35mm portraits of an aerialist and sword swallower

Alaska is an aerialist and sword swallower who performs in Coney Island as well as sideshow and nightlife venues all over the country. This series of portraits documents a new stage look of theirs in a Bushwick photography studio.

The tactile quality of 35mm film brings an undeniable allure to any shoot, adding character to a moment in a way that digital often struggles to replicate. Each frame is imbued with a sense of warmth and presence.

An art lens with distinctive optics manipulates light and spatial depth in unexpected ways. In addition to the optics, the lens required manual focusing. Without autofocus, the depth of field in each shot was a choice, made both quickly and instinctively. By incorporating hand-held prisms into the composition, light is bent and refracted, casting a spectrum of colors and emphasizing the texture of the analog film.

The photographic techniques interact with the neon lighting in the studio to create a surreal environment, which aligns with the nightlife career of the subject. The results are striking, with images that possess an almost painterly quality.