CULTURE
A life less ordinary: Evan Edinger
The photographer, YouTuber, prolific language learner, world traveller, musician and local resident talks to The Islander about sunset views, his favourite things to photograph, the joys of working from home and why he likes living in the area
You describe yourself as a jack of all trades, can you describe what you do?
Well, I like to refer to myself as a jack of all trades (master of pun) because I have so many things I’m into that it’s hard to describe! But I do love a good pun. I make YouTube videos for a living and also dabble in photography, interior design, music, language-learning, and the list goes on.
What are your favourite things about living near London City Island?
The area is specifically really beautiful and well-designed to be walkable. I love walking through the squares where visually everything always looks so stunning and the fact that it’s pedestrian-only makes it feel even more special. Also, the sunset views every evening are incredible.
How did you come to live in the area?
I went in through the shared ownership scheme. Took me an absolute age to secure a mortgage, but here we are. Actually, this week is the one-year anniversary of my reservation.
Do you have any favourite local hangouts or activities?
I really love how there’s always a big crowd outside of The Lockdown Room. It’s always such a vibe. So far I’ve mostly been working on my home, or enjoying time out on my balcony, but I’ve also enjoyed running in the area quite a bit. There’s something futuristic about seeing the DLR pass you by.
‘The London City Island area is specifically really beautiful and well-designed… also the sunset views every evening are incredible’
EVAN EDINGER
You have photographed London City Island a few times – including the images here. What catches your eye when you are taking pictures of the area?
There are always so many interesting compositions out and about in LCI with the curves of the river and the brightly coloured buildings all jutting about at acute angles. Because of the staggered layout of the buildings, the light and shadows play differently at all times of the day and every season so, if you’re always looking, you’ll always see something intriguing.
Do you have a favourite thing to photograph?
One of my favourite things to photograph is reflections and subtle changes in lighting. My favourite time to go out taking photos is right at the tail end of a storm. If it clears up, you get a dazzling display of reflections on each and every surface, and if done at night-time, the lights from buildings and cars really come to life on the wet earth or in a street puddle.
Your career spans YouTube, photography, television and much more – can you describe how living in the area suits the way you work and live?
I am involved in a television programme meant to air later this year, though I’m not allowed to say what or where. But I love that the area feels away from everything and like its own little place and yet is super quick to get to central London if need be. It feels like a lot of creatives live in the area, which is lovely. It’s nice to have a job in which you can work from home when the views outside are quite nice.
‘There are always so many interesting compositions out and about in LCI… if you’re looking, you’ll always see something intriguing’
EVAN EDINGER
You have travelled much of the world – are you happy to get back out there now travel is possible again?
Travel was a huge part of my job until Covid struck, so I am really happy to get back out and see more of the world. I used my time in lockdown to hone my craft and teach myself how to get better at the technical aspects of my job such as lighting, colour grading and whatnot, so now I’m ready to go and explore and get better shots than before – hopefully I’ll visit my 50th country.
What projects are you working on at the moment and what’s next for Evan Edinger?
I’ve got myriad videos in the pipeline that I’m working on, but a big one coming up is about the London cable car nearby. I’ve also got some more London-y videos I’m planning as well, as a big goal for me for this year is to film more videos on location. It’s a lot more effort, but a lot nicer production. Oh, and I’m planning a flat-tour video – but I’ve been planning that for months and months… I just need to finish painting my bathrooms and then I’ll be ready, I promise.
Photography: Evan Edinger, evanedinger.com
