#film making is like any other art form lol just walk the gallery

[basketcase1982]

i think sometimes when ppl riff on low budget movies especially horror & horror comedy they forget that they’re self aware fairly often 😭 like half of the time that they’re mocking the line delivery they’re literally laughing at a Joke. that is funny on Purpose. u can’t compare every “bad” movie to the full dramatic sincerity of The Room (in fact just stop comparing everything to the room)

[softpeetabread]

University Life part 5

This turned out to be a decent size, yay. Since this is an au and they’re not in the Hunger Games, I figured Katniss and Peeta would deal with some things differently. You’ll see what I mean. This was a bit rushed, though, but like I mentioned before, this is heading towards some directions I didn’t anticipate. It’s fun, it’s taking me for a ride lol. I hope it makes sense and you guys enjoy!

[Part 1] [Part 2] [Part 3] [Part 4]

Peeta’s yawn broke Katniss out of her daydreaming as she directed her attention to him. They had been in the library for a couple of hours trying to get some studying done, but Katniss had taken a mental break of twenty minutes from reading her textbook. Sometimes, she wondered why she had chosen to study plants until she remembered she actually liked them. Still, the subject could be boring at times and her attention span was limited when she tried to cram so much information in her brain. Peeta was hard at work on his laptop completing a design, but from the look on his face, he didn’t look so engaged either. Katniss couldn’t help yawning herself and it made Peeta chuckle.

“We deserve some sleep,” he said as he rested his head on his hand.

“Or some coffee,” Katniss suggested. After spending an awful long time sitting in one place, a trip to the campus café in the first floor of the library didn’t sound like such a bad idea. “Want some tea?”

Peeta thought about it for a moment before he looked at her. “Please.”

Really, when either of them said ‘coffee’, they meant anything else but that. They had learnt each other’s orders, which weren’t difficult to remember unless they wanted a fancy concoction of a drink, but that was rare. Peeta always fancied tea over coffee because he wasn’t a fan of the rush from the caffeine, even if to Katniss that didn’t make much sense since tea also had caffeine.

“Yeah, but tea’s never betrayed me. Coffee’s made me have convulsions and some heavy anxiety. It’s not fun to experience.”

That sounded like a fair reason to Katniss. She, on the other hand, didn’t like the bitter taste of coffee, and instead preferred hot chocolate. The first time she tried it had been when she first heard someone order it in the coffee shop at the beginning of her freshman year and she’d fallen in love with the drink since.

As she waited in line to order, Katniss looked around casually, not intending to focus on anything in particular. She saw a group of people gathered around a table, but didn’t pay much attention to them as it was a common occurrence, even at the small space of the café. That was until she saw someone staring at her. Maybe they were just looking in her general direction and she was thinking too much into it, so she turned away in hopes that this would pass. But after ordering and waiting for the drinks, she caught the same guy looking at her and it made her feel uncomfortable.

She heard her name being called from the front counter indicating her drinks were ready to be picked up and made her way towards them when she saw the guy that had stared at her approach her. Great, what did he want? She wasn’t in the mood to deal with anyone, especially since she was so tired and groggy from reading.

“Katniss? As in Katniss Everdeen?”

She raised an eyebrow at him in suspicion. “Why do you want to know?”

“I saw you on the news.”

That sounded…a bit creepy. So, what if he’d seen her? It was just…

“The news?” At first, Katniss thought he was joking, so she didn’t believe him and figured whatever he was saying sounded absurd.

“Yeah, Caesar Flickerman was talking about you. And the guy you’re with, Peeta Mellark.”

It had taken her a moment to absorb what he was saying, but it was a moment too late to realize the group had gathered around her. Needless to say, the ambient became overwhelming very quickly. How could she escape them?

“Uh, thanks.”

Katniss wasn’t sure how to react. She had two hot drinks in her hands, her mind was scrambling to gather as much useful information as she could, and she felt like the claustrophobia was closing in on her. Her stomach felt queasy and she felt nervous, her eyes looking from right to left to find a space where she could fit so she could walk past the crowd. What did that mean? Surely, it shouldn’t be such a big deal.

