we're trash

How do you get your photos to look like that? 

I lovingly call the Trashville aesthetic Britannica, named for the style of images I grew up admiring our 1985-edition encyclopedia. Far from being a trade secret, I use vintage lenses mounted to modern mirrorless cameras to achieve a specific feel. Lens flare, chromatic aberration, edge softening, and noise/grain make for unique images that don't feel like Instagram filters. That's 99% of the Trashville aesthetic. The other 1% comes in editing. I create specific image/lighting profiles that serve as a starting point for the final product. Some of our photos make great prints, while others look better on social media. 

Why Trashville?

We're Nashville born and raised. We grew up sweating our asses off at Opryland and nursing hangovers at Dino's. No matter how many city-view condos, tall-and-skinnies, or Whole Foods they build, this is Trashville. Always and forever.

Trashville is beautiful and gross. Amazing people, loads of fun, always hot and sweaty in the summer and depressing as hell in the winter. We're proud of this place and calling it Trashville is our way of saying we love it.

Why all the portraits of homeless people? 

Yes, we do take photos of Nashville's homeless. We also hang out with them, get to know them, give them money and cigarettes, purchase The Contributor, and try to raise awareness and support them. If you see someone holding up a copy of The Contributor, give them $2 and take a copy of the paper and read it. 

Every issue of The Contributor is made by Nashville's homeless. They purchase each copy for $0.25, sell them for $2, and pocket or reinvest the profits. Our homeless neighbors are amazing writers, poets, and artists. Every issue of The Contributor is a showcase of their talents and helps them get a leg-up on finding permanent housing. They're part of Nashville, too. They are not trash.