My name is Yul Vazquez and I’m an actor by profession. I have had a camera of one sort or another since I was ten years old when my mother bought me an old Kodak at a flea market for seventy five cents. I still have that camera. I spend a lot of time with cameras either in front or in back of them. I’ve always found them to be beautiful machines.
When I’m away on days off I love to walk the streets searching for a spirit in someone or something to photograph. I shoot mainly film these days but I take the Ricoh with me on sets because it fits in my pocket and is quite stealthy. It affords me the possibility of getting a quick shot.
Maybe Hamish will let me do a film post one day. Maybe with my XPAN!!
On the set of “Russian Doll” in NYC…amazing faces..I asked them to pose and they were very nice about it. They wanted to smile. I told them I preferred if they didn’t. You can see a smile coming through her eyes though. Nice people.
Another fascinating face from a party scene we were shooting for “Russian Doll”..Love her face and vibe. There was something vulnerable about this lady. She also reminded of someone straight out of the 1970’s NYC punk scene.
Walked by these mid century vintage chairs that were for sale at a shop on La Brea in Los Angeles….loved the symmetry. I also wondered how many couples had sat in those chairs. How much joy or sorrow had those chairs absorbed?
They had an energy that drew me to them.
The Kind Faced Man… this was taken in an alley on Miami Beach. He was just siting there having a cigarette. He was so cool. We talked for a bit and then I asked if I could take his photograph. His hands really caught my eye. Rough hands and a kind face. Miami Beach is a place I photograph a lot. It’s a place filled with lots of questions and few answers…at least to me.
Shooting in the morgue for “One Day She’ll Darken”. These guys were just hanging out with the dead. I have more images from this project..maybe for a later post.
Self shadow portrait on Sunset Blvd..Los Angeles. I love a good shadow. So many possibilities.
Francois Arnaud…we were shooting in a tour bus in Albuquerque New Mexico…this was in between takes..I was sitting across and I always have a camera with me. Tough for me to pass up reflections.
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That last shot is great, very reminiscent of some classic shots from the mid last century. All pictures are very nice
Is 7 the new 5 😀
Many thanks Nigel. I appreciate that.
“Kind faced man” is a world class shot! Reminds me of the Iconic Muhammad Ali photo of his fist, but so so different…
Thanks so much. Means a lot.
Wow – i really never stop to write a comment but this was really really nice. The grain added in post or just from shooting and old camera?
Thank you very much. No grain added. Raw file converted in LR. I personally feel the Ricoh files have their own unique quality to them.
Loved your work in Russian Doll, and it’s really wonderful to see that you’re also a skilled photographer. I also mostly shoot film but love having the GRD IV in my pocket for occasions when that isn’t practical. Thanks for sharing these!
Nate thanks so much. There’s some images in this series that I shot on the set of Russian Doll. Lately I’ve only been using my Ricoh. It’s just a superb little camera. Tough to put down. I’m still working on an Xpan series that I promised Hamish a while ago. Soon!!