She gulped and tried to walk past the crowd as nonchalantly as she could, hoping that she wouldn’t drop her drinks and would be able to make it to the elevator. Or maybe taking the stairs would be more convenient? They had to get tired of walking three flights of stairs, right?

It seemed like a good plan. It didn’t matter if she spilt hot tea or chocolate on her hands. All she knew was that being followed by people wasn’t something she was comfortable with. She didn’t want to stop to pull her phone out to text Peeta because that would slow her down and she wasn’t sure if she would be able to type else her fingers threatened to shake. And it’s not that she was scared of these people. She just didn’t like their proximity. She didn’t want to call attention to herself. She didn’t want to have notoriety.

When she approached the table she and Peeta were sharing, he took in her expression, which must have looked the way she felt, and stood to take the drinks from her.

“What’s the matter?”

Her heart pounded in her chest and she felt her stomach flutter and churn. “Just being followed by a crowd of people.” Her attempts to sound as casual as possible didn’t seem to convince Peeta.

“What?” His eyes were wide and any signs of exhaustion were gone as alertness replaced them. He looked around her, but Katniss wasn’t sure if there were still people behind her. She was just trying to breathe after walking up all those stairs and focusing on walking as quickly as possible.

“We can get out of here if you want,” he said. Katniss noted a different tone of voice in Peeta she’d never heard before. He sounded defensive—protective—and she wasn’t sure how to take it, but she appreciated it. She could take care of herself, she knew that, and she hadn’t depended on anyone else to defend her, but she couldn’t deny that having someone look out for her felt…nice.

“No, let’s just wait until it dies down,” Katniss responded, still out of breath. She could tell what she said made Peeta uneasy—being followed was already something to worry about, but followed by a crowd was something else entirely. She sat down and Peeta gave her the hot chocolate she had momentarily forgotten. Peeta was still looking in the general direction from which Katniss came, but she wondered if he spotted people that wanted to approach them.

Katniss wasn’t sure for how long they sat there in silence, but all throughout, she felt the warmth of Peeta’s hand as it gently held her free one. His comfort along with the drink she loved helped calm her down.

“Why were they following you?” Peeta finally asked. He was still concerned for her and Katniss had a feeling he wouldn’t let it go.

A few moments passed by as Katniss hesitated to answer. “The guy that came up to me told me he saw me on the news. We were on the news with Caesar Flickerman.”

Peeta intently looked at her, confusion crossing his face. “We’ve only talked to him once.”

“It’s probably about your painting, then,” Katniss added.

Peeta reached for his laptop and began to search for something until he found a video. Katniss gulped as she read the tiny letters on the screen. The video was marked with the day’s date and it seemed to have been posted earlier on in the day. She vaguely remembered then where she had seen Caesar Flickerman. Of course, he was a talk show host for the Capitol! The only reason her memory was fuzzy was because she hadn’t had the time to watch television from how busy she was. Remembering celebrities was beyond her care, except for a select few for films and authors she actually liked.

She took the earbud Peeta offered her so they could watch together and things began to make sense. The pictures that he and Katniss had taken at the art gallery with Caesar were on the screen in a form of slideshow. She disliked taking pictures because she didn’t think she was photogenic or attractive to begin with and they seemed pointless to her. However, Madge had done a great job with her hair and make-up that evening when she accompanied Peeta to the art show. She couldn’t recognize herself. And then there was Peeta in his flattering suit. Beautiful, confident, and charming. She felt out of place in the picture beside him despite own appearance.

Caesar discussed his adventure in District 12 and his visit to the art show that evening, talking about how talented Peeta was and his smart use of colors. He also complimented his inspiration, and pointed out Katniss’ beauty. His fellow host, Claudius Templesmith, commented on how breathtaking Peeta’s painting of Katniss was. No doubt, there was nothing Peeta couldn’t do with a paintbrush.

“Do you think there is something between the two of them?” Claudius asked with a playful smile.

“I would like to hope so. They look adorable together,” Caesar admitted in a charismatic and teasing tone. “I would paint my lover as well, if I could.” And then, he laughed in amusement.

