Ryan Russell

Things That Inspire Me — Rock photographer Ryan Russell presents a personal photographic journey through the heart of America.

Ryan Russell is well know for shooting bands such as Death Cab for Cutie, Green Day and Blink-182, but with his latest project he has turned his lens on a personal journey, his move from his birthplace of Birmingham, Alabama to Bellingham, Washington State.

In the process of shifting his life from the Deep South to the Pacific North West, Ryan created Continental Obscura: From Birmingham to Bellingham to document his voyage through the American heartlands. The book includes a split 7″ vinyl record with two bands Ryan has shot with a number of times over the years, Manchester Orchestra and Minus the Bear.

Huck caught up with Ryan to check out the things that inspire him.

Things That Inspire Me

1. Birmingham, Alabama

I spent the first 32 years of my life in a place known for little more than racial injustice and football. In its current state, Birmingham is a gritty and tough city filled with crime and decay, but finally on the verge of re-emerging again. The vacant downtown department stores and dormant steel mills gave me an endless supply of content to photograph while I developed my style outside of the music world. The recent rebirth of the Northside of the city gave me the opportunity to revisit places I have photographed endlessly for 13 years and see them in a beautiful new way.

2. Death Cab For Cutie

Ever since 2001, Death Cab for Cutie has been my favourite band and an inspiration to my work. ‘We Have The Facts…’ and ‘The Photo Album’ were played pretty much on repeat when I would go out photographing the first couple of years. I used their music as soundtrack for the images I was shooting and making it feel more like a cinematic experience rather than just photographic. I have had the pleasure of working with the band since 2006 and my experiences with them have been some of my absolute favourite as a photographer. Once moving to Washington this past year its given me an opportunity to visit a lot of the locations written about in Death Cab’s songs.

3. William Eggleston

After a few years of working, a friend told me to check out William Eggleston. I had never heard of him but immediately fell in love with his work. He seemed to supremely convey the authenticity I was trying to display in my own work. He was a master at invoking the true feelings of whatever he photographed and bringing a viewer to the front and centre to that location and made you feel like you were there. The idea of photographing things as you see them and letting the mundane appear astounding is still my favourite aspect of doing photography.

4. Charles Peterson

Charles Peterson is the grandmaster of live music photography for me. His Nirvana images are always what I wanted my own live shots to feel like. His unorthodox framing yet simplistic methods of photographing live performances are unmatched. It gave hope to anyone with a simple flash and a single lens that you could also create iconic images.

Charles Peterson

Charles Peterson

5. Mount Baker

I always dreamed of being able to shoot photographs in the high mountains covered with snow and glaciers. Since moving to Bellingham, Washington in 2013 I’ve lived no less than an hour from a volcanic mountain that is just that. My first couple of months living in Bellingham I drove up to Artist Point that sits between Mount Baker and Mount Shuksan, and spent hours hiking and photographing the area. I have never visited a place in my life more beautiful than the top of that mountain.

Check out Ryan’s Continental Obscura: From Birmingham to Bellingham.


Ad

Latest on Huck

Sport

Is the UK ready for a Kabaddi boom?

Kabaddi, Kabaddi, Kabaddi — Watched by over 280 million in India, the breathless contact sport has repeatedly tried to grip British viewers. Ahead of the Kabaddi World Cup being held in Wolverhampton this month, Kyle MacNeill speaks to the gamechangers laying the groundwork for a grassroots scene.

Written by: Kyle MacNeill

Culture

One photographer’s search for her long lost father

Decades apart — Moving to Southern California as a young child, Diana Markosian’s family was torn apart. Finding him years later, her new photobook explores grief, loss and connection.

Written by: Miss Rosen

Culture

As DOGE stutters, all that remains is cringe

Department of Gargantuan Egos — With tensions splintering the American right and contemporary rap’s biggest feud continuing to make headlines, newsletter columnist Emma Garland explains how fragile male egos stand at the core of it all.

Written by: Emma Garland

Culture

Photo essay special: Despite pre-Carnival anxiety, Mardi Gras 2025 was a joyous release for New Orleans

A city celebrates — Following a horrific New Year’s Day terror attack and forecasts for extreme weather, the Louisiana city’s marquee celebration was pre-marked with doubt. But the festival found a city in a jubilant mood, with TBow Bowden there to capture it.

Written by: Isaac Muk

Sport

From his skating past to sculpting present, Arran Gregory revels in the organic

Sensing Earth Space — Having risen to prominence as an affiliate of Wayward Gallery and Slam City Skates, the shredder turned artist creates unique, temporal pieces out of earthly materials. Dorrell Merritt caught up with him to find out more about his creative process.

Written by: Dorrell Merritt

Music

In Bristol, pub singers are keeping an age-old tradition alive

Ballads, backing tracks, beers — Bar closures, karaoke and jukeboxes have eroded a form of live music that was once an evening staple, but on the fringes of the southwest’s biggest city, a committed circuit remains.

Written by: Fred Dodgson

Signup to our newsletter

Sign up to stay informed from the cutting edge of sport, music and counterculture, with personal takes on the state of media and pop culture in your inbox every month from Emma Garland, former Digital Editor of Huck, exclusive interviews, recommendations and more.

Please wait...