Were you always drawn to architectural photography?

Yes, the spaces we inhabit affect our mood – personally, collectively and culturally. Plus, you know, it’s cool working in nice places.

What characteristics do you try to capture in your architectural photography:

I try to capture the essence of a place, rather than the sum of its parts.

1. Wythe Hotel. All those involved in this project were considered mad when the hotel was being built. They’d decided to build a hotel in the middle of a backwater named Williamsburg. It was the only hotel for miles, in the middle of an industrial area, a mile from the nearest subway, and one of only a handful of hotels nationwide that were once factories. 

Once it was complete, they were universally considered as visionaries. It was an instant success. They had caught the imagination of a new generation and helped ignite the global culture of Edison bulbs, hipsters, fixed-gear bikes and boutique hotels, with Williamsburg as its capital.

Everybody involved was new to their industry – young and fierce. The owner Peter Lawrence, developer Jed Walentas, architect Morris Adjami and interior designer Workstead were all relatively unknown. The image felt like it was everywhere, all at once – all the Vogues, travel magazines and design magazines. It helped set me up.

I was tasked with taking a shot of the building for all of the above people and the branding for the hotel itself. The budget was tight and scraped together. The hotel was unfinished, and the lights on the glass cube were not yet on. I was partially paid with free room stays, which I was happy with because I was struggling to catch a break in New York, and my wife Allison and I could do with a treat. We had arrived in the recession. I was also kind of broke.

It was immediately obvious that getting a hero shot of the building would be difficult as I could only get back as far as the opposite sidewalk (pavement, sorry). So I walked a few blocks away, and guesstimated which abandoned building was dead centre to the hotel, squeezed my way through a padlocked fence. I found an open door to a loft apartment, walked through someone’s bedroom, climbed out the window, and onto the roof. And there it was! The Wythe, with the city glowing in the background, a perfect evening. Dusk. The loft owners were there having a barbeque and were completely unaffected by me clambering out of their apartment. We had a beer. Joy. New York.

2. Fleischer House, New Jersey by Studio DB. The home of Ruben Fleischer and his wife, Holly Shakoor Fleischer. Ruben is the director of Zombie Land and Venom.

Britt and Damien Zunino are wildly talented, bringing life and energy to each of their projects. I was quite taken by how Britt highlighted the original architecture with a light touch – a rare talent – and married it with an eclectic and stylish interior. It is really cool.

3.  Stahl House, Hollywood Hills, Los Angeles. A modernist architectural treasure designed by Pierre Koenig in the 1950s. A photo by Julius Shulman has become an iconic Los Angeles image.

We were shooting there for the furniture company Design Within Reach. I love LA, and looking at this glorious city from the Hollywood Hills as the sun sets is a study of beauty and the American dream. As this shot was taken, 40 crew members stood behind me. The big productions are great fun as the catering is top-notch, and there is a snack table.

4. Canoe Place Inn in the Hamptons, New York, designed by Workstead. I saw Workstead’s work when I first arrived in New York, and I knew I had to work with them. But how!? They had just had their Brooklyn home photographed by the New York Times. I cold-called them and convinced them that if we shot their home again together, it would most certainly be picked up by all the top magazines in the world; this was an outright lie, and I had no idea that would happen but, as they say in the SAS, “Who Dares Wins”. To their credit, they were all in, with many ideas on how to make a unique story. We shot the house, including Robert and Stefanie, who we styled in a conceptual fashion, and within a day, Elle Decor Italia had picked it up.

I still work with them, and I consider their work – along with Ryan, the third partner – to be some of the most important architectural and interior work in the USA. They designed Canoe Place Inn recently and I love how they balance a restrained classic American style with a modern touch. I feel that they are masters in this domain. Being in a room they designed is always a uniquely satisfying experience. I shot a wee video for it also.

5. The concierge room of the Forth Hotel in Atlanta. The building was designed by Morris Adjami, with the interiors designed by Daniel Olsovsky of Method.

Morris and Daniel work together a lot, their styles are a wonderful match. Morris has perfected an urban design that makes you feel like the future is possible and beautiful.

Daniel is slightly eccentric and undoubtedly a design genius. I always feel very cool when around him. His wardrobe is very cool. He wears a hat. He might be the coolest person I know. He is always designing at least three hotels and restaurants at a time. He names them, designs the logo, picks the music and what everyone will wear. He designs them from top to bottom, down to the slightest detail. Everything he touches makes it into the New York Times T magazine. I have no idea how he does it all. I’m not sure if he is even real. When we go to dinner at one of the many restaurants he has designed around the USA, he plays with the music and lighting while the room is in full service.

How has your practice evolved?

I have a better wardrobe.

What do I miss about Aotearoa?

I miss the smell of the sea and the trees and the mountains.
I miss my mum, brother, auntie, and all the families, and my friends.
I miss dairies and mince-and-cheese pies.
I miss the friendly Kiwi can-do attitude – famous around the world.
I miss the sound of rain on a tin roof.
I miss the unfathomable red of a Pohutukawa.
I know it’s not perfect, but I miss the way Aotearoa deals with the problems at hand with an eye for logic and common sense.
I miss sitting on Cheltenham Beach with my friends and a frisbee.
I miss a summer Christmas.
I miss so much. It’s endless. My heart aches.

What components of architectural and interior photography are the most inspiring to you?

Nowadays, I am inspired by conceptual places that make me feel uncomfortable and challenged.

Is there any equipment that you swear by for shooting or posting?

Cameras are just boxes with holes in them. I shoot Nikon, but any will do.

For post though, I am entirely reliant on Sjoerd Langeveld. He does all my post-work and has done so since my early Aotearoa days. He has an incredible eye for it. His work is a major part of my success. He lives in Auckland, which turns out to be a blessing because if there is a rush job, he can work on it during his daytime and our night-time in New York. To my New York clients, it makes it look like we have been working through the night. Ha!

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