Nighted Life Presents: BRANDON AIGHTY 

This dude is really really out here. Based in Seattle (pun intended), he’s pulling in some of the grimiest photos in the game. We caught him during some rare downtime to see what’s up. 

Who are you?
I’M AIGHT.

How long have you been taking pictures? What got you into it?
I’VE BEEN TAKING PICTURES FOR AS LONG AS I CAN REMEMBER. I WOULD ALWAYS ASK ADULTS TO LET ME SEE THE CAMERA (VIDEO OR PHOTO) WHEN I WAS LITTLE, BUT I DIDN’T GET INTO PHOTOGRAPHY TIL I WAS OLDER. GRAFFITI WAS ACTUALLY WHAT GOT ME INTO TAKING PICTURES, WHEN I WAS LIKE 13. I JUST WANTED TO DOCUMENT WHAT WE WERE DOING.

What’s Seattle like nowadays? Are you from there?
SEATTLE’S HELLA GAY (LITERALLY). ITS CHILL- IT’S LIKE A CITY WITH A TOWN MENTALITY; VERY FEW PEOPLE ARE HIP TO THE MOVEMENTS THAT ARE GOIN ON IN OTHER MAJOR CITIES, BUT IT’S KINDA OBVIOUS WE’RE OUTTA THE LOOP. PEOPLE HERE SEEM REALLY WORRIED ABOUT LOCAL FAME AND ACCEPTANCE, WHICH IS SOMETHING I COULDN’T GIVE A FUCK LESS ABOUT. I GREW UP BOUT 25 MINUTES FROM SEATTLE AFTER COMING TO THE STATES FROM MEXICO WHEN I WAS 7.

Heard you were considering the art school route… What’s your thought process on that?
YEAH, I’VE BEEN THINKIN BOUT THAT SHIT FOR YEARS, BUT I KNOW I’M NEVER GONNA ACTUALLY DO IT. EVERYONE THAT’S GONE ALWAYS TELLS ME WHAT A WASTE IT WAS, BUT EVERYONE THAT’S IN IT HAS ALL THESE DOPE RESOURCES, LIKE STUDIOS AND DARK ROOMS, SHIT LIKE THAT. I’VE JUST BEEN TAKING RANDOM CLASSES AT COMMUNITY COLLEGES WHEN I FEEL LIKE IT, AND I’VE ACTUALLY LEARNED A LOT, BUT EVEN THOSE DON’T SEEM WORTH THE MONEY. FUCK I NEED A DEGREE FOR ANYWAYS?

What do you look out for when taking pictures? Do you prefer candid or posed shots?
I KEEP AN EYE OUT FOR THOSE MOMENTS THAT WON’T HAPPEN AGAIN,THE SHIT THAT WON’T BE THERE TOMORROW, AND THE PARTS OF PEOPLE’S LIVES THAT OTHERS DON’T GET TO SEE. THAT’S WHY I LOVE TAKING PICTURES OF GRAFFITI SO MUCH…YOU DON’T KNOW HOW LONG IT’S GONNA BE THERE,SHIT COULD BE GONE TOMORROW WITHOUT ANYONE EVER DOCUMENTING ITS EXISTENCE. I LIKE CREATING PHOTOS THAT ARE CANDID, BUT STILL POSED. IT’S SOMETHING THATS NOT EASY TO GET, BUT IT’S ALL ABOUT YOUR RELATIONSHIP WITH THE SUBJECT. THEY’RE LOOKING AT THE CAMERA…THEY KNOW IT’S THERE…IT’S ABOUT MAKING THEM NOT CARE IT’S THERE.

How strong is your thrifting game? What kind of shit do you look for?
JUST ABOUT ALL THE CLOTHES I WEAR ARE FROM THRIFT STORES. I CAN’T DO THAT SNOBBY $40 T-SHIRT STREETWEAR BULLSHIT,THERES NOTHIN STREET ABOUT THAT. I LOOK FOR EVERYTHING, BUT T-SHIRTS AND JACKETS ARE MY FAVORITE. SOMETIMES I BUY SHIT JUST TO RESELL IT. WWF & SPORTS SHIT ARE SOME THINGS I ALWAYS HAVE MY EYE OUT FOR, AS WELL AS LAVISH BRAND SHIT. I GOT A COUPLE YSL JACKETS IN MY CLOSET.

What’s next? Upcoming projects, goals?
I WANNA DO A LOOKBOOK, BUT I WANT IT TO BE WITH A BRAND THAT FITS MY STYLE OF PHOTOGRAPHY. I’M GONNA DO A LOT MORE LIVE BOMBING STUFF WITH A FEW WRITERS I’M ALREADY WORKING WITH. COMING OUT WITH A SOLO ZINE AND SOME PRINTS IN THE NEAR FUTURE AND I WANNA MAKE PHOTO SHIRTS SOON AS WELL. I’M GETTING BETTER AT SAVING MY PICTURES AND LETTING SERIES BUILD THEMSELVES, INSTEAD OF JUST POSTING EVERYTHING. I ALSO WANNA TRY TO DO SOME STUDIO STUFF AND PUT MY OWN SPIN ON IT. LONG-TERM, I JUST WANNA TRAVEL AND DO SHOOTS WITH OTHER RAPPERS AND WRITERS, GET PUBLISHED IN NATIONAL PUBLICATIONS, AND LIVE OFF MY PICTURES.

What are you gonna do when you get famous?
I’M GONNA BE FAMOUS? SICK. PROBABLY USE MY FAME TO GET PHOTO SHOOTS WITH PEOPLE I’VE ALWAYS WANTED TO SHOOT. I JUST WANNA CREATE ICONIC IMAGES WITH ICONIC PEOPLE.

Shout-outs?
YEAH, SHOUT OUT TO ANYONE WHO’S EVER LET ME TAKE THEIR PICTURE, AND ALL THE ARTISTS WHO TRUST MY VISION WHEN WE SHOOT. ALSO, EVERYONE WHO HAS SUPPORTED AND INSPIRED ME.

Check out AIGHTY.com for more photos, and pick up Nighted Life Zine for some of his “too turnt for the internet” work!

& more top secret collabos coming soon…