Douglas

Friedman

Douglas Friedman didn’t set out to be a photographer—until, quite unexpectedly, it became the only path that felt right.

“I exhausted all the other possibilities, and that’s all that was left,” he says with a laugh. “And then I realised it was exactly what I wanted to be doing.”

Born and raised in New York City, Friedman studied anthropology and documentary filmmaking in Los Angeles. After a brief stint in Hollywood, he packed his bags and spent a year and a half travelling the world with his camera. By the late 90s, he had returned to New York, dedicating himself to architecture and design photography. It wasn’t long before his work graced the pages of Wallpaper and Elle Décor.

What sets his work apart are his bold compositions and his mastery of light, colour, and contrast.

“When I started taking pictures, I was shooting with a four-by-five camera, so I learned to see things in a very linear, rigid way,” Friedman explains. “The first thing I do when I take a picture is line up all the lines to achieve balance. There’s always this moment when it just feels right. It oddly alleviates a lot of my anxiety.”

Friedman’s career keeps him perpetually on the move—a lifestyle he embraces for its constant novelty and fresh perspectives.

“I think I spend about 97% of my year living out of hotels,” he says. “I have so little routine in my life because I’m always travelling, always on the go, always in different places.” To counter the chaos, he finds comfort in small rituals: a consistent morning workout and a trusty room service order—hamburgers and a martini with three blue cheese-stuffed olives.

Of all the cities he visits, Chicago holds a special place in his heart.

“It really is one of the most incredible cities for architecture and art,” he says. “Think about it—Mies van der Rohe created these iconic buildings before computers even existed. That’s an unbelievable accomplishment. No one’s doing that now.”

When he’s not on the road, Friedman retreats to his desert home in Marfa, Texas—a modernist sanctuary he describes as “subconsciously inspired by Mies van der Rohe’s international style.” It’s a fitting haven for a man who finds beauty in balance, both in life and through the lens.