Nicolas Miller (@nickmillers) is a fantastic photographer who's seen much success since he started taking his photography seriously in 2018. Inspired by moody New York during storms that bring darker weather, Nicolas can be seen walking for miles on end throughout the city, finding the perfect shot that possesses neo-noir-inspired elements.
Neo-noir is defined "as a revival of the genre of film noir. The film noir genre includes stylish Hollywood crime dramas, often with a twisted dark wit. Neo-noir has a similar style but with updated themes, content, style, visual elements, and media."
This is why you will see his best work is usually done at night or during a storm when no one is around. He chooses to shoot at those opportune moments to capture a sense of broody suspense throughout the city. His photography style is unique and captures escapism in its raw form, which is why he's seen success so early on.
Nicolas hasn't always wandered the New York City streets at night looking for that golden opportunity; he's spent most of his life in France before moving to London for 4 years in 2013 and finally relocating to the states in 2018. As a kid, Nicolas never felt he was the artistic type; he was an average school athlete competing in sports like European football, tennis, and swimming and always wanted to play video games and hang out with his friends.
Initially interested in landscape photography, Nicolas knew he'd have to change his lifestyle to travel outside the city to capture any kind of landscape, so he decided to use New York City instead as his backdrop. He felt inspired by how his city looked on its darkest days and decided to capture pictures showcasing a pensive city. He gets loads of inspiration from watching classic gangster and crime drama movies like Blade Runner, King of New York, and French Connections. This leads him to study these genres' film stills to capture the same moody cinematographic effect he brings into his photography.
As many artists feel the pressure to constantly be active with their craft, Nicolas is unique in that he needs a certain level of motivation to go out and capture New York. He won't pressure himself or push to get more content out. If Nicolas feels that motivation, he will grab his camera - Sony A7R and hit the city. If he doesn't feel inspired to go and shoot, he'll wait until he does. His chosen style affords him more flexibility as he has to wait for gloomy weather to make an entrance. In his effort to not force his technique, we see the true beauty of patience and quiet perseverance.
While he might have to wait for the right circumstances to shoot, he is always active on social media and loves answering questions and connecting with the community he's built online. And while you might not find a website to purchase his prints, if you find yourself in need of one to buy for your wall, contact him directly on Instagram (@nickmillers) or Twitter (@nickmillers1), and he'd be happy to sell you your chosen print.
Nicolas's wanderlust will take him far and wide on many future trips throughout New York City and beyond. He'll bring along his camera to capture his journeys and tell many more stories through the eye of the lens.
In this episode, you will hear how Nicolas is inspired by classic gangster and crime movies, the weather conditions he looks for to shoot, his creative process on how uses his phone and iPad for post-production, his Instagram post-process, tips for those who are looking to start in photography and other great inspirational insights on how he creates.
Enjoy getting to know Nicolas and his journey as a creator.
Cheers, and go create.
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