Astana, Kazakhstan

2023. Digital photograph, Fujifilm X100V — Back in 2023, I was told at the airport I was not allowed to board my flight to India. Frustrated and refusing to return downtown Almaty, I booked a flight to Astana on the spot — a city I knew nothing about until that very moment, desperately searching for cheap flights anywhere that seemed exciting. And there was Astana — a city unlike anything I’d seen before. After a sleepless night spent at the airport cursing Air Astana, I finally boarded a flight to Astana — a city with the same name as the goddamn airline that had just kicked me off of a flight to India. While wandering around Astana, I couldn't tell whether I was hallucinating because I haven't slept for probably 40 hours at that point, or because the architecture was so otherworldly. During my short visit, I made a new friend who worked for the Kazakh ministry and ended up learning a ton about Kazakh culture and history, before flying to India the next day. They say anger is bad — but in this case, it worked in my favor. Ironically, this last-minute, unexpected, frustration-fueled trip became one of my favorite adventures of all time. And yes, Air Astana is still one of my most hated airlines ever. *** I’m offering 🎁 25% off all prints through December 25th! → Use the following discount code at checkout to claim your discount: MTSAFIRE25OFF 🎁 ***

• Fujicolor Crystal Archive Professional Lustre Paper
• 210gsm
• Vibrant, fine-grain pebble texture
• Archival: 100+ years on display, 200+ years in storage
• Silver halide, RA-4 wet printing process
• Sizing: White borders do not change size of the print