Kai Diaz: Wired to Document

About this episode

Kai Diaz discusses his journey in photography, influenced by 90s visual culture and his role as a documentarian.

Listening to Bethany Jacobson talk about NYC in the 80s in our last episode was absolutely fascinating, but it was an unfamiliar world for me. This week, we relived a little 90s nostalgia with Kai Diaz, and I have to say, it took me back to my own teenage years, albeit an East Coast version. Kai grew up on MTV, skate videos, and surf magazines and it was that kind of visual culture that shaped the way he sees, even now. As a kid, he became the unofficial documentarian of his friend group, filming skate sessions and documenting life on film. To this day, friends call him looking for old memories, and he’s usually got the photos stowed away, ready to scan and send. So, you can add archivist to the list of Kai’s abilities too.  He said, “I just wanted to remember everything…that’s kind of how I got into photography.” And while he started shooting so he wouldn’t forget (Peter Pan syndrome, he calls it), over time, he’s honed his craft into something much deeper. These days, observation, storytelling and curiosity are at the heart of what he creates. “It’s just in me to document stuff,” he says. Influenced by Film and Films With just a few exceptions, Kai has stayed…

People in this episode

Guest: Kai Diaz

Topics covered

• photography
• nostalgia
• film
• storytelling
• documentary

Keywords

• photography
• film
• nostalgia
• documentary
• storytelling

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: MTV, skate videos, surf magazines

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