I wanted to go amongst gangbangers, to understand this war they were fighting amongst each other. I wanted to document it, [also] to show the human side of it.

Photography is humbling, it really is, and it really allows for me to atone for some of the missteps I've made throughout the course of my life.

Sometimes we are just divided, but we still, for the most part, we have similar hopes and dreams.

For me, the stars are the invisible people on the street that people don't really get a chance to know.

The majority of the people I've taken photographs of, I've had conversations with. "What are your goals and aspirations?" "What are you about?" It's not just about me capturing the image; I want to know what you are about.

Philip Jones Griffith documented the Vietnam War, and through his images that were published in Time Life Magazine, it showed me the horrors of war and at that time, I wanted to be a war photographer, based off his work.

I place myself in situations where a lot of people are going to be, and bring a particular body of work that reflects the people already there. You have to study your subject.