They changed the subject to give the highlights of a following broadcast before the video ended and Katniss couldn’t stop dwelling on their conversation about Peeta and Katniss. She felt heat flood her face, but she was more than positive it wasn’t because of the hot chocolate she was drinking. She glanced at Peeta out of the corner of her eye and noticed he, too, was blushing.

Peeta closed his laptop and removed his earbud, but hesitated to say anything for a couple of moments.

“Well…at least we know why those people were following you.”

“Yeah… They’ll follow you, too,” Katniss pointed out.

“But it was just a short section,” Peeta said. “Why is it such a big deal to people?”

“Maybe because they know we’re here.”

They put their things away even if they hadn’t discussed leaving or staying. Katniss wasn’t sure why she was bothered by what the show hosts said. Peeta was a great person. She spent most of her time with him and enjoyed his companionship. They shared multiple activities together despite not having the same major and bonded about similar taste in books and music. If she had to pick anyone to share some kind of intimacy with, it would definitely be Peeta. However, the bad taste that was left in her mouth was because of the assumption Caesar and Claudius made about their relationship. They couldn’t see two people being close because then they automatically assumed they were in a romantic relationship. Whatever happened to friendship? She didn’t like the pretense of it all. She wondered if this bothered Peeta the way it did to her, but she doubted it because he tended to have different interpretations from her.

They discussed what their best option for exiting the library was in case there were people waiting for them and eventually agreed to walk out from the western entrance. It was less crowded and it led to the architecture building where Peeta’s car was parked. It was a miracle to Katniss that they were able to make it with relative ease. There had been a couple of people that greeted them, but that was the most attention they got now that they were aware of what could happen.

Katniss let out a breath she didn’t realize she was holding as she settled into the passenger seat. Both of them looked around, making sure they hadn’t been followed before Peeta began to drive. They rode in silence, but she always appreciated that it wasn’t bothersome. It gave her time to think and it meant Peeta understood that she didn’t want to talk. She was stressed and uneasy, and even if she didn’t mean to do it, she knew she would end up ignoring anything Peeta said. How he came to understand her was beyond her because he was a talkative person and could pick up a conversation with just about anyone. Why would he even consider being her friend when she wouldn’t provide the same kind of energy he had? Johanna and Finnick were chatterboxes with Peeta, and she was always the quiet one of the group compared to them. Yet here he was taking her to her apartment, comforting her, giving her space. Maybe since they were both opposites in that sense Peeta saw a balance between them that wasn’t available with their other friends. Katniss got along with Gale and Madge, but Madge could be quiet like her and that’s why they got along fine. Gale had more to say, but they were still quite similar in terms of experiences and tastes. How did she and Peeta fit so well? He made her laugh when she could have sworn it was difficult to get a smile out of her. They spent endless time together. They worked out together, which Katniss hadn’t even thought about as an issue. Before Peeta, she was a solitary person, wanting to run on her own and swim by herself. Then Peeta began to join her and now she was so used to his presence that any sort of absence would surely disrupt the balance of time itself. Maybe that’s why her stomach would flutter when she was with him.

Peeta found a parking spot near her apartment, but he didn’t make any move to leave the car or even open the door. The silence now became a bit tense and Katniss felt a new kind of uneasiness.

“I’m so sorry, Katniss,” Peeta said, his voice hushed and raspy.

She turned to look at him, wondering why he offered an apology until she remembered why they were so worked up in the first place.

“It’s not your fault,” Katniss responded, placing her hand over his. He knew that always comforted her, so she hoped that would have the same effect on him. “You couldn’t have guessed this would happen.”

“But…people are following you. You don’t have to go through that.” Katniss could tell Peeta felt more than guilty about the situation. Perhaps the guilt was about more than just their attention. Perhaps he also carried the talk show hosts’ conversation in his mind.

“I don’t think there’s that much we can do about it. We can try to get around it, though.”

“Avoiding people won’t be that easy, Katniss.”

“Maybe they’ll forget by tomorrow,” she offered, though she knew her comment held no hope in it and Peeta would read it as such.

“We’ll find a way… I won’t let them do anything to you.”

“I can defend myself just fine,” she muttered.

“I know you can. I just don’t think there’s anything wrong with having a little bit of help.”

