Benjamin Oliver Anthony Watts
[; can be viewed at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qHyvx2EoWnk] (born 19 January 1967) is a British-born
photographer
A photographer (the Greek φῶς (''phos''), meaning "light", and γραφή (''graphê''), meaning "drawing, writing", together meaning "drawing with light") is a person who makes photographs.
Duties and types of photographers
As in other ...
based in
New York City
New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the most densely populated major city in the Un ...
, whose work has been published in various international fashion magazines, such as ''
Elle
''Elle'' (stylized ''ELLE'') is a worldwide women's magazine of French origin that offers a mix of fashion and beauty content, together with culture, society and lifestyle. The title means "she" or "her" in French. ''Elle'' is considered the w ...
'', ''
Vogue
Vogue may refer to:
Business
* ''Vogue'' (magazine), a US fashion magazine
** British ''Vogue'', a British fashion magazine
** ''Vogue Arabia'', an Arab fashion magazine
** ''Vogue Australia'', an Australian fashion magazine
** ''Vogue China'', ...
'', ''
Harper's Bazaar'', ''
Vanity Fair'', and ''
Condé Nast
Condé Nast () is a global mass media company founded in 1909 by Condé Montrose Nast, and owned by Advance Publications. Its headquarters are located at One World Trade Center in the Financial District of Lower Manhattan.
The company's media ...
Traveller''.
Biography
Watts was brought up in
Australia.
He is the older brother of actress
Naomi Watts
Naomi Ellen Watts (born 28 September 1968) is a British actress. After her family moved to Australia, she made her film debut there in the drama '' For Love Alone'' (1986) and then appeared in three television series, '' Hey Dad..!'' (1990), '' ...
and son of
Peter Watts, who was initially a road manager for
Pink Floyd and later their sound engineer, and was found dead of an apparent
heroin overdose in August 1976, aged 30.
Watts studied at the
Sydney College of the Arts in
Australia, where he started his photographic career as a photographer's assistant.
Career
He first came to New York in 1990, where he started documenting urban youth and was especially fascinated by hip hop culture. He moved to New York circa 1993.
His work was shown in ''
Vibe
''Vibe'' is an American music and entertainment magazine founded by producers David Salzman and Quincy Jones. The publication predominantly features R&B and hip hop music artists, actors and other entertainers. After shutting down producti ...
'' and ''
Rolling Stone
''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner, and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason. It was first known for its ...
'' and in advertisements for
Nike
Nike often refers to:
* Nike (mythology), a Greek goddess who personifies victory
* Nike, Inc., a major American producer of athletic shoes, apparel, and sports equipment
Nike may also refer to:
People
* Nike (name), a surname and feminine give ...
,
Reebok
Reebok International Limited () is an American fitness footwear and clothing manufacturer that is a part of Authentic Brands Group. It was established in England in 1958 as a companion company to J.W. Foster and Sons, a sporting goods company ...
and
Gap.
Besides his work for fashion magazines, Watts has shot advertising campaigns for companies such as
Polo Ralph Lauren
Ralph Lauren Corporation is an American publicly traded fashion company that was founded in 1967 by American fashion designer Ralph Lauren. The company is headquartered in New York City, producing products ranging from the mid-range to the luxur ...
,
Kodak
The Eastman Kodak Company (referred to simply as Kodak ) is an American public company that produces various products related to its historic basis in analogue photography. The company is headquartered in Rochester, New York, and is incorpor ...
,
Sony Music
Sony Music Entertainment (SME), also known as simply Sony Music, is an American multinational music company. Being owned by the parent conglomerate Sony Group Corporation, it is part of the Sony Music Group, which is owned by Sony Entertainme ...
and
Apple
An apple is an edible fruit produced by an apple tree (''Malus domestica''). Apple trees are cultivated worldwide and are the most widely grown species in the genus ''Malus''. The tree originated in Central Asia, where its wild ancestor, ' ...
.
Publications
* ''Portraits'' (2000)
* ''Body and Soul'' (2001)
* ''Tattoo Nation'' (2002)
* ''Soul Style'' (2003)
* ''History of Hip Hop'' (2003)
* ''Tomo'' (2003)
* ''Big Up'' (2004)
* ''Montauk Dreaming'' (2015)
References
External links
*
photographers limited editions- Online Gallery
- Interview with Ben Watts about ''Big Up''
{{DEFAULTSORT:Watts, Ben
1967 births
Photographers from New York City
Living people
Place of birth missing (living people)
Australian photographers