Surprising fire spinners with free prints! 🔥🖨️
So I went to @fireflowla a couple months ago with my camera and set out on a mission to capture these dope people doing dope things and share it with them in the same night 😎
The artists featured in this video are @shaynainmotion dancing with palm torches and @ari.riegan breathing fire 🌬️🔥
Also, for all of the OG ivstreets followers who are interested in following my new project, check out @faces.of.flow . Similar to how I took a deep dive into UCSB and Isla Vista culture, I’m taking a deep dive into the world of flow arts and fire spinning. This project is where I have been spending more of my time and has been creatively invigorating. Hope you enjoy!
Gear Used: 📸
Nikon Z8
Nikkor Z 85mm f/1.2 S
Accsoon SeeMo 4K (for EVF monitor)
Insta360 X4 (shoulder cam)
Printer: 🖨️
Liene White M200 4x6’’ Photo Printer Battery Edition
#flowarts #firespinning #photoprint #firebreathing #flowartist
Some highlights from Soltopia ☀️
It’s been a while since I’ve taken photos at parties in IV, and I’m glad to be back! The act of documenting Soltopia was bittersweet for me. Having been to three separate Deltopias prior to this, the energy was noticeably different.
I’d say it Soltopia was definitely more local and wholesome. I could tell that the organizers and everyone involved in putting the event on genuinely wanted to provide a fun and inclusive experience in the absence of Deltopia. The majority of the people I interacted with were having fun and generally vibing with the music and activities.
At the same time, I heard from several people that there felt like something was missing. Soltopia had big shoes to fill, and I think that was felt by many, especially those who have experienced a proper Deltopia in years past.
I remember when the wave of ordinances banning parties over 250 people, banning ticketing for parties, etc. went down, and I think that was the beginning of the end for the sheer impressive scale that UCSB parties could bring. But is a bigger party necessarily better? Deltopia to me felt like a statement solidifying UCSB as the king of college parties by scale. So now that it’s missing I think it’s leading to a bit of an identity crisis for the community who has long cherished the tradition.
Anyways, that’s my take on it. Looking forward to being back in IV and UCSB. Cya soon!
“A little sunshine to brighten your day” ☀️📸
I was walking down State Street in Santa Barbara when I noticed a cute pop-up art shop on the sidewalk by @sarinasknitsandknots . I saw a great opportunity to give her some free product photos, so I arranged my favorite one to be centered in a group of others and snapped a shot to print and share. Hope you enjoy!
Printer:
Liene White M200 4x6’’ Photo Printer Battery Edition
Camera Gear:
Nikon Z8
Nikkor Z 70-200mm f/2.8 S
Accsoon SeeMo 4K (for EVF monitor)
Insta360 X4 (shoulder cam)
#santabarbara #nikon
Who can do this with $100s? 💵💰
I was walking down State Street in Santa Barbara when a kid on an e-bike flagged me down asking if I give food to homeless people. Shortly after, his friends came up behind him and requested a photo fanning out a stack of $5 bills.
Love these spontaneous and random interactions with the e-bike community on State Street. What do you think of this crowd?
Printer:
Liene White M200 4x6’’ Photo Printer Battery Edition
Camera Gear:
Nikon Z8
Nikkor Z 70-200mm f/2.8 S
Accsoon SeeMo 4K (for EVF monitor)
Insta360 X4 (shoulder cam)
#santabarbara #streetportrait #ebike #nikon
The artists of Firedrums 2025 🔥 @firedrumsfestival
I had a phenomenal time at my first Firedrums festival this past weekend. I originally came to be inspired by the skilled flow artists after recently picking up and learning contact staff. What I ended up gaining from the experience was much more than I could have anticipated
I brought my camera and my photo printer to share prints with those who I took some dope photos of. Take one of the world’s best camera + lens combos and combine it with a fire circle filled with some of the world’s finest performers, and you really get a creative playground 📸
I’d say this was the most exciting experience I’ve had recently as a photographer and also as a person. I met so many amazing and open minded people that gave me a sense of community, which is something I’ve felt I’ve lacked recently. I’ve never felt more appreciated than in the moments in which I shared photo prints with the performers ❤️🔥
If I shared a photo of you and you’d like it removed or would like to be tagged, please DM me! Hope you enjoy the photos! 🤙
Gear Used:
Nikon Z8
Nikkor Z 70-200mm f/2.8 S
#firephotography #firespinning #flowarts #flowart #firedancer #fireperformer #flowartist #nikon
Photos from Hong Kong, Da Nang, and Macau 🇭🇰🇻🇳🇲🇴
In early April 2025, I traveled to Asia again on a vacation and brought my camera and a single lens with me, my Nikkor Z 50mm f/1.8 S prime 📸
Part of me wishes I had a larger focal range to access, but the restriction to 50mm definitely created a creative constraint to inspire some innovation. It also kept the camera light, which made me more comfortable with taking it out everywhere without worry of fatigue 🪶
I wanted to create more video content out of this trip. I even brought my whole BTS shooting rig in my suitcase. But I didn’t feel compelled to do what I used to do. I was excited to change it up and focus all my effort on just photos.
I’ve been trying to slow my life down recently and reframe where I am going with my photography journey. I find myself learning that stillness isn’t necessarily unproductive, and that boredom and stagnation can actually be fertile ground for intensive self reflection.
I still feel disillusioned with social media. I feel like whether I consent to it or not, the work I share on this platform is being used to keep people on this app longer so Meta can expose them to more advertising. After recent news of how negatively social media affects mental health, I feel like I’m contributing to a system that is profiting off of human suffering. So this weight pulls me down and makes it hard to see a point to all of this.
I don’t want my account to be a billboard for businesses to buy placements, but businesses love to see me that way. To be completely honest, social media has never been a profit-driven venture for me. I made videos with millions of views, but I didn’t make a dime off of those views.
I find myself in a place where I have enough work to be financially stable, but I keep saying Yes to gigs that don’t align with where I want to be. Past clients that expect to get the same low rates. Uninteresting events that feel like the same song and dance every time. I want to do something more impactful with my photography. I want the photos to mean something.
Captures from Beijing, April 2024 🇨🇳📸
I took these photos about a year ago, but never found the right space or time to share them. This was my first experience bringing my camera out of the country and the first time in a while that I had felt like I connected to photography purely for artistic creativity.
I find it particularly stimulating to place myself in completely new environments and try to create something visually interesting out of what’s happening in front of me. I think I’ll be doing more of this soon 👀
Gear Used:
Nikon D780
Nikkor 24-120mm f/4G ED VR
Nikkor 50mm F/1.8G
#streetphotography #beijing #streetphotographer #travelphotography #longexposure
