When looking at documentary photographic series from America, I thought it was equally as important to get a sense of presence from portrait photography as it was landscape. I studied Peter Beste, a photographer renowned for his very in depth immursionist photography in which he infiltrates and gains the trust of a scene or culture in order to take portraits of residents and those involved. Perhaps his most famous being his documentation of the black metal scene in Norway and grime scene in London. The series I was most interested in, titled "Houston Rap I and II" focus on the intensity of the crime and drug ridden streets of downtown Houston in a predominantly black neighbourhood. The area has been shot apart by gang violence, a problem perpetuated by addiction and hood mentality. The photographs provide snapshots and glimpses into to a world I don't see much of, a window into the lives of residents and what it means to them to live there. He has managed to capture the essence of the place in a way that is both palatable to the outsider and respectful/not patronising to the individual. Captions and names below the pictures help tell a story and provide more background insight. Another series I loved which Beste did was his 'Truckers', an intimate series of portraits from hardened truckers in the midwest. Between them these two sets of images gather momentum in producing a very real representation of the kind of niche subcultures which go towards making America what it is.