Katniss wasn’t sure when it happened, but they had an unspoken agreement that they would protect each other. It was what they did and it felt strange not to offer a helping hand to one another. This was a situation she wasn’t sure how to even approach, much less handle, but at least she and Peeta would face it together.

She gave his hand a squeeze of reassurance. “Thank you.”

Peeta gave her a gentle nod before he looked out of his window. “Is that all that’s bothering you, or is there something else?”

He knew. Katniss didn’t have to read his mind to comprehend his question. He just wanted for her to talk about it.

“They think we’re dating,” is all she could say.

“Is it true?” Peeta asked. She felt his thumb gently brush over hers.

“No…we’re best friends,” she answered, confused as to where Peeta was going with this.

“So we both know what’s true.” He turned to look at her, a hint of a smile on his lips. “They live for rumors, Katniss. As long as we know where we stand, then the problem won’t be as big as we think it to be.”

Katniss let out a sigh. “Right.”

Even though Peeta’s reassurances weren’t enough to ease her mind, Katniss told herself over and over that what he said was right. There were various conflicting feelings in her head that evening after she and Peeta headed towards their apartments, but she failed to sort them out and hoped that by the next day, they would quiet down.

Instead, as she and Peeta drove to school the following morning, he talked to her about the phone call he received from Caesar Flickerman that morning, requesting another painting of his with his newly found muse. The painting wasn’t the issue nor was Peeta’s request the problem. It was his commissioner who would surely talk about it some more on his show and give them more notoriety. She didn’t want to feel so uncomfortable about it, but she had to talk about it with Peeta.

“Is there any way…to clarify things with him?” she asked, not wanting to make it such a big deal, but probably failing to do so.

She didn’t need to explain to Peeta what she meant. “Of course, Katniss. I’ll tell him when I give him the finished work.”

Somehow, that was able to calm her nerves, the strange feelings she had that wouldn’t settle.

“Would you mind if you pose for me this time?” she heard him ask. The question was timid and he paired it with a smile that was just as shy, but also genuinely sweet that warmth rushed through Katniss and she couldn’t deny his request.

“Of course, Peeta. Just tell me what I need to do.”

“Well, you’re going to have to be on fire this time.”

If Katniss hadn’t been waiting for the red light in front of her, she was sure she would have hit the breaks to hear him correctly.

“So you want to burn me?” she asked in disbelief.

“You have to live up to your name now,” Peeta shrugged as he laughed at her reaction.

Katniss rolled her eyes at his humor. “If I have to be on fire, so do you.”

“It’ll be synthetic fire!”

“Maybe Caesar will mention that in his show.”

Peeta couldn’t contain his laughter. “They’ll never forget us then.”

“Why does he want me on a painting, though? You could draw anything and it’ll look amazing.” She had a vague feeling Caesar was drawn to her, but she wanted to believe he liked the way Peeta’s paintings looked. Caesar didn’t have the creepy vibe.

“He probably likes the Girl on Fire theme,” Peeta said.

Katniss couldn’t think of a better explanation. “Great.”

I relate so much to Caesar. Also to Peeta because I, too, prefer tea over coffee. Anyway, Peeta as a painter wasn’t anticipated to be a big part of this au, but I mean, it is now and I’m not complaining. He’s getting to paint the love of his life, what more could he possibly ask for, besides a relationship, but I WON’T GIVE TOO MUCH AWAY and it’s not like it’s a huge secret, come on. I’m just building on their friendship because Katniss is the one that needs to catch up orz. I’m rambling because I finished this at 3 am. Let me know what you think and if you have any requests for this au, whether Katniss and Peeta are friends or dating (we’ll get to this at some point), feel free to send them to me. 

[enjhae]

Double Exposure is a collaborative series that features the work of an admired artist.

LightLeaks second featured artist is Eva Mecham–a Vegas-based photographer who strives to represent women in an industry dominated by men. While the struggle to find respect always seems like a challenge, she continues her quest to become a respected photographer by practicing and perfecting her craft.

In this segment of Double Exposure, our aim is to support women, not just in photography but in every field where women are not represented fairly, respected or even paid enough in comparison to our male counterparts.

Eva and I interviewed each other to learn more about our love for photography, how our interest for photography originated, our influences and more.

