GRIND: AUSTIN PAZ

photo by Paul Seibert

12 12 WWW.ONEBLADEMAG.COMWWW.ONEBLADEMAG.COM AUSTIN PAZ

AGE: 30 LOCATION: Staten Island, NYC HOMETOWN: Staten Island, NYC OCCUPATIONAL STATUS: Photography/Filmmaker YEARS BLADING: 22 INTERESTS: Blading, Photography, Drumming, Travel FOR THE RECORD: A lot of people who’ve been following me on Instagram have been wondering about me hanging out of helicopters over major cities like New York, Los Angeles, and Las Vegas. I have been working with FlyNYON, and open-door helicopter company, since 2016.

“After following aerial photographers like Vincent Laforet, I was inspired to give it a shot for myself. Cruising 1,000ft above people’s heads gives you a whole new perspective on a city. Flying with my camera in helicopters with no doors adds a bit of an adrenaline rush to my photography as well. Being able to look down on buildings like the Empire State and the Freedom Tower, instead of looking up on them, allows you to capture cities like New York in a unique way, and that’s what draws me to this line of work. As artists, we’re always trying to push the envelope a little bit every time we practice our craft, and this has been a perfect way for me to do exactly that.”