Samuel James- Abbey Reddington

Not only are Samuel James photo's visually spectacular, they also carry such a heavy weight and tell a very interesting story. Samuel, a photojournalist, scored access to the Niger Delta region, where he brings to light the world of illegal oil trading. Although the people rely upon the river they work on the creeks of, they risk it all by cashing in on this illegal, yet profitable profession. The environmental effects of this trade are detrimental. Locals call this act bunkering, where the stolen oil is taken to remote creeks, distilled to diesel, and shipped down river to the black market. Nigeria, currently the largest oil producer in Africa, also remains the fifth largest suppler to the United States.

Samuel's series plays heavily on light and color and that's why I chose him for this weeks artist. The colors of these swamps are dark grey's, green's, and blacks. Very complimentary of the nigerian people's skin, which have deep maroon tones. Each picture has hints of pastel and man made colors in the products being made, playing with the unnatural hazardous theme. Since most of this work is done at night, there is limited light source, and generally the light is shown mostly in slight highlights of the featured person or in the reflection of the water. Nature vs. man is a big theme in this work, and it's common to see the people stern and proud. A master of the nighttime, Samuel manages to capture beautiful images of this top secret night trade, with very little noise, and a ton of success.