13/52

back in high school i would go on long shoots of abandoned spaces and old industrial warehouses with one of my best friends. ryan and i would go for hours just shooting alongside each other, sometimes not saying a word for long stretches, because once you get to that point in a friendship silence isn't awkward and when you do speak its meaningful. we've been best friends for 18 years, and in that span, we've lived in different cities / states for more than half of it. but what's so amazing about having friends whom you can pick up with right where you left off, is that no matter where you are in life, you know that person will always know the very core of you. i have one other friend who has that same effect. ironically, while ryan is on the west coast, she's clear across on the east coast, and here i am in the heart of it all. 

this shot was from today. it's the interior of another project i'll be working on. and it only took one second of being in that space to unleash a flood of nostalgia. ryan, i'm beyond proud of who you've become, of your amazing business, and i can't wait to watch you figure out parenthood! (for those of you who don't know his company, do yourself a favor and check out www.monikergoods.com asap).

11/52

on a yearly basis for the past five years or so, i’ve had this recurring question posed to me: 

would you ever choose photography over architecture, or vice versa? why do you continue to do both, “wading with one foot in each pool," while you can jump off the diving board and go for the deep end with only one of them? …

and without reservation, my answer is always the same: how could i do something so silly, if doing both is what’s my calling?

many of you know me through my photography but not many of you know the fact that i also practice architecture on a daily basis. the fact of the matter is, i fell in love with architecture at age 3, while i watched my cousin put together architectural models for her college class. and since then, architecture has made me feel big. i see all things from a planimetric (bird’s eye) view at all times. i think in cardinal directions. the way light fills a space is the first thing that think about when entering any room. i comprehend things experientially, and think of moving through space cinematically. details such as finishes, color, texture and pattern (oh most definitely pattern!) add it even more. 

whereas i have a lot more work to show when it comes to photography - it’s an instant art, easy to digest and quick to process / share; i only have small bits of architecture to share. the way i see it, architecture is just as poetic as photography, it just takes so much longer.

here's a shot from the fourth floor of a building i'm currently working on. the light coming through these windows, the rhythm of the window bays, the feel of the raw space, the exposed ceiling joists above... that's art all on its own already.