Lickshot: A Photo Scrapbook - Hardcover

"I'm a big fan of what Ben Watts (yes, hes Naomis brother) does with his photography. He shoots a lot for Vanity Fair and Rolling Stone, but his celebrity (and fashion) photos are always a bit more gritty and real than other glossier fare. It always seems like everyone on his shoots is really enjoying the process. So I was psyched to get an advance copy of his new book, Lickshot, coming out in October. This compilation is set up like a scrapbook and a travel diary, so while there are celebrity and model faces in the mix, there are also loads of real, or whatever you want to call them, people. But they are all super interesting skaters, bikers, surfers and all-around unique characters. I especially loved the collage pages with notes from subjects or Ben himself scribbled in the margins of Polaroids and test shots. As Ingrid Sischy says in her interview with Ben which serves as the books introduction: I think the boxing metaphor works for how you approach your pictures. You throw a right here, a left there. You go for a knockout. And you've made a kind of sport out of photography. Your subjects don't just stand there and say cheese I couldn't agree more." --Fashionista

"...a very personalized document of Ben Watts eye to the world: a youthful and vibrant place teeming with excitement and attitude." --Flaunt Magazine

"Cliched literary critic types expound upon the latest trendy tomes as being a page turner or impossible to put down. Schlepping through some of these grandiose examples of compulsive reading can involve putting your life on hold for days at a time for a payoff as potentially exciting as cleaning the fridge. Finally, photographer Ben Watts presents an alternative to literary bullshit with his latest opus entitled Lickshot: A Photo Scrapbook. This book of photographs will draw you in and defy any attempt you make to put it down without first looking at each and every page. This isnt a threat, this is a promise! When Ben Watts isnt shooting advertising campaigns for Nike, Kodak and Sony Music or contributing to magazines like GQ, Interview, Rolling Stone or VIBE, (hey, we all need a day job), hes capturing the likes of Heath Ledger, Mary J. Blige, Benicio del Toro, Tom Waits, B. B. King, Guy Pearce, Lance Armstrong, Lou Reed and Jay-Z (to name only a few) in both contrived and candid shots and assembling them into what can only be called a paparazzos wet dream. Ben cuts a wide swath with Lickshot and brings together some unlikely subject matter in this beautiful ode to modern imagery and celebrity worship. Whether its Kevin Bacon after too many beers or Nelly humping a ghetto blaster, no one is safe from the ever capturing eye of Ben Watts. Cool cars, cool grills, cool clothes and cool people is what this book is all about and not one of Ben's pictures misses the mark. Ben is either a gifted photographer or he takes more pictures than you do in a lifetime to come up with so many quality shots. Also included is an interview conducted by Ingrid Sischy, (editor in chief of Interview Magazine) with Ben that sheds some light on his life and work. Pick it up, but be warned! Lickshot: A Photo Scrapbook truly is impossible to put down." -- Grimm Culhane --Abortmag

"Time for a little MusicBlogger book club. Last week, photographer Ben Watts' excellent photo scrapbook Lickshot hit stores. The 200+ page hardcover is a mish-mash compilation of images, polaroids, contact sheets and graffiti scrawlings that combine to show the depth of work Watts (brother of actress Naomi) has done over the last decade.An impressive group of music industry luminaries--Bruce Springsteen, Lil Wayne, Alicia Keys, Coldplay, the Black Eyed Peas, Ben Harper and Jay-Z (just to name a few)--are captured in Watts' inimitable rough-and-real style alongside stars from Hollywood and sports in the pages of the book." -- Leigh Belz --Teen Vogue

"British-born and Australian-raised, the photographer has made New York City his home now for the past 12 years capturing the essence of street and lifestyle culture. He is a notable force within the entertainment industry, providing his eye for detail and beauty for company giants that include Nike, Apple, Polo Ralph Lauren, Sony Music, GQ, Rolling Stone, New York Times Magazine, VIBE, Elle, Vanity Fair and Harpers Bazaar just to to name a few. Lickshot is a personable scrapbook collection of photographs and Polaroids that ventures into the world of high profile celebrities and youth driven counterculture. With a fervor for life, Watts has the uncanny ability to capture any subjects most intimate moments and raw spirit by putting them instantly at ease in any given setting." -- Peter S. Zebak --Rawthentix

"I try to go for a combination punch, whether it be with color or with the attitude of the person, Ben Watts (brother of Naomi) tells Ingrid Sischy in the interview that begins Lickshot: A Photo Scrapbook, which hits stores today. (The pugilistic metaphor is fitting; in the same conversation Watts also reveals that he boxed in college.) The new book, the follow-up to his 2003 monograph Big Up, sees the celebrated street photographer focusing his lens on an eclectic assortment of subjects among them, skaters, bikers, models, and a heady roster of celebs that includes Bruce Springsteen, Lou Reed, Alicia Keys, Heath Ledger, Adrien Brody, and Mary J. Blige with equally engaging results. Here are some highlights." -- Erin Clements --Elle Magazine

"Ben Watts is a NYC-based photographer (and the brother of Naomi Watts) who shoots various ad campaigns and editorials for magazines such as Rolling Stone, Vanity Fair and Elle. Back in 2004, I was strolling past a bookshop in Philly when I noticed a book in the window Big Up by Ben Watts. I had seen a review on this book in a magazine and had been looking for it everywhere. That night, as I leafed through every page, I was mesmerized. Big Up started as Ben Watts personal scrapbook and grew from there; turning into a photographic diary with photos of everything from rap stars to wrestlers to kids on the street, with a few celebrities thrown in for good measure. So, imagine how excited I was last week when I found out he is releasing a follow-up, Lickshot. Lickshot is, once again, a sort of scrapbook/travel diary, full of his rough and realistic photographs and Polaroids together with scribbled notes about each subject. This time around, we have biker gangs mixed with supermodels mixed with sunbathers mixed with actors/musicians (including the late Heath Ledger, Bruce Springstreen, Rachel Weisz, etc). I have pre-ordered Lickshot and have started flicking through Big Up again, getting myself ready." --Mamas A Rolling Stone

"You'll adore Lickshot, SELF Lensman Ben Watts's new book of his favorite work." --Self Magazine

"Today's street style photographers might come a dime a dozen on the web, but before this style of photography became in vogue, photographer Ben Watts was roaming New York in the 90s in search of eclectic personalities to shoot. Unlike many photographers who turn their lenses to stylish pedestrians wearing ultra-styled looks, Watts street subjects were raw, authentic, and the antithesis of high fashion. In his latest book, Lickshot, Watts revisits his passion for diverse subcultures with a collage of images taken over the years of skaters, hip-hop heads and surfers." -- Alexander Phanor-Faury --Black Book

"Ben Watts is internationally known for bringing the frenetic verve of street photography to his diverse body of work. Whether on location for Vanity Fair, Elle, Rolling Stone, or Nike, Watts's camera captures a feeling of barely contained, youthful energy and sucks the raw essence out of his subjects." --The Prestige