Upon a night of neighborhood research I was browsing the Bushwick hashtag on Instagram when rooftop views and drastic landscapes came up on the account of local photographer and filmmaker Alex Ayer. Feeling inspired to learn more about his work I asked if we could meet up to talk photography and such.

Some days later we were inside of Lot 45, looking out the double garage doors at the vibing sidewalks of Troutman and St. Nicholas where the surrounding warehouse walls were alive with the illustrious murals of The Bushwick Collective. All of this amid a neighborhood where it can be well worth it to meet strangers, ask questions and connect over shared interests.

While talking about one another’s personal histories with photography and finding the perfect ground for inspiration in Bushwick, here’s what I found out from Alex…