Ryan Dawson Photography & Design

Shooting on location and using natural light are extremely important aspects of my process. They are key elements to the final outcome of my artwork. Intentionally borrowing from cinematic conventions, I approach my work like a movie director. Each photograph encompasses my fascination with the way movies create stories that satisfy the human desire for narrative. The location I eventually settle upon greatly influences the subject of the mise en scène and the composition. Images are highly constructed and every meticulous detail in the composition is considered, from the type of light in the shot to the props and costumes. Focusing on aspects of life that are familiar and yet completely foreign, the mood is bleak, gloomy and yet beautiful through the use of low dramatic lighting coupled with cinematic-like camera angles. Printed in large scale, the images range from the surreal and sublime to the dark and ominous.