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BODY02 : PIGGYBIKE
Deep in the practice of watching intently for stories unfolding before me, knowing that we, as street photographers, are attempting to align ourselves within the context of a chaotic universe to find moments of harmony which we can pull from the world, for eyes that will mostly never understand the impossibility of the instance, I saw this moment developing just blocks away and sprinted to capture what I felt most certain I wouldn't.
Walking up S. Grand and 6th, I caught a glimpse of a couple on a BMX bombing the hill from 5th and Grand. A short, steep shot down to 7th, they were coming fast. I'd noticed her high up on his back as they flew down the street on a tiny bike without time to contemplate what was happening before I took off in a full sprint to meet the moment.
Running with my dog leash in one hand and my camera in the other, I noticed a bus coming, at its own pace, between them and the AT&T Center building, which would have served as a horrible backdrop to the speeding couple. I knew my best chance would be to catch them framed against the dark bellows of the articulated bus, so in a lurching motion I steadied my camera and fired off a burst just moments before hitting the concrete, on my side, camera held up safely in the air. With my dog, Danger, in my face, I checked my camera to discover a moment, surprisingly aligned, that revealed an expression of elation on a face watching chaos tumbling just feet from her to capture their descent.
The act of catching this moment aside, everything about this image elicits a feeling of great freedom and child-like happiness in me!
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Creator
IMAGHOSTXO
imaghostxo.eth
I’m a Street Photographer from DTLA who believes that capturing truth requires the absence of me.
I’ve slept, worked, and lived in the streets of DTLA all my life.
Most recently, I lived in the center of the city, at 7th and Spring, and shot every single day for 8 years.
I shoot with at 23mm fixed lens, so I have to get close to my subjects. I’m not a sniper. I believe that if I can’t get close enough to catch the shot, I don’t deserve it.
My work is candid. My shots are unposed. My goal is to simply be present and distinctly attentive to the moments swirling around me with the single intention to capture any of an unfathomable amount of impossible alignments that go unseen every day.
To pull from my Genesis: We are stars. Expelled & dying flashes of light. Some named, held in awe. Some ignored, most unseen. An eternal cycle of peerless moments; the ephemeral beauty of simply being, burning, and dying before each other’s eyes.
Many of us go through life questioning our value. I hope that my work captures the fact that you are immense, powerful, and perfect every moment you are alive.
Thank you for being here.
Properties
Extended Editorial
DTLA
There
B/W
IMAGHOSTXO
1/1
2820x4956
JPG
License
Extended Editorial
Can be used to display privately, or in commercial and non-commercial settings, or in groups with an unlimited number of participants. The license includes unlimited use and display in virtual or physical galleries, documentaries, and essays by the NFT holder. Provides no rights to create commercial merchandise, commercial distribution, or derivative works.
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