Last week we asked to see your family documentary images for our #ThursdayTheme. Documentary photography is about taking pictures that make the viewer feel something towards your subject. It is about capturing your family just as they are by carefully choosing the moment, the light and the composition. Thank you to everyone who shared their images with us.
Our #FridayFoto this week is this beautiful image from Lydja Lapka!
Here’s what Julie had to say about Lydja’s image: “I fell head over heels in love with this image from Lydja. Not only is it so perfectly fitting for the theme, it also has that immediate impact that makes you stop scrolling down your newsfeed just to look. I’m a massive fan of dark, moody imagery like this. I particularly love that direct light that’s hitting our cute little subject whilst his surroundings have been thrown into varying degrees of shadow. Totally up my street. In my honest opinion this is a marvellous example of documentary photography Lydja. Thank you so much for sharing it with us!”
Belen Fleming
Adrianna Ko
Alina Clark
Alison Stewart
Catriona Scott
Collen Ro
Elizabeth Hall
Fauna Hobson
Georgie Betts
Hayley Cheeseman
Irina Duane
Justine McNeely
Justyna Kolodziej
Jyotsna Bhamidipati
Karissa Jones Matthews
Kate Wojdak
Kathryn Scott
Kelly Dunn
Kimberly Collins
Laura Elizabeth Wood
Laura Humphreys Eckard
Louise Why
Lynn Denness
Meaghan Marmillod
Michaela Strivens
Niki Durkan
Nikki Mih
Sabrina StLaurent MacDougall
Shanon Pruden
Stacey Millspaw DeForest
Tanya Brown
Tiffany Kowalsky
Pop by and request to join – you’ll love it! The post Family Documentary – A selection of images from our #ThursdayTheme appeared first on Tea Break Tog. via RSSMix.com Mix ID 8230553 http://ift.tt/2vDSXSt
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Ever wonder what it would be like to create a film in a different country? Moreover, how the production process and filmmaking style would differ from location to location? This upcoming documentary series, ‘Jump the Fence,’ explores just that, taking audiences on a tour around the world through seven different films created within one year. The series is hosted by three best friends—Molly Elizabeth Parker, Britt Harris, and Lacy Allen—showcasing “an intimate look at the lives of burgeoning actors, inevitably showcasing the drama and comedy inherent in best friends testing their bond in the hothouse of Independent Filmmaking and world-wide travel,” according to the project’s webpage. Additionally, a guest director will be featured and profiled in each country, further exploring the highs and lows of the creative struggle, the collision of cultures, the bonds of friendship, and more. We caught up with the Molly, Britt and Lacy to learn more about the project. Here’s what they had to say.
Hey all! I’m wondering if all of the directors for each country already been chosen? If so, how did you go about choosing them? Molly: Yes, the directors have already been chosen. They are: Aslak Danbolt (Norway), Elinor Nechemya (Israel), Jim Lounsbury (Australia), Stathis Athanasiou (Greece), Sasha Gransjean (China, lives in LA) Steven Richter (USA, film will be shot in Portland, Oregon), and the film we just shot, ‘Roots,’ was with filmmaker Ale Paschoalini in Brazil. All of the directors who will be featured in our series we came into contact with through my and Britt’s experience at film festivals, primarily Slamdance, in Park City, Utah. Britt and I met Aslak, Stathis, Sasha and Ale at Slamdance Film Festival in 2015 when we attended with a film we costarred in, ‘Birds of Neptune.’ Steven Richter directed that film, which is how we came to know Steven. Britt met Jim Lounsbury at the Arizona International Film Festival. Elinor Nechemya directed a short film called, Off Season, which I saw at Slamdance. Elinor did not attend the festival, but I reached out to her afterwards and asked if she would be interested in being a part of ‘Jump the Fence.’ Got it. So what are the seven countries you plan to visit? Molly: Brazil, Norway, Greece, Israel, China, Australia, and the last one here in the USA. Are you three primarily actors or filmmakers? Do you consider yourselves both or one more than the other? Molly: All three of us are primarily actors. This is the first time I’ve directed or produced a film project. Acting has been my main focus from a young age, but I’m becoming increasingly interested in work behind the camera. Lacy: I’m primarily an actor. I grew up doing mostly theater, but since moving to New York, I have started breaking into the commercial world and TV/film. I am now connected to a lot of friends in New York who are filmmakers, so I often find myself on set (called in on the day-of sometimes) witnessing and participating in the “action” of a filmmaker. Britt: Yes, I’m primarily an actor but started writing and producing my own content over the past couple of years. I grew up doing theatre and have since become more active in film, commercials, and television. After deciding to focus primarily in film, I have become more and more interested in the production side of things. What thrills me most about this is, that, as