Issue link: http://papercitymagazine.uberflip.com/i/1020281
130 O n a sleepless night two summers ago, I did exactly what they tell you not to do: I logged onto Instagram. One downward spiral of scrolling and double-taps didn't lead to a restful night, but it resulted in something far better: @dadsoldcamera, the account of photographer Rahm Carrington. It was an image shot in the middle-of-nowhere New Mexico that hooked me as only the best photographs do. It was fresh, yet full of nostalgia. Now, that very photo hangs framed in my home. Carrington was born and raised in San Antonio, a scion of the legendary King Ranch family. He began his career in cinematography, working under critically acclaimed photographer and director Danny Clinch and Austin-based film production company TourGigs. (Clinch is known for his visual work with music icons, from Johnny Cash and Bob Dylan to Tupac.) But it wasn't until Carrington inherited his late father's 1970s Canon TL — hence, the Instagram moniker — that the Southern Methodist University grad was inspired to teach himself documentary-style photography. The 31-year-old takes an old-school approach to his work, shooting on film. Living vicariously through Carrington's life via his Dad's Old Camera feed is to peek through a young man's lens as he explores everything from the rock music scene to Texas' vast ranch land. Moody backstage photographs taken at concerts (Alabama Shakes and Phish, are two) are juxtaposed next to glorious images of the King Ranch pastures. Carrington's free spirit and curiosity radiate through his photographs and fuel stories that long to be told. This fall, before he heads on tour with the rock band Portugal the Man, Carrington's storytelling will be on full display in San Antonio. As part of the city's tricentennial celebration, Carrington teamed with his mother, art curator Alice Carrington Foultz, on Uniform 300, a project that aims to capture the diversity of the city through a series of 300 portraits of San Antonio residents from all walks of life. Beginning this month, 50 of the portraits will be shown in free exhibitions throughout the city. What's next for Carrington? Well, more cameras, for starters. Within a year of launching Dad's Old Camera, Carrington inherited his uncle's Nikon FM and his grandfather's Leica M3. He's also amassed his own collection of analog cameras. The images — and cameras — are endless. BY BRADLEY AGATHER MEANS. PHOTOGRAPHY RAHM CARRINGTON. LIFE IN 35MM PHOTOGRAPHER RAHM CARRINGTON, A SCION OF THE KING RANCH FAMILY, WIELDS AN INHERITED 1970S CANON TL. George West, Texas Rahm Carrington Blind Richard the Weedhead, photographed in Slab City, CA