• Ryan Vizzions

Atlanta street photographer Ryan Vizzions came about his passion for photography the hard way. Back in 2010, "a strange turn of events found him in the middle of a civil war in Bangkok, Thailand with nothing but his camera and the urge to document the events around him," he explains in his artist bio.

Though the resulting photos weren't as jaw-dropping as the actual experience, he survived and returned home with a newfound appreciation for exploring the world through his lens. Fast forward four years later and his Instagram photo stream (@Amodernghost) is considered one of the "10 best feeds in Atlanta" by Dailycandy.com.

The rest of the city will get a chance to see Atlanta through his eyes when he exhibits his work live for the first time at the W Midtown later today. Curated by Vizzions, the show Locals We Love will also feature the work of several other photographers/visual artists he's hand-selected. Of the works on display (7-10 p.m. Thurs., May 29), about 95 percent will be mobile phone photography, says Vizzions, "because sometimes carrying a camera will make you a target."

• Proph Bundy
• Photographer Proph Bundy documents Forgotten Atlanta

Other participating photographers/artists include Proph Bundy (Forgotten Atlanta), 5PS_, Tilt and Fade, and Richard Mueller, who specializes in design installations and 3D projection mapping with partner Tom Nguyen.

"I invited a few friends to join me because I'm nervous of the spotlight," Vizzions adds, "and I wanted to show the world some other folks in Atlanta that inspire me."

See info for tonight's free show below:

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