Richard Patterson was born and raised in Queens, New York. He moved to Miami in 1994, where he finished high school and eventually received a BS in literature and a minor in photography from Florida International University. After graduation, Patterson received a three-month photography internship in the Czech Republic from the FIU-Wolfsonian Museum. Upon returning from Europe, Richard worked as a staff photographer at the Miami Herald for three years under the guidance of the talented staff and the Director of Photography, Maggie Steber. Upon leaving the Herald for a full-fledged freelance career, Patterson's love of portraiture and documentary photography led to successful ongoing collaborations with IWC Schaffhausen, Nike, HSBC Bank, the Knight Foundation, and Design Miami. Patterson was a featured artist during Design Miami's March 2006 gallery night. In 2007, Patterson moved back to NYC, where he now spends 49% of his year.

In honor of BMW's 1 Series — a reincarnated, improved version of BMW's classic 1968 sport sedan — Flavorpill has selected five photographers to capture their cities' distinct architectural landscapes. Each photographer highlights the dichotomy between the past and the future, evoking each city's pure, unshakable essence in his own unique style. Check out the full versions of the work here.