Justin is probably one of the most chill people I've ever met. Even when he's talking about things that would get most people riled up - like the problem with the word "hipster" - he still speaks calmly... without urgency or raising his voice. So when I'm all spazzy saying "Photograph!? I couldn't possibly... You know I'm not a real photographer right? No guarantees." He simply replies "You can do it." with the kind of reassurance that makes me believe him.
And with that ... I did it. Here's what I captured:
I've expressed my desire to be able to capture the more candid moments in life - the un-art directed snaps where you have to work with what you've got - and this gave me the perfect opportunity to do just that. I'm thankful that Justin and Audrey gave me the push and encouragement to practice becoming the kind of photographer I want to be. Admittedly, I'm a bit heavy-handed on the color adjusting in post. I use Photoshop as a crutch to make the photos a little more stylish and to make up for my lack of skills in getting it right, right out of the camera. But I can live with that, for now.
As far as the Bash goes - it was a blast to see a block party bringing Oklahoma City to life on a Thursday evening.
Great photos!!! It looks like a fun party!!! You have to give yourself more credit!
ReplyDeleteAll I can think is there should have been a mustache on the ice cream truck! ha!
these are nice! i want to hear the problem with the word hipster too! i have my own ideas about it....that it's basically meaningless or is just shorthand for 'youth culture' these days...
ReplyDeleteThanks, Shannon! I think it's just awkward when I'm surrounded by super talented, legitimate, photographers. But I'm getting there. :)
ReplyDeleteSarah - YES. So the thing with "hipster" is that nobody wants to be called or identified as a "hipster". I find that most people who are flinging around the term "hipster" as an insult could be identified by anyone else as a "hipster" themselves. And just like any insults they usually come from insecurity, jealousy or misunderstandings. Also, it's not really, truly, describing anything about that person - so yeah - I'm with you. It's meaningless. Let's come up with a better adjective.
I think we used to just call it "trendy".
ReplyDeleteI'd say you guys are pretty trend conscious. You do trendy diets and exercise plans and buy trendy clothes. Then you share all that stuff on this blog.
You are hipping other people to all the stuff you are doing. This just perpetuates the trend.
It doesn't really matter as long as you do things for authentic reasons and only you really know if that is the case.
I would have been cracking up listening to people debating the word hipster standing there with mustaches, eating from food trucks and sporting v-neck tees.
Honestly, you would think how hipister Philly is, we would have something as awesome as this! But no....
ReplyDeleteSo AWESOME! Great photos, too.
So yeah...I just used the word hipster in my comment about philly. but let me clarify, I don't think that would is necessarily used in a negative way.
ReplyDeleteif "hipster" defines a group or culture as young adult, small business owners, who buy their clothes from other local small businesses, have a great sense of cummunity, and rock awesome mustaches, then well. I'm proud to be apart of that.
Minus the mustache....
Kevin - Yes. Exactly. It's not lost on me that I am what someone else would call a "hipster" - however, I would never identify myself with that label. I think that's the whole point of why the word "hipster" is not really a great adjective.
ReplyDeleteAnd the discussion with Justin happened months ago when I was throwing around the word "hipster" as an insult and he kind of called me out on it.
But really - who isn't living their life with authentic intentions? I mean, even if you're ironically indulging in a trend does it make you less authentic of a person? This discussion of semantics could turn quite philosophical!
Tina - Ha. Right. I get what you're saying. I think this post has been hijacked by the word "hipster".
Lots of people are doing lots of shit to be cool or make money.
ReplyDeleteIronically indulging in a trend sounds like someone who is self conscious about what they are doing and wants an excuse in case someone doesn't like it, or someone capitalizing on something popular either for social credibility or some other equally lame reason.
I think the probability is very high that most people are not self actualized enough to even get to the point where they are comfortable in their own skin. Never mind being aware of their own flaws and accepting of flaws in others.
One of the problems with being self aware is that you are extremely sensitive when something feels dishonest or fake.
This is when its easy to become dismissive and judgmental.
One of the things I've been working on is to just let those kinds of thoughts go without expressing them and instead use my energy in other ways.
Kevin - Thoughtful response. I like it.
ReplyDelete"One of the problems with being self aware is that you are extremely sensitive when something feels dishonest or fake."
This has not been my experience at all. I find that the more confident I get in my own skin and the more self-aware I become with my intentions the less I latch on to the insecurities or dishonesties in other people. Or rather, the easier it is to let go and move on. And when other people, seemingly, do start to bring out the snark in me I know it's time to turn inward and see what I need to fix within.
I just don't really think anyone goes about life, even with the intention to be cool or make money (which I don't think are inherently bad things), are necessarily being dishonest or fake. It might be a bit polly-annaish but I tend to think that aside from total scumbags and drug addicts that most people are doing the best they can with what they've got - regardless of how hard they might be trying or how self-conscious they may be. Just because you perceive them as fake, and their way of life doesn't live up to your expectations of how you think their life should be carried out, doesn't mean that they perceive themselves as dishonest or insecure. Does that make sense?
Great job on these photos, Kathleen! I can't tell you how many times I've talked myself (and potential clients!) out of things that I might have been able to do. It's hard, isn't it? To find the place where being comfortable meets our abilities or potential.
ReplyDeleteI agree that they don't perceive themselves that way.
ReplyDeleteI believe its because they cant.
The fact that most people are not deep enough to even ask the question was really my point.
We can talk about it sometime in person if you want.
Melanie - Yeah, it's good to have those people in your life who can encourage you to push the envelope a little!
ReplyDeleteKevin - Yes. This definitely calls for an in-person discussion. After I'm done with the Whole30 we'll have to all go out to dinner or have you guys up for a cookout.
That little baby with the thick black mustache and sunflower headband is the absolute cutest. The party looks like a blast- sometimes all it takes is a friend to help you understand all that you are capable of doing!
ReplyDeletedang it, i for sure left a comment on this, but i guess it didn't go through.
ReplyDeletewhat i said was basically this:
i spy myself in the bottom pic, yay! :)
and you did a great job capturing this fun okc night!
i spy myself in the bottom pic, yay! :) see the girl in the gold fedora? that's my friend, and she had just put my hat on for a moment to take a pic in it. i'm halfway behind her in this pic. and when i saw it, i smiled thinking about the fun night we had, and how much i love okc. so that means you did an excellent job covering this awesome event! :)
ReplyDeletewhen i shot my first wedding (2nd shooter) with my friend last year, I was terrible at framing. It was always 'i can crop it in photoshop tho' I had no idea how much work I was giving my friend to do when he edited everything. I was talking about this with a friend the other day that i feel like the fact that i learnt photoshop 10 years before I started using an SLR I am programmed to thinking about how I'm going to post process the photo. When I don't do any editing, sometimes I feel like there's something wrong. It's hard to change your mindset but not impossible. You start to think differently but it definitely takes time (for me at least)
ReplyDeleteGood job with these shots, are they screen printing on shirts? theres a screen printing workshop i want to take here - so many things, so little time!
Great photojournalism. Great tees. Daaamn girl — still got it.
ReplyDeleteAbi! I'm so sad I didn't see you while I was there.
ReplyDeleteEmily - Yeah, I feel like a lot of my Europe photos have been good to go right out of the camera - it does feel odd not touching them up!
Chipper Things - Haha! Thanks! xoxo!