Michael Nguie

Being a Photographer is sort of a curse. It's almost like when your brain has become so accustomed to capturing intriguing and peculiar subjects, whether you have your camera on you or not, you can't just turn off that ability. Therefore, side effects include: abruptly stopping to photograph random shit and staring at objects, patterns, or people for long periods of time. I came up with this term "photographer's guilt", which basically means seeing something that deserves to be photographed but because one may not have their camera on them, they can't and therefore regret or feel guilty about not bringing out their camera because they realize they probably can't capture that moment in the same way they saw it ever again. You may be thinking, it's not like you have to take pictures of everything Flo, geez. This is true but one of the thrills of photography as an art form is the spontaneity and skill that it takes to get a good photograph at any given moment. Not only is that a combination of right place, right time and just pure luck, but being able to have an eye for good shit. That was a long ass introduction but Michael Nguie's work beautifully embodies all the great things about photography, and his "eye for good shit" is absolutely impeccable. It's photographers like these that encourage me to never forget to bring my camera out when I leave home. I once recognized Ricky Powell in Soho and he told me the same thing, you really are losing nothing just by putting it around your neck and going about your day, speaking of which, Ricky followed me on Instagram yesterday that was fucking awesome. Ok, now all that being said, check out Michael's work.

tis the season

to bump music!

great vandalism

Bound 2.5

just when you thought Bound 3 was the coolest thing ever (well, it kinda still is) you watch this and remember just how cool seth rogen and james franco are. lol at the accuracy tho, like honestly.

new bagzz

i love bright things. not really clothes but just like accessories and shit. when i paint my nails a bright color and people compliment them i'll occasionally joke around and say "thanks it pops against my melanin" like that's not even funny but because of my wack ass sense of humor i giggle every time i say it. anyway, on black friday i went shopping at urban outfitters and i picked up this beautiful bag that used to be $60 for only $15. i was pretty excited especially since this messenger that i was using to hold my books was breaking. i've gotten a couple compliments on it, which is nice cause it's cool to know that other people like your stuff, and it really makes my mirror selfies a lot cooler.

101

Can't believe I've never done a post about Gordon Parks, he's my favorite photographer ever. I first learned about him just last year when I stopped by a tribute show that the Schomburg Museum in Harlem, which I passed everyday on my way to school, was doing in celebration of his (would be) 100th birthday a year ago. During its installment, I visited twice and it was my first time ever crying from looking at works of art. His work is such a testament to the way that art can really affect people mostly because of the raw emotion and authenticity of a lot of his subject material. As an artist, Parks focused on photographing social realism and captured several aspects of Black America for about five decades. Not only were his photographs amazing, but he made history while making contact sheets (google it if you don't know what those are). 

Parks was the first African-American photographer for both LIFE and Vogue magazines and donned "Hollywood's first major black film director", most well known for Shaft. During his life he also explored careers in music and writing and is the co-founder of Essence Magazine. His photographs ranged from the depiction of poverty to high fashion and everything in between including several portraits of famous celebrities, many of whom he became good friends with. Parks unfortunately passed away in the spring of 2006 from cancer but his legacy lives on in the works of so many photographers today and especially amongst the Black community. So in honor of his birthday I decided to post some of his work. Enjoy.

Ali

Monroe

Malcolm X

(BTW, the rest of the photographs from this color series on segregation are so cool, click this)

Basquiat

“… I feel it’s the heart, not the eye, that should determine the content of the photograph. What the eye sees is its own. What the heart can perceive is a very different matter.”  - Gordon Parks

Mr. Rogers flipping you off

because what blog is ever complete without this on it, one of the greatest gifs ever

...

like idk i guess you're cool for lighting a blunt and wearing no pants while accepting an award?

sidenote: her hair looks good and i fuck with that coat but i really still feel like she doesn't know how to rock this swag so just looks a little lame trying, whatever though.

Osma Harvilahti

I'm obsessed with tabs, ask any of my siblings. It's a problem, I have some kind of attachment to information when I'm in the process of learning that makes it hard for me to close one thing if I find something within it that triggers another search or another safari window to open. So, as a result I always have lots of different tumblrs, blogs, or websites open, and it's thanks to this method of compulsive tab opening that I found Mr. Osma Harvilahti. What first struck me about his work is the cleanliness of it all, the technical make up of his shots are so beautiful that even when he photographs subjects like poles, sinks or pieces of fruit, they look more beautiful than they may have seemed before. I love his work, I love it so much.

good shit, right?