Michael Jang

How great are these?! In 1983, Bay Area-based photographer Michael Jang was asked to take head shots of contestants who entered a competition at a local TV station to present the weather forecast. Presumed lost for around 25 years, Jang only recently found the negatives and printed the images up for the very first time. The resulting series is an incredible social study, and with its great fashions and hair styles, something that could easily be a project shot recently by Inez & Vinoodh for V magazine. Jang admits that he isn’t always thinking about documenting the historical significance of his subjects while he is shooting. It is only after the passing of time that he is able to look back at his photographs from the 70s and 80s and see their humor and significance within their social and historical context. 
The series, titled 'Summer Weather' has recently been published as a book. If you like the selection shown here, seek it out.

All images © Michael Jang