Erik Carter knows sometimes you just have to bet on yourself. Carter’s original artistic intentions were to be an actor, but while interning at a theater company, he snapped a few photographs, and what was a hobby became a whole career. A decade later, Carter is a sought-after photographer dabbling in artistic prints celebrating Black queer tenderness and portraits of Hollywood’s best and brightest. A quick scan of his social media feed is filled with intimate moments with his subjects, plus brilliant photos of entertainers such as Oscar winner Da’Vine Joy Randolph for <em>The New York Times</em>, Grammy Award-winner Victoria Monét for <em>Variety</em>, and Tony Award-winner Cynthia Erivo for OUT magazine. Carter's choice to be a photographer connected his passion for acting and performing with his newfound purpose of putting artists center stage. — J.S.M.