During the dark ages of cannabis prohibition and especially before the internet, it could prove challenging to simply find a photograph of your favorite plant — particularly if you didn’t want to settle for looking at a stack of bricked-up weed piled in front of the cops who had just confiscated it.
Ed Rosenthal, Jorge Cervantes, Ed Rosenthal, the founders of High Times in 1974 and the first generation cannabis cultivators were pioneers in cannabis photography. The photos were usually either close-ups or technical images meant to aid underground cultivators in their work.
As legalization grows, cannabis photography has become a very crowded area. We decided to spotlight four of today’s top cannabis photographers to examine the emerging trends in the cannabis scene and see what it says about cannabis’ rapid cultural evolution. Each approaches the art and science of their craft a little differently, but all produce striking images that portray the cannabis plant in a properly positive light — paving the way for a new era of social and legal acceptance in a society increasingly willing and able to see cannabis as a beautiful flower.
Kristen Angelo
@apotfarmersdaughter
Kristen Angelo is a Washington native who hails from Vashon island. She proudly describes herself as “the daughter of pot farmers.” Raised in an idyllic world of small-scale cannabis home-growers and secretive guerrilla patches out in the woods, Angelo had her world shattered as a teenager in the late 1990s when, in her words, her family “became victims of the drug war, ending with a mandatory minimum federal prison sentence for my father for what detectives considered ‘the most sophisticated growing operation’ they’d seen in nearly a decade.”
Angelo still sees the photography she did twenty years ago as a form of rebellion against drug prohibition. She wants to portray her subjects in an honest, insightful and authentic way. Her aim is to “document cannabis and its humanity with an accurate and insightful visual story.” All this to “dismantle the preconceived notions of mainstream stereotypes that still linger around cannabis culture.” She has had her work featured by a variety of media, such as Cannabis Now and the bestseller “The Cannabis Grow Bible”: The definitive guide to growing marijuana for recreational and medicinal use. Her photos appeared in an exhibition at the Oakland Museum of California in 2016 called Altered State Marijuana In California. This was the first major U.S. museum exhibit dedicated to cannabis.
Shot at Tahoma Farmers
Cascade Gnome Farms.
Altoids can with roaches.
Take a Shot at Suspended Brands
Justin Cannabis
Justin Cannabis, a commercial photographer who is regarded as one of industry’s best, says the roots of art took hold in his Northern California upbringing. From a young age, he’d always loved skateboarding — both riding himself and the culture that surrounds it — and so he began by taking photos of his immediate surroundings for fun. Santa Cruz Skateboards is a lifestyle and board brand that has been around for over a decade. His passion combined with his technical skills led to him working there. The job allowed him to turn a passion into a profession.
Cannabis began photographing California’s new and hottest strains of marijuana, before other states had even tasted it. Cannabis published many covers in High Times. Most famous for creating vibrant, studio photos using color filters and flashes. These images have graced countless walls of people who wish that they could smoke the fine flower. His work has appeared in books, calendars and he’s even ventured to the field to capture cannabis grow-ops and gardens around the world.
Strain: Alien OG
High Times Hydro Issue Cover
Professional skateboarder Dave Gravette.
A dab rig is featured in another High Times article.
Bruce Wolf
What happens when two cannabis-loving people marry? Laurie Wolf and Bruce Wolf have joined forces to create some of the most delicious and classy edibles photography on earth. Dubbed “The Martha Stewart of Weed” by none other than the New Yorker, Laurie has since made a name for herself as the author of four cannabis books — “HERB,” Cooking with Cannabis,” “Marijuana Edibles,” and “The Medical Marijuana Dispensary” — while contributing infused recipes to Cannabis Now and other leading media companies.
Her husband Bruce has captured all her culinary masterpieces using his extensive background in commercial and fine art photography. They look beautiful and approachable. Cannabis edibles are a great way to help bridge social divides, and remove stigmas. You can also find out more about the people who are behind this. Bruce’s depictions of the artfully presented food that his wife prepares reinforces the notion that cannabis can be a joy and blessing to share.
Cover image for Cannabis Now Issue 14.
Straining oils out of cooked cannabis by using cheesecloth when making cannabutter.
The finished product from a cannabis recipe.
The home kitchen of Laurie & Maryjane.
Sean Moore, also known as. Dankshire
@dankshire_
Moore, who is self-taught and uses a DSLR and macro lens, has carved out a special niche for himself, taking super close up photos of cannabis products in the most minute detail. His work captures alien landscapes as well as strange worlds such as sugars or shatters. Self-taught and shooting with a DSLR and macro lens, Moore came up through the cannabis scene in Washington state, working for extract artists, friendly growers and dispensary operators — first sharing his work on Instagram before catching the eye of larger magazines and media outlets.
Moore’s photos are bright, clear, and detailed. They show globs and scoops that look just like honey or dabs of golden extracts. The biggest challenge for Moore is keeping dust particles and hairs away from the sticky substances. A tiny bit of dirt, or a stray fingerprint could ruin a beautiful shot.
Moore is constantly thinking of new and innovative ways to experience cannabis. He wants to showcase the plant’s beauty and preserve the work of a growing class of alchemists who are working on psychedelics.
White Widow, Terp Co.
Strain: Mantis extracts Nightmare cookies
This article was originally published in Cannabis Now Issue 31. LEARN MORE
TELL USWho is your favourite cannabis photographer?