an actor, I do not have to wait around for someone to “give me a job”—I can create my own! The more knowledge I have about the process—the creation of the story, pre-production, the filmmaking itself, the post-production process—the more effective I know I will be as an actor and storyteller. Screengrab via YouTube Can you tell me a bit about what ultimately inspired this project? Molly: Britt and I had the idea for this project in the Park City, Utah airport immediately after Slamdance. We were so inspired by the films we had seen and the international filmmakers we met. We were daydreaming about traveling around the world to work with our new friends when I had the idea to make an “around the world trip” out of it. We would travel to world, meet up with these filmmakers in the countries they live in, and make films with them along the way. The title, ‘Jump the Fence,’ comes from an attitude of defiance toward traditional methods of acquiring work as an actor. Actors are coached to work hard, prepare, and wait to be in the right room at the right time to be chosen for a role that suits them. I’m ready to work. I refuse to wait for permission to do my job. This series is not only a compelling concept that I wholeheartedly believe will be interesting, inspiring and successful, but it is also a way to create our own opportunities. With this series, we take charge of our careers and create the kind of work we believe in with people who inspire us.
What are your specific goals you’re aiming to accomplish with this adventure? Molly: I want to learn as much as I can about the filmmaking process. All of the directors we’re featuring are very unique and talented individuals. I would to see how they work, to collaborate with them and discover what we can create together. I want to see how the filmmaking process is the same and different across the board. And how the physical space—climate, geography, politics, etc.—influences each of these artists. Life is short and I want adventure. Travel that is initiated through friendship, collaboration and creativity is an electric concept to me and one that has inspired me to take hold of my life and career in ways I wouldn’t have imagined years ago. Lacy: As I get older, my mantras for life have started to change. Like Molly was saying, life is short, and I’m discovering through growing in New York, that if you want to get something done a certain way, you do it yourself. Or you grab your buddies and you make that art together. It is the only way to fully achieve whatever goal you have for your life and your career. And also, who wouldn’t want to travel the world with their close friends and pursue such amazing, challenging, enduring work? For me, the best days are when I come home from whatever it is I was doing, and think “I worked my artistic brain to the best of its capacity today.” This is what ‘Jump The Fence’ aims to do everyday. Britt: I want to come out of this adventure more trusting of my creative instincts and more knowledgeable about the filmmaking process as a whole. ‘Jump the Fence’ allows us this incredible opportunity to strengthen creative bonds and friendships in an environment outside of our comfort zone—you cannot help but grow while existing in this framework! What is it like to make an independent film in Greece? I have no idea!! But soon, I will! I hope to come out of this journey a better communicator, listener, collaborator, and more resourceful person. Screengrab via YouTube As three best friends, what’s something unique you each bring to the filmmaking dynamic? Lacy: I was unable to come to Brazil this trip because of a show I am rehearsing in the city. Molly and I did a “proof of concept” short film for ‘Jump The Fence’ when the project was still in gestation. During that process, we rewrote an entire 10-minute episodic short, memorized it, and the next day filmed all day. During the actual shoot, everyone welcomed improv in the scenes, as long as it still worked with the concept of the episode. I have an extensive improv background, and I understand how long and fast (I know contradicting words) filmmaking can be. On set, I like to think that I am able to bring fresh ideas to takes, as long as it is alright with the director or writer for the project. Britt: I would like to say that Molly’s passion and tenacity to achieve a goal has inspired me and propelled me forward in more ways than I can begin to count. Molly is the engine of this project and I believe that she—perhaps unknowingly, haha—has pushed me to become a better producer and advocate of my own creative instincts. Her energy is infectious on set. A team-player and go-getter, Molly is the girl you want on your team if you want to get things DONE. As for myself, I am always striving to be the best communicator I can be. I was excited to be able to utilize my own personal skills specific to our first location (in Brazil) in the episode we just wrapped. My husband is Brazilian and we live in São Paulo half of the year (I live in Los Angeles the other half of the year), so I am as comfortable as I can be speaking Portuguese and problem solving in this context.
