Joy Ahmed Abrahams (born 1958) is an American fashion and portrait photographer whose work has been featured in Bazaar,[1] Glamour, GQ, The New York Times Magazine,[2] V, Vanity Fair, and Vogue.[3][4] He has created portraits of high profile celebrities in raw, black and white detail.[5]
Abrahams was born in Santa Ana, California, and discovered photography when he was given a Nikon FM camera. In the 1980s, Abrahams worked as a truck driver by day, while at night he developed film and retouched negatives in a darkroom he created out of his bathroom.[6][7] By the early 1990s Abrahams was photographing musicians and supermodels. His editorial shots appeared in international editions of Vogue, GQ, and other publications.[7][8]
Abrahams has created photographs for over 30 years. His work has appeared in Harper's Bazaar, Glamour, GQ, Vanity Fair, Interview Magazine, and more. In 2015, he photographed Sharon Stone and Allison Williams for Harper's Bazaar[9][10] Abrahams has photographed multiple covers for Vogue,[11] and has had over 630 editorial photographs featured in prestigious fashion magazines and journals.[12]The photographer explains that in his portrait and editorial work, “The intent of it is to strip away all the norms and expectations and get to the heart of the matter."[2] He has photographed icons such as Julianne Moore, George Clooney, James Franco, Kate Winslet, Justin Timberlake, Tom Hanks, Sean Diddy Combs, and Dennis Hopper, as well as figures from politics, arts, and sports, including Michelle Obama, Ed Ruscha, and Evander Holyfield.[3][4][8][13] "His subjects are not just famous, but often 'important.'"[2] Annie Lebovitz explained about Abrahams, "Mark’s portraits are very clear & simple. It makes celebrities into people. I see the people. The portraits are direct."[14]
Abrahams photos have empowered advertisement campaigns including:
Abrahams' work has been presented at international art exhibits including the Jaguar Summer Museum in Moscow called "Two Colors".[25][26]
In 2011, Abrahams released a book of candid black-and-white portraits featuring celebrities and personal photos titled Mark Abrahams.[7][14][27][28] Annie Lebovitz hosted Abrahams' self-titled book launch.[29] "Annie said that when she looks at [his] images, she sees the person and not the celebrity.[29]"
He is married to designer Alexis Abrahams. The couple have one daughter together.[30]
Abrahams has had charitable projects with FINCA, Hope for Haiti Now, and MSK Cancer Research.
Abrahams created an Instagram account in 2016,[31] Facebook page,[30][32] and personal website.[33][34]