Casey

Casey

Generalist Photographer, Unconventional, Sweet Talker

“I had to decide whether I wanted to stay in Seattle and be comfortable with a good career or move to New York and get my ass kicked. Moving here was the wisest thing I’ve ever done. It’s made me better, it’s made me stronger. The struggle, the competition, the level of professionalism here is so unmistakable.”

“I work as a photographer. I spent my career fighting to have variety in my life and not overly specializing. Because I’m more general there are many sacrifices when it comes to positioning perspective, but the diversity is why I love New York so much. I shoot restaurants for the New York Times. I shoot portraits, marches, architecture and everything in between.”

“The beauty of photography in general is the access it gives you to people, places and situations. I get to be backstage shooting for The Lion King, watching the whole performance from the side, hanging out with random celebrities for a whole day, visiting the hippest plant fair in Brooklyn with well dressed people, cute dogs and soil workshops. I get to step in, and then I get to leave. That is what I appreciate about it.”

“I’ve lived in New York City for 15 years now and not one day has gone by where something didn’t blow me away. Whether it’s an exchange I have with someone on the street, witnessing an interaction between people from two completely different universes, a run-in with someone famous or remarkable, an incredible meal, a confounding small-world coincidence, an art show or performance of some kind or often something visual; this city is endlessly interesting to look at.»

“My back hurts right now, so yesterday I went to this massage therapist in Chinatown. I had this guy put his elbow as hard as he could into my body for 70 minutes for $40. Then I went to a yoga class with a California hippie. Still felt a little tight, so then I went to the Russian and Turkish bath just around the corner and sat with a lot of old Russian guys healing. One of my favorite aspects of this city is the variety you can get in a day like that.”

“If you told me ten years ago I would live with two roommates at the age of 44 I would never believe you. It doesn’t make any sense. But the fact is I found this place the first day I searched on Craigslist. I walked in and there was something about this space that gave me a feeling of exhalation. I thought, ‘This is going to be my home.’ I’ve had about 25 people living here since then. I like this space. I don’t want to move.”

“There have been times when I’ve brought a girl home and she’s been like ‘Wow, this guy lives with people. I don’t think he’s for me.’ I have prioritized to buy a place in Catskills in the middle of the mountains. It’s a full on home there that is a total escape from this.”

“Every time I return home to New York, I step into the stream of energy that’s here. It never stops. It doesn’t miss me when I’m gone, but it also doesn’t begrudge that I’ve been away. I’m right back in it, and it’s never going anywhere.”

“It’s this rowdy thing in New York where people are rubbing shoulders and trying to advance their own objectives and in doing so contributing to the productivity of this place.”

Q&A

“The confluence of so many different types of people put so close to one another with competing motives and desires and dreams. That creates the stream of energy you find here. People that come here are driven by a high level of ambition and a fire under their ass. That’s exciting.”

What neighborhood do you live in? East Village.

Best thing about living there? It’s the most diverse, interesting and affordable place to eat and drink in the city. The range of offerings is staggering; at one point my little block had restaurants specializing in cuisines from four different parts of Italy! And lastly, there are very few neighborhoods in America where you can walk block after block without seeing a single outpost of a national chain or franchise.

Favorite neighborhood? My own!

Favorite street to stroll? Orchard Street in the Lower East Side.

Why? It’s a nice long stretch of art galleries, boutiques, bars, restaurants. At the bottom end you hit Canal Street, and that little triangle between Essex and East Broadway is the most happening part of Manhattan these days.

Favorite restaurant? Gaia. It’s a small, family style Italian restaurant on Houston Street. It’s mostly open for lunch, but they will seat you for dinner if you make a reservation. The food is incredible, affordable and super authentic.

Favorite bar? My first night in New York, an old friend took me to 2A - not only did I love it, but I ended up living around the corner. Then there is the Holy Trinity of classic East Village dive bars: Sophie’s, Josie’s and Lucy’s. There is also The Garret in the West Village that you have to enter through a Five Guys burger joint.

Hidden gem? Cervantes Oyster Shack. Behind the popular and fashionable Swiss restaurant, Cafe Select, you cut through the kitchen (heads up, the staff is moving quickly!) and you’ll find yourself in a tiny little nautical-themed oyster shack. Great wine list, cocktails and seafood. Cash only.

How to be(come) a New Yorker? Get a bicycle and use it to get lost.

Your New York soundtrack? Transformer produced by David Bowie and Mick Ronson in 1972 stands out. The entire range of human emotion is expressed in this album - including a healthy dose of sex, drugs and rock n’roll suffused with downtown New York grit.

5 THINGS THAT TELL A STORY ABOUT CASEY

BIG APPLE PIN “An image I shot during landfall of Hurricane Sandy in the Financial District was included in New York Magazine’s 50th Anniversary book. This little silver “Big Apple” from Tiffany’s was a gift from the magazine alongside my two page spread. I guess I finally felt like a bona-fide New Yorker.”

MINI BICYCLE “I don’t think I could live in New York without having had a bicycle. I use it to meet friends, dinner, meetings. I have saved thousands of dollars of transportation costs, it’s good exercise and a great way to learn the city. I can probably tell you a story from nearly any street in Manhattan.”

ITMFA “So many things are happening in the political climate these days. I think it’s important for the world to see Americans showing their political position and using as many visual signs as possible. So I wear this pin when I can.”

CHRISTMAS ORNAMENT “This is a home-made Christmas ornament my mom made two years ago. It’s like the facets of Casey, but it’s really mostly leaning towards eating, drinking and partying which is kind of funny.”

COMPASS “This compass isn’t particularly useful in this day and age, but it’s aesthetically-pleasing and reminds me how important solo, unstructured travel is, and has always been to me.”