The first episode of ‘Jump the Fence’ featured a film shot in the state of Bahía, which is quite far from from the state of São Paulo, so this was new and challenging for me! I felt like all I’ve learned as an American living in Brazil was put to the test… in a good way! For example, the accents in Bahía are completely different than the way I hear Portuguese in São Paulo. It threw me off quite a bit, initially. But I quickly adapted and became less self conscious and worried about “embarrassing myself.” It just became more and more important to me that I was able to communicate with people—to be heard, understood, and to listen and understand. That’s when I really felt myself start to grow. Some of my favorite experiences during our time in Bahía were meeting the locals there and hearing their stories. The way I was able to stretch myself in terms of communication and collaboration reaffirms my love of language and desire to learn more about it. I’m setting a personal challenge for myself to learn as much of the language of each country we are visiting a possible. Even if I can only manage to speak a few basic exchanges in a foreign language, I know that it is probably the most important thing I can do to try to make a true connection with someone. Is there anything you want to add or elaborate on regarding yourselves as creators or regarding ‘Jump the Fence’? Lacy: Molly, Britt and I all have a passion for creation inside of us, and I have seen it take shape in many forms in the both of them since we’ve been friends. For me, riding alongside Molly (who I have known and lived with and gone through many chapters of life with) during the creation of this process, I have been in awe of her tenacity and determination to make this amazing project come to life. Both Molly and Britt have cut through the boundaries of what most people deem as “impossible,” especially in the early days of gathering information. None of us have ever been on this side of a production this large. I have learned so much about every different aspect you HAVE to deal with before you step foot on set. And the list of things to do is seemingly endless. Molly and Britt tackled each stressful step one foot at a time, and that got them to Brazil. I can’t wait to jump back into this journey with them on ‘Jump The Fence.’ Britt: I just want to say that my 10-year-old self would think I’m so cool right now. It’s true!! I think about this anytime I’m stressed out or having a bad day. When I was a little girl I wanted to be an actor and singer who traveled the world when I grew up. At 30, I have the same dreams as I did then and am beyond giddy that I achieving them. I am humbled to be a part of this project and have immense gratitude to everyone who have helped us get to where we are. I am so inspired by these filmmakers and friends of ours and I want to learn all I can from them. I want create as much as I can and experience as much as I can. It’s crazy to think that this is just the beginning of the journey and I cannot wait to see where the road leads us. via RSSMix.com Mix ID 8230553 http://ift.tt/2vHhmFz
The Truth of a Creatives Legacy
8/28/2017
There’s this temptation, a lull that entices even the strongest creative. Being an artist, running a business, pursuing a dream often feels gratifying when we get immediate satisfaction.
