Terrell Groggins is a Detroit-born photojournalist, filmmaker, and creative director whose work documents human stories, social injustice, and community resilience. His 2019 photograph “Shields Strikes Back,” depicting Claressa Shields during her bout with Hanna Gabriels, earned international recognition including a World Press Photo award, Smithsonian Magazine’s American Experience Award, and first place in the International Photography Awards (Editorial/Press/Sports).

Raised in Detroit, Groggins turned to photography after the loss of his brother in 2008, developing a practice centered on light as testimony and on preserving everyday memory. Early influences included a neighbor, Mrs. Boudreaux, whose home hosted film photography sessions for international students, shaping his interest in cross-cultural perspectives.

Groggins began documenting Detroit’s boxing scene in 2012, following athletes across training camps and championship events while expanding into portrait, editorial, and documentary film projects. He is a contributor to Getty Images, and his photographs have appeared in outlets such as ESPN, Forbes, and The Guardian. In 2024 he participated in the Magnum Photos × World Press Photo Square Print Sale; his short film Written by Light explores the craft’s human dimension in an age of artificial intelligence.

In 2019 he was the only photographer of African, Caribbean, or African-American descent to receive a World Press Photo award that year. He has spoken publicly about structural reform in competitions and the need for broader representation in visual journalism. Groggins is founder of My Art My Rules Studios, a Detroit-based practice dedicated to ethical visual storytelling across still and moving image.

Awards

World Press Photo, 2019 —, Sports (“Shields Strikes Back”) Claressa Shields
Smithsonian Magazine, 2020 — American Experience Award (17th Annual Photo Contest)
International Photography Awards, 2019 — 1st, Editorial/Press/Sports (Shields Strikes Back)
World Sports Photography Awards, 2024 — 3rd, Boxing (Alycia Baumgardner vs Christina Linardatou)
Fine Art Photography Awards, 2024 — Honorable Mention, Professional Photojournalism
Center for Creative Photography (University of Arizona), 2021 — acquisition of 18 works

Features & Coverage

CBS News Detroit — “Detroit photojournalist captures memorable sports moments in black and white”
The Guardian — “50 Photographs That Reshaped Sport” (feature includes Shields image)
HERO Magazine — Magnum × World Press Photo Square Print Sale feature
Publication credits via Getty Images — ESPN, Forbes, additional international outlets

Selected Projects

Shields Strikes Back (2019) — sports, gender equity
Written by Light (2023) — short film on light, craft, and AI
Long-form documentation of Detroit boxing culture (2012–)