We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Michael Rababy. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Michael below.
Michael, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Can you talk to us about a project that’s meant a lot to you?
my most meaningful project was my first book “american bachelor” which is a valentine to my 20s. I began photography, which I now view as a visual translation of my life, when I was 18 years old. I was studying art history at the University of San Diego and had the privilege of being able to study abroad in Florence, Italy. there I fell in love with the darkroom and started to view life in an artful way.
after I returned, I would spend time at the Museum of Photographic Arts (MOPA) in Balboa Park – particularly their bookstore where I would eventually pick up a book on Henri Cartier-Bresson. I was particularly drawn to an image “Rue Mouffetard, 1954” of a boy proudly carrying a large bottle of wine down a Parisian street. something about that image completely transported me to a place I’ve never been before, but made me feel like I was there. that single image inspired me to pursue the arts.
since then I’ve become a collector of fine art photography books, so the process of making my first book “american bachelor” was importance to me. at the time, I looked through all the books I could get my hands on and came up with a format that spoke to me and worked closely with the designer Damon Robinson (NOMAD) to make sense of all these boxes of prints I had laying around my apartment. we would cover his walls with 4 x 6 prints and I would lay them out across my apartment for days – rearranging and coming up with relationships which is a really fun part of the editing process for me. “american bachelor” is where I learned how to make a photo book. as a photographer we are able to replicate our work much better than sculptures or painters. the photo book is it concise way to get bodies of work out to a wider audience because not everybody is able to attend a gallery exhibit.
As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?
Lebanese-American documentary / street photographer, filmmaker Michael Rababy likes to create pictures of people. He studied art history at the University of San Diego before spending time in Paris. taking influence from Henri Toulouse-Lautrec and Henri Cartier-Bresson.
His ethnographic documentary book “american bachelor” details the highs and lows of the single male, followed by “folsom street food court”, an irreverent take on the annual street fair in san francisco. His clients / credits include Billboard Creative, E!, Google, Hamburger Eyes, LA Weekly, Mercedes-Benz, People Magazine, the Sundance Institute, Time-Out New York, VICE magazine, the Village Voice and the Yes Men. his street photography was featured on the oxygen network’s Girlfriend Confidential:LA and he was the official portrait photographer for TLC’s highly rated series LA Ink. Michael is also the photography curator of the Hive Gallery in the downtown Los Angeles arts district since 2015 and created the book “california love – a visual mixtape” (2020). His latest book “casinoland – tired of winning” documents 30 years of casino culture, published by Kehrer Verlag Fall 2024.
His short film ‘still lives’, which tells a story through black and white still photographs set to piano music, premiered at the Palm Springs international short film festival, was an official selection of the Miami short film festival. his film ‘january man’ screened as an official selection at at the Boston international film festival and the Miami short film festival. Overall, his work can be described as emotionally charged poetic-realism.
Alright – so here’s a fun one. What do you think about NFTs?
my web designer turned me on the NFT’s years before they really took off. he even offered to collaborate with me and do most of the work but looking back I just could never get excited about them. I love photography. I love discovering new work but the idea of this crypto-digital-web investment was a complete turn off – at least for me.
now it seems like they’re in evaluating a bit, maybe they will come back. crypto is up right now, who knows what the future will hold.
Is there mission driving your creative journey?
I’m sick. I have some strange psychosis. if something interesting happens, I cannot enjoy it unless I can capture a shot. my camera is a functioning limb. when I walk into a room, I’m analyzing how I’m going to shoot it.
when l meet someone, l’m looking at the lines on their face and subconsciously trying to figure out lighting and camera angles to bring out their personality.
I’m not interested in perfection. I’m not one to stage a shot and test lighting. I’m bored by then. instead, I try to catch the fleeting moments of genuine human expression and the sweet details easily overlooked.
(from the opening of “american bachelor” – spring 2003)
Michael Rababy’s forthcoming book “casinoland – tired of winning” is available for pre-order now on his website (along with a free bonus print) and will be released worldwide in the fall.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://michaelrababy.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/fullonrad/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/fullonrad
- Linkedin: www.linkedin.com/in/michael-rababy-5aba45216
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/fullonrad
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@michaelrababy
- Other: https://www.threads.net/@fullonrad
Image Credits
all images copyright michael rababy casino images from the forthcoming book “casinoland – tired of winning”