[Booking a client. Getting lots of likes and comments on Facebook. Showing how busy! we! are!] But what if we were to flip it? What if we were more concerned with putting in the hard work, the ugly work, the unglamorous parts of the hustle? Waking up everyday to balance bills, manage schedules, get kids off to school, not spill coffee, answer a pile of emails, and STILL find a way to create is the reality of what we do. The hard work is the long game, it’s our legacy. At the end of our careers, I suspect we won’t look back and reminisce about the time we got a 152 likes on an Instagram post, or revel in the ability to have shared a photo from Paris with the following caption: #blessed. What will mark our lives were the moments when we continued pushing forward, despite the odds. Our highlights will be the times when we messed up, but found a way to continue moving forward. I believe our greatest pride will be saying, “I didn’t quit.” That? That’s the legacy of a creative. via RSSMix.com Mix ID 8230553 http://ift.tt/2vlsFYZ By now, you most likely have seen one of the most viral images of this week’s eclipse. Photographers Andrew Studer and Ted Hessler captured the scene of rock climbers Tommy Smith and Martina Tibell scaling up a boulder and setting a slackline in Smith Rock State Park in Oregon as the totality of the eclipse takes effect. But what we didn’t know after seeing the image was how the scene unfolded, and the hard work and planning that went on behind the scenes to accomplish what is now one of the most iconic images of this rare phenomenon. The behind-the-scenes video opens up with Hessler talking about how Smith Rock is one of the homes of sport climbing, before conveying his doubts that what his team has planned will actually work. As the team wakes up, you can see cars already entering the parking lot, as this was one of the most sought after locations in the state to view the eclipse. Even Michael Shainblum, who joined in to shoot video included in the final film, is on hand. Studer, normally well composed, coveys that he is indeed feeling the pressure.
The team has done the math. Worked out every conceivable angle. But in reality, with only inches to spare, they would have to adjust quickly if their predicted lines didn’t work out. As the eclipse begins to take effect, the howls of excitement that echo off the rock walls mix perfectly with the sound of the rapid fire camera shutters. And finally, we see it. The perfect shot came together. There is no denying this was one of the most amazing natural events of recent times, and being that this is the first eclipse to hit such a populated path in the social media generation, the access we have had to it is unprecedented. We saw many photos of the eclipse, but few were as impressive as these. Photos provided by Andrew Studer and Michael Shainblum. Follow Studer on his website, Instagram and Facebook. See more from Shainblum on his website, Facebook, 500px, and Instagram.
via RSSMix.com Mix ID 8230553 http://ift.tt/2wz7Adn Take the Leap: A Photographers Record-Breaking Wellness Journey to the Summit of Mount Kilimanjaro
8/24/2017
After a six-day trek, the crew reached Kosovo Camp, their last stop before the summit of Mount Kilimanjaro. They were only an hour climb from the peak, where they planned to launch their paragliders. A few members of the crew, including a veteran climber, the pilot and the DP of their documentary, went ahead to prepare the launch site at the summit. The next morning, they returned. “It’s a fucking death march,” they warned. Extreme weather conditions were blocking their path, and at over 18,000 feet, many of them were hypoxic, but the climbers were determined to keep moving. The air was thin, and the glaciers in the distance were capped with a slight crown of snow. The landscape was rocky and gray, resembling the surface of Mars. In order to successfully launch at this altitude, there are two steps to getting off the ground: the pilot and passenger first need to sprint down the include of the launch zone, then a strong wind cycle has to push and lift the glider into the air. “This was when I felt fear for the first time,” said photographer Clay Cook, who was flying tandem with Howie Tarpey, a well-respected paragliding pilot. The duo ran full-speed toward the edge of the summit. They tumbled to the ground, slamming into the rocky surface and shredding the top of Cook’s right knee. By their second attempt, Cook realized the synchronization needed to fly could be better achieved if he looked out at the horizon instead of down at his feet. Again, they ran at full-speed. In that moment before takeoff, Cook wondered if they would accomplish the record-breaking, high-altitude launch they were chasing. Wings of Kilimanjaro—or WOK for short—is a not-for-profit organization that raises money for a variety of charity projects within Tanzania, such as building schools, delivering clean water, and other environmentally restorative activities. Each year, participants in the WOK event ascend Mount Kilimanjaro’s 19,341-foot