Feb 16, 2012

I was Co-Director / Director of Photography for the music video “Adorable” by Trouble Andrew. I shot this on a 5D with a 45mm tilt/shift, 24-70L and a 70-200L. Lit the whole thing with a pretty beat up light kit which included two 500 lowells and a 250 dimmer, probably burned through more diffusion sheets than I’m willing to admit. Shot the...

Dec 1, 2011

I met Cern while filming the Graffiti Fine Art Documentary in São Paulo. At the time it was great being around another New Yorker, someone who knew “how you doin’?” was a rhetorical question. Now that I am back in NYC, we have been getting together trying to figure out new ways to combine our ideas and art. An opportunity came when Cern was asked to paint...

Sep 13, 2011

Spent the ten year anniversary in Lower Manhattan. The official memorial service was closed off to the public so I walked around the greater Financial District. I wrapped around the area twice and took these photos. It was a somber day, some chose it as a day of remembrance, a day of sorrow, a day of American pride, a day of American shame, it was really a day...

Jul 26, 2011

I have always viewed new projects as an opportunity to work with people I admire and wish to know better. It’s nice to meet someone and say hello but for me something is absent or missing from that interaction. There needs to be more than an exchange of common courtesies. The ability to be influenced, inspired, to be sent down a certain creative path,...

Jul 26, 2011

Spending only one week in Arizona was not enough time. The American Southwest is beautiful, awe-inspiring and captivating. Apparently, all of the cliché commentary about this region is true. Landscape photography has always been the most difficult for me. There is something easier about macro photos. There is definite detail within the frame. You can easily...

Jul 26, 2011

The most treasured aspect of my time spent in São Paulo has been the relationships and lifestyle I have crafted within the artistic community. To spend everyday with talented and thoughtful individuals has been a blessing. In this time of transition back to New York City, my biggest concern has been losing this aspect of my life. That concern was eased if not...

Jul 26, 2011

At times São Paulo can be a hilarious slew of contradictions. An interesting thing occurs in a society where painting on the street is so easy the ‘danger’ involved becomes so minimal it is fair to call it nonexistent. In order to be ‘rebellious,’ artists have to do the unthinkable; ask for permission. Think about it, in a system where...

Jul 26, 2011

Argentinian Graffiti/Street Artist JAZ is quite the character. I would imagine you would have to be when your art consists of half man/half monsters fighting each other in beheaded brawls. I first met JAZ while filming the Graffiti Fine Art Documentary. His work has always stood out to me because of his unique technique. While staying true to the spray can, JAZ...

Jul 22, 2011

When I was 16 my family took a trip to Italy that changed my life. It was my first time across the pond and it happened at a perfect age. I was old enough to care and still young enough to be hopelessly mystified by it all. My parents, especially my father, are huge wine drinkers and have become rather educated on the subject. We spent 4 days in Tuscany. As a 16...

Jul 22, 2011

As a New Yorker, it has always been difficult for any other city to live up to its own hype. I remember as a child looking out of the airplane window as we approached Los Angeles and asking my father why there were one group of buildings to the right and one group of buildings completely separated to the left. He told me, “well that’s uptown and that’s...

Jul 22, 2011

Alcatraz Island was an impressive experience. Of course I expected nice views and a chance to visit a place I have read about since childhood but I did not expect the museum tour to be exceptional. To my delight, the audio tour that takes you to every area of interest was an award winning caliber documentation. From the photo perspective, I really enjoyed...

Jul 22, 2011

Salvador is an amazing place. For the trip I had my standard kit with four lenses. A fish-eye, tilt-shift and two L series zooms (24-70 & 70-200). If you have been following my work since the website went live, you know that I use the tilt-shift often. I feel as though this album might be the last tilt-shift dominant album that I do for awhile. Photography,...

Jul 22, 2011

As a kid growing up on Long Island, the idea of a beach will always bring to mind flat beaches that extend effortlessly in a straight line as far as the eye can see. This is why the beaches of Ubatuba are so shockingly different and outrageously beautiful. With over 100 beaches tucked away in mountainous South American Atlantic Jungle, the only thing in common...

Jul 20, 2011

I have worked in a variety of settings in far reaching places of the globe. None of those experiences however could prepare me for the morning I spent with Zezão in São Paulo’s sewer system. The smell is hard to describe. The most striking aspect of it is the way it hits you. Every breath touched the bottom of my stomach. It wasn’t so much that you could...

Jul 20, 2011

São Paulo artist Zezão has built the foundation of his career by leaving his mark where others cannot find it. In an effort to find his own personal peace, while highlighting community issues such as poverty and city infrastructure (or lack thereof), Zezão has been throwing up his iconic blue symbol in São Paulo’s sewer system. The simplicity of the symbol...

May 24, 2011

What started as a small idea over a conversation last July with graffiti artist and exhibition curator Binho Ribeiro has turned into a Documentary Short being sent to film festivals all over the world. And of course, along with this short documentary is the extended preview featured on this page. I have been documenting and interacting with the São Paulo...

