56 Photos of Young American Males as Art

For over 20 years, Terry Smith has been photographing the street kids, skaters, and homeless youth of Southern California.

There is already a book on Blurb, but now Smith is funding a film documentary, America's Finest Kids. Smith lives in San Diego, and the editor, Alexander Kargaltsev, lives in Brooklyn, N.Y. Some of the funds will be bringing the two together to work in person on the film. For the most part. though, it will be done online using Skype.

Since the photo essay began in 1996 and film production in 2004, nearly $200,000 has already been spent on production. There are over 80 hours of footage and thousands and thousands of stills.

"The film's title can be understood as a metaphor, if that helps," Smith says. "Here in San Diego, we are used to seeing and hearing 'America's Finest City' on the news, murals, businesses, and newspaper. This fact would influence me later on. Before the film, there was and is my photo essay on youth culture as art.

"For two years I taught myself photography, looking at magazines, books and even reading through a college photography textbook, many times over. This process has helped me work through depression and the act of photographing literally saved my life.

"It's 2018 now and over 70 subjects have been photographed and filmed. Many of the straight boys are now fathers. Some have 'come of age' by posing nude for my camera when they turned 18. One of my earliest muses is now a family man and very successful in the film industry, having won an Emmy."

The images are not without controversy. Some exhibits were banned. The young men he photographs are often at-risk street kids. Perhaps some are upset by the mirror shown of how young men are considered disposable. Ultimately, Smith seeks to elevate these young men, to help give them a sense of self. And the film aims to help these guys tell their stories.

If you want to help finance the production of the film, there are some great perks. Go to Indiegogo.com to find out more. You can see more on his website and Instagram, and uncensored photos on Tumblr.