Photographer #7: Nick Travelyn
NICK TRAVELYN
RHODE ISLAND, USA
41.5801° N, 71.4774° W
@nicktravelyn
1. Please give us a quick introduction to yourself.
My name is Nick Travelyn. I’m from Bedford, New Hampshire, but currently live in Brooklyn, New York.
2. Were you visiting the place/country or do you live there?
During the shoot, I was in Westerly, Rhode Island, home to some of the best beaches on the east coast of the United States. My girlfriend Alexandra and I spent most of our time on the beach in Westerly this past Summer and were lucky enough to live there last Fall (temporarily). It’s a place we both grew up visiting, so it holds a special place in our hearts.
3. What can you tell us about the people in the shoot?
My girlfriend Alexandra was a good sport and let me style her for the shoot. She’s notorious for wearing my clothes, so it was fun to dress her up in some elevated menswear (she particularly loved the lilac suit).
Neville is a good friend of mine and was kind enough to make the trip up from Brooklyn for the weekend. We had a lot of fun scoping out locations and putting the looks together. He had never been to Westerly, so I enjoyed taking him around the area and showing him my favorite spots.
4. Where did you do the shooting? Why did you choose this area?
I shot everything in Westerly, mainly on the beach (including East Beach in Watch Hill, RI, and Fenway Beach in Weekapaug, RI) because I wanted it to look and feel summery and light. To me, there is no better summertime destination than Westerly, and it has always been a source of inspiration for my photography so I wanted to share this amazing little corner of the universe with AKOG and its customers.
5. What are your favorite spots in this location?
East Beach in Watch Hill is my favorite beach in the world, so it was meaningful to be able to include it in the shoot. It’s a special place, particularly in the off-season when the crowds have dissipated, and you have the entire beach to yourself.
The tennis courts I shot at are part of a club that we don’t belong to, so we got to break a few rules and got a few looks from the members. Who can blame them, though? It’s not every day they see a girl dressed in an oversized lilac suit posing for photos on the court.
6. What photographer/artist influences your photography?
My mom has always had the most influence on my photography. She taught art and photography for over 40 years and was the first person to put a camera in my hands. She has an amazing eye and is a wealth of knowledge whenever I have questions. Over the past couple of years, I’ve focused mainly on film photography and have been using an old Nikon FM2 that she gave me, so whenever I’m out taking pictures, I always think of her. Hi Mom!
7. Famous last words – what would you like to share?
Photography is a passion of mine, but this is the first time I’ve ever done anything like this. I still haven’t seen the pictures (so fingers crossed they turned out okay), so I’m excited to see the campaign come to life. It’s been a fun experience to work with the AKOG team, and I feel very fortunate to be a part of this project.