peak, then paraglide back down for about 20 miles. For the vast majority of people, there is no other way to legally paraglide from Mount Kilimanjaro—the Tanzanian government strictly polices and prohibits flying from the mountain. WOK, however, was granted exclusive paragliding permits in exchange for the relief they bring to Tanzanians; so far, the organization has raised over seven hundred thousand dollars. Even more, what sets Cook’s expedition with WOK apart is that it was the first to paraglide from the summit of Kilimanjaro—in the past, every WOK trip has flown from Stella Point, located about an hour and half hike below the top of the mountain. Cook’s involvement in WOK all started with a warm beer. Back in summer 2015, he was stationed in Tanzania for his work on Waterboys, a non-profit foundation lead by Chris Long of the New England Patriots that brings life-sustaining well water to East African communities. Cook was contracted to produce a short promotional documentary on the organization in partnership with Nadus Films, NFL Network and Worldserve International. While working on the film, he and his crew met WOK leader Adrian McCrae over Kilimanjaro Beers at the Mount Meru Hotel bar. In short, the group hit it off, and Cook proposed an extensive documentary that covers the expedition from beginning to end. It tied in perfectly to his “Give a Story” project, in which he and Nadus Films provide a grant to an international foundation such as WOK. Yet to successfully complete the WOK expedition, Cook had to be in excellent shape—at the time he met McCrae he was 311 pounds with 50 percent body fat. His heart rate was a staggering 100 beats per minute, his blood pressure was dangerously high, and he could barely do 10 push-ups. Cook was on the verge of a heart attack, and had just recently began taking his health into consideration. “I was in denial and the hardest part of anything is realizing you’re in trouble and reaching out for help,” he said.
Cook’s career as a creative began long before his life as a photographer. At 18 years old, he was a founding guitarist of intheclear, a rock band that toured with Myspace-classic acts such as My Chemical Romance and Thursday. During that time, Cook designed the band’s flyers, which became his gateway into the world of graphic design. In 2010, after seven years of touring, the band broke up. Cook, then 25 years old, started a freelance graphic design company, Dirty Cheese Design & Development, and worked for various record labels and clients. “I started getting more and more clients with crazy requests for original photography; things I couldn’t even remotely find in the stock photo world,” Cook said. This was when he began experimenting with photography—and he remembers his first shoot vividly. For an album cover, a band asked him to create a scene of a 1950s “happy-go-lucky” family on a beach with oil pouring over the frame. To accomplish this, he brought in a green screen, 100 pounds of sands, models and actors for a shoot in his own backyard. Cook then borrowed a friend’s camera to capture the shots. “From that point on I was hooked,” Cook said. “I was fortunate enough to receive a camera as a gift in 2010 and it snowballed from there. I was pretty good at guitar and graphic design, but felt super comfortable with photography. I knew I was onto something.” Since then, Cook has earned a respected name in the photo world, shaping creative projects with brands such as Livestrong, NFL, Dillard’s, Red Bull and Vince Camuto. He has also worked on worldwide assignments for publications such as Forbes, USA Today, ESPN, Comcast, Modern Salon, Popular Mechanics, Inc. Magazine, and more. “When my career started really [taking off], I was like, ‘I’m all over this thing, I’m taking this all the way, and I’m going to put everything I’ve got into this,’” Cook said, which meant sacrificing relationships, friendships and his health. Like many passionate creatives, Cook was a workaholic, and it took the prospect of a once-in-a-lifetime paragliding adventure from the top of Mount Kilimanjaro for him to realize the severity of his issues. “I just ended a pretty serious relationship due to the fact that I’m a workaholic—and I knew it,” Cook said. “That was the moment I realized that something’s gotta give; something’s gotta change.” Soon after, Cook reached out to Sol Perry—a successful fitness trainer in the Louisville area and a friend he met through the music industry—for a health consultation. For years, he considered asking Perry for help, but would always back out in fear of discovering how poor his health had become. “That initial consultation was an insane wake up call. He told me I could die of a heart attack any day,” Cook said. Cook then began working one-on-one with Perry. The first month of his regimen consisted of a vegan-detox diet where he cut out dairy and alcohol. He lost 30 pounds. Next he implemented the Sol Food Diet—a low-carb diet developed by Perry that focuses on carb-cycling and adjusting fat and protein intake, depending on a