The long awaited David Drebin Pop-up Store recently opened in Palm Beach, Florida. Located in the Royal Poinciana Plaza, this one of a kind shop/art studio features a diverse collection of epic cityscapes, cinematic dreamscapes, and a variety of other of gloriously photographed scenes from around the globe.
The Pop-Up store offers Drebin’s one-of-a-kind, limited edition prints and artist proofs that any serious collector of photography would be wise to get their hands on. His work has been featured in galleries around the world, and he is highly regarded as one of the most accomplished photographers today.
Haute Living recently sat down with Drebin to discuss, among other things, his inspiration for the store, his love of photography, and his unflinching passion to produce immaculate artwork with profound aesthetic qualities.
Haute Living: Tell me a little bit about your background, including your transition from acting to photography. What was your field of study at Parsons? Did you always have an interest in photography?
David Drebin: Originally from Toronto, decided to move to NYC and be an actor and soon realized I was too honest to fake it. So I decided to create pictures from my own imagination as opposed to being a puppet for someone else’s imagination. I knew I loved being a part of image making and just had to figure out what side of the camera to be on.
HL: What is your most memorable photo shoot to date? And what is your favorite subject to shoot?
DD: I live in the future and not the past, so I have yet to do my favorite photo session. Even though photographing epic cityscapes around the world in a cinematic style has certainly been incredibly exciting.
HL: Where do you draw your inspiration? What emotion do you hope to invoke with your photography?
DD: Inspiration comes from being able to believe something and then see it, as opposed to needing to see it to believe it.
HL: What methods/applications do you use to edit your photography?
DD: We just look at the images and decided which is the best “take” the way a director would pick the best “scene.”
HL: What was your vision for the Palm Beach store? How long will it be open?
DD: The vision was to create a space that people wanted to come to and spend time in and throw charity events during the season to help raise money for charitable causes by selling epic, cinematic limited edition photographs. The space is open until mid April.
HL: Why Palm Beach?
DD: Palm Beach is a seasonal hot spot that is very dapper and chic. We think that mirrors our product.
HL: Is there a special theme or design concept? How many pieces on display?
DD: The theme is glamour and drama with an international feel. We have cityscapes displayed from NYC to Monte Carlo, Rio and Cape Town, as well as many other jet set locales around the globe.
HL: Any new collections in the works? If so, when will they be released?
DD: We don’t really hang as collections, but as pieces sell, we replace them with others. We have so much inventory from years of photographing around the world.
HL: What is your favorite photographic image (either your own or another photographer’s)? What does it mean to you?
DD: Haven’t seen or taken my favorite image yet, but I do love the work of a hidden artist named Babar Khan. He’s quite genius.
HL: What is the most difficult/rewarding thing about what you do?
DD: Maintaining the passion while my passion is my occupation.
HL: How do you challenge yourself to step outside the box?
DD: What box?
HL: Is there anything else you would like to share with the world or highlight in the piece?
DD: Being interested makes one interesting.
