Before Burning Man #2, Nevada, 2012. Photograph - Limited Edition of 20

NICK RAY MCCANN is an award-winning director based in Los Angeles and New York City. He is also currently a creative director at Netflix and executive producer of Cattivo Films & Music. When not working on set he can be found photographing various personal projects and recording music under the project The Bigst Hands. His early work chronicled the scrappy Baltimore music scene, gritty and humorous images of performers, and the audience, enveloped in the moment. After attending Syracuse University, Nick began work as a photographer’s assistant to National Geographic photographer Stephen Wilkes, Nick lived in Asia and travel through much of Europe and the states all while building his own body of photography work centered around travel and music. While working as a music photographer Nick would be on tour with Gwar, soaked in fake blood on a nightly basis, on stage with Kendrick Lamar during the annual festival circuit, and everywhere in between. "I tend to break down my photography work into two categories; the awe and majesty of the natural world, and the surreal dark comedy of humanity. Since I was a child I would turn to people to laugh, and to the earth to feel whole. The textures of an old tree or cliffside could answer as many important questions I had as a bin full of cheap rubber shark toys in a Montauk sporting goods store. For me there's always been a very fine divide between absurdity and absolute wonder." After a brief move to San Francisco to work on documentary projects, Nick resettled in New York City for Industrial Color where he began working as a cinematographer, teaming up with various directors to film commercials, music videos, and EPKs for clients including NBC, USA, Coach, Belstaff, Diesel, Mercedes Benz, Spotco, VH1, NBC, Got Milk?, Kohl’s, and Victoria’s Secret. Editorial clients included Vogue, 25 Magazine, Adweek, Conde Nast, New York Magazine, Fortune Magazine, and People Magazine. Soon after going freelance to open his own studio Nick worked as a camera operator on Ken Burn’s Vietnam. From 2013-2016 Nick co-founded VACATION PICTURES in Brooklyn, NY where he worked as executive producer and director, completing commercials for clients including Food52, Refinery29, J Lindeberg, Absolut, Ace Hotel, Calvin Klein, Coty Fragrances, Emblem Health, Flavorpill, Goose Barnacle, GQ Brasil, Mashable, Paralux, and Vogue Russia.