My Barber Photography Journey

I gotta be honest, I was originally drawn to the Barber scene because of its visual flamboyance. The men are so well dressed and they are placed in a stunning environment. I saw this as a perfect opportunity to flaunt my photography. So I asked if I could shoot in a barber shop, as I knew it'd be great for my portfolio. But then something else happened to me! Almost like an awakening, I started to feel something I'd not felt in a long time. It was belonging. It was a sense of community and a sacred space.

I realised that the primordial need for human togetherness and acceptance, being part of a clan, is massively lost from our society. Up until very recently we spent 10's of thousands of years in close tribal groups but now we have been fragmented and segregated. All but gone are the village squares and communal spaces. Where else can a man walk in to at any time of day and start connected and sharing his thoughts and feelings with other men?

And these places offer more than that. They offer visual excitement and inspiration. A new dawn of male grooming has occurred. Men have reclaimed their right to look beautiful and retain masculinity in unison.