Ever since his high school teacher put a camera in his hand and appointed him the photo editor of the school newspaper, Phillup Lyons hasn’t put it down since. Lyons (Rouge Jungle to the world), is a self taught full-time photographer who said it’s taken a lot of trial and error to get him to this point.

“The challenge that all creatives face is learning their value and then honoring that in their pricing,” Lyons said. “It’s not till you gain confidence in your knowledge base and your work that you can put a dollar amount into your time.”

After high school, Lyons attended Virginia State University in the pursuit of a Mass Communications degree as a result of his involvement in his high school newspaper. He joined the army, however, and realized he wanted to give back after deploying so he changed his major to social work (and a minor in sociology). Lyons stayed in the profession for a decade working in group homes and then intensive in-home counseling but never forgot about his camera.

“Photography was always a nondestructive way for me to release [and] decompress, [then] it became my source of happiness,” Lyons said. “I was much happier creating than filling out case notes.”

Lyons’ majoring and minoring in social work and sociology respectively is what sets his work apart because it allows him to use multiple lenses when he’s documenting the human experience. As photography is about capturing the human experience, Lyons said when people see his work, he wants them to connect with the themes of the messages or see themselves in his art.

Lyons said his work is personal because it’s his life and his experience as a black man is on display for the world. Though he doesn’t share much of his personal life, he believes art is intimate and discussed how it can lead to establishing a connection with an audience.

“Something happened in a situation, a conversation, or an event that inspired me to … rap, sing, paint, etc, [so] my audience has a direct connection and probably can tell where I am in my life based on my tone, the colors I use, and the frequency of my posts via social media,” Lyons said. “Artists build a relationship with their audience directly or indirectly. Your audience chooses you based on your content, values and beliefs, [and] you choose them because of what you choose to share. It’s like a marriage.”

Lyons initially focused on boudoir photography in the first stretch of his career, which led to his work being deemed controversial, loss of friendships and constant defending of his work.

“By definition, this is a style of photography that values the feminine form as a form of art and embraces the sensual side of the human experience. Now add that with the fact that I am focusing on black women,” Lyons said. “The black feminine form by itself is controversial and is always the subject of conversation, [but] the nude/semi-nude black female form exposed is like playing with a lit stick of dynamite. Now take those two variables and add because I am a black male and explosions will happen.” 

Lyons said the female form is both powerful and beautiful and inspires respect and inspiration, which he explores through his work. His last exhibit (and his first act of being a full-time artist), RAW, explored themes from the Body Positive and #MeToo movements because he wanted to show other photographers and his audience that you don’t have to employ the male gaze in a negative way and still get your point across.

The show was a personal triumph for Lyons, who said he was able to deliver his raw and unapologetic style with little to no nudity and he lauded being able to execute a show led by women.  

“My management, the DJ and the subjects of the show were all women. In addition, only one of the women featured in the show was a professional model. The others agreed, including an office manager, a professional stylist, a licensed hairstylist and a barber,” Lyons said. “None of them have ever been in an exhibit, [but] they were able to deliver high quality images and I am so proud of what we accomplished. ”

The first camera Lyons had (and the camera that built his career) was a Canon Rebel T3i with a stock lens that was unfortunately stolen at the beginning of the pandemic last year. The theft was a low point for Lyons, who at that point was unemployed with no car or a consistent source of income. Never one to let adversity defeat him, he applied for and received a grant, which was the financial breakthrough needed to give him the space and time to execute his plan.

The new camera (a Panasonic-Lumix GH5 with an 80mm lens) plus being forced to isolate and focus led to Lyons’ new photography book, REIMAGINE, a collection of his work over three years and a declaration to himself and others to challenge your self. Lyons said he’s known for one style of photography but practices many others and he wanted to give people a physical representation of how he thinks about his work.

“REIMAGINE was a declaration to myself and the world to take me seriously. I am not doing this as a hobby; I am a real artist with ambition. It also gave people a chance to have a physical embodiment of my work and my aesthetic. The fashion industry influences me, especially streetwear, REIMAGINE tapped into those elements of my inspiration,” Lyons said. “I want people to feel like they bought something from a small high-end brand, that’s how I view myself as an artist. Every project feels like a mixtape or an album, I have to generate the same quality of art to get the same amount of money.”

Up next for Lyons is the 100 Black Fathers Project, which he is currently scouting applicants for and he will release once the work is done.

“In 2019, I was made aware of a report issued by the CDC titled Fathers’ Involvement With Their Children: United States, 2006-2010. It [revealed] that black fathers are the most involved in their children’s lives [so] I thought that was interesting and decided to explore it and see where it could go,” Lyons said. “Again, photography is about documenting the human condition, so I thought that would be an amazing story to tell through my lens.”

Lyons said he has a few projects he wants to get started on for 2022 and beyond. After joking that the upgrade in camera equipment was like going from driving a Honda Civic to a Mercedes Benz, he said everything learned from his Canon days allowed him to create clearly and concisely with his new camera and reflected on what’s changed since his first photo shoot. 

“I have a better understanding of what makes a good photo, I have a better understanding of how to direct people when I am working with them, I understand how to use light and negative space to make my subject stand out,” Lyons said. “I know the questions to ask clients, to help me understand their vision so I can deliver what they want, [and] most importantly, I have the confidence to treat my business like a business and not a school project.”

Find and book Rouge Jungle on Instagram, Tumblr, Behance, and his official website.