Photography
The Crips
In the summer of 1973 I photographed Stanley “Tookie” Williams, founder of the West Side Crips, along with five original members. They all wanted their pictures taken, and posed — “fronting off,” as they called it. Five years later, there were 45 Crips gangs in Los Angeles County. By the early 1980s, the number of Crips “sets” in LA County had more than doubled. The crack cocaine epidemic pushed them into at least 41 states, and the gang became widely referenced in music, film, and media as a symbol of gang culture and urban violence — a fixture in American pop culture. Despite the notoriety, there are few photographs of the early members, and none presenting themselves as they wanted to be seen.
Black and white photo of five individuals standing outdoors, wearing jackets and hats, with power lines and utility poles in the background.
Two muscular men wearing hats and tank tops shaking hands outdoors.
Black and white photograph of a man wearing a wide-brimmed hat and military-style jacket, with a serious expression.
Black and white photo of a person wearing a wide-brimmed hat, a sleeveless shirt, jeans, and suspenders, sitting outdoors with power lines in the background.
Two people holding hands in a handshake outdoors. One person is wearing a watch and bracelet, and the other has a wristband. The individuals are wearing sleeveless shirts or tank tops.
Portraits
Jim Harrison, San Simeon CA 20tk
Nick McDonell, Manhattan, 2004
A person wearing a wide-brimmed hat and a checkered shirt, outdoors near a body of water, with an overcast sky overhead.
A black and white photo of an older man wearing dark sunglasses, a striped straw hat, and a white shirt, outdoors with a clear sky in the background.
Chief Joseph Project…COMING SOON
Landscapes
Park County, Montana, 1978
Socotra, Yemen, 2010
Masai Mara, Kenya, 2004
Hearst Castle, San Simeon, California, 2006
Clear blue ocean water with gentle waves, under a bright blue sky with scattered white clouds.