EVA JACQUELINE MECHAM

Age: 23

DOB: 06/03/1994 Gemini

Background: Portuguese/Lao/German/French

Born: Las Vegas, NV

Raised: East Side Las Vegas

Insta Handles: 

 @spottiottieva was the first personal instagram I ever had but it became more technical to show ALL my work through.

…so I created the other two pages to serve as multiple outlets of exposure exuding different variable factors.

Humans AND Environment. Lol.

@sweetleaf_phto is female energy only and conceptual portraits/groupshots.

@jacqueline_images is my art and street photo page.

Why/how did get into photography?

My grandfather. He documented just about everything. He passed away in 2011 but his legacy lives on. He lived a life beyond what photos could show. His family traveled from Spain to America during the 1920’s. His determination, discipline, will, focus, and attention to detail rooted in me and allowed me to open my mind to the idea of collecting and acquiring but with tangibility and substance.

Past my grandfather stimulating my lifestyle choices I felt that spark after I developed my first roll of film. Being able to hold a photo in your hands is truly magic in the simplest form. Photos have influenced me my entire life. Keeps me constantly reverting back to instances and wishing I could save moments to time travel to. Just like music or a scent, a photo can greatly alter your perception or mood.

Last, a major reason I ever pushed my photography skills beyond documentation was skateboarding. I was at a young age when I fell more and more in love with every skate mag or video I ever watched. Naturally I began sourcing all my inspiration and tones through how the skateboarding industry plastered my brain. It’s common to have these wild kids throw themselves off staircases with ease and dive into 12ft deep drops every day. Whether it was filmed with thousand dollar equipment or the cheapest vx setup, A-1 quality images and content has always been around. It wasn’t until I learned real anticipation taking a pre meditated flick of a skater in motion performing a trick repeatedly without near success till maybe the 20th try in, that I understood the feeling of that equation. That 21st key shot is a high. All that focus.

What does your photos mainly consist /focus on? Why?

My photo collection is a mix of portraits of friends I’ve built connections or bridges with while the other half is a handful of my travels, daily life, and streets I walk through. I have to mention I LOVE ART of ANY kind. Art embodied within all forms. Especially if it doesn’t belong somewhere or a rule was broken to make or keep it there. I believe in the idea that the world truly is ours so exercising the freedom to express ourselves is common law to me. Almost like a personal passion project. On the other hand my favorite subject to photograph are literal human hands. I’m fascinated by hands. Our hands are such beautiful blessings that we often take for granted. With our hands we can touch, create, hurt, destroy, clean, whatever it be. Our hands are multifaceted and a huge relatable connection between us all as humans. No one hand is the same. Like our eyes, I feel they are also portals to the soul.

You are all about empowering women. How do you convey this in your work?

Confidence can be instilled in many ways but I have never seen more confidence instilled within a female more than when she enjoys a photo of herself. Living in this overly extroverted world, it’s common to find that most women compare themselves to everyone. Even men. I know this to be true because I can testify myself. I’ve grown up riddled with anxieties I’ve whispered to my inner conscience for so many years, without even realizing it. A photo can translate emotions and feelings you didn’t know you had. A virtual avenue. A portable capsule of what existed at that time. There is growth in a photo. People glorify in the beauty of a butterfly but fail to remember the stages of growth it took to become that butterfly we see. So for me to be able to capture the growth of is something one of a kind to me. Anyone or anything can have it’s photo taken. But it’s all about the subject. I stress to validate the women in my photos through our shared experience and what they represent passionately. Who are these women and how can I uniquely translate what they have made me feel through a mere photo for the world to perceive.

Talk about your experience collaborating on this project.

Norma! I’m extremely flattered you would have asked me to be a part of this project as it is so pure and beautiful. I love to share my thoughts and feelings and often feel I am overlooked and underestimated. Every once and awhile I meet someone who makes me feel human and included at the same time. I look up to you Norma as you are an incredibly vivid photographer with natural ability only acquired through patience, growth, focus, determination, and skill. I often wish we had met sooner. But there is a reason for everything and the influence you have provided has guided me quite a bit. I truly love Jelly and KNOW without a doubt that dog has a great soul. I’m lucky to have friends who aspire to create, as this will be so enjoyable in my older years to look back on and cherish as I fade.

