Ben Watts and Godfrey Frankel photography

As i roamed the the shelves searching for inspiration , i stumbled upon the works of Ben watts and i fell in love the with the opening artwork on the inside with the picture of jewelry hanging in a storefront and then i soon realized ive seen this photo years ago before i ever started college or thought of making art my profession. he some what reminds me of Hedi Silmane. It reminds me of all the old original hip hop magazines like the source , vibe and xxl magazines that ive kept since the 90's and alot of photos are just really well put together compositionally each one turninmg into almost a graphical piece without any manipulation by the artist. even though the book is based on leftover shots , his approach to the work leaves a lasting impression and almost gives you a feeling of being able to see deeper into the individuals who normally , do not let their guards down due to them becoming caught in the limelight and their celebrity status.

Although Godfrey created these photos in Washington Dc. I felt a deep connection to where im from (Milwaukee Wisconsin) , where in the late evenings you see kids unattended at times living carefree without proper supervision not caring that they live in the hood or that there parents dont have alot to offer at times they merely use what they have and remain loyal to each other and make sure they have fun no matter the cost some what of the peter pan and the lost boys mindset or even for older kids the movie "Outsiders" with Tom Cruise and Patrick Swayze. Frankels usage of light is really inspiring giving each child there own lil bit of extra character as the lights and darks make there transitions across there faces making the photo even more engaging than the last view.