An Ugh News first! Paul sits down with us to explain how a military man sees Philly's nightlife and how he plans to change it... and answers the question on all of our minds, are we all really just vain or is this art?
The Interview
Conrad: How long have you lived in Philly?
Paul: I am actually in the process of moving back to philly. I have been been in and around Philadelphia since 1997. I had a long term relationship with a girl that lived in Philly so a lot of my time was in the city. [Ladies, I think that means he's single!] I lived in Fishtown for a bit with some friends and I am heading over to live in the UPenn area at the end of the month, due to the fact that I'm attending the art institute.
C: What is your background? Did you go to school for photography?
P: My personal background revolves in art, music and technology. I took photography in high school, but due to enlisting in the army [Say what?!?]...I didn't have a lot of time for my hobby at the time.
C: Before Philthy.us, how active would you say you were in Philly nightlife?
P: I have always been around in Philly's nightlife, I've been going out to shows and clubs since I was 17. I have been performing a electro/industrial act for the past 10 years and that has kept me coming out and involved in the underground music scene.
C: How active are you now?
P: I think I'm pretty active, cause I am always very tired.. which means I must be doing a good job at going out!
C: What made you want to photograph nightlife? Is it more than that?
P: I saw that Philadelphia didn't really have a big photography website that came from a particularly artistic angle. I spend a lot of time going through the pictures I take to find the ones that have a certain look that I am catering to.
C: You once ran a zine that is now looking for a new moderator. Does Philthy express your creativeness better than the zine did?
P: Casey G. is the driving force behind Triczine, I merely aid him with his duties. Casey and I are looking for someone who wants to take an established paper zine and take the online version it to a new level. Triczine has a large reader base and we are looking to make the paper version more artistic and leave the music/video/venue reviews to the web version.
Philthy is supposed to embody the action and energy that is very apparent in our nightlife, clearly put I want people around the world to see the fun that we are having, and that NYC isn't the only place to party. [Perfectly put Paul]
C: Were you afraid that Philthy would be seen as a copy of other such sites, Yapsnaps or Hands and Knees? Do you give a damn?
P: I don't feel that my photography mimics any of the other photographers in Philadelphia. I feel that Angelo and Jonathan have their own unique flavor.
C: You're site has gotten very popular very quickly. Why do you think this is?
P: I think it's gotten a lot of attention due to the fact that I socialize with people and follow up and keep in contact with those people whom pictures I post... I also drop my card wherever I go. [I have 2 I think]
C: Seriously though, you went from updates every couple of days with a couple of hundred of site visitors to now practically daily updates with thousands of hits. Do you think this is just young Philadelphians looking for a new myspace photos? Or is it maybe more than that?
P: I think it's people that see some good photography and want to see what's going on in their town. I saw some hits from across the globe, and I'm sure a lot of that is from my myspace friends looking in from bulletin posts and showing their friends..but hey I think word of mouth is some of the best promotion. I also like to network with other artists so perhaps in the future maybe more photographers could come into the fold once the website starts to expand out of my control.
C: Do you think anyone could take these photos with the same amount of success as you or does it take a special kind?
P: I definitely think you have to be able to catch certain moments or have that "eye"..the same as someone would say you have an eye for fashion...etc...One of my fellow photographers said to me " it's not the camera, its the operator "
C: The updates on your page are so funny and often now talk about how tiered you are, of course you are, your literally everywhere, any plans to take a break?
P: My sanity is held together by always keeping myself busy, if I don't have anything to do I feel like I'm wasting my time...which is why if I'm not out taking pictures, I am working on music production or at work...
C: What do you get out of this? Is it just all about having fun?
P: I plan to build something great out of this site. I would love to see it as the epicenter of subculture in Philadelphia. I have some friends over at pixelboy design who are helping me recode the website. You can expect to see the website become more interactive sometime this month...giving Philly promoters a place to post about their upcoming nights...so not only can you see what happened at last night but figure out what to do with your night if you cant figure out what to do...I was also presented with a proposition for clothing as well...There are lot of opportunities for this website to become so much more than just a photography website. I can't wait to see what becomes of it...
C: Ok so, what's your favorite DJ night? Where do you have the most fun?
P: I really don't have a favorite, it really depends on the company I'm with. I have fun with my friends, and it doesn't really matter the location. As far as aesthetics, I like the look and feel that Silk City gives out.
What's your Ugh-pinion on...
The Iraq war?
Its turned into a horrible quagmire. I spent 8 years in the army, so i know a lot of what soldiers go through on a day to day basis. Its very sad to see that we still have this lunatic running our country and has created such a distaste for the idea of what it is to be American. Its basically going to end up being another Vietnam.
Britney Spears?
She had a good run for her money, she should have stepped out of the limelight when she had a chance...but hey...reality TV show rules America.. so she's just playing along with the game... maybe a sex tape could give her a boost.
ABC's “Lost”?
Sorry, I never got into this series... I stopped following network TV a long time ago. I have been watching The Young Ones (BBC) box set over and over again while i work on my computer... I am really into DVD box sets ( Curb your Enthusiasm, The Critic, etc ) So now you all know what to buy me for a present.
Thanks so much Paul. We all are looking forward to the new Philthy.us coming later this month. Here's one more of your favorite photos... and don't get too excited y'all it's probably not of you.
2 comments:
Great interview!!
RD
love it conrad
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