Who is your fav photographer?

This is probably the hardest question you put on here but I’d have to say my grandfather.

Whose work has influenced your work the most?

I honestly wouldn’t be able to narrow it down but i enjoy and source my inspiration from lots of the lasting images of these timeless talents below….

Keegan Gibbs (so fucking fire)-

Atiba Jefferson (skateboarding essentials)

Mike O’Meally (classic skateboarding essentials)

Henry Chalfant (innumerable amounts of graffiti documentation)

Tobin Yelland (filmy skateboard shots)

Duran Levinson (insane portrait photographer)

Craig Stecyk (Z-town documenter/skateboarding essentials)

JR (graffiti/wheatpastephotographer)

Martha Cooper (80’s legend in street art journalism)

Alex Fakso (skate & graffiti essentials)

Ruedi One (for those wet blk&wht artsy street nights)

Ed Templeton (almost forgot this legend)

Nan Goldin (female legend)

Haris Nukem (vivid portrait photographer)

Ruth Orkin (female legend)

Who are you currently listening to, music-wise?

I have this private playlist I made myself I play every morning after I get up to get ready for the day. I’m revealing the first 3 songs but the rest is secret.

Rebel without a pause-Public Enemy.

Leaving Babylon-Sublime.

If 6 was 9-Jimi Hendrix.

Besides the essentials I‘ve been playing a lot of lo-fi hip hop beats/scratches/mixups while I work or create lately.

I usually have either an Alchemist or Madlib CD in my car stereo. I use a lot of CD’s and cassettes lol. Let’s just say my auxiliary option is variably unreliable so CD’s are solid lol.

What is your favorite photo you’ve taken and why?

I thought for so long on how to answer this. Haha. I have to say that every photo is my favorite. Not to feed the ego or anything but maybe in other words I’m a hoarder. Any and all photos I take fall into my collection and that to me is something that holds my life’s work and ultimate value. My archive. The best way to put this answer into perspective is the idea that I’m not done yet. I’m still constantly & avidly pursuing higher dimensions through photography, through life, through myself. For me to choose a favorite photo would be for me to say that I’ve reached some finished point. Don’t get me wrong I have favorited shots over others but like I said I love every photo I take because I love life.

Digital or film? Why?

Film is permanent. Technology isn’t built to last forever. You don’t need technology shooting film. Art in a post apocalyptic world is a priority. Creating something tangible is far more lasting to me. Especially one with an element of surprise.

A fixed restriction makes you think twice, I’m sure. Film is exactly that. Knowing you have that limited amount of shots, each one seems to count more. Film is a spectrum balance between a premeditated photo or a foggy moment in time. I’m a fast paced shooter but with shooting film I catch myself staring at nothing till I see something. Essentially, it’s something that actually slows me down and I need that.

Movie you’d recommend an aspiring photographer to watch for inspo.

Recommendation for inspo for an aspiring photographer hmmmm!

I’d say watch any Tim Burton film. That’s a given. I’m a major fan ofTim Burton’s movies and stories.

Then I’d say, Across the Universe and Inherent Vice. And after that watch some of Quentin Tarantino’s films. Those are all classic.

FEMALE POWUR PLAYLIST

https://open.spotify.com/user/normal_genes/playlist/351NQKgAj4lfzEnuamHKAm?si=V4TwoqWoQgWXME8Rzlzh1A

EVA PHOTO GALLERY

S E T  1

  S E T  2

  S E T  3

  FILM SET

  NORMA JEAN ORTEGA aka NJ

Sign: Gemini

Background: Filipino American

Born: Las Vegas, NV

Being self-taught, how do you educate yourself on new ideas and techniques to take better pictures?

I can’t say I was self-taught because my dad was photographer. So I essentially grew up with the concept of photography. One of my first jobs was at this photo studio at Meadows Mall. I learned the basics in color balance, posing models and composition. College is where I got my formal training in photography. I learned how to shoot strictly in manuel when I took 3 years of black & white film photography and I became obsessed to say the least. Practicing photography in this manner gave me a sense of meaning behind the photos I took. I loved the idea of building a concept for the photos I had taken and embraced the idea of suspension and surprise.

