About Rafael Barker
I seek to capture the beauty in all things–to uplift those around me, to build emotional bridges in our communities, to provide representation to the voiceless. I am a collaborative creator. I am inspired by the beauty of our Appalachia, the generosity of its people, and the overall tenacity of the human spirit.
Biography
I am a photographer from a small town twenty minutes outside of Charleston, WV. I was born in Bogota, Colombia and adopted into a family of transplanted Appalachians — a father from Detroit and mother from New York City. I currently live twenty minutes away from that childhood home. I seek to imbue my work with those perspectives gleaned from that blended upbringing and strive to maintain that wonder for the world. My parents were both business owners and creatives and are ultimately responsible for my entrepreneurial spirit. My photography business is focused on studio portraiture and I’m most interested in making images of people with minimal retouching.
