Austin Ruffer, a New York City–based photographer, didn’t pick up a camera until he was 28. What began as casual phone photography at Club Cumming quickly became a defining career.
“28 certainly isn’t old, but it’s also the three-quarter point of my life so far, so it feels like a late discovery,” Ruffer says. “I never intended it to become not only my career but a defining aspect of my life, but it quickly became just that. A whole new map opened up to me, paths I never even knew existed appeared before me.”
Ruffer’s early shoots began at Mondays at Club Cumming, a pre-pandemic hotspot where Broadway performers, magicians, and drag artists mingled. “Alan Cumming is responsible for my career. Not really, but it’s fun to say and it’s not totally untrue,” he jokes. Using a lens attachment on his phone, then a single portrait lens on his first real camera, Ruffer began documenting performances, creating both an archive and a marketing tool for the venue.
“The photos became another part of the Mondays experience even as I was learning photography on the fly,” he explains. “Everybody could look beautiful in a photo, it didn’t matter if they forgot lyrics or messed something up. The photos became deeply valued by the Mondays crowd and led to people asking for shoots.”
From Impulsive Leap to Full-Time Freelance
Ruffer transitioned to full-time freelance photography in 2023 after a sudden layoff. The decision was far from calculated.
“Panic. Anxiety. My decision to go full-time freelance was not a measured, carefully planned one,” he says. “Life suddenly just seemed too short and unstable, so I figured that if I didn’t know how much time I had and stability was an illusion, why not be unstable doing something meaningful to me?”
Despite anxiety attacks and no financial safety net, Ruffer built his freelance career “like Wallace and Gromit, building the train tracks underneath the train as it plowed forward.” Over two years later, he’s still thriving while continuing to push his creative limits.
Capturing Intimacy and Authenticity
Known for work that feels immediate and intimate, Ruffer credits both instinct and discretion for his style. “I try to be as inconspicuous as possible, which is hard with two cameras and a flash, and shoot very quickly,” he says. “I try to avoid being invasive…these spaces should be safe for folks to have fun without worry that a compromising photo will end up somewhere.”
Ruffer often skews his photography toward stylized or editorial approaches. “Things can be authentic and true without being purely journalism. For me, truth is the fact that everything and everyone in the shot was actually there, that the thing happened without my involvement. The photo is my perspective on it.”
A Queer Perspective Behind the Lens
Queerness shapes Ruffer’s vision and fuels his connection to subjects. “I love my queerness. I love my queer community. I watch everything carefully and record the beautiful details I see because it’s how I can show my love,” he explains.
His images document the continuity of queer life across time. “Photos like that are inarguable; they say, ‘these people were here, they were real, and these things happened. We’ve been here and you’re part of this continuity.’”
One image he highlights captures queer joy perfectly: “There’s a photo I took at Motherdisco last November…most in focus is a shirt that has Liza Minnelli‘s face on it. There’s Liza, amidst this whirling mass of spectral queer bodies dancing and embracing. It’s campy but joyous, it reaches across decades.”
Career Milestones and Advice
Ruffer’s work has appeared in The New York Times, Playbill, and Instinct Magazine, with clients ranging from Classic Stage Company to GetYourGuide.com. A surreal moment for him was seeing his behind-the-scenes photos of The Last 5 Years featuring Nick Jonas displayed on theater doors.
For queer creatives seeking a path from hobby to career, he emphasizes certainty and persistence. “Be sure. Be really sure. Reach out to people who are doing what you want to do, they are often very responsive. But don’t put too much pressure on yourself; give yourself grace if it doesn’t immediately come together.”
Looking Ahead
Ruffer’s future projects reflect both curiosity and technical growth. He recently upgraded to a Nikon full-frame system and hopes to document a full Broadway production from first readings to opening night, photograph Fire Island workers, and shoot queer icons like Jinkx Monsoon and Orville Peck. He’s also considering a gallery show next year.
“I’ve always been very reluctant and afraid to do it,” he admits. “But I’m feeling more ready now. It could happen next year.”
With a lens attuned to joy, resilience, and the pulse of queer life, Austin Ruffer continues to capture the moments that make New York and its communities unforgettable.
For more of Austin Ruffer’s photography, visit www.austinyourface.com or follow him on Instagram @austinyourface.
