I'm a freelance photographer/photojournalist based in the southeast. I've been shooting for about seven years now. My style is mostly photojournalism and documentary. I use my photography to portray urban life and the social condition, and to tell the story beneath the surface of the image. Just like the late great Gordon Parks photography is my choice of weapons.

For the longest time there was nothing I wanted more than to get out of Birmingham, Alabama and move up north like New York or Washington D.C., where the real artists live or so I believed. I thought I was so progressive for the way that I thought and the type of things I was into like writing, photogaphy, and film. I believed that I was above my own city, the place where I was born and lived for my entire life up until this very day. Over the past 6 years since I've been teaching myself photography I've grown and learned to view my city in a different way. I've opened my eyes to all the beauty that surrounds me and all the things that I would not discovered or just overlooked if I had not looked at them through the eye of my camera lens. I want to show people my city the history, the beauty, the way I see it now.

My photogrpahy is also very much influenced by music, mainly hip-hop. I use music as a tool to create an image. Sometimes I see the photograph "In My Mind" © Pharrell Williams before I shoot it. The music enhances my vision. Those artists that inspire my vision include: Kanye West, Jay-Z, Common, The Roots, Nas, Radiohead, Young Jeezy, Lil' Wayne, T.I., DJ Drama, Little Brother, Ghostface Killah, Bilal, DangerDoom, Rick Ross, Eric Roberson, J Dilla, Lupe Fiasco, Gnarls Barkley, Pharrell Williams, Keyshia Cole, Sunshine Anderson.

Currently, I'm working on a couple of documentary photo projects and some urban portraiture pieces.

Commissions

I am available for photo shoots in the Birmingham, Alabama area only. Services include portraiture, modeling portfolios, cd covers, freelance photojournalism, architecture, newborn portraits, engagments, intimate portraits, and more. All work is done on location in an open enviroment, no studio work. For more information, and prices please contact me: juwandickerson@gmail.com.

Prints

Limited edition prints of photos in portfolio are available for purchase. If you're interested in a print please email me the title of the photo. All prints come in matte archival photo stock, signed w/mat. Sizes are 5x7 w/8x10 mat = $35 & 8x12 w/11x14 mat = $125.