Ovie Carter, Bob Black Honored in New
Filmmaker Michael Blackshire, 32, has made a documentary about pioneering Black photographers Ovie Carter, 80, and Bob Black, 87.
Filmmaker and photographer Michael Blackshire, age 32, has created a documentary focusing on two pioneering Black photojournalists from Chicago, Ovie Carter and Bob Black. His film, titled Voices in the Mirror, has been named a finalist for the 2026 Student Academy Award.
Blackshire told PetaPixel he felt Carter and Black were not discussed enough in photojournalism classes. He described their story as an unsung moment for Black history, photojournalism history, and the golden age of newspaper journalism.
The Pioneering Photographers
The documentary centers on the lives and careers of Ovie Carter and Bob Black, both now in their eighties.
Ovie Carter is 80 years old. He won the 1975 Pulitzer Prize for International Reporting alongside reporter William Mullen of the Chicago Tribune for their series The Faces of Hunger. Carter worked at the Tribune from 1969 to 2004 and is credited with pioneering the concept of photographic editorials. His work has also been recognized by World Press Photo, the National Association of Black Journalists, and the Overseas Press Club of America.
Bob Black is 87. He joined the staff of the Chicago Defender in 1965 and worked for the Chicago Sun-Times from 1968 to 2006. A World Press Photo winner, Black co-founded the Visual Task Force at the National Association of Black Journalists and helped found the Chicago Alliance of African American Photographers.
The Filmmaker's Journey
Michael Blackshire earned a film and photojournalism degree from the University of Western Kentucky in 2020. He completed a master's degree in photojournalism from Ohio University in December 2025.
Based in Los Angeles, Blackshire has professional experience through internships and fellowships at major newspapers including the Los Angeles Times, The Atlanta Journal Constitution, Chicago Tribune, and The Washington Post. It was during his 2022 internship at the Chicago Tribune that he first saw Carter's work and knew he needed to tell the story. His career path shows the importance of hands-on experience.
While filming, what surprised me the most was the depth of memory that Ovie Carter and Bob Black still have, in vivid details of assignments going back to the early 1970s, Blackshire said. He was fascinated by how busy their careers were, noting Carter's long trips to Africa and Black's freelance work for Ebony and Jet magazines on his days off.
The Documentary's Purpose
The film's title, Voices in the Mirror, references a 1990 memoir by the legendary photographer and filmmaker Gordon Parks. Blackshire aims to document and amplify the voices of Carter and Black while making a broader point about the profession.
Still photography will always hold a special place in the development of storytelling and from the standpoint of history, Blackshire stated. He described his documentary as a reminder that in an age of artificial intelligence and layoffs, it remains vital to have photojournalists on staff to tell stories.
The film serves as a direct record of two influential careers that helped shape visual journalism. Blackshire's project highlights their specific contributions during a transformative period for newspapers and for Black representation behind the camera.
