Raven B. Varona facts for kids

Raven B. Varona (born 1990), also known as Ravie B., is a talented American photographer. She is famous for being an official photographer for music superstars Beyoncé and Jay-Z during their 2018 On the Run II Tour. Her amazing work on this tour even earned her an iHeartRadio award nomination!

Early Life and Education

Raven Varona grew up in the Bronx, a part of New York City. She is from both Black and Italian backgrounds. Her love for photography started in high school when she took a class. She kept taking pictures as a hobby while she was in college. Raven later earned her college degree from New York University.

Becoming a Professional Photographer

After college, Raven first worked full-time as a receptionist. But she also took photography jobs on the side. In 2015, she decided to follow her dream. She quit her receptionist job to become a full-time photographer.

Later that year, she met the famous rapper Future through a connection. He hired her to be his personal photographer. She even photographed his Purple Reign tour! Since then, Raven has photographed many other big names in music. These include Kanye West, Drake, Rick Ross, Cardi B, and Migos. She has also worked with brands like Bombay Sapphire.

In 2018, Raven became even more well-known. She became an official photographer for Beyoncé and Jay-Z's On the Run II Tour. She had sent a Tweet to Jay-Z asking to photograph him. One of his producers saw it and contacted her. This led to her amazing job on the OTRII tour!

Raven had planned to show her first solo art exhibition in March 2020. However, she had to delay it because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Instead, she held a virtual art show called And The B is For in late 2020. As of June 2021, she is planning a second part of this show.

Her Unique Photography Style

Raven Varona has shared that she gets ideas for her photos from movies. She wants her art to "celebrate the borough she’s from." She also wants to show the people and places that helped shape her. She often takes pictures that show joy and happiness. Lydia T. Blanco, a writer for Forbes magazine, described Raven's work. She called it "bold, feminine, and culturally relevant."

Raven has also talked about how few Black women photographers there are. She hopes to be a role model for others.

About Her Life

Raven Varona still lives in the Bronx, where she grew up.