S3 E5: Who's Behind the Camera with Kai Lawson of Black Girls Shoot Too

On this episode of 85 Percent, we meet Kai Lawson, founder of Black Girls Shoot Too (BGST), a creative community for Black women and women of color photographers in Los Angeles. A longtime Wanderful member and part of our LA hub, Kai won the Social Impact Award at the 2026 Bessies. Kai started BGST in March 2025 by posting a single photo walk on Eventbrite, just to see who would show up. About 40 women did. Since then it has grown into monthly photo walks and workshops, mentorship, two gallery exhibits (many of them the photographers' first), and a group photo tour to Panama in January 2027, all built in the off hours around her 24-year career with the County of Los Angeles. We talk about: Winning the Bessie, and the feeling that her grandmother Bessie was in the room How a dad with a camera turned into a lifelong obsession with photography The Eventbrite post that started it all Why representation behind the camera matters as much as in front of it, from skin tones and lighting to who gets hired and paid The photographer who said "I don't think I'm a photographer," until her framed print hung in an exhibit What fuels her, and what's next: a membership, a nonprofit, and a space of their own Connect with Kai / Black Girls Shoot Too Website: https://www.wearebgst.com Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/blackgirlsshoottoo/ BGST Panama Photo Tour (Jan 21-26, 2027): https://www.wearebgst.com/panama-group-trip Events: https://www.wearebgst.com/event-list Chapters 00:05 Intro: Beth introduces Kai and the Social Impact Award 01:25 Interview begins 02:14 Winning the Bessie 02:32 The Bessie finalist dinner 03:29 Did she know she'd win? Her grandmother Bessie 04:12 Origin story: a dad with a camera 05:08 The Eventbrite post that started BGST 06:19 The first photo walk: 40 people, a market, and a drum circle 07:20 How BGST grew: monthly walks, workshops, a studio 08:00 The first gallery exhibit: "Now I'm a curator" 09:11 The numbers: Black women in photography 10:33 Who is pictured, and who is behind the camera 11:37 Skin tones, lighting, and fighting for space on the job 12:45 Getting women of color photographers hired and paid 15:05 What fuels her: a full-time job, no team, and a lot of love 15:45 The BGST Panama photo tour and international exhibit 17:48 What's next: membership, a nonprofit, a space of their own 18:37 What the travel industry could do for Black women photographers 18:57 Why community changes what women are willing to try 20:27 "I don't think I'm a photographer": the Getty moment 21:59 Why women hold themselves back 23:37 Creating the validation we wish we had 24:50 "It's inside of you" 25:32 Closing thoughts 25:59 Outro