🔴 My Newest Art Project, Concrete and Light, Is Selling Tuesday Night
Tomorrow, I’m releasing my first fine art photography project, Concrete and Light.
Concrete and Light is a collection of five images taken in New York City over four days. Each print is made from high-quality materials designed to last a lifetime.
Each image is 8 x 12 inches. They’re signed and numbered to 10 and include an NFC chip that will last 200 years so future generations can learn more about the piece and me as the artist.
These are for sale first, live on Whatnot this Tuesday at 8 pm ET.
I’m live streaming and selling them through the Whatnot app, so download Whatnot on your phone and bookmark the show. You won’t want to miss it.
Bookmark the show here, Tuesday at 8 pm ET
Use this link for $15 off your first purchase.
These prints are meant to last a lifetime.
I want people generations from now to be blown away, so I spent extra time to find a manufacturer that didn’t take the cheap way out.
I ultimately decided to use the manufacturer that guaranteed these prints to resist fading for over 100 years. The paper and ink are that good.
Not only will you be able to pass these pieces down to the next generation, but I sourced a special NFC chip designed to hold data for 200 years and attached it behind my signature on each print.
These NFC chips go to my brand new website, ezrawithacamera.com, where anyone can read behind-the-scene details and even the exact GPS coordinates of where each image was taken throughout New York City.
Most people don’t know, but most NFC chips don’t work after 10 years.
I hated the idea of including a chip I knew would die too quickly, so I went on a wild goose chase to find an NFC chip that would last generations. I honestly wasn’t sure an NFC existed to suit the need.
I ended up sourcing the chip from a small company in Italy. At one point I called their customer support and talked to a super nice old-school Italian man for 10 minutes.
Once I had the chips in hand, I discovered a glitch in their coding app and they had to update their app just for me… because I think nobody is using this niche NFC chip that holds data for 200 years other than me 🤪
It was quite the journey to get to this point, but it’s all worth it when I think of someone 187 years from now using the chip to learn all about the photo and me as the artist.
Below are all five pieces in full detail, plus a short description of my thoughts on each piece. They’re for sale starting this Tuesday at 8 pm ET on Whatnot.
Happenstance
This image was snapped at the exact right moment. I stood at this spot near the Whitney Museum of American Art for just under 10 minutes. The main thing that drew my attention was the setting sun drowning the food cart in direct sunlight. There was a ton of lively foot traffic around this area, so I knew it was a matter of time before an interesting subject walked into the frame.
I knelt to get an angle closer to the ground and soon after the person on the right looked directly into the lens and I pressed the shutter.
I love this image because it looks like it could’ve been taken 50 years ago. I also love that the Sabrett umbrellas and the buildings in the background line up and cut this image into thirds; two dark ends and a bright middle.
You may have overlooked the woman on the left leaning on the handrail. Minutes before this picture, she was pacing back and forth. Her nervous pacing makes me think she was waiting to meet up with someone for a first date. In the image, I believe she’s taking a moment to close her eyes and take some calming breaths.
You can see two people hugging behind the woman.
All of these individuals have their own life story that we’ll never know and they all happened to be in this place at this time to produce this interesting composition.
That’s why it’s titled ‘Happenstance’.
Curved Planes
I’ve always been drawn to taking pictures of architecture. There’s something beautiful about humans coming together to build gigantic buildings in what was once untouched land.
My architectural imagery usually shows the sharp contrast of a square building in a natural environment, but there’s nothing square about this one. Designed in collaboration with prolific Iraqi architect Zaha Hadid, the organic shapes make it stand out among the city of rectangle brick buildings.
Before I snapped this shot, I tried several times to take a picture of this building but was never happy with it. The striking architecture did all the heavy lifting, and I struggled to find my spin on it.
But when I found this composition, I knew this was the one I was looking for.
I like images that look abstract at first glance but reveal the true composition over time. This image accomplishes that and the print looks even better in person.
Zooming
This may be my favorite picture from the collection. Taken on the Queensboro Bridge looking down on Vernon Blvd, it feels like we’re peeking into an ethereal window of a random New York intersection.
The longer you look, the better it gets.
I love how the stark white road markings frame the skater perfectly. The motion blur on the skater makes him feel alive while the rest of the image looks so still.
At first, I didn’t love that the bridge’s chainlink fence was in the foreground, but now that it’s printed I love it. It just adds yet another layer to the composition.
I’m a sucker for composition that leads your eye right to the subject. This image accomplishes that, then keeps giving you more as you look around.
Empire State City Scape
Snapped on 11th Ave near the Lincoln Tunnel, this picture could have been taken 75 years ago, as there isn’t a modern building in sight.
I was about 6 hours into a photo walk around Manhattan when I took this picture. I didn’t feel productive, as not a single picture I took that day felt great. To be honest, even after taking this picture, I didn’t feel particularly productive.
I realized I liked the composition only after loading it on my laptop and turning it black and white.
I love how the height of the buildings on the left and right creates a concave space for the Empire State to pierce above the other buildings and into the sky.
If you’re looking for classic NYC decor, this image may be the one for you.
Framed
Who doesn’t love a frame within a frame?
I found this artsy window only 10 minutes into my 7-hour photo walk around Manhattan. I love that the railing on the right and the light on the left are perfectly balanced, and you can just barely see me in the reflection of the window.
I think this image will age like fine wine because it shows that as a youthful reflection, I spent my time in New York City trying to do interesting things.
When people see this image in 30+ years, they’ll see a version of themselves reflecting from the window. That version of themself is youthful, hopeful, and creative.
Those who see this may be reminded of their own journey to try to make something wonderful and leave it behind as proof of their existence on Earth.
Join me LIVE Tuesday at 8pm ET on my Whatnot stream
Click the link above to bookmark. You’ll get reminded, and it helps the performance of the stream when there’s more bookmarks.
Tomorrow’s Whatnot stream is the first and only place these signed editions will be available.
I don’t expect all 50 editions to sell out on the first stream. As I sell the rest in the future, I’ll increase the price. So, if you have any interest in purchasing these limited edition prints, buy them on Whatnot on Tuesday for the best price.
You can also buy unsigned, unnumbered prints in different sizes, up to 30x48 inches, on the Whatnot stream.
Don’t forget that you can save $15 on your first Whatnot purchase here!