Jim Mangan photographs Frank Ocean’s ATV adventure in ‘Boys Don’t Cry’ zine

Frank Ocean off roading on a 4x4, aka four wheeler, partially submerged in water from a river.

“Crouching Tiger, Hidden Water Moccasin,” Jim Mangan.

In Frank Ocean’s Boys Don’t Cry magazine, American photographer Jim Mangan captured him, his longtime friend Ray Buck, and others mudding on amphibious quad bikes in an article titled “Crouching Tiger, Hidden Water Moccasin.” Mangan shot the series in Red Creek Off-Road ATV Park near Perkinston, Mississippi, in 2015.

Mississippi’s Red Creek gets its name from the naturally occurring tannins imparted into its waters by surrounding vegetation, which gives the tributary its reddish-brown appearance. In Mangan’s photos, the models are shown driving through and covered in this tannin-rich mud. The area is also home to Water Moccasins, also known as Cottonmouths, a venomous pit viper indigenous to the southern United States, often found near bodies of water. The latter half of the title, “Hidden Water Moccasin,” likely references an encounter with the snake during the four-by-four excursion.

Raymond Buck has been Ocean’s companion since their mid-teens. He previously appeared on the cover artwork for Ocean’s 2012 breakout single “Thinkin Bout You” and performed vocals in the skit that opens his 2012 studio album Channel Orange, titled “Start.”

“Thinkin Bout You,” artwork feat. Ray Buck, 2012.

Mangan, a professional photographer based in Los Angeles, contributed another series in Boys Don’t Cry magazine titled “Blast CMD + C,” which captures a car drifting through the sand dunes of Goblin Valley, Utah. After the zine’s publication, he shared photos from “Crouching Tiger” on Instagram, writing in the caption:

The backwoods of southern Mississippi—it was down right dirty and fun!

Interestingly, video director Francisco Soriano also shared images from the same 2015 trip on Instagram, including one that features singer Alycia Bella at a gun range; however, neither the photos nor Bella appear in the zine. Mangan is the only person credited for the article’s photography, although Soriano contributed portraits elsewhere in Boys Don’t Cry.

Magazine scans, photos, and outtakes from “Crouching Tiger, Hidden Water Moccasin” are all available below.

Scans & Photography:

Select a photo below to view it fullscreen.

Behind the Scenes:

Select a photo above or below to view it fullscreen.

*Photo by Francisco Soriano.

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American photographer Jim Mangan captures Frank Ocean and his longtime friend Ray Buck driving amphibious all-terrain vehicles in the article “Crouching Tiger, Hidden Water Moccasin” in Ocean’s Boys Don’t Cry magazine. Mangan captured the photo series along Red Creek near Perkinston, Mississippi, in 2015.

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