Essentials: Sam Cones

Finding a passion for photography early on, Sam Cones cleverly found ways to get backstage at different shows around Philadelphia to shoot his favorite artists. He even had his start assisting on video shoots for the city’s most notable rappers too, such as Beanie Sigel and Freeway — all this starting at the age of 16.

Now slightly older at 22, Cones has built a reputation for taking more intimate portraits of today’s best hip-hop acts. He’s shot everyone from Lil Uzi (also a Philly native), Post Malone, The Weeknd, the A$AP Mob, and more — some of them early in their music careers. Cones likes to get personal with these artists as well, building a rapport first before taking any pictures. The result? Now he’s built a pretty large following that resulted in his first solo show in Philly at the Ruckus Gallery and the release of his book Shot by Cones – a collection of polaroids he’s taken of popular personalities over the years.

HYPEBEAST recently caught up with the young photographer to show us his must-have essentials. Some of these include his trusty Supreme tiger camo backpack, disposable cameras, a Canon 5D Mark II, and his one of one Duck Camo flannel shirt by Brooks Bell. Additionally, he shows us his pair of beat-up Jordan 4s. He tells us he’s had so many Js before, but eventually had to sell them. He’s worn this same pair for over two years straight.

You can also grab a copy of Sam Cones’s book here.