About Niall

Image courtesy of Tsafrir Melamed (www.photostm.com)

This is sorta long, and I’m not apologizing for it

What’s in a name?

My first name is Niall, it’s the Gaelic Irish version and is pronounced Neil, Neill Neal, Niel, or any other form that isn’t Nile, Nee-all, or Nuhwhattheheckisthat. It made me self conscious as a child having a name no one could pronounce correctly on the first try – to this day it’s probably only happened a number of times I could count on one hand – but today I embrace it as I am one of the original Niall’s and the only Niall David Cytryn on planet Earth.

I’m originally from the suburbs of New York City. My parents have been married for 37 years and still own the house I grew up in. 30 years later I still get to sleep in the room I had as a kid when I visit. It’s amazing to still be grounded there now that I live 2,917 miles away from them.

I have resided in the American states of NY, VT, MD, DC, SC, CA, and have been known to have lived on the road with no succinct address for multiple months at a time.

Image courtesy of a shadily placed tripod on the rocky cliffs at Lands End in San Francisco

I have both Masters and Bachelors degrees in Environmental Studies with a focus on sustainability, green building and ecology. I went to undergrad at The University of Vermont and graduate school at the College of Charleston in South Carolina.

I’m a LEED Accredited Professional through the United States Green Building Council (USGBC).

I have worn many hats in the workforce during my life. Growing up I held positions as a front desk clerk, a busboy, a host, a server, a cook, a dish washer, a food runner, a valet and half of the positions you can hold at about 8 different restaurants and catering halls. My career is built on being a sustainable design specialist, an environmental educator, a tutor, a client services manager, a student of the natural world.

My favorite band is Sigur Rós. My favorite solo artist is my lovely singer-songwriter girlfriend Whitney Nichole, who is often featured in my work, my test shots and whenever I pick up a new piece of gear, try out a new tool, technique or lighting scenario. She is very good to me and I love her very much

I’ve traveled to almost every US state, New Zealand, Israel, Ireland, England, Scotland, Germany, Denmark, Sweden, France, Belgium, Switzerland, Canada, The Netherlands, and Iceland. I have a long way to go until I hit my goal of visiting at least half of the countries in the world before I kick the bucket.

Image Courtesy of the wonders of holding a camera above yourself on a melting piece of glacier in the sea at Jökulsárlón, Iceland.

My favorite outdoor activity is snowboarding. I paid part of my way through college by teaching at a prestigious mountain resort as a certified snowboard instructor each winter.

Though I’ll probably never truly “retire,” I dream of semi-retiring in California wine country somewhere in Napa, Sonoma or Mendocino, where I can drink grape juice, reflect on a happy and fulfilling time on Earth while I porch sit on a hill overlooking a valley of vineyards, puffy white clouds and clear blue skies.

I believe that 3 is the magic number, and I am sporting 33 years of age this year. It is my double lucky year.

I dig jamming out on the guitar. My Guild 12-String is my favorite instrument to rock out on.

Image courtesy of a cool little camera and a tiny little bendable tripod holding on for dear life at the edge of some rock on Folly Beach in Charleston, SC

San Francisco is the first home I have felt I ever had away from my parent’s house in New York. I have been happy here from day 1.

My photography mentors are Zack Arias, Joe McNally, David Hobby and Ansel Adams. I follow 100′s of photographers on a regular basis. They have all (whether they know it or not) contributed to my personal growth as a photographer.

I have been photographing since I could hold a camera. I have never put it down, and I never plan to.

The greatest joy and purpose I feel I can bring to the world is freezing moments in time and capturing timeless memories through the magic of photography.

Image courtesy of a trusty camera on a tiny little tripod on a bench behind me as I watch the midnight sunset in Reykjavik, Iceland.