I am a fine arts photographer working in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The landscape of the city provides wonderful fodder for the medium of urban exploration.

Previously, I worked in the film industry as a materials consultant to special effects makeup studios. The work I did in the field of materials research (specifically translucent silicone rubbers) helped to push the industry into the 21st century. I maintained an informational website called replicants.org from 2000-2003 that saw thousands of visitors annually.

I left the industry in 2004 and moved back to Pittsburgh to pursue another passion of mine- photography. I caught the bug during the time I spent working in London taking countless pictures of textures. (Nothing as specific as say a building, but rather a small area of rust or chipped paint.) I found Pittsburgh to have the same sort of feel. Many of the old building that have been left years ago can tell us stories of not only the past, but also of the current state of affairs. I treat each picture I take of these buildings as a portrait. As a result I feel that much of the character shines through. My photographs are characterized by their use of available light and very straight forward presentation of the subject matter.

Most recently I have taken my craft into a newer realm by incorporating a fashion element to it. Mixing the rough textures of the buildings with modern fashion design I have found a new calling, and through this recent work my perception has expanded 10 fold.

Freeze Frame Reality | Pittsburgh Photography Blog | Arvin Clay