Bobby Creekwater

Bobby Creekwater was my first rap client in Atlanta. He’s super talented and motivated to become a superstar. Rappers have a tendency to work so hard with their words to impress us and tell stories. They display so much flash and charisma to paint a picture of greatness but when I photographed him, I’d ask him to give me the opposite. I’d say, “Let people read your eyes”. Then he would feel like he looked too soft and put on Ray Bans.

I learned that I gravitate to intimate imagery when it comes to portraits. If you look at all my images around this series, it’s rare to see the subject not in a state of calm. It’s not because all these people are calm. Janelle Monae and Rock City are some of the wildest performers you’ll ever witness on stage. Yves is an absolute lightning bolt when he’s with his rock band. I guess what I’m saying is that I noticed that all these portraits reflect me and the part of myself I want to see in all of these people. I’ve shot hundreds of portraits throughout the years. This show is about what I learned about myself through portraiture and experiences and I challenge all the art students to try and figure out what you naturally gravitate to with your medium. Where are parts of you are you in your art?