It occurred to me at a young age that barbershops were a special place. The sounds and smells alone can cause a feeling of nostalgia, but set them aside and you’re still left with so much more. They are a cornerstone of every community, a safe place to laugh with friends, and a beautiful piece of America culture. As I got older it became obvious that the traditional barbershops I grew up loving were starting to disappear. This made me sad, so in 2012 I began a personal project photographing shops around Southern California as a way to preserve a dying trade. Time went on and my love for the project ballooned while more shops continued to close. Three years later I had visited and documented barbershops in all 50 states. At that point there was a shift in the industry. Barbering became cool. New shops were popping up on almost every corner. Most of them, in my opinion, weren’t worth a damn. Fortunately though, there were some guys that still believe in carrying on the old traditions, while also adding their own modern twist. The contrast was beautiful, and something I had to capture. So the project continued and still does to this day. I still make cross country road trips, and on everyone find myself at one point or another inside a barbershop, camera in hand.
