 I
discovered, well more like, was informed of Ryan Russell after
Hot Rod Circuit got back from Warped Tour. They had played
in Birmingham, AL and after the show the long time fan of Hot Rod Circuit
asked if he could take some pics of the band. I saw the pics the
next day and was immediately impressed. I like Ryan because he
captures the essence of a band or a person. It's like you can
see right through them. He knows how to click at just the right
time and there....there is where you see that person in his true light.
He's shot tons of bands from Thursday to Mastadon and enjoys cityscapes
as well. I decided to find out more of my young new friend.
1 - How long have you been taking photographs and when was the first
moment you decided that is what you wanted to do?
Technically 7 years, my last two years of high school I was really into
graffiti, so I would go take photos of freights and stuff with a disposable
camera. I never had any art classes in high school or anything, so when
I took my first photography class in the fall of2000, I bought a crappy
SLR for the class. I guess the first time it came together as something
I really enjoyed was the fall of 2001. I bought a new camera, bought
my fisheye lens and I had met a wonderful girl who I took with me.
I would go shoot nighttime stuff of Birmingham and we would drive around
downtown listening to Death
Cab and Lagwagon and shoot
stuff at different spots.
2 - What subject matter interests you most and why?
Mainly bands and places. I do a lot of photography of touring bands
in Birmingham and Atlanta. I haven't really gotten to travel a lot because
of college, so I try and find tons of spots around here. I graduate
this December so
hopefully I will be going to a lot more places and doing a lot more
stuff outside of the south.
3 - What would be your dream photograph?
Haha, I don't really know, there's 3 bands I really wish I could shoot
photos of: Miracle of 86, Lagwagon, and Sonic Youth.
4 - Do you prefer b/w or color photos?
Both, there's times and situations for everything, so I couldn't really
say one or the other.
5 - Any influences?
Well the first big influence would be Chris
Strong. I really don't know that many photographers or anything,
but his stuff is always rad. William
Eggleston did a lot of southern photography of just the
places he went. He wouldn't set up props in a shot or anything, he would
just shoot things as he saw them to keep it authentic. Professionally
Jason Elgin has been the most influential, he's a record producer in
Birmingham and basically taught me a lot of business practices and morals.
6 - Currently listening to?
(laughs) its a long list you totally got to leave them on here: Bloc
Party, Botch, Gainer, Lords, Maylene and The Sons of Disaster, Every
Time I Die, Eisley, Hot Snakes, Playing Enemy, Mastodon, Pelican, ISIS,
These Arms Are Snakes, MARE, Sonic Youth, M83, Torche, Akimbo, Achilles.
7 - What types of filters, effects, or formats do you most like to
use when photographing?
I like to keep everything in as much natural light as possible, people
to go places to do shoots and set up lights and bounces and all this
other crap, if you need all that to shoot a good photo you need to try
harder or give up. I shoot mainly 35mm and Polaroid 667. I bought a
Mamiya medium format but I haven't used it yet, it's sitting in a box
in my garage getting warped by heat I'm sure.
8 - Where do you see yourself in five years?
Unemployed (very positive)
9 - What is something you've had to photograph that you were completely
not interested in?
Sloss Furnaces, everyone that's in or comes to Birmingham shoots photos
of it, its like on a list of requirements on the high school freshman
photo list. It's a rad place, but people just need to quit being lazy
and go find other spots.
 10
- Digital or film?
Film, I'm pretty much against digital cameras unless you're putting
stuff on Ebay. You hear of these photographers charging people
the same price as people who use film and they have no costs and their
photos are usually twice as horrible. I'm sure there are tons of digital
photographers who are amazing but for the most part its the high school
senior or freshman in college who decided it was cool to do photography
of their boyfriend or his band and shoots
them with a small silver non-SLR digital camera. (I don't
think he likes digital, what do you think?)
11 - Any interest in videography or do you prefer still images?
I think everyone has that 6 month period where they say, "Oh I'm
going to make a movie blah blah blah... let's get a super 8 camera it'll
be rad." I'll leave that to people who actually know what they're
doing.
12 - I see you like city shots...what are some cities you'd like
to photograph?
There's a ton: NYC, Seattle, Louisville, Memphis, cities around Arizona,
Boston. I'm really into lighthouses and freight trains so anywhere they
are as well.
13 - Pie or Cake?
Phillysteaks (why can't anyone answer the QUESTION?)
My future prediction for young Ryan is that he will become a photographer
for the rock n roll. He clearly has a gift worth giving.
It's refreshing to see a photographer who can actually find the person
within the photograph and not the opposite. |
