New Magazine Spread Designed and Shot by Yours Truly

Hello world. This is another addition to the repertoire.  I shot this spread with the help of my make up artist Kenecia and a talented new model named Atim.  We shot in Utopia, a sushi and tapa lounge in Atlanta.  The location was ridiculous.  I wanted to create a spread that would feature Utopia from a fashion-forward perspective.  I planned to cover more exclusive venues this way and create fashion spreads around their themes. 

I recently went back to college and got a second degree in document design. Learning to create magazine layouts was the most valuable tool I acquired because now I am a complete package. I shoot the photos, write the articles, and design the graphics of all my projects.  I am currently seeking more projects to perform in a Creative Director role. I'm completely confident juggling these talents.  This is what I love and this is only the beginning. Look for more to come.  Feedback Appreciated.

When Love Is Brand New

"Everythang is cooooool, when loooooove is aaaaaaall brand neeeeeew. Cause you're learning me, and I'm learning you."   

-Musiq Soulchild

Love feels so good when it's brand new right? The tingles you get when your significant someone whispers in your ear.  Just laying in the bed all morning together with no urgency to start your day.  When you still smell the other's cologne or perfume on yourself hours after you've left their presence. New love just brings out the best in people.  The moment you first realize you are genuinely in love with a person is a pivotal experience. Scary almost, because we naturally want to protect ourselves from the disappointments that come with love.  Yet in still, we ignore our fears and trust that this new love will be better than past relationships.   This experience of new love should be embraced, not feared.  There is nothing wrong with loving someone too soon.  Positive energy cannot be denied, trust your emotions. Take full advantage of new love.  You will be surprised how far you could get if you  allowed yourself to be loved without apprehension.    

While on the topic of new love, my wedding season has finally begun. This past Saturday, I had the honor of photographing Charles and Denise Lawton's Wedding.  They were a great couple to work with.  You can tell when they are together that they have a magical chemistry.  I took this photo in the Atlanta Metropolitan Cathedral with the wedding party looking on as they snuck a kiss.  God Bless their union.  

Always Learning Something New

Hello world. Today I photographed a young lady named Nicole. She was a delight to work with. Always smiling and lots of positive energy. She came with magazine clips of what she wanted to look like and she executed them well. My boy Anthony did the makeup and L.A. did her haircoloring. What I like about this shot is its simple seriousness. Every chance I get, I'm studying my craft to elevate the quality of my work. Earlier today, I visited Showcase Camera where I flipped through photo books for some new beauty lighting techniques. I came across this one COVERGIRL ad that really appealed to me. I took some mental notes from the setup in the book and went home to try it for myself...and WALA there you have it!! Stay tuned, more to come.

I'mmmmmm Baaaaaack!

Hello World. Long time no see. I've grown alot artistically AND spiritually in the last few months I've been gone. It's amazing how GOD draws people into your life and creates experiences to build our character. I pray constantly for focus, forgiveness, and perseverance. The times when I felt defeated only made me a stronger man. And though I've been a long way, my journey to greatness is just beginning. With a new studio and a brain full of new projects to undertake, I can see the next level in my horizons. WigginsStudios.com will be the new website. I'm excited about my new projects and I would appreciate everyone's feedback and encouragement. 

Thanks to my personal Clothing Designer, Andre Jamal, for this incredibly clean ensemble. This man is a beast! His debonair collection of mens suits, ties, shirts, and hats is truly redefining the style of our modern day gentlemen. I'm blessed to have him on my team. You can find more samples of his work at andrejamal1970.com.

Iron Kids

During an album shoot I had in the projects of Oakland City, all the neighborhood children began to gather around and watch in amazement. Many of them have never seen or been out past their own block. As I we took a break from shooting one scene, I looked over my shoulder and saw these 4 little girls sitting on an old corroded air conditioner eating slices of white bread. It was snack time! You could see crusts of bread lying on the ground from where they trimmed it off…. we all did it when we were little. For something to drink, they shared a can of Tahitian Treat…now how hood is that? Their clothes were soiled from playing in the grassless courtyard of the housing project. They all jumped down after finishing their bread to ride their rusted tricycles and muddy big wheels lined the bottom of the porch. These were good times for them. It struck me how in all this poverty and grim, these girls who were all no older that 6 years old had the most innocent smiles on there faces. They had no concept of poverty, injustice, or class structure. Their world existed only within the fences of their projects and it was enough for them because it was all they knew. Somehow they found happiness within this desolate existence. I call them…IRON KIDS.

Hip Hop, Where Are You?

Today I was driving to the store and turned to 107.9, Atlanta's Hip Hop Radio Station. Immediately I grimaced at the sounds that came from my speakers. Another local "rapper" whose name I choose not to mention has been on heavy rotation for the past 3 months with his debut single. He meandered through the track with elementary verses that had no substance or message. I shoot my head and asked myself what has Hip Hop become? Why dont't the real MC's get radio play to the masses? I remember a time when Hip Hop pure. No videos exploited our women, protrayed fake lavish lifesyles, or glorified crime. Hip Hop gave the world a first hand look at how Black Culture thrived in America. There are still many MC's out there who have a message in their music that uplifts our people. Unfortunately, new "rappers" in the game are selling there souls for commercial success by making fade music. Fade music to me are songs that are hot today and forgotten tomorrow. Real MC's make songs that speak to your soul and feed your intellect. When ever I photograph a Hip Hop artist, I ask them, "How will your music progress the Hip Hop movement?" To the "rapper", Hip Hop is fame, money, drugs, and women. For the real MC, Hip Hop is revolution.

One Day

New York City is a place that stirs up so much creativity inside me. My friends in NYC are some of the most talented artists in the game right now. NYC is a hustler’s town. You have to be because the cost of living is so high. For the price of a small studio apartment in NYC, I could buy a nice size 3-bedroom house in Georgia; I guess that's why I never moved there. Plus the cold weather never appealed to me. I’m a Down South Georgia Boy, snow and I don’t mix. Everything about New York is so busy. It truly never sleeps. There is so much visual stimulation from the dated architecture to the fashion billboards to Harlem street life. It’s a photographer’s heaven. Walking down Time Square one night, I stopped and took this photograph to remind myself of why I became a photographer. I look at this photo everyday, I inspires me keep pushing for my dreams and make them reality.