Frame By Frame: Edwin Ortiz
New York City
Since 2019, Edwin Ortiz has been a close creative collaborator, helping us capture stories and the authentic pulse of New York City through campaigns shaped by movement, culture, and real moments.
We first caught up with Edwin in 2022 following our very first campaign together with Kesi in 2019. At the time, his work had already reached new heights with KidSuper billboards in Times Square and an exhibition at MoMA PS1, while still staying true to the craft behind the camera.
This year, we wanted to follow up once again and catch up on Edwin’s personal and creative growth over the past few years. In 2023, he released his first book, I <3 NY: A New York Love Story, a visual tribute to the city that shaped his creative identity. Since then, his work has expanded even further through campaigns with brands like The North Face, while still maintaining the raw and honest storytelling that defines his work.
Questions:
- What continues to inspire you creatively in New York City?
"Everything. The people mostly. I draw inspiration from other artists whom I have the pleasure of calling my friends. We all push each other to be our best. I share photos with my friends before I’ll share them with clients sometimes (please no one sue me!).
The more I mature the more I use my art to speak for me. The search to find something that speaks for me is what motivates me. I have a lot of photos that are so dear to me that I’ll never share. Photography is how I’ve been documenting how I feel, where I’ve been & what I’ve done. I have photos of people who are no longer with us, places that no longer exist & relationships that may not have lasted.
My compulsion to document is what motivates me. Good, bad or ugly. I have to shoot it. It’s how I make sense of everything."
- In 2023, you released I <3 NY: A New York Love Story. What story were you hoping people would feel when going through the book?
"All of my photography is meant to make the audience sad or happy. I don’t like to tell people what to feel when looking at my work but I like to think that some people look at the book & are happy observing the love that others share.
I hope others look at it & get a little sad. Maybe they’ve never experienced love, maybe they’re heartbroken, I don’t know. But yeah, happy or sad."
- BLS is deeply rooted in Albanian heritage, while your work captures the authentic pulse of New York City. How do you feel those two worlds connect creatively?
"I was raised around the Albanian culture in The Bronx. The cultures intersect with principles & fashion in my opinion. Albanian dudes in my neighborhood used to have great tracksuits haha.
But also really big on respect. The whole NYC is big on respect."
- Looking back at our first campaign together with Kesi, did you expect the relationship between you and BLS to continue evolving over the years?
"That shoot was in the infancy of my career. I remember vividly thinking like, “Damn, I’m shooting this whole shit on film. I hope they like it.” Thankfully you liked it. Since then I’ve done so much but revisiting my relationship with BLS is always like connecting with family.
I feel like we’ve grown together not only as like artist & brand but also as like humans. Like when we FaceTime now I ask about your kid & shit like that lol. Fun fact though, you guys gave me my first billboard. Before I was in Time Square, newsstands, TV’s or anything. I’ll never forget that."
- When shooting for BLS, what are you trying to make people feel beyond just the clothing?
"I don’t wanna force anyone feel anything but I hope when people see the work we do together that they get the sense of exchange & faith we have with one another.
I hope they see that we speak the same language. Whether it be NYC or Copenhagen, the things we create feel timeless to me. That’s what I want. "
