Ryan Russell is an absolutely phenomenal photographer, who’s shot anybody who’s anybody in the music scene. Hailing from Birmingham, Alabama and getting his BA in art studio from University of Alabama at Birmingham, he’s made a massive and impressive career out of his immense talent. His iconic photos of Paramore, Death Cab For Cutie, Say Anything, and hundreds others, have been in Rolling Stone, Alternative Press, Kerrang!, you name it. As a fellow concert photographer, I seriously aspire to be like him.
Not only is Russell fantastic at photographing musicians, he is also incredible at capturing landscapes. He is releasing a travel photography book, titled “Continental Obscura: From Birmingham To Bellingham”; it was shot over the summer of 2013. He went on a road trip from his hometown, Birmingham AL, to Bellingham WA. This book will also include a 7″ vinyl of exclusive b-sides from Manchester Orchestra and Minus The Bear, who he has worked extensively with. The book is available on April 8th, through No Sleep Records.
Nylon Magazine has a selection of photos Russell released, and so I went to look through them. The photos are positively stunning. They genuinely capture the mood of the areas he explored. His photos of water and oceans and lakes are soft and the colors are perfect; his photos of snowy mountains are crisp and clear. Every aspect of his pictures are flawless; the attention to detail shows not only immense dedication and artistic control, but proves that he truly can conquer any subject matter.