NYC 5: The Big Oof / November 15, 2020 by a zugunruhe

Dude.

The last year started out hot. I came back from LA to a relaxed job opportunity only for it to flip into the most gainful employment of my life. Then, COVID-19.

At one point, I was working 80 hours, 7 days a week and still making it a few extra stops on the L every few nights to shoot a show. I feel like I hit on a good style in LA and wanted to explore it further in NYC, no matter the sleep lost, only for everything to shut down after a few months. I transitioned to work from home on March 10th, and NYC began shutting down on the 12th.

Initially, I didn’t go shoot that much. I very much tried to adhere to shut down rules, only going out for groceries and other essential things. While I brought my camera with me, I didn’t start shooting regularly until warm weather started coming around again in May. Even then, it was only a weekend thing.

Since I couldn’t shoot these amazing artists and scenes around the city, I did my best to turn that energy toward refining my composition skills. I started writing a piece of music every day and then sampling radio broadcasts covering the pandemic as well as the Black Lives Matters protests (The latter you can hear on the @_zugunruhe)

I’m a big believer in not wasting my time. This year I was given a lot of time, so I used that daily project to help me create a series of albums. The first two can be found here, and the third will be released at the end of the month.

So. I guess that’s all I have to say. Here’s some photos.

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Dreamscapes 2 / December 19, 2019 by a zugunruhe

Overnight trains across the country travel through stretches of land that give voyeur-esque passage through the lights of distant homes, cars, and fires who are echoed in the sky by the few stars that come out.

Isolation can alter how we perceive our environment. Our minds fill in the negative space and create a fragile surreality that can be broken by a flash of light or any familiar, steady presence.

While the original Dreamscapes aimed to capture the the unreal environment of the midnight sun in the Arctic Circle, the aim of this set is to capture the negative space of rural America to find new unique shapes and patterns with the available light.

Also, these just look kind of cool.

NYC 4/LA 1: The ~BiCoAStaL~ Era / November 15, 2019 by a zugunruhe

Life is wild.

Getting back to NYC in January was bittersweet. Reconnecting at the Greenpoint Gallery is always a treat and Brooklyn is far from the worst place to be. But there was a general uneasiness in me being back in the city. I love taking chances and learning new topographies. Being surprised around every corner is something I live for. I had become addicted to being in situations where I understand nothing.

Many things conspired to me leaving for Los Angeles but it was a welcome change. Mostly because I was able to eat my own words about the city after speaking so poorly of the it while living in Austin. I used the opportunity to see things in a new light. Not only through photographing the insane sunlight in Southern California, but through the people I’ve met, the architecture I’ve stood in, and the general awareness I’ve gained through trying something new.

The last thing I expected was to photograph the poet laureate of Gucci and his lady during a choral arrangement of a Beatles song.

This year I whittled down my gear to one body and one lens. An all manual focus 40mm f/1.2 and very capable full-frame mirrorless. While this limits how I’m able to produce, it frees me from thinking in any other capacity. I can see most shots before I pull out my camera. Because of the sheer amount of shooting I did the last few months of 2018, I know exactly how certain parts of the day will look, how much contrasting sunlight I will need to create shapes with shadows, and where to stand in a DIY space to get the most dramatic shots from one florescent bulb on the wall.

I’m not huge on talking at length with the shots I take, but I believe the last year has allowed me to take serious steps towards much more dynamic photography than I have before. I’m beginning to feel proud of my work and I hope you guys dig it.

Also, how the fuck has it not rained in LA in three months?

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LA

Lightwaves 2: Lightwavy Boogaloo / August 1, 2019 by a zugunruhe

In contrast to my first Lightwaves series, where I camped out on the sea cliffs outside of Skagastrond and did my best to keep my balance from the high winds, this set is defined more by calmer waters.

The original series was shot with a 16mm f/2.8. Since I had sold that lens in NYC for rent, I had to make due with a 15mm f/4.5 (which has also been flipped for rent). This switch influenced a remarkable change in how I could shoot these photographs. Much slower, but much warmer tones. This resulted in aiming to make the rocks and surroundings appear illuminated by the water rather than a mash of color from the waves.

The rocky shores of Vernazza, Manarola, and Corniglia very much helped establish a similar mood to what I shot in Iceland. The waves weren’t as dramatic but the setting helped me deliver what I wanted when I was able to position the camera just right and wasn’t nearly breaking my hand slipping on slick rock.

The annoyingly calm waters of Koh Phi Phi gave me a lot of trouble. Not only was the weather far too calm to get the shots I really wanted, but I had to wait hours for the tide to come in a little stronger and sneak onto resort beaches. The worst part of the experience was the crabs, sea slugs, and what appeared to be multiple prehistoric creatures crawling all over the rocks I needed to station myself on. I repeatedly voiced my apologies to the little dudes for ruining their nap much like I frequently apologized to possible elves hanging around the cliffs in Skagastrond when I had to take a leak. I truly meant no disrespect.

Cinque Terre

Koh Phi Phi

NY3: The 'Do I even live here?' Edition / November 11, 2018 by a zugunruhe

11/15/17-11/15/18 has been an interesting time.

After years of grinding out video editing skills, I landed a good job. After years of grinding out concert photography, people started digging my stuff. It has been cool and exciting.

At the beginning of 2018 I was finishing a temp job at MoMA and am ending the year in Bangkok after a three month stay in Europe that was sparked by acceptance to a residency in Arles, France.

When the year began, I was still developing my Sight + Sound series that I shot from February to May 2017 in Switzerland, Cuba, and Iceland. Work that took me longer than expected because I had no blueprint for the amount of work I wanted to put into it.

I also wanted to make strides in as many production areas as possible.

I took my After Effects time more seriously and began ripping random Soundcloud song to make videos. I began my slow decent into Trapcode and 3d rendering software and very much look forward to what will come from spending more time there.

I sold all of the lenses I was familiar with and attempted to transition to a zoom lens. After I was tired of trading quality for a quick change of focal lengths, I switched back to one main prime and it helped me set my focus for the photo sets that I’m releasing next. I forgot how much I loved the constraint of one focal length to help me think about how to shoot situations.

A slightly depressing but productive 2017 set me up for an insane 2018. I can only hope to work even harder in 2019.

I hope everyone’s next 365 days is productive.