Who I am

My relationship with photography started at twelve, when a neighbor handed me a Nikon F4 and said, “Learn how to use this and we can chat.” He was a serious collector and hobbyist, and that simple challenge opened a lifelong path for me. Even before that moment, I’d been surrounded by images—my great-grandfather, Mickey Pallas, was a working photographer in Chicago and his photos have hung in every home in my family for as long as I can remember. I think growing up with his work around me helped me understand, early on, that I wanted to capture life in a similar way. I’ve been making images ever since—on and off through my younger years and then once I hit college, I haven’t stopped.

I don’t limit myself to one style or subject. My eye’s drawn to whatever feels alive in the moment: street scenes, quiet portraits, abandoned spaces, artists mid-process, bakers prepping at dawn, rooftops, tunnels—whatever finds me. Photography is how I make sense of the world. I move fast, take in everything, and feel an instinctive need to record and share what most people overlook.

I want my work to feel welcoming, to reveal the beauty in the ordinary, and to elevate what might seem familiar into something worth pausing for.

Born and raised in Chicago—I’m now based in New York City, continuing the tradition in my own way and trying to forge my own path in this crazy, beautiful and absolutely stunning world we live in everyday.

If LIFE was easy, it wouldn’t be fun!

Everybody have a great life!

Justin M.