• ELIXHER
• On July 25, 2011

InspiHERed By spotlights phenomenal women in the Black queer community—everyone from artists to activists. Each week ELIXHER features someone whose personal journey and individual craft inspire us to dream bigger, laugh harder, and love deeper. This week Lyric Cabral, a photojournalist and filmmaker, shares.

ELIXHER: Tell us a little about yourself.
LYRIC: I’m 28 from Washington, DC originally. Now I have lived in Harlem for 10 years. I’m a photojournalist and documentary filmmaker who likes to report stories that you rarely see in the mainstream media. Stories that typically don’t get coverage or stories that have been covered but have been misrepresented or underxplored in the press.

ELIXHER: When did you begin taking photographs?
LYRIC: I started taking photos when I was 15 in high school. I was a sophomore.

ELIXHER: What drew you to the craft?
LYRIC: The first photos that I loved were Gordon Parks‘ photographs, particularly of Harlem. His photojournalism really inspired me to conceive of photography as a social tool, a tool of activism capable of inspiring change. So when I saw his photos they were clearly professional (not snapshots) and they told a clear story and represented a clear vision that countered the racism and prejudice of the time. His photos really showed me that photojournalism was a career path and when I saw his photos I decided that I wanted to produce work in a similar vein and devote myself to the craft.

ELIXHER: What’s your favorite subject to photograph?
LYRIC: I am always drawn to photograph people; not necessarily portraits but images of people in their surroundings—to document what people are going through and the reasons behind their sturggle. If I have a question about a social condition or something I see that needs to be changed, I’ll try to photograph an essay on a person whose life answers my question or whose life explores the issues in need of change.

ELIXHER: Who or what inspires you?
LYRIC: I take inspiration from life. I try to keep abreast of world culture and current events. I like watching a lot of indie films/foreign movies and documentaries as inspiration and insight into others’ experiences.

ELIXHER: If you had to choose 3 words to describe yourself, what would they be?
LYRIC: Quixotic. Visual. Inquisitive.

ELIXHER: What’s the biggest misconception people have of you?
LYRIC: Hmm, good question. As a photographer, I try to be as unobtrusive as possible so I can blend into the scene and not draw attention to myself. People typically underestimate me because I work humbly—small camera, no flash. I black out the name of all my equipment even though it’s fancy. I dont walk around with big lenses. So I think people don’t know what to expect. [Laughs.] I think a lot of times people think I’m a photo student versus a professional when I’m in the field. But that works to my advantage often because I like working with the folks who don’t like “the media.” Since I don’t look like “the media,” it works out.

ELIXHER: What’s the biggest challenge you’ve had to face and how did you overcome it?
LYRIC: Well, I’d say the death of my mom in 2001 was probably the biggest challenge to me (personally and professionally) to date because the grieving changed me a little bit. I didn’t photograph for over a year. But when I picked up the camera again I found that my work grew stronger because I was able to emotionally connect with my subjects in a way that I hadn’t before I lost my mom. I literally can empathize with a lot of situations now versus sympathizing emotionally.

ELIXHER: How did you get to the point where you could pick up the camera again? What helped you get there?
LYRIC: I mean, I knew I had to get back on the image making path. But I had to be at an emotional point where I could get back in the street and photograph a crack addict or interact with someone who just lost their son to violence. So…one day I just picked it up again…not really sure why that day. I guess I felt that I could go there again at that time. It was more like an internal impetus that I had to start shooting again.

ELIXHER: What makes you proud to be a part of the Black queer community?
LYRIC: I draw a lot of creative inspiration from the Black queer community, especially the energy of Black queer youth like the ballroom scene, voguing. So I am proud of the queer community’s creativity in places like New Orleans with “Sissy Bounce.” The community is always coming up with innovatie culture for the masses.

ELIXHER: What changes would you like to see within the Black queer community?
LYRIC: I see a lack of unity amongst the queer community at times, like cliquish elements that discourage full participation. I believe the Black queer community needs more visibility. We need more storytellers, documentarians from the community to articulate our experiences.

ELIXHER: I agree completely. What’s next for Lyric?
LYRIC: I am working on my first feature documentary film and working on a photo book. I cover national security issues nowadays. I typically document the Muslim community that has been affected by our national security policies. It’s interesting as a queer person documenting the Muslim community, but it’s going well thus far.

Check out more of Lyric’s work here!