What kind of camera I use (+ other frequently asked questions)
What kind of camera do you use?
The photos I post to this blog and to my portfolio have been taken with these cameras: Sony A55, Sony A77, and the Sony A99 . I try to include what camera I use in each post.
I also use my iPhone 4S quite often. In fact, I am very passionate about mobile photography and also do freelance work for Camera+ - which is a mobile photography app for the iPhone, iPad and iPod Touch used by over 10 million people.
When and how did you start photography? What inspires you?
I started taking photos in a rather stream-of-consciousness manner. Since I live in New York City, I don’t drive. Without much in the way of material things or financial prosperity, walking became my way to deal with stress. It also became a way for me to experience the city like I hadn’t before. I would choose a direction and walk as far as my feet would take me; I still do this. As the scenery unfolded before me, I began noticing lines, forms and structures that I‘d previously ignored. To embrace my newfound sense of wonder, I took the only camera I could afford at the time, a simple point-and-shoot costing less than $100, on these walking adventures. I just wanted to capture these moments and experiences that made my heart swell.
In 2010, I decided to post these photos online to keep a record of my walking adventures. It was purely for myself, and initially, I settled on using both Tumblr and Flickr to archive them. Since I had no formal training in photography or real knowledge of the rules and concepts defining the field, it didn’t occur to me that I’d have an audience for my work. Having limited tools enticed me to learn more about light, which in turn, has set me on a lifelong journey attempting to capture something as fleeting and vast as the transient quality of New York City.
Currently, I am focused on distilling the essence of New York City into distinctive visual remnants that resonate in a variety of ways. I am endlessly haunted by a sense of saudade as I travel around New York City: a deep longing for a place that is unidentifiable but somehow familiar and indicative of what could be identified as home. I am on a neverending quest to attempt to imbue my photography with this complex notion of saudade.
Additionally, I am inspired by all of the things that New York City symbolizes for people who both live here and/or live elsewhere and I try to examine and delve into these enduring symbols with my photography.
What part of NYC did you grow up in? Where do you live now?
I was born and raised in a borough of New York City called Queens. More specifically, I grew up in Flushing, Queens. I have lived in Manhattan for the last decade. I currently live on the Lower East Side of Manhattan.
Has your work been featured anywhere?
Yes, my photography has been featured in a variety of publications online and in print, as well as on TV:
The Biography Channel, The History Channel, cover art for the book A Killer’s Essence by Dave Zeltserman, cover art for the anthology It’s Animal, but Merciful, cover art for the “Lucky Now” single by Ryan Adams, Cover of the inaugural issue of the Lo-Down Magazine, Gallery showing - Mars Bar Retrospective - at Plush NYC, ABC News Online, NBC News Online, The National Endowment for the Humanities Magazine, Io Donna - Corriere Della Sera, on a billboard screen in midtown Manhattan during the summer of 2012, NY Times - Local East Village, Digital Journal, Huffington Post, Travel and Leisure, BoingBoing, My Modern Met, Gothamist, Curbed, Eater, Time Out NY, Racked, Yahoo News, Manhattan User Guide, BlackBook Magazine, Kate Spade NY, Newsweek Online, Village Voice Online, Buzzfeed, NabeWise, Neighborhoodr, NearSay, The Lo-Down NY, Bowery Boogie, EV Grieve, The Frisky, and Schmap Guide Sixteenth Edition.
Here are a few interviews I did for online publications:
Mortal Muses: Conversation with Vivienne Gucwa
Shooting New York City, with heart, art, and soul
Here is a short documentary interview (filmed in the summer of 2012) where I discuss my photography origins and inspirations:
Here are a few photo-assignments I did for the NY Times - East Village back when I first started dabbling in photography :
Viewfinder - The Art of Mars Bar
Inside Obscura’s New Location: More Macabre Than the Funeral Home Before It?
Making It - Patti Kelly, Stained-Glass Artist
Photos: Last Night at Holiday Cocktail Lounge
As Fragrance Shop Reopens, Porsena Vies for Its Old Digs
Where else can I find you online?
My online photography portfolio
Can I purchase prints of your photos?
Yes, you can. You can view New York City prints in my online photography store/portfolio here.
Do you take commercial requests?
Yes. Some of my work is available for commercial usage on Stocksy and the bulk of my work is available for commercial requests for usage in a large variety of media.
If you wish to contact me regarding my work (which can be found mainly here: New York City photography portfolio as well as on my Flickr) whether it be for a commercial request or for a freelance assignment, you can contact me at photos@nythroughthelens.com .
