Ray Black III, the visual media adviser for NC State Student Media, is more than a great coach and mentor to young photojournalists. He is himself a master of the craft.
Two of Black’s images were recently selected for inclusion in Time: A Journey Through Moments, Memories and Change, a juried exhibit hosted by the American Center for Photographers.
One, “High Flier,” is from early in his photojournalism career. The other, “Halloween Rodeo,” was taken last year on Bourbon Street in New Orleans. In the latter case, Black was in New Orleans accompanying a group of NC State students at the fall National Student Media Conference hosted by the Associated Collegiate Press.
Black, who worked part time as student media photography mentor for five years, joined the staff full time in April of 2024 as the adviser to Agromeck, Windhover and Roundabout, as well as the 40-60 photographers and videographers who provide content to all of Student Media’s outlets.
Black is more than an advisor at Student Media. He’s also an alum of the program – he was Photo Editor for the 2004 edition of Agromeck and Assistant Photo Editor at Technician from 2003-2005 – and he credits that experience with shaping the trajectory of his entire career since.
“I arrived at the Student Media photo meeting the first week of school in Fall 2003 with no experience but tons of passion,” Black said. “I took every assignment I could, took on every role I could, and by the end of the first semester I was on staff at both Technician and Agromeck, and I’d begun freelancing professionally.”
(Black is not the only professional staffer at Student Media who is an alum of the program. His colleagues, editorial advisor Ben McNeely and Business and Marketing manager Abi Barefoot, are alumni of Technician and the Student Media Business and Marketing Office, respectively.)
In his 20+ years as a freelancer, Black work has taken him everywhere from the sidelines of high school football games, to photographing three sitting presidents, to an international project covering the passion of hockey fans.
While Black remains an active and respected member of the Triangle’s professional photography community, he’s never forgotten his roots.
“The career I’ve had, the life I’ve built, is entirely due to the experience, opportunities and mentorship I received at Student Media,” he said. “My closest life-long friends are people I worked with in Student Media. My creative voice was established during my time here, and the work I’ve done in the decades since has just been to refine and strengthen that voice.”
The opening reception for “Time: A Journey Through Moments, Memories and Change” will be Saturday, Aug. 9 beginning at 5 p.m. at the ACP’s headquarters, which is located at 230 Goldsboro Street S. in Wilson. The works selected for the exhibition will be on display through Aug. 28. For more information, see https://www.americancenterforphotographerswilson.com/
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