Where am I

What pieces or projects have you been working on lately?
I've currently been working on a liminal project titled Where am I. It will be a series of photographs taken around my hometown at night that give off an eerie feeling of an every day scene.

What did you learn (or unlearn) while working on them?
I think the main thing I learned when setting out to capture these photographs, is what I really like taking pictures of and what I can see myself focusing on in the future. Taking these nighttime pictures has really been sort of therapeutic and has really helped me home in on what kind of photographs I want to be remembered for.

What words, ideas or emotions were going through your head?
The main emotion running through my head when taking these photographs is anxiety. I get really in my head when taking photographs and being out late at night by myself. I constantly have a voice of self-doubt just telling me to not go to certain places, to not stop and take that picture or that I'll get in trouble if someone sees me etc. The funny thing is that over the years of taking pictures no one has ever even come up and said anything to me, so I've really been big on practicing the art of asking for forgiveness and not permission, because I really am the only one holding myself back sometimes.

Were there any conversations, movies, music, or books that made their way into that work?
I've definitely done some soul-searching and I've been watching a lot of interviews on Willem Verbeeckchannel, but the one that spoke to me the most was Todd Hido’s. That really helped me kind of home in on what I wanted to do for this upcoming project.

What's been the most difficult thing you've faced recently in your creative process?
Without a doubt it's the weather up here in Upstate NY. We just had a crazy snowstorm and it's been unbearably cold outside, so finding the motivation to go out in this weather after working a 8+ hour shift is really difficult. Luckily, I've been pretty motivated lately, so I've been trying my best to get out there and create.

What is your favorite restaurant and what do you recommend we order?
My favorite restaurant is Pura Vida Ville. It's an authentic small, family-run Mexican and Costa Rican restaurant here in Rochester, NY. My go-to is just a 12" burrito, but I definitely highly recommend trying out their birra tacos!

If your life were a movie this month, what would it be called and who would write the soundtrack?
The movie would be titled Ice Age, just because of how horrible the weather has been up here. The soundtrack would be made by Nujabes, as it's been a relatively chill month otherwise. 

Recommend one or more artists you follow who inspire you, and tell us what you like most about their work or their way of working.
Honestly, it's really hard to choose because I'm fed so many amazing artists daily on Instagram, but easily some of my favorites are: Todd Hido’s, Briscoe Park, Oswaldo Cepeda, Jake Wagner, Austin Prendergast, JM Miller and Tye Martinez.

Each of them has a very unique style, but one thing they all have in common is the ability to make me feel deeply through their work. Every time I see them post, it really motivates me to become a better artist as it just shows how much room I still have to grow.