After a brief hiatus one of our long standing features is back. This time round the Top 10 Photos spotlight focuses on South London photographer Kevin Morosky, a talent that shots mainly with 35mm point and shoots and has had work published in Dazed, RWD, Vice and Super Super to name but a few. I’ve been following his work for a minute now, and was realyl keen to catch up with Morosky and not only ask him a few questions, but also have him showcase some of his favourite snaps from over the years.
Who’s Kevin Morosky?
Kevin Morosky, is a creative from South London, his main weapon is a camera, his religion is Biggie Smalls which means he loves to spread love the Brooklyn way.
What do you shoot with?
I mainly shoot with my Yachica- 35mm for my personal stuff and if I can on shoots. Sometimes my hand is force, resulting in me shooting with 5D or 7D, which I hate. But film is expensive and some people don’t think it should take away from their budgets, but as times gone on Ive been able to get my way more and more.
Are the shots we’re about to see staged or just candid and in the moment?
My personal stuff is always in the moment and with the shoots I try to bring that element as much as I can. I don’t really like to set up shots, I fell in love with photography because I like the idea that it was this kind of magic, that enabled you to capture moments. Its got to the point where I am notoriously known for lying to subject on shoots. I usually say something like Im not shooting right now Im just testing light so talk away, then I shoot while there completely relaxed and unaware.
Why is film better than digital?
Film to me is a freestyle - freestyles have always out weighed well rehearsed things, Notorious B.I.G didn’t write down any of his raps he just had ideas floating, lines floating around in his head waiting for the right beat I feel like thats what I’m like with film. I’m just waiting around for the right moment to use my film, with digital there the ability to look back and delete and decide. Thats not real life, you cant do in real life, I always felt like digital was cheating which is why it always pains me to shoot digital.
What have you got coming up?
A project called “Track 12 Vauxhall and his Barbour Jacket” its a book thats accompanied by a short film, and sound track.. The sound track includes contributions from, Jack Penate, Terri Walker, Roses Gabor, We the Committee, Breathe out amongst others, Then after that I have another two solo show, and some work with charities as well as the Morosky studio.
1. Columbia flower market (Above) - I seldom have days so getting to just walk around, and look at things for the sake of looking at thing is heaven.
2. Coney Island - I was in New York visiting one of my boys and in the middle of March when it was closed, I decided I had to go.. Coney Island growing up had always been this place that popped up in different films during the 80′s.. My boy told me “Yo its gonna be closed, and deserted.. ” He was right but, but I had never been before, and it was never about going at the best time, it was about going before I died, and as it is with everyone, Death can happen at anytime.
3. Daniel IB - I met Daniel on a shoot I was involved in for Vice, we became quickly friends and have been boys ever since. This is him playing a new song he just wrote, being completely honest with his art. This is all we really ever are, this is what our friendship is.. Showing and sharing with each other our ideas.
4.Ibiza - Boys were jumping off a cliff, while we sat on a nudest beach… I had traveled to Ibiza to watch my friendS get married.. At this point I had lost all my Money, had just about found my hotel, my battery had died, I had no charger, and I just about found the rest of the wedding party.. Its a scary thing to be in another country and loose all your money.. But I wanted to see the girls get married.. So I just went for it.. I took this because I felt like the dude jumping off the cliff was me.
5. Jessie Ware - She is genuinely the nicest person. She is sweet and kind. and humble. I HEART JESSIE WARE.
6. Natural history museum NYC – Id gone over to New York to meet with a certain camp to talk about me showing in there Gallery, because of my name and the diversity of the people in my pictures, they assumed I was a geeky jewish white kid. It was made clear to me that the art world in America is very racially divided (As is most things come to think about it). It basically went like this : Black photographer take pictures of black subjects and only show in black owned galleries, and vice versa. This in turn depressed the fuck out of me, It was meant to be New York, Where dreams come true and all that jazz. I left the meeting, missing London more then ever, called Daniel who was living there at the time and headed to the Natural History museum. At first this also depressed me, because I saw all the things and people that used to be. (Native Indians) that have been wiped out. Then I got to the animal section and took this image and the others and found some peace.
7. Nixs and Marques - Some people are beautiful to look at but far from photogenic on the other hand some people look like hot messes but photograph beautifully.. I remember meeting Alice Nixs and being so excited to shoot her. She can not take a bad picture.. We did this in our back garden Marques was practising.. It was amazing.
8. RWD Iona - The girl in the middle is amazing. She is my muse.. She’s young and fearless, feisty and kind and honest and knows all the words to every lil Kim Song. We fit.
9. Ryan and Pat - Pat used to run a night called Boom bye bye, I love to look at pictures like this because back then we were really just getting started, we ran these nights to fund out days… We had all these plans about the future.. The thing is when I look back at what we wanted, planed and predicted for our selfs, we’ve actually surpassed it.. not all plain sailing, but we making it.
10. Triangle - Ive done this shoot called Triangles for Idol Magazine, these were the three models involved.. Its the best shoot Ive done to date, the pictures, the creativity involved.. The team that day.. Just easy.. I have this image up on my wall i look at it now before every-shoot and wish for the same feeling.
