer Nichole Lynel and guest. Photo by Keith Major for EBONY Media.
EBONY Power 100 2022 Artists in Residence awardee Myles Frost. Photo by Keith Major for EBONY Media.
EBONY Editor-in-Chief & SVP, Programming Marielle Bobo. Photo by Keith Major for EBONY Media.
A guest at EBONY’s 2022 Power 100 gala. Photo by Keith Major for EBONY Media.
EBONY Power 100 2022 Media Mavens honoree Linsey Davis and guest. Photo by Keith Major for EBONY Media.
Actor John Clarence Stewart. Photo by Keith Major for EBONY Media.
Music artist Ryan Trey. Photo by Keith Major for EBONY Media.
Singer and television personality Melody Thornton. Photo by Keith Major for EBONY Media.
EBONY Power 100 2022 Corporate Citizen Award honoree Maurice Cooper. Photo by Keith Major for EBONY Media.
EBONY Power 100 2022 Dynamic Duos awardees Jeff and Nicole Friday. Photo by Keith Major for EBONY Media.
Actor Kendrick Sampson. Photo by Keith Major for EBONY Media.
Actor Malcolm Mays. Photo by Keith Major for EBONY Media.
Actress, comedian, and social media personality Lala Milan. Photo by Keith Major for EBONY Media.
Filmmaker, writer and producer Patrick Green. Photo by Keith Major for EBONY Media.
EBONY COO Keija Minor. Photo by Keith Major for EBONY Media.
Actor Lamon Archey. Photo by Keith Major for EBONY Media.
CEO of Essence Ventures Caroline Wanga. Photo by Keith Major for EBONY Media.
Actor John Clarence Stewart. Photo by Keith Major for EBONY Media.
Actress and television personality Garcelle Beauvais. Photo by Keith Major for EBONY Media.
Football player Jason Moore. Photo by Keith Major for EBONY Media.
Actress Bianca Lawson. Photo by Keith Major for EBONY Media.
EBONY Power 100 2022 Artists in Residence awardee Myles Frost. Photo by Keith Major for EBONY Media.
Actress Amirah Vann. Photo by Keith Major for EBONY Media.
Actor and comedian Finesse Mitchell. Photo by Keith Major for EBONY Media.
Filmmakers and 2021 Power 100 awardees Coodie Simmons and Chike Ozah. Photo by Keith Major for EBONY Media.
EBONY Power 100 2022 Dynamic Duos awardees Tommy and Codie Elaine Oliver. Photo by Keith Major for EBONY Media.
EBONY Power 100 2022 Artists in Residence awardee Brian Anthony Moreland. Photo by Keith Major for EBONY Media.
Filmmaker and director Eugene Ashe. Photo by Keith Major for EBONY Media.
EBONY Power 100 2022 Artists in Residence awardee Brandon Breaux. Photo by Keith Major for EBONY Media.
EBONY Studios President Ty Cameron. Photo by Keith Major for EBONY Media.
President of Disney Branded Television Ayo Davis. Photo by Keith Major for EBONY Media.
EBONY Power 100 2022 Style Curators awardee designer Brandon Blackwood. Photo by Keith Major for EBONY Media.
‘BMF’ stars (from left) Da’Vinchi, Michole Briana White, and Demetrius Flenory Jr. Photo by Keith Major for EBONY Media.
EBONY Power 100 2022 Business Disruptors awardee Alvarez Symonette. Photo by Keith Major for EBONY Media.
EBONY Power 100 2022 host Amber Ruffin. Photo by Keith Major for EBONY Media.
EBONY Power 100 2022 Social Justice Award Honoree Tamika Palmer. Photo by Keith Major for EBONY Media.
