“The Black Women Photographers organization has been a tremendous addition to the industry, but more importantly, it’s been great for the community. It’s pretty standard these days to use the word “inspiring” and that certainly does apply here, but BWP has gone well beyond that to actually teach us a lot that we didn’t know, should have known, and we’re just happy to know now. When we improve ourselves, the community also benefits. The quality of work we’ve seen from BWP photographers is tremendous but the quality of people we’ve encountered is even better. Congrats on your anniversary, BWP!”

— Mick Orlosky, Camera Bits and Photo Mechanic

"The demand for diversity in the creative field has been long overdue. Polly Irungu, the founder of Black Women Photographers, has successfully built a grassroots movement that has sought to bring real change to the industry. Dedicated to providing a resource for the industry’s gatekeepers, it supports its members through promoting their work in an active database distributed to photo editors, directors, curators, and art buyers. The team at Moment is honored to work with Polly and the community she has created and will continue the aim to increase access to professional and paid opportunities for Black creatives.”

— Alec Ploof, Moment

“Black Women Photographers is an unparalleled resource and a source of inspiration. The community Polly Irungu has built is diverse in both scope and ability, and I am consistently blown away by the expertise displayed by the photographers we have worked with through BWP. Polly is a visionary leader in the photography and creative industry, and I’m enlightened and encouraged every time I have the opportunity to hear her speak or to share her unique perspective. With Black Women Photographers thriving, the future of the photography industry and journalism as a whole is more relevant, inclusive, and much more inspiring.”

— Ariel Adkins, Twitter

“To get the full picture of the world we live in, we need to make space for more voices. Polly Irungu and Black Women Photographers are doing just that. Her remarkable work has created a community spanning across the world to share resources, educate, collaborate, and most importantly uplift Black creatives.”

— Mariann Eliassen, Capture One

“Adobe Photoshop Lightroom has been proud to collaborate with Black Women Photographers (BWP) since its inception in 2020. It is an honor to provide support for BWP as they elevate and amplify valuable voices in the creative community. Through their work, BWP has succeeded in addressing the need to create important opportunities for underrepresented creators by bringing together resources and artists in new, exciting ways that have strengthened the creative community.”

— Pei Ketron, Adobe Photoshop Lightroom

“PhotoShelter’s ongoing collaboration with Polly Irungu and Black Women Photographers has been an extreme pleasure. At its core BWP is an organization that expertly combines education, peer support and exposure. Polly’s ability to recognize and understand the unique challenges facing Black women photographers enables her to provide valuable resources and connections for her community. There are many individuals and organizations trying to amplify BIPOC creators in the photography industry but few have reached the level of success and impact of BWP.”

— Caitlyn Edwards, PhotoShelter

“Partnering with Polly and Black Women Photographers has been an absolute honor for Flickr and SmugMug. We strongly believe in building a better world through the power of photography, and that vision can’t be achieved without including Black women and non-binary photographers. Through our partnership, members of the Black Women Photographers community have graciously shared their photography and their stories. We’re also inspired by Polly’s dedication and thoughtfulness as a community builder. We look forward to a continued partnership and working directly with these photographers to achieve their goals and further Black Women Photographers’ mission.”

— Carol Benovic-Bradley, Flickr and SmugMug

“Shutterstock partnered with Black Women Photographers to promote our Create Fund Artist Investment program, which focuses on achieving greater diversity in front of and behind the camera. Working with Black Women Photographers was a natural fit because we strongly believe in their mission to connect talented Black women and nonbinary photographers with professional opportunities. Polly has built a solid community of Black women and nonbinary people who will change the photography and creative industries. I look forward to strengthening our partnership and supporting their work.”

— Meeckel Beecher, Shutterstock

“Working with BWP has been not only a pleasure but an honor. Our recent collaborations from an all black women panel and educational content for the B&H YouTube Channel, to involving BWP to be a part of the B&H Optic Conference has been a great addition to B&H original content and events. Polly is a huge advocate for her network and the main reason I love working with BWP; working with other powerful women, empowering other women is really … *chef’s kiss*”

— Maria Perez, B&H Photo Video

“I started working with Polly and BWP at the end of 2021 and am so grateful for this invaluable resource that she has painstakingly put together for the photo community. She has an excellent roster of photographers and is tirelessly working to promote her organization’s mission and to share the value and importance of hiring Black women photographers. At BET, diversity and Black excellence are core values and BWP has made my job a million times easier. Thank you so much Polly and BWP—congrats on 2 years and I look forward to seeing BWP continue to grow and flourish!”

— Jessica Lin, BET Digital