Recap: Belle Morizio & Ryan Razon “Sorry We're Closed” at Lomography Gallery Store NYC

As one of our last gallery shows in our Lomography NYC store, two of our team members, Belle Morizio and Ryan Razon, showed their work together. Check out their work and some photos from the event here!

You've shown your work in our Lomography Gallery Store in a shared exhibition. How come your work goes so well together?

Ryan: Belle and I both look at a lot of the same works from Todd Hido, Ian Howorth, Stephen Shore, Alec Soth, Edward Hopper, etc.

Belle: In our free time, we both enjoy going to bookstores and looking at photo books together and just talking about the work and what we want to try shooting next.

Do you go out on your night shoots together as well?

Belle: Sometimes we go out and shoot together. If I go to Jersey City where Ryan is, we usually drive around together and shoot. I like when he is there with me because we work out different shots together and it's sometimes a team effort. But for my series "Sleepless Hour" he wasn't with me and my mom ended up helping me shoot. She was a real trooper!

When did you start shooting these nighttime long exposures and what sparked the idea?

Ryan: I started nighttime shooting almost a year ago, and looking through photo books such as “House Hunting” really inspired the idea.

Belle: I remember my freshman year at FIT I was introduced the the work of Todd Hido. I immediately fell in love with all of his photographs as did Ryan. I knew I wanted to try long exposure like Hido does at some point in my photo career. When I got my Pentax 67, I wanted to challenge myself. I liked the idea of documenting my hometown at night and from there, "Sleepless Hour" was created.

Tell us a little bit about how you go about shooting them. What gear are you using and what everyone is probably dying to hear: What's your longest exposure time?

Belle: For my nighttime shots, I usually wait until the sun is just about to completely set. I like shooting in places that are not polluted by too much light. I like just enough light to give each photo a specific mood. I drive around until I see a composition that I think works best with my series. It's a little nerve wracking pulling over and shooting another person's home, but when you want the shot, you have to do whatever it takes! I use my Pentax 67 and put it on a tripod with a cable release so I don't get camera shake. My longest exposure was about four minutes.

Ryan: So 99% of the time, I drive around in a car because of all the equipment I bring. My camera gear ranges from Leica - Pentax 67 & a KB Canham 4x5 camera. Shooting the different formats makes it exciting because each gives its own look. My longest exposure time was almost 5 min, but reality maybe 10 min because this neighborhood kid was playing pass his bedtime and kept going into my frame. I had to stop my timer and close the shutter every time he was coming close. It was a challenge but well worth it.

Was it your first time showing your work to the public outside of school? If so, how was showing your work for the first time?

Ryan: This is my third showing and it has been a blast every time. I thank all the people who come out to support us.

Belle: This was my first time showing my work to the public! I couldn't have asked for a better way to show it than with Ryan and Lomography. It was an amazing process from taking the photos and setting up the show to seeing everyone enjoying what we produced. There is no better feeling than sharing my passion with family, friends, and fellow artists. A huge thank you to everyone who came out to support us. I can't wait until the next one!

What is it that fascinates you about lonely places at night?

Ryan: I love the peacefulness of it. I’m always in the city, so when I can be in lonely places at night it gives me time to reflect on everything.

Belle: I've always loved driving back home in upstate New York. Especially if I'm on the back roads at night just listening to my music by myself. It's a time for my stresses to be put on hold for a moment. I would always pass by houses that I thought looked interesting to photograph so I decided to do a series on them. It's always peaceful and quiet being alone outside at night. I look at it as something that is therapeutic for me.

What are you working on next?

Belle: Currently I've been shooting interior shots of different rooms in houses. Iv'e been using natural light that comes through widows or soft light that comes from table lamps. I'm trying to create a soft minimalist look to my photos. I'm still shooting my long exposure nighttime shots as well.

Ryan: I am currently doing an ongoing project about my brother “Lil Homie”. I am still counting my Violent Night series and for now mostly juggling school and work.

Check out more of Belle's work on her Instagram and website, and more of Ryan's work on his Instagram.

written by birgitbuchart on 2018-11-04 #culture #news #people