Meet the correspondents: NEW YORK CITY > Butch Belair

“I’m a photographer and digital artist living in Brooklyn. Perhaps because I work in advertising where many hands shape my work, drawing is something I do for myself, like a meditation: sitting for long stretches of time, calmed by the varied forms, texture and fabric of the city and how they are changed and shaped by light. I appreciate the press of time and striving to keep my composure as the light rapidly changes, hoping to capture the small details without losing the overall mood. I aspire to be focused and open at the same time, constantly intrigued by what something actually looks like, as opposed to the idea of it in my head. I drew a lot as a kid, but lost interest for reasons I can’t recall. A few years back I started drawing again with a pen and a sketchbook and have since been testing my hand at watercolor. Now, if I could, I would do little else.”

• Butch’s art on flickr.