What happens in Vegas...

One of the most delightful film experiences I had last year was catching the work of OLIVO BARBIERI, both at film festivals and galleries. His photography from the SITE SPECIFIC_NEW YORK 07 series was on view here in NYC, but my first encounter with his unique shooting style was this film, SITE SPECIFIC_LAS VEGAS 05.

The beguiling yet simple technique used by BARBIERI involves a tilt-shift lens, throwing what looks like a narrow depth of focus on far-away scenes of cityscapes. First-time viewers, myself included, have a hard time deciding if the scenes are real, or models. But all of BARBIERI's toylike depictions are shot from a helicopter, using a slightly more advanced tilt-shift technique which he won't fully disclose. The result is a chance see well-known landscapes from an unusual perspective.