Sammy Ray

portrait

Originally from Ft. Worth, TX but now living in New York City, Sammy Ray is a recent graduate of NYU Tisch Department of Photography & Imaging. Through their work, they wished to expose the ever shifting meaning that a photo may have, both to ensure people are always questioning how the world is depicted for them but also as an appreciation for the range of stories different people will find in the same image and the beauty lying within our ability to do so. Aside from imaging, Sammy likes rock climbing, raves and their very cool cat, Douma.

Hello World

man on bike with greenscreen at beach

With an online profile comes the potential to depict oneself in limitless ways. Someone could better express their true self or instead craft a completely new persona. Hello World is a collection of video portraits interpreting these digital expressions. The clips build tension as they depict a single, meditative moment leading one to question why each element in the frame acts as it does. Each of these short vignettes capture a single interpretation of an online persona, an aspect of someone’s personality that shines forth in their use of a digital space as they craft their own image, on their own terms and I experience it on my own. 

Stills are from "Inside and Out," one portrait within the full sequence, to be found here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p44a_T0DDMM