But to answer your question, I learn new techniques by trail and error. Stick to one camera for a long period of time until I feel like I’ve mastered it then move on to the next. YouTube is also a thing. LOL. What is it that you want to say with your photographs, and how do you channel your work to illustrate that? Why? My personal photography documents moments and captures feelings that I like to look back on. A photo diary for the most part.

The subjects I touch on in my more serious work, aims to unpack what it means to be an Asian American female—of course from my own person experience. I express distressing feelings from my childhood, my feelings towards Asian stereotypes and dissect the standards of beauty in Asian culture.

When packing photo gear for a trip, what all do you take with you and why? My olympus stylus, fujifilm 400/800. A majority of the photos I take on a trip mimic the documentary style that I grew up with, however instead of focusing on people I try to focus on a moment and gut feeling that I am drawn to capture.

What motivates you to continue taking photos, whether it be socially, economically, politically, intellectually or emotionally? Everything is cathartic for me. It is a way to release a thought or feeling that I wouldn’t otherwise know how to express. Writing was my source of releasing this energy but through photography, I love how subjective it is to everyone else. You can share your work and get a complete different reaction or thought for what it was intended. But for me, when I look at my images, I know exactly how I felt and what I was struggling with at moment. It is somewhat of a reminder.

Within the aspect of women and social culture, what would you say is the difference between capturing beauty vs. vulgarity?

I think that what is considered vulgar for women is a popular theme in art, where artists are trying to breakdown that social norm for women. What was expected of women is being shattered by the “vulgar” images expressed by various female artists and photographers. It is essential, necessary and about fuckin’ time. To be lady-like was a standard put together by men and women are fully capable of conducting themselves however they see fit.

How did you develop an interest in photography and at what age were you?

Grew up around photography because of my dad. So I guess I always had an interest in photography. I grew up with a camera in my face and albums of albums of every major holiday and moment in my life. One of my first jobs was working in a photo studio called Photomania. Kids would go there to take their high school photos and basically trade them to each other like Pokemon cards. Hahah!

But working there was dope! I got to learn how to print from an old school printing machine. Had to clean that beast of a machine and take it apart every night. But I never took photography seriously until college. It’s when I finally learned about the greats (like Ansel Adams, Robert Frank, Cindy Sherman, and Weegee) that I completely got turned on to it.

Whose work has influenced you most, any favorites? Francesca Goodman, Nan Goldin, Ren Hang, Petra Collins, Carrie Mae Weems, Stanley Kubrick, Catherine Angel and Kimber Beck

When you are out shooting, how much of it is instinctual vs planned?

Half and half. And some times it’s completely spontaneous which is the best because when you feel that it’s the right moment, you just gotta go for it and pray that the photo comes out the way you wanted it to.

How has social media played a role in your photography?

It’s influenced me in the ways of curating my posts. Before, I just use to post whatever. But I think moving along the years of Instagram, I’ve seen how streamlined people can get with their style and feel of their photos. I also have my job to thank for that too.

While, I do curated my post, the work os still all mine. So I still see my Instagram as a photo journal but broken down into different segments.

What advice can you dish for any entry level photographers?

By a cheap camera and master it. Don’t buy into getting high quality gear until you find your style. Also, hang out with the local photographers you admire. You want to surround yourself with people who will push you to do better. A good piece of advice I learned from my cousin, Ez. Thanks cuh!

and of course i almost forgot….Talk about your experience collaborating on this project.

From our initial meeting at 6th & Franklin, I knew you we’re a go-getter! Actually, I hadn’t even met you yet but people we’re talking you up so hard that I was honestly intimidated. But real talk, I admire your constant drive to create work and your strive to improve your skills as a photographer. You are a walking and talking think-tank!

Doing this project was another project that I felt drawn to do, just like with my first Doublexposure guest, Andi. Everything I pursue in terms of interviews is purely for the need to connect with people who I admire. I am proud for what you stand for as an artist and I will support you every step of the way. Love ya girl 😘

NORMA JEAN PHOTO GALLERY

SET 1

  SET 2

  SET 3

  FILM SET

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