“A Day in the Life” with photographer Sebastian Buzzalino

September 8, 2021 Kyra Ramos Arts, Photography

Sebastian Buzzalino is a Canadian-Argentine photographer who resides in Calgary. For the past decade, he has been a mainstay in the local music and arts community: a writer for local music publications, a venue booker and promoter, and a live music photographer. In more recent years, his portfolio has expanded to include contemporary portraiture that explores themes of sexuality, gender, and identity. A fierce proponent of DIY publishing and exhibitions, he has released several self-published zines and books which feature his live music photography, street photography, and original poetry that explores his plural identities. His most recent photography show, Unmanned, took place in a single-night exhibit in an underground, unmarked venue on 17th Avenue.

Before the COVID-19 pandemic, he spent three months in Mexico City, spending nearly every afternoon combing the streets of the metropolis and immersing himself in the vibrant, chaotic street and park culture, producing a photo book that explored the impossibility of returning home. His latest work, Little Deaths, was founded within the restrictions of the pandemic. For 18 months, he put his camera in the hands of dozens of households across the city with instructions for producing long-exposure portraits of couples having sex. The result is a collection of ghostly, abstract photos that push the boundary of bodies and challenges our understanding of artistic ownership.

Sebastian Buzzalino - Live music is how I started in photography. Being in the moment with a band, working to capture moments that can then become iconic memories of an intense moment, will forever be my first artistic love. I don’t think anything will ever replace the adrenaline of that moment — even when I’m on tour and shooting on a nightly basis. This was from my first show back post-COVID with Reuben & the Dark at the Wildhorse Saloon. Reuben was joined on stage by First Nations dancers, Kyle Young Pine and Nevada Young Pine, as well as the Bullhorn Singers, for an absolutely magical return to form.
Sebastian Buzzalino – Live music is how I started photography. Being in the moment with a band, working
to capture moments that can then become iconic memories of an intense moment, will forever be my first artistic love. I don’t think anything will ever replace the adrenaline of that moment — even when I’m on tour and shooting on a nightly basis. This was from my first show back post-COVID with Reuben & the Dark at the Wildhorse Saloon. Reuben was joined on stage by First Nations dancers, Kyle Young Pine and Nevada Young Pine, as well as the Bullhorn Singers, for an absolutely magical return to form.
Sebastian Buzzalino - One of my favourite images from Little Deaths. Throughout the project, I dropped my camera off at folks’ houses and quickly taught them how to set it up for longexposures. Most folks have limited experience in photography, but the results are nonetheless incredible. Each frame is an otherworldly and voyeuristic glimpse into people’s intimate lives.
Sebastian Buzzalino – One of my favourite images from Little Deaths. Throughout the project, I dropped
my camera off at folks’ houses and quickly taught them how to set it up for longexposures. Most folks have limited experience in photography, but the results are nonetheless incredible. Each frame is an otherworldly and voyeuristic glimpse into people’s intimate lives.
A BTS capture (credit: Rebecca Zahn) of my latest portrait shoot in my studio at Idle Eyes Collective with Doug Hoyer. I usually work alone, so it’s rare to have BTS content!
A BTS capture (credit: Rebecca Zahn) of my latest portrait shoot in my studio at Idle
Eyes Collective with Doug Hoyer. I usually work alone, so it’s rare to have BTS content!
A still life frame from early in the pandemic. Still life photography is not my usual discipline, but my house gets beautiful light in the winter and, without being able to really leave the house, nor go to shows, I started looking around the house for moments that felt special during weird times. Masks still hang in my kitchen, but for how long?
A still life frame from early in the pandemic. Still life photography is not my usual discipline, but my house gets beautiful light in the winter and, without being able to really leave the house, nor go to shows, I started looking around the house for moments that felt special during weird times. Masks still hang in my kitchen, but for how long?
