Ridgeboiz is an ongoing series that focuses on a specific brotherhood of skateboarders. The name Ridgeboiz corresponds with the location of the skate park in Ridgewood New Jersey, where skaters come from various locations and backgrounds go to skate and hang out with other locals. By focusing on my friend group, through the lens of a camera, I have gained new insight; revealing a physical and psychological transition from teenagers to young adults. The way they express themselves and influence one another is fascinating. Body language is one of the various qualities that jump out within the group of images. The impact of trends, fashion, fads, and the use of social media are a way of finding individual identity and expressing it. There is something about the fenced in skate park that creates an escape for skateboarders to be free.
By examining my close and personal group of friends I attempt to further understand the emerging subculture of the skateboarding world and it’s impact on my friends and I. Through the photographic process I am able to slow down and analyze various themes such as masculinity, freedom, and the idea of a place that corresponds to my work and the Ridgeboiz.
