Staying to Look

Preserving culture through the lens

My name is Asgede Teckie. I’m a travel and fashion photographer and creative director currently based in New York. Since 2017, my camera has been my companion across the world, from the bustling streets of major cities to remote villages, documenting the intersection of style, humanity, and place. I’ve worked professionally with fashion brands and models while also pursuing deeply personal projects that reflect my identity and roots.

My journey into film photography began with a gift from my father, an old Minolta X-700 he’d kept in the attic. That camera ignited something in me. The process of shooting on film—measured, intentional, and tactile—hooked me. As my skills and passion grew, I saved up for more advanced equipment, eventually acquiring a Leica M6 and a Hasselblad 500CM. Though I later lost the Leica, it led me to my current film companions: the Contax T2 and Canon EOS 3, paired with lenses like the Zeiss 80mm and Canon 50mm f/1.2. These tools are more than gear, they’re extensions of how I see and feel the world.

Choosing to pursue photography professionally, especially in the fashion industry, was both a natural and intentional step. I’ve always been drawn to aesthetics, expression, and the power of imagery to shape narratives. Fashion, to me, is storytelling, it’s culture, identity, and movement. But alongside commissioned work, I continue to carve space for personal projects that allow me to explore themes that matter deeply to me: heritage, migration, everyday beauty, and memory.

Travel is another essential part of my creative process. Wherever I go, I carry a camera, not just to document but to slow down, observe, and connect. These personal photos are often quieter than my commercial work—landscapes, strangers, passing glances—but they ground me. They remind me why I started.

Returning to Eritrea, my homeland, was a pivotal moment. I knew I wanted to experience it not just as a visitor, but as a storyteller. I brought my Hasselblad and Canon EOS 3, stocked with carefully selected film: Portra 400 for its warmth and skin tones, and Tri-X 400 for contrast and atmosphere. My approach was documentary, rooted in patience and respect. I aimed to capture not just what Eritrea looks like, but what it feels like, its rhythms, resilience, and quiet strength.

Film photography continues to be my medium of choice, even in the digital age. There’s something irreplaceable about the way film renders light and texture. I find pleasure in predefining the look of an image through my lens and film stock choice. It’s a collaborative process between vision, gear, and circumstance.

On commercial assignments, I typically use a Canon EOS R with a 24-70mm f/2.8 L and 16-35mm f/2.8 L, as well as my Canon 5D Mark IV with a 70-200mm f/2.8 III L, ensuring reliability and high-resolution output. But for personal projects, especially ones close to my heart, I rely on my film gear. In Eritrea, it was the film cameras that felt right alongside my digital gear. The slowness of film mirrored the intentionality of the work.

This body of work from Eritrea—part of my long-term series Untouched Gem—represents not just a return home, but a mission: to preserve a culture that’s often overlooked, to give visibility to a people through timeless, respectful imagery. In a world of constant change and fleeting digital content, I believe film can offer permanence, truth, and soul.