Portfolio Review: Jonathan Mannion Shares Photographs from His Summer Exhibition At Milk Studios

Photographer and filmmaker Jonathan Mannion has immortalized many of today's music legends. In 1996, he was commissioned to shoot Jay Z in Brooklyn for his first album, Reasonable Doubt. Since this epic beginning, he has gone on to capture the major players in hip-hop, including Kanye West, Mos Def, Snoop Dogg, and more.

Besides his images of famous artists, Mannion also trains his camera on more unlikely subjects. In one image, an unnamed bricklayer in Jamaica seems to have the effortless swagger of Mannion's rappers. In another, Killer Mike washes a car with the same carefree vibe as the bricklayer. For a show at Milk Studios called "Rough Around the Edges: The 665 Polaroid Work of Jonathan Mannion" that ran from June 18 to July 7, the artist exhibited some of his best photos. We asked Mannion to pick his top shots for our Portfolio Review: Jonathan Mannion Shares Photographs from His Summer Exhibition At Milk Studios.

All the images are available for sale here.

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Location: Bronx, N.Y.

Date: July 30, 1997

"Our friend Harold is missed, and the impact that he had on urban culture is still being felt today. One of the stars of the movie KIDS by Larry Clark, he certainly had an incredible grasp of who he was. Fearless, talented and kind... he pushed life to the limits.

"This particular shoot was for PNB Nation Clothing. It was a total honor to be creating the ad campaign for people that I really considered some of the most talented people in the clothing world to ever do it. Their perspective was clear, and the choice to use Harold to represent their clothes spoke volumes.

"This was the first shot of the day after we found a little kid's bike leaning against a wall. It was far to small for him, but Harold jumped on and pedaled like hell to keep the pee wee bike moving. His tongue was out in pure concentration as the back wheel was nearly flat. He did this for about 10 minutes in order to create a range of photos that had him looking like the coolest, baddest, and toughest dude (but on a little kids bike—a nice juxtaposition) as well as the opposite, where he was laughing hysterically, knowing that he looked crazy, and embracing it. Harold is missed immensely on this earth. While this PNB photo shoot covers a lot of ground and range, it barely scratches the surface for who Harold Hunter was in the flesh."

Location: Baton Rouge, La.

Date: June 10, 1998

"This moment in time was an odd one for me knowing how solidly I associate Snoop with the West Coast. He had signed with No Limit for a moment, and there was a lot of attention on how that would affect his style. A magazine sent me down to photograph him in Baton Rouge, La.

"After waiting for him for about four hours, he finally arrived, stepping into the office to pick something up. I walked with him the entire route, trying to feel out what was possible for our session. He said, 'I need to pick up family from the airport... but then I'll come back.' Having photographed him before, we already had a good rapport, and I replied, 'Would it be possible to get 30 minutes just because we've been waiting for so long?' Then the bargaining began for his time, going back and forth. Snoop said, '5 minutes.' I went for 20 minutes. He replied '10.' I went for 15 minutes. We finally agreed on 12 timed minutes for that burst of photos. The clock began.

"In the end, I shot 20 rolls of film, a pack of 665 Polaroid, and 10 sheets of 8x10 film on a Deardorff to achieve what would become the entire session. Moral of the story: fight for what you want, get what you can in the moment, and be ready to execute your plan even under pressure situations. In this case, applying these rules made all the difference as I created one of my favorite images of Snoop ever. The T-shirt that he was wearing, a Soulja Slim shirt, has become a tribute to a 'fallen Soulja' (James Tapp Jr. who passed away in 2003). A moment of support initially for a new 'family' member has now become a moment of reverence that keeps his memory alive."

Location: Kingston, Jamaica

Date: August 17, 2007

"Arriving in Jamaica, there was palpable tension in the air as elections were happening. Kingston was on edge, so Cure decided for us all that we would head just out of town. The pace was slower, but the people welcomed our arrival.

"I had fought to shoot Jah Cure as he served a sentence in prison. These photos were taken only days after his release in what must have been a moment of re-discovery of what a beautiful place Kingston is. This particular shot was achieved as we were coming back from the other side of the river where we photographed at a house. It was the only way across. The graphic lines of this photo and the unique form of transportation makes this photograph special to me. The 'hands on' way of life was very refreshing to experience after many years in New York. Experiencing this simplicity is just one of the many reasons that I love traveling to the Caribbean.

"The reason that this was such a special session for me was because of a song called 'Longing For' that Cure sings. I'm a massive reggae fan, and this particular tune has a spirit all it's own, one that hit my heart squarely and remains in my top 10 tunes of all time."

Location: Mannion Studio, New York

Date: June 10, 2005

"This shoot came together based on a desire to work with the artist who truly opened the gateway to reggae music for me back in 1992. The album Mr. Mention changed my musical world forever. That moment of discovery opened up an entirely new lane of what has become a musical genre that I'm truly passionate about. Artists like Super Cat, Beres Hammond, Shabba Ranks quickly became my favorite artists. I dove in.

"The session was held at what Buju called 'Gargamel North' (aka Mannion Studio in Gramercy Park, New York) because of the solid vibes in the room. He stayed for the whole day making phone calls, doing interviews, and relaxing. It was a total honor to work with this legend with an unparalleled voice! The images went on to be used for the albums Rasta Got Soul and Too Bad. I look forward to many more incredible moments with Mark Myrie, and believe me, we already have things in the works! I send strength and blessings to him as he waits patiently for his return to the brightest spotlight. "

Location: Brooklyn

Date: September 3, 2004

"Still wielding the name that the streets gave him, Mos Def and I spent a moment in Brooklyn, near where he was living at the time, to make this image. He had just come back from Boca Raton, Fla. where he made a pit stop at a thrift store. I remember him bubbling over with happiness because he had acquired so many good pieces, all of which he wore in this one moment. The shoes had 'tap' toes (underneath the shoe) and had the hand written price tag still on a piece of paper stuck with Scotch tape. The cane had a bronze baby shoe as the handle, and the vintage Moschino sweater was more than vibrant. What to take away from this image is pure style. While there are labels that can be referenced and thrown out there, Yasiin put this outfit together with ease and clarity. I have never had a bad session with Dante Smith. He is always totally present and connected to the moment once he's there. This particular moment was lit from a golden light that reflected off a building, creating these beautiful pools of light.

