(Photo: Courtesy of Jack Siegel)

Jack Siegel, 22
theskullset.com
“I’ve been shooting my same group of friends for three years. There are about twenty of us in the core group, with lots of other people coming in and out over the years. I started it as a journal, but now it’s like a visual yearbook—something that’s not personal but public, that outside people can look at and watch us all growing up. Most of my friends are used to me taking pictures and just do what they’re gonna do—like drugs or whatever—regardless of the camera. Ryan McGinley [pictured, fourth from left] is one of my biggest influences and heroes. A while back I got an e-mail from him, before we’d ever met, and he told me that he used to do what I’m doing now—shoot his friends going out and doing crazy shit. He told me to start shooting during the day and do less nightlife stuff, which I’ve now started doing.”