How Truly Blessed Came to Be

Produced by King Koala

In this video filmed and edited by Yu Sung Cho for King Koala, I discuss the origins for my new photo book, Truly Blessed, which literally happened by accident! It’s a powerful visual story about a community’s response to discrimination, both racial and religious. And the background story behind the book is pretty amazing.

Published by King Koala Press in Italy, this 128 page volume features 60 striking black and white photographs using the deepest black ink available in the world by one of Italy’s finest book printers.

It's Shipping Day for Old Customs

Traditions, customs, folk stories, and legends serve as the foundation for identity and as a glue that binds a society together, but what happens when there is a sea change in the national landscape? How do these historical foundations hold up? How do newer generations pay reverence to their past while embracing a new path and its promised freedoms? What is the friction between the new and the old, and can they work together? To ponder these questions in photographs may seem to be an impossible task, but images can allude to much more outside of the reality they depict. By combining visual references to Romanian fairy tales, turn-of-the-century embroidery patterns, and scenes from a remote fishing village turned nontraditional tourist destination, I tried to capture the feeling of the first generation of Romanians who do not have personal experience of what it was like to live under the rule of Nicolae Ceaușescu’s Communist state, but still carry the rich traditions and history of their country by birthright. It is within this framework that I present the idea of freedom and youth tethered to history, all in the style of a modern-day fairy tale filled with beauty, magic, myth, and mystery. Photographed over 3 years in Vama Veche, Romania, Old Customs is the third of four books I am publishing in 2020. This first edition has 46 full color photographs and a unique design featuring a printed translucent book jacket. Subsequent editions will not include the book jacket. All books purchased online are hand-numbered and signed. Release Date September 15, 2020 Details Book Size: 5.5” x 8.5” 80 pages, cover, and translucent book jacket Cover: 130lb Finch Fine iD Bright White Smooth Inside Pages: 100lb Finch Fine Bright White Smooth Perfect Bind Limited Edition of 150 Click this link to reserve your copy now - http://www.chrissuspect.com/shop/old-customs

Taking the time today to pack up all of the preorders for Old Customs so I can send them out on Tuesday, September 15th. So excited to hear what you all think!

Old Customs Book Signing Video

Traditions, customs, folk stories, and legends serve as the foundation for identity and as a glue that binds a society together, but what happens when there is a sea change in the national landscape? How do these historical foundations hold up? How do newer generations pay reverence to their past while embracing a new path and its promised freedoms? What is the friction between the new and the old, and can they work together? To ponder these questions in photographs may seem to be an impossible task, but images can allude to much more outside of the reality they depict. By combining visual references to Romanian fairy tales, turn-of-the-century embroidery patterns, and scenes from a remote fishing village turned nontraditional tourist destination, I tried to capture the feeling of the first generation of Romanians who do not have personal experience of what it was like to live under the rule of Nicolae Ceaușescu’s Communist state, but still carry the rich traditions and history of their country by birthright. It is within this framework that I present the idea of freedom and youth tethered to history, all in the style of a modern-day fairy tale filled with beauty, magic, myth, and mystery. Photographed over 3 years in Vama Veche, Romania, Old Customs is the third of four books I am publishing in 2020. This first edition has 46 full color photographs and a unique design featuring a printed translucent book jacket. Subsequent editions will not include the book jacket. All books purchased online are hand-numbered and signed. Release Date September 15, 2020 Details Book Size: 5.5” x 8.5” 80 pages, cover, and translucent book jacket Cover: 130lb Finch Fine iD Bright White Smooth Inside Pages: 100lb Finch Fine Bright White Smooth Perfect Bind Limited Edition of 150 Click this link to reserve your copy now - http://www.chrissuspect.com/shop/old-customs

Old Customs is now back from my printer and they re looking gorgeous! Watch my sign the first book with a fancy gold pen!

4 Books x 1 Year - Presentation at London Street Photography Festival

London Street Photography Festival is the biggest UK festival dedicated to street photography. Held annually in East London, it is dedicated to showing the b...

This past Saturday I gave a presentation on my four books in 1 year project for the London Street Photography Festival. The team over in the UK did an excellent job with the production of this live stream. We also had a lot of questions and it came off quite well. Hopefully next year we will all be able to gather in person.

My presentation begins at 04:05:52. (Click here to jump right to it.)

Printer's Proof of Old Customs

Here’s a quick video of the printer’s proof for Old Customs. I show off the book a bit, highlighting the design, book jacket and quality of the prints. Enjoy. Old Customs is available for presale now.