Sam Youkilis "Under the Sun" - Postcards

Sam Youkilis (b. 1993) captures the yearnings and promises of travel as well as the beauty of the everyday with great attention to detail, light, and rich colors. In a nearly ritualistic manner, the New York photographer and filmmaker documents the view from his window every morning before strolling through the streets as an alert observer, using his iPhone to capture the seemingly trivial situations that unfold before his eyes: the fresh cup of espresso that is handed to him across the counter, the intensely colorful items displayed at a vegetable stand, fishing boats drifting in the water, or the casual tenderness of human gestures.

In addition to his success with commissioned work in commercial fashion photography, Youkilis, who studied at Bard College with instructors including Stephen Shore, has developed his own methods and visual aesthetics. He uses work-related travel as an opportunity to explore repetitive scenes of touristic leisure, which he captures in short, atmospheric videos. As a pioneer of a new narrative form, Youkilis shares his visual notes—which combine street photography, travel photography, and documentary photography—with a broad audience on Instagram.