LomoAmigo: Singer-Songwriter Ryan Star

Not only did rocker Ryan Star love taking pictures with the Fisheye No. 2, but last time he played in New York City, we sent two lucky fans to the show with Color Splash cameras. In this interview, Ryan shares his favorite shots and tells us about his experience with the Fisheye No. 2.

Tell us a little bit about yourself.

Born on Long Island, NY.
Lives in BROOKLYN.
Raised on Cameron Crowe and Tim Burton Films, Pearl Jam, Tori Amos and Nine Inch Nails.
Currently living on CHVRCHES, The 1975, Bon Iver and Frank Ocean.
I sometimes take the joke too far.

We saw you had a great time in the snow. Where did you go?

I grew up boarding in Vermont, like most New York kids do. Lots of ice and concussions so I traded it in for the beautiful Colorado Mountains. These shots were taken in ASPEN.

Is this your first time snowboarding?

Not even close. My twitter profile says I am a writer/performer/snowboarder - it's official because I wrote it on the internet. ;)

How was your experience with the Fisheye?

I fucking love this thing. I was a photo student in high school and college-- I want to believe that I was one of the early LOMO users here in the states. I have been a fan since the beginning and it has been a lot of fun to see all of the cameras come out. This one is especially rad. So much fun in a digital world to just have faith in the moment and wait to get it developed.

Which picture is your favorite?

I am very visual in my songs. I like to create colors and scenes with my words. Listen to ANGELS + ANIMALS and you will understand. It is like experiencing a show in many ways. A real story from beginning to end-- a real album. Photography is very much like that to me.

The entire collection of shots here really make me feel a breath of fresh air. I climbed to the top of the mountain with my friend Jason Flom (big time record exec - I encourage you to bombard him with your demos) and simply found clarity. It was over New Years and the best time to do so. Just me and the mountain. Very Lord Of The Rings. There are some shots I did a double exposure on-- you can see my Brooklyn apartment and the mountain in one.

How did you find out you wanted to be a rock star?

I saw the movie Singles by Cameron Crowe and formed my band STAGE the very next day. Our first gig was at CBGB's NYC at 15 years old and I haven't stopped since.

It's hard to get some recognition as a musician in this country with so many talents, do you have any advice for those who are just starting?

There is a lot of talent and there is a lot of NOISE. The noise sucks. It didn't exist back when you had to commit to being a musician. You had to save your money to get into the studio, sneak out of class to make sound check, and tell your parents you were dropping out of college to follow the dream. Now you can dabble and even make something that resembles art while sitting on the bowl. My advice is: don't just dabble. If you want this, be truthful and commit 1000 percent to your art. Find your unique voice and don't let anyone tell you to be anything else. They all know shit and these days nobody can tempt you with the idea that you are gonna be a star-- they can't make that happen any more than you can on your own.

What are your future plans as a solo artist?

I am going to keep making stuff. The mountains inspired me.

Some of Ryan's favorites from the fan Color Splash photos:

You can keep up with Ryan on his website (RSTAR), Twitter (@RyanStar), and Instagram (@eyeofrstar).

written by kylah on 2014-03-24 #people #music #accessories #camera-reviews #features #lomoamigo #tutorials