I absolutely love to cook whenever I have time. There’s nothing better than lighting a joint and spending a couple of hours in the kitchen to cook delicious food for loved ones. This is a dish I cooked while living in Mexico City before the pandemic, the start of a long braise to make a version of pork tacos al pastor. One of my favourite things about returning to Latin America was the availability of fresh markets within blocks of our apartment, from bougie stalls to alleyway fresh chicken vendors.
I absolutely love to cook whenever I have time. There’s nothing better than lighting a joint and spending a couple of hours in the kitchen to cook delicious food for loved ones. This is a dish I cooked while living in Mexico City before the pandemic, the start of a long braise to make a version of pork tacos al pastor. One of my favourite things about returning to Latin America was the availability of fresh markets within blocks of our apartment, from bougie stalls to alleyway fresh chicken vendors.
Broken City will forever be my home away from home and these folks are my chosen family. There’s no one in this photo I wouldn’t chop my arm off for and I love how this photo turned out in the back stairwell of the bar. This was after Orville Peck’s show in 2019! This moment brings me so much joy
Broken City will forever be my home away from home and these folks are my chosen family. There’s no one in this photo I wouldn’t chop my arm off for and I love how this photo turned out in the back stairwell of the bar. This was after Orville Peck’s show in 2019! This moment brings me so much joy
Sebastian Buzzalino - There’s nothing better than being on the road with a band, shooting day in and day out. Your whole world shrinks into the van bubble and just getting to the next show, putting it on and meeting new people. I feel at my most natural in these environments, living out of a bag, seeing the world and enjoying the moment. This was taken in Southern California on tour with The Velveteins.
Sebastian Buzzalino – There’s nothing better than being on the road with a band, shooting day in and day
out. Your whole world shrinks into the van bubble and just getting to the next show, putting it on, and meeting new people. I feel at my most natural in these environments, living out of a bag, seeing the world, and enjoying the moment. This was taken in Southern California on tour with The Velveteins.
Sebastian Buzzalino - My wife, Rebecca, and I are avid travellers — we spend all year working and saving for a nice trip, usually to escape the winter. There’s nothing we love more to do than to walk a city on foot, get lost in a new place, and spend our days eating and drinking. We also have a bad habit of hitting up airport bars and losing track of time, until we hear our names paged on the PA for final boarding!
Sebastian Buzzalino – My wife, Rebecca, and I are avid travellers — we spend all year working and saving for a nice trip, usually to escape the winter. There’s nothing we love more to do than to walk a city on foot, get lost in a new place, and spend our days eating and drinking. We also have a bad habit of hitting up airport bars and losing track of time, until we hear our names paged on the PA for final boarding!

Which ‘hood are you in?

My wife and I have been living in Crescent Heights for the past three years and we absolutely love it. Centre St, in particular, is a gem as locally-owned businesses flourish, with tons of cool places to eat and drink.

What do you do?

Too much sometimes. I work full time at a craft brewery, Citizen Brewing, in Tuxedo, which I love. It really scratches a social itch for me, the beers are fantastic and I work with the greatest people. I also co-founded and run a photography collective, Idle Eyes Collective, which is dedicated to providing a space for emerging voices in photography. And last but definitely not least, I spend my days continuing to work on my artistic career, shooting portraits of artists and bands, working on music videos, developing personal projects, and figuring out how to fund everything without maxing out my credit card.

What are you currently working on?

I just launched my latest project, Little Deaths, on August 6 at Idle Eyes Collective. The show itself featured 22 large, long-exposure prints of couples having sex.

I also just edited Slut Prophet’s video for Camp Sled Island, currently shooting season 2 of Miesha & the Spanks’ online series, Spanks World, getting ready to tour in September, and working on Idle Eyes’ debut zine to be released sometime in November.

Where can we find your work?

IG suxxx, but it’s probably the best place to find me: @unfoldingcreativephoto. My work is also on my website: www.unfoldingcreativephoto.com.

 

 

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