"We chased one other moment that day, which made the cover of the magazine that we were shooting for, that was a total departure from this mature and classic portrait. The same colorful sweater matched an incredible graffiti mural color for color. His 'old school' pose sealed the deal and reinforced just how versatile this legendary character is. Yasiin Bey is a true 1 of 1."

Location: Mannion Studio, New York

Date: October 10, 2003

"This was the very first session that I completed in my studio back in 2003. I was so eager to shoot in the new space that we did the shoot without a completed roof! Renovations were temporarily halted on that calm autumn day, as we were waiting for an 18x20 foot skylight to be installed... just enough time to create a legendary session with an industry powerhouse.

"Another 'first' was that this photo shoot was the first-ever magazine cover for him. The artistic energy in my studio was palpable. I knew that Kanye was going to be massive, so I really wanted to rise to the occasion. I loved that he really had harnessed his unique vision for who he was going to become and wasn't going to stop until it was achieved. I commend him on always challenging himself to do it better than he did before. Forever reinventing himself and exploring uncharted territory, Kanye is master at his craft.

"The Louis Vuitton Don came equipped for business with his LV duffle and a simply styled outfit that he put together himself. Everything was considered, and I'm hopeful that we can complete the 10-year run in my studio with a 'grand closing' to what was certainly a grand opening!"

Location: Miami

Date: December 9, 1999

"Epitomizing the feeling of the 305, this simple and sexy image marks a day filled with gorgeous, scantily-clad ladies at the home of Uncle Luke from 2 Live Crew. At one point we were doing a photograph in his backyard pool. I had Uncle Luke swimming through the legs of about eight girls, trying to revisit the feeling of the Nevermind album cover for Nirvana, (the one where the baby is floating underwater in the pool chasing that dollar bill on a fishing line) but I wanted to make it more applicable to the aura that surrounds Luke wherever he goes. This particular moment was an undeniable one for me where we had wrapped the shoot with Luke, but I wanted to shoot one last shot of Tasha who was already eating a sucker. She was quiet throughout the day, very professional, and when I asked to shoot a photo of her, she gladly agreed. Her body was simply spectacular, and she turned on the attitude to make this gem of a photo. Somehow the 'vibe' that I was going for all came together in this one moment for me.

"It was a very tough day at the 'office' as you can imagine."

Location: Atlanta

Date: August 27, 1998

"It's hard to put in words the respect that I have for this powerhouse duo. Each embracing who they were in this moment: Andre 3000 with his fresh cornrows with beads to tie them off, Outkast varsity jacket on, soccer shorts and snowboarding boots coupled with Big Boi's all Atlanta everything, gold chain and flip flops. This photograph really reflected a calm confidence that they had with the release of the album ATLiens and the run that they had afterwards.

"It was my first trip to Atlanta, and I can honestly say, it changed my life. Understanding how important a musical wave was in other parts of the country, how style shifted, and how people were moved by different music really opened up my eyes to my real role of documenting what these moments felt like so that these characters would be forever understood. This portrait of Outkast marked another 'moment of arrival' for me on the music scene. I cracked into Atlanta and have continued to contribute to that musical movement to this very day."

Location: Atlanta

Date: April 29, 2005

"Shot for his album cover, we spent an entire day location scouting together to get the real stories behind where and how he grew up. I always like to go to the foundation of the individual as it allows for a richer presentation of who they are at the core. I can take a great photo anywhere, but photos that have personal stories attached to them allow another level of importance to be achieved.

"Photographed in the back yard of his grandmother's house with Big Gipp's Cadillac with 'gullwing' doors, this humble photograph reveals an amazing truth. You instantly know what this situation feels like—soggy backyard, flip flops, and socks, washing down the Caddy for an amazing night out in ATL. To this day this is in the top 10 images that I've ever taken. It's a perfect image to me that was based on family coming together to create a lasting moment. My parents happened to be in Atlanta and came by the session and shared great conversation with Killer Mike, Mike's grandmother, his sons, and the rest of his family. I remember real joy on that day. Nothing felt like work; it was simply friends and family sharing a moment that was documented for the rest of the world to feel and appreciate. These are the reasons why I take pictures: for the stories and the camaraderie."

Location: Kingston, Jamaica

Date: January 20, 2000

"Overflowing with pride, this gentleman was laying the foundation for what would become the recording studio at David House, Capleton's home base in Papine—an area of Kingston, Jamaica as Old Hope Road turns to go up the mountain. He only had a moment to spare as he carried cinder block after cinder block around the back of the house where the studio would be built. The beauty of a 665 Polaroid was that you could give the image that you took away to the person as a thank you for the moment while still keeping the negative so that a print could be made at a later date.

"This overcast day allowed for perfect light to be achieved in order to perfectly sculpt this man's face. The background that reflected a heaping pile of cinder blocks still to be carried, most likely by him, was a perfect tie in to the moment. These situations that I respond to are the ones that define who I am as a shooter. I'm comfortable shooting with massive celebrities and can make some amazing portraits where I control the moment and make an image happen. It's when the moment reveals itself to you as a shooter, and you react to harness that magic that is the real gift of photography.

"This is my favorite shot of the show."