The 20 Something Society

I have always been the type of person who wants to help out ‘the little guy’.  I could more easily empathize with and understand groups being discriminated against than the discriminators. I think more about things I can be doing to help people who need it (though I am a living-paycheck-to-paycheck-20-something) than about more ways to fill my own pockets.  I guess I would rather fill my life with contentment and knowing that I made a difference in the world.  It doesn’t help that my husband is cut from a completely different cloth than my own, and couldn’t care less.  His views are more like – its a dog eat dog world, and he is going to worry about doing what needs to be done for us.

I love what I do, but sometimes I start getting down on myself.  I start dwelling on the thought that I could be doing something bigger with my photography.  It can be used to do good in the world.  It can be used to open peoples eyes to truths and hardships in this world that they try so hard to keep out of their conscious mind.  When this year started I told myself that during any down time in my business, I was going to make time for my own personal photography projects.  I am excited to get into more creative projects and documentary photography projects this year, I had my first creative project set for March – but it had to be pushed back to June!

On this note, I wanted to share some war photography with you all.  I believe that war photography is important.  It shows the harsh realities.  For me, it is more meaningful to see these things, than to hear numbers and statistics over the news.  It hits home much harder to actually see innocent children sitting in rubble that was their home, and young soldiers bleeding from their war wounds.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

If you want a few names to google for war photography: Bill Brandt, Geoff Dyer, Horst Faas, James Nachtwey

Since we are going on a long overdue trip to the beach next month, I can’t get the sand and sun off of my mind.  So I thought I’d post some vintage bathing beauties to get stuck in YOUR mind!

I snapped these while location scouting recently.  its kind of like a secret spot too I LOVE this area.

I stumbled across this book called The Half.  It is a collection of photographs by one Simon Annand.  The Half is a collection of photographs of actors during the thirty minutes before hitting the stage – which actors call, you guessed it, The Half.  Here are some of Simons photographs.

Daniel Day Lewis

Daniel Radcliffe

David Tennant

Martin Sheen

Simon Beale

Tilda Swinton

I hope you enjoyed viewing these photographs of actors in what is known to them as an intimate moment as much as I do.

So, it’s official.  We are having  a big family vacation this summer.  My mom lives at the beach and we all are meeting there and staying at a condo about three minutes from her house.  My grandparents live about an hour away from her – we are about six hours away – and my uncle, aunt, and cousins live clear across the country.  With work and schedules and everything its hard for us all to be in the same town at the same time.  So this took some planning.  I have a few months but I’m still pretty pumped.  I hope I can do some shopping before the trip  (I just discovered that I don’t really have any summer clothes that aren’t too big)- and that this gym membership and personal trainer usage will get me lookin good!

Here are a few beachy images that have been cathing my eye lately.

Today I had a shoot and my bestest assistant in the world didn’t come with.  So I wanted to get all of my props to fit in one bag.  I dug up ye olde LL Bean bookbag from the closet and shoved much of it in that.  I forgot how BIG those things are.  This particular one has been the husbands since middle school and its still kicking – but pretty raggly.  I went to the LL Bean website, thinking ‘Hey, maybe I’ll order a new one for prop carrying usage.’.

I could get this old school backpack.

OR – this rucksack that I kind of fell in love with too.

Which one do yall think?

So kids, last week I had a bit of sadness enter my life.  One of my most favoritest bands, The White Stripes, are no more.

If you haven’t given them a listen, you have been deprived.  We were planning on seeing them live the next time they tour.  Now we won’t be able to and this is a lesson in ‘sometimes there may not be a next time.’

They went on a tour across Canada in 2007 and released their only live album, a dvd documentary, and a book of photographs taken documenting the tour.  You can get the whole box set for about $260 – or buy it piece by piece like me.  I just received the book in the mail.  It is normally $45 but right now on Amazon its $9.  My friend Jimmy tweeted that deal to me and I immediately snagged it!

I didn’t want to take too many pictures of someone elses photography – so here is the cover and my favorite shots – Meg and Jack sleeping on a plane.

So I am back from my little trip to Chicago.  I was there for a photography workshop which was so fun, so informative, and so worth it.  It has really given me a new little push of excitement.  I got to meet a lot of people who have the same passion as I do and want to learn more.  I got to meet people that I work with (online).  And I got to see people who have taught me in the past and will continue to do so.  I was also able to travel with a couple of gals who I work closely with weekly and we really had a lot of fun together.  We all took a ton of hipstamatics and Imma gonna share some!

We flew out Saturday, checked into the hotel, ate some Chipotle, and went to a welcome party!  Sadly we didn’t get any outfit/party shots.

Started and finished this within the hour.

We stayed at the Hilton Garden Inn – and I gotta say – it was nice.  Awesome fitness center, great breakfast, coffee AND flavored creamers, to go cups, sleep by number beds, and really nice bedding.  My husband thinks I’m nuts because I tend to base my hotel selection firstly on the fact that they better NOT have bedspreads.

Sunday was an all day long workshop with the ladies.

just a few of the nice ladies!

Charlie – the incredibly creepy and real looking practice newborn.

After that we had dinner and finally saw Black Swan.  The movie was SO good.  The costumes were beautiful.  The dancing was spectacular.

Monday we awoke to another day of workshop, Chicago deep dish pizza for lunch (!) and then flew out of Chicago just in time to miss the big blizzard.

Started this on the plane.

Some portraits I took during the workshop.

Today I was straightening the kitchen some and decided to take my Cafe Du Monde coffee can out for a little photo shoot.  We bought this on our honeymoon trip to New Orleans!  I have been wanting to go back ever since – maybe next summer….  This summer we are planning on going to visit my mom at the beach and to Atlanta.

While I was daydreaming about New Orleans I dug up some new orleans and saints centric stuff from the files.

New Orleans area code cards from Etsy seller jetsetpaper.

Street music.

“The Quarter” by Etsy seller montagyoo

Beignets

By Etsy seller jillianaudreydesigns

Who Dat banner from Etsy seller jjspeakman

Fabulous Saints headpiece from Etsy seller lovemarigold.

That New Orleans iron lace.

New Orleans view from a streetcar window.

I was going through my inspiration files and stumbled upon these next pictures.  I can’t recall where they came from but if I am remembering correctly they are from a real wedding – the photos were just inverted to make the funky zombie apocalypse coloring.  Anyways I think they are quite mesmerizing.

A couple of zombie wedding ideas for you.

I remember when I was a child of 19, watching Carmen Electra and Dave Navarros MTV reality show Till Death Do Us Part.  The show documented their time together planning their wedding and whatnot.  They did a little photoshoot for their save the dates with a till death do us part morgue them which is the only thing I remember from that show because I thought it was really sweet.  Jacquelyn Jackson Photography just may do an engagement session spin on this idea….

and I also have these zombie cake toppers saved from seller licoricewits

Love it!