Raven B. Varona (born 1990), also known as Ravie B., is an American photographer. She is best known for serving as an official photographer for Beyoncé and

Jay-Z Shawn Corey Carter (born December 4, 1969), known professionally as Jay-Z, is an American Rapping, rapper, businessman, and record executive. Rooted in East Coast hip-hop, he was named Billboard and Vibe's 50 Greatest Rappers of All Time, the ...

's 2018

On the Run II Tour The On the Run II Tour (stylized as OTR II) was the second co-headlining concert tour by American singer-songwriter Beyoncé and rapper Jay-Z, also known as The Carters. The all-stadium concert tour began on June 6, 2018, in Cardiff, Wales and co ...

, for which she was nominated an iHeartRadio award.

Early life and education

Varona was born and raised in the

Bronx The Bronx ( ) is the northernmost of the five Boroughs of New York City, boroughs of New York City, coextensive with Bronx County, in the U.S. state of New York (state), New York. It shares a land border with Westchester County, New York, West ...

. She is of Black and Italian descent. She cultivated her interest in photography after taking a class in high school, and continued to shoot as a hobby during college. Varona received her bachelor's degree from

New York University New York University (NYU) is a private university, private research university in New York City, New York, United States. Chartered in 1831 by the New York State Legislature, NYU was founded in 1832 by Albert Gallatin as a Nondenominational ...

Career

After college Varona began working full-time as a receptionist at a real estate agency, while taking photography jobs on the side. In 2015 she quit her job to pursue a full-time career in photography. Later that year, she met

Future The future is the time after the past and present. Its arrival is considered inevitable due to the existence of time and the laws of physics. Due to the apparent nature of reality and the unavoidability of the future, everything that currently ex ...

through a professional connection and was hired to be his lifestyle photographer. She shot his

Purple Reign ''Purple Reign'' is the sixteenth mixtape by American rapper Future, hosted and executive-produced by DJ Esco and Metro Boomin. It was released on January 17, 2016 with an 11-hour notice via LiveMixtapes and DatPiff. It is Future's first non-com ...

tour. Varona has since photographed rappers such as

Kanye West Ye ( ; born Kanye Omari West ; June 8, 1977) is an American rapper, singer and record producer. One of the most prominent figures in hip-hop, he is known for his varying musical style and polarizing cultural and political commentary. After ...

, Drake, Rick Ross,

Cardi B Belcalis Marlenis Cephus (; born October 11, 1992), known professionally as Cardi B, is an American rapper. Noted for her unfiltered public image and lyrics, Cardi B is one of the most successful female rappers. From 2015 to early 2017, she ga ...

, and Migos. She has also worked with Bombay Sapphire. In 2018, Varona rose to wider prominence when she became an official photographer for Beyoncé and Jay-Z's

. After sending a Tweet to Jay-Z asking to photograph him, one of Jay-Z's producers contacted her, which led to her being hired for OTRII. While she had planned to debut her first solo exhibition in March 2020, she delayed opening due to the

COVID-19 pandemic The COVID-19 pandemic (also known as the coronavirus pandemic and COVID pandemic), caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), began with an disease outbreak, outbreak of COVID-19 in Wuhan, China, in December ...

. She exhibited a virtual art show, ''And The B is For'', in late 2020. As of June 2021 she is planning a volume 2 of the show.

Artistry

Varona stated in an interview that she pulls inspiration from film. Of her artistry, she seeks to "celebrate the borough she’s from and the people and places that shaped her" through her work and frequently photographs depictions of joy. Lydia T. Blanco of ''

Forbes ''Forbes'' () is an American business magazine founded by B. C. Forbes in 1917. It has been owned by the Hong Kong–based investment group Integrated Whale Media Investments since 2014. Its chairman and editor-in-chief is Steve Forbes. The co ...

'' described her work as "bold, feminine, and culturally relevant." Varona has spoken about the scarcity of Black women photographers and her desire to serve as a role model.

Personal life

Varona resides in the Bronx.

References

External links

Official websiteRavie B.
on Instagram {{DEFAULTSORT:Varona, Raven B. 1990 births Living people American women photographers New York University alumni Photographers from New York City Artists from the Bronx African-American photographers 21st-century African-American people 21st-century African-American women