Feb 18, 2011

As stated in previous posts, Brazilian graffiti oftentimes blurs the most commonly viewed definition of graffiti i.e., graffiti is letters. Many times ‘graffiti walls’ around Sampa are simply character walls. With this in mind, this new wall by Tinho, Graphis, Binho and Evol is a great blend of character and letter graffiti forms both stylistically...

Jan 3, 2011

I am never one to shy away from taking photos that confuse and disorient the viewer. There are rules to be followed and rules to be broken. As long as there exists a coherent and comprehendible dialog occurring between the photos and the viewer, the photographer can take certain liberties. Using this album as an example, I did not feel the need to take...

Jan 3, 2011

The tilt/shift lens does remarkable things with overexposure and white backgrounds. That being said, the space for the Anjo & Binho album was essentially perfect. The natural light that came in through the front entrance was located in such a way that it allowed for intense bright light without creating any glare. I especially like photos that create a lack...

Jan 3, 2011

One of the most interesting aspects of graffiti and street art in São Paulo is the universal appeal it holds. In this album, Binho and Anjo were asked to paint what will eventually be a digital media agency. The location offers great architecture, as it was originally an art gallery. As described previously in the Clube Jardim write-up, Binho painted his iconic...

Jan 3, 2011

My time in São Paulo can best be described as a series of coincidences with monumental impact. One of those moments came when filming the ‘Bienal Internacional de Arte de Rua’ video. Through that experience I arguably made the most important personal contact in São Paulo. Known in the graffiti world simply as Binho, his artwork has caught the eye of...

Jan 3, 2011

As I film/photograph more graffiti walls, I find myself developing a better understanding of what actually matters. From the beginning of my documentation to now, there has been a general shift from photographing the literal process i.e., what is happening on the wall, to photographing the brief moments away from the wall that function as small windows into the...

Jan 3, 2011

Is Brasilian-style character ‘graffiti’ even graffiti at all? The answer is complicated and depends on whom you ask. The problem lies on the core definition of graffiti. But even then, depending on the decade and city, definitions can change. For Dase, a graffiti writer from Israel who I originally met through my work with ‘Artists 4 Israel,’ the...

Jan 3, 2011

After the 8 longest graffiti related days of my life, switching over to still-photos only for the CPTM event felt like winning the lottery. My main goal for the day was to honestly just relax. Hard to believe I even contemplated not taking photos. Inevitably once I saw some of the great pieces going up, I downed a few cheap coffees and managed to find the...

Jan 3, 2011

Following the outrageously successful “Graffiti Fine Art” opening night, (an estimated 4,000 people in 4 hours), some of the Brasilian artists and all of the international artists came to Brás Metro Station. In Brasil it is common practice for large semi-government controlled entities to sponsor and promote the arts and other cultural events. Petrobras and...

Jan 3, 2011

During the photo shoot for Jey77 at the Planeta Terra Music Festival I had ample free time to check out the concerts. A popular DJ from the States, GirlTalk has made a living off mash-ups. Imagine pop music on an adrenaline kick mixed with a serious case of ADHD and you get GirlTalk. Changing songs on an average of once every 30 seconds… take caution if you...

Jan 3, 2011

When taking pictures at a typical one-day event, the strategy is straightforward: take as many pictures as possible and only save the best. However when the ‘event’ happens over two full weeks it can become complicated. The greatest challenge to this photo shoot was simply not overshooting. Known for taking a large amount of photos, I knew that this was...

Jan 3, 2011

I was first introduced to Jey77 at the ‘Graffiti Fine Art’ exposition. Even from the first impression, it was quite obvious that Jey was a thinker. His eyes constantly roaming as if a moment of absent thought was a moment wasted. Commenting on what it means to be an artist, what it means to be respected for your work, Jey is always seeking the opinions and...

Jan 3, 2011

Graffiti and street art have come a long way since their humble beginnings. What had only occurred in the darkness of night under a cloak of anonymity is now on a collision course with high society. MuBE, a Brasilian sculpture museum located in one of São Paulo’s wealthiest districts, has been hosting the exhibition ‘Graffiti Fine Art’ on a continual...

Jan 3, 2011

Perhaps it is my journalistic background or my genuine curiosity in spontaneity, whatever the reason, I do not like to set up photos… ever. I have always been that way and at this point, I view capturing real moments as a challenge worth accepting. As I have said in the past, unless absolutely necessary, I always prefer natural light as well. For this album...

Jan 3, 2011

Nove is a character. If I had to sum up this São Paulo artist in one word, that would be it. He is known for his large dream like paintings featuring disfigured hands and boxes that seem to be portals to another dimension. With an increasing interest in adding three-dimensional layers to his work, Nove brings his box theme to life by stringing boxes to walls,...

Jan 3, 2011

Moises Patricio has a passion for resurrecting urban decay. A true fighter against communal lethargy and urban abandonment, Moises is on a mission to change the aesthetic plague contaminating his home neighborhood of Santo André. Located outside of downtown São Paulo, the neighborhoods of Santo André, São Bernardo do Campo and Sãe Caetano do Sul (shortly...

