Robert Yager is a British born freelance photographer based in Los Angeles. Studying photography in the US, Yager decided to start documenting Los Angeles street gangs in 1991. From there, Yager has been a contributing photographer to a host of magazines.
Biographyedit
Robert Yager grew up in London, England and is a Los Angeles-based photographer. With an interest in anthropology, particularly street and counter-culture and having studied Latin American Studies in the UK and Mexico, as well as photography in the US, Yager decided to delve into the world of Latino street gangs in Los Angeles. It was 1991 and he has been documenting the lives of gang members ever since.
Among the accolades he has received, Yager was awarded a fellowship from the Aaron Siskind Foundation at the School of Visual Arts in New York.
Yager published a book of photographs with great Circle Books, titled 'a.k.a. BooBoo', which covers a 14-year time span in the life of Cindy Martinez, a female gang member. An exhibition of this work led to becoming David Lee Roth's personal photographer, documenting his return to touring the USA & Canada in Van Halen, during 2007, 2008, and again in 2012.
Awards and achievementsedit
2019 – Tokyo International Foto Awards Advertising winner
2019 – International Photography Awards Advertising/Fashion
2019 – PDN Photo Annual 2019 Advertising/Corporate Work winner
2012 – Finalist for the W. Eugene Smith Grant in Humanistic Photography
2008 – PDN Music Photography Award: 2nd place – David Lee Roth & Eddie Van Halen
2008 – International Photography Award: 3rd place- People/Lifestyle – David Lee Roth
2005 – International Photography Awards: 1st place – Editorial/Photo Essay – Playboys Gang Life
2004 – AOP Zeitgeist Award for editorial photography
1998 – 'Award of Excellence' Communication Arts
1996 – ‘Individual Photographer’s Fellowship’, Aaron Siskind Foundation, School of Visual Arts, NY.
1994/95 – 'Southern California Journalism Award', Los Angeles Press Club -'Best Photo Essay' in a weekly newspaper.
1994 – Finalist for the W. Eugene Smith Grant in Humanistic Photography
Exhibitionsedit
2020: "Foremost” Photography World’s Emerging Stars Exhibition – Hotel Collective, Okinawa, Japan, 16-30 January 2020.
2019-20: “Best of Show” International Photography Awards
2019: “On The Block – Images From The Street” – House of Lucie, Los Angeles October-November 2019.
2019: “We Rise” – Los Angeles. 18-27 May 2019.
2018-19: “Ink” – Museum of Latin American Art, Long Beach, California 25 August 2018 – 3 February 2019
2018: “We Rise” – Los Angeles. 18-28 May, 2018.
2018: “How To Read El Pato Pascual” – MAK Center, West Hollywood. September 2017- January 2018.
2014: “Postcards From The Edge” – Groundworks, Downtown Los Angeles. November 2013-January 2014.