Jan 3, 2011

Vila Madalena seems like an oasis of color in a city of concrete monotony. One of the cultural hubs of São Paulo, Vila Madalena can be compared to The Village of New York City for its love affair with art, music, bars and the entire underground culture in general. Many local artists will tell you that the neighborhood has seen better days, falling victim to...

Dec 28, 2010

The photo-only kit: 1. Canon 5DMKII 2. 15mm fish-eye F2.8 3. 45mm Tilt/Shift F2.8 4. 70-200L F2.8 I really enjoy this 3-lens combination for taking graffiti photo albums. It allows me to be creative in 3 different styles where each one compliments each other as well as the subject matter quite well. Halfway through the album there was an impressive shadow that...

Dec 28, 2010

This photo album was taken during Dase’s stay in São Paulo. Dase is a writer from Israel who lives outside of Tel Aviv. We originally met during my time in Israel with the project ‘Artists 4 Israel’. Dase reps the AFK crew and they have been helpful in Artists 4 Israel’s maturation and development within the region. Please check out my film...

Dec 28, 2010

Jey77 is a São Paulo artist known best for his collages of out of this world life forms. I first met Jey while filming the Bienal Graffiti Fine Art exposition. Since then Jey has asked me to photograph some of his projects. The Planeta Terra Music Festival is an all-day event held at the São Paulo amusement park properly titled ‘Play Center’. Jey...

Dec 28, 2010

For this photo shoot I came fully loaded with my normal photo-only kit: 1. Canon 5D Mark II 2. 15mm fish-eye F2.8 3. 45mm Tilt/Shift F2.8 4. 24-105L F4 (I have recently upgraded to a 24-70 F2.8) 5. 70-200L F2.8 I really enjoy the ease of photo-only shoots. Primarily because shooting videos requires more concentration and focus, the ease of still-photo work is a...

Dec 28, 2010

For the photo shoot, I really enjoyed taking portraits of all the heavy hitters who made the event come to life. Portrait photography at live events often bores me and comes across as mundane. What set this event apart was the people. Coming from such an interesting and diverse background, this subculture houses some great characters. My kit for the shoot: 1....

Dec 28, 2010

Matilha Cultural is a gallery located in downtown São Paulo. It is only a few years old but it has already made waves in the local art, street, photo and film scenes. The gallery takes an approach that quite frankly, I have not seen anywhere else. It is a gallery with a soul. Headed by Ricardo Costa with the help of a large team including Rebeca Lerer, Demétri...

Dec 27, 2010

I first met Moises at the Casa do Stencil event. At the time I had no idea how much work we would end up doing together. A few days after the Casa do Stencil album went on facebook, Moises sent me a message asking to take photos of his upcoming gallery show. It was one of the first times I had been noticed and confronted simply from a facebook album. In that...

Dec 27, 2010

The Murality project was an intense 10 days from a filmmaking perspective. Without an assistant and multiple activities happening at any given time in different parts of small towns or even large cities, there was always the slight hum of absolute chaos in the background. As the one man band, everything from timelapses, wireless audio adjustments and battery...

Dec 27, 2010

‘Graffiti for Israel’ was a first for a few things. First time filming graffiti in New York, first time being introduced to the good people of Tuff City, first time playing with various frames on screen and first time creating something for Artists 4 Israel. I had met the President of A4I, Craig Dershowitz, through a series of coincidences. In my 5...

Dec 26, 2010

At the time that I’m writing this review, the Claudio Ethos time-lapse at Casa Das Caldeiras has already been online for a full year. It is amazing to think how much has happened since this first graffiti influenced project. Right before I came into contact with Ethos, I had been seriously considering returning home to New York to lick the wounds of a...

Dec 23, 2010

The Casa do Stencil album was a fun technical shoot. The artists really doused the house with paint and it looked sick. The paint dripping from the ceiling all the way to floor really turned the 15mm fish-eye into something special. For the majority of my still photo only shoots I use: 15mm fish-eye F2.8 45mm Tilt/Shift F2.8 70-200L F2.8 I enjoy the interaction...

Dec 23, 2010

The Casa do Stencil photo album was actually my first album since returning from a 5 month stay in NYC. I had been waiting for my new visa to clear. What was originally going to be 4 weeks home turned into an unpredictable 5 months. It became an interesting feeling to be a prisoner in your own country. As crazy as that sounds, it actually felt that way. More so...

Dec 23, 2010

The Murality photo album was part of a larger project with the organization ‘Artists 4 Israel’. Even though I had to stay 5 months in New York, I was luckily able to make the most of it. The New York based org had gotten word of my Brasilian graffiti videos and we collaborated on a few occasions. Their goal was to bring American and European writers...

Nov 1, 2010

The Murality project was an intense 10 days from a filmmaking perspective. Without an assistant and multiple activities happening at any given time in different parts of small towns or even large cities, there was always the slight hum of absolute chaos in the background. As the one man band, everything from timelapses, wireless audio adjustments and battery...