person’s needs. “We gained inspiration from the Paleo [Diet] a little bit, but it’s not exactly like it,” Cook said. “It’s much more of a carb-cycling version of that. My thing was to always lose the carbs and just stick to meats and vegetables, whole foods, and stuff that doesn’t have starch or any sort of sugar.” In addition to the diet, he started a fitness program and began taking metabolism-boosting probiotics and supplements. His workouts were a combination of strength training, metabolic training, tempo training, suspension training, volume training, density training, yoga, and martial arts. Cook says this program placed emphasis on improving his mobility, core, and general wellness. At first, he trained only once a week, which increased when the Kilimanjaro trip was locked in. “I lost most of my weight by just dieting,” Cook said. “Then I went to India for three weeks and lost another 15 pounds. It was an intense trip and really difficult to stick to a low-carb diet. In Third World Countries, rice and bread are huge because they’re filling, and you have to be careful when refusing it because that may be insulting to some people.” Despite the extreme lifestyle change—in hindsight, Cook admitted to devouring Arby’s minutes before his consultation with Perry—Cook enjoyed the transition, especially the dieting. At that time, he had never cooked anything aside from eggs, pasta, and Spaghetti-O’s. Entering this new world of food quickly became a passion, and he even started an Instagram (@primaryplates) with a friend, Chris Miske, in which they showcased their Sol Perry diet meals, expanding his palate both literally and creatively. “It opened me up to a whole knew world of food that was sort of like a hobby, but could also take my mind off work,” Cook said. “I sort of get obsessed with things. I get overly passionate, especially about work and creativity. So I found this creativity in cooking and food, and started enjoying food like I never had before.” Exercise, however, is one aspect of fitness Cook continues to struggle with. Even today, he doesn’t enjoy training and sees it as an action he must take to reach a goal—not an activity that brings him pleasure. “I lost 60 pounds within the first few months and felt great,” Cook said. “More importantly, I felt like I looked great, which was directly reflecting my businesses. I felt more confident, which was where everything started changing significantly.” For working, professional photographers, the job is often long and grueling. Ten-hour days are the industry standard, and photographers are always on their feet, squatting for the right angle while focusing their attention on directing the model, talent or other members of the crew. On shoots, Cook was always drenched in sweat, and when you don’t feel good physically, it’s impossible to feel good mentally. This reflects on the overall morale of the shoot and crew, which is harmful for business and affects clients’ enthusiasm to work with you on future projects. “When I lost my weight and started being healthy, looking good, and feeling great, it had a direct a role in gaining clientele,” Cook said. “People respond to that—being healthy and representing yourself in a good-looking persona—especially in a business where, as photographers, our goal is to connect with people and establish a human connection. If you don’t exude any sort of confidence in what you’re doing both personally and professionally, I think that will even reflect in the final photograph. Just in the past year my clientele has started to become higher caliber. My health and wellness has completely changed my life for the better both personally and professionally.” By summer of 2016, the WOK climb had been in the planning stages for about a year. The climb was scheduled for September, despite the journey constantly being called off and back on. Finally, Cook got the call confirming the WOK climb a few weeks before they were scheduled to fly out to Tanzania. He gathered his crew, all of whom had no mountaineering experience, and started assembling climbing gear. To help acclimate his body to the conditions he would be facing, he incorporated hill sprinting, resistance training, and altitude training into his workouts. Overall, the ascent and descent down the mountain took eight days. Throughout the journey, the climbers experienced four different ecosystems, moving from one extreme weather scenario to the next in a matter of minutes. They started in the rainforest in 70-degree weather, for example, and by the time they approached the summit it was negative 30. Since Cook was shooting during the climb, that meant he had to double his pace in order to shoot various angles. Even on the first day several climbers were experiencing altitude sickness. “You start slurring your speech and forgetting things,” Cook said. “The best way to describe it is feeling drunk but you’re sober. It feels like you’re breathing into a plastic bag, but at times it’s like the bag is physically in your mouth because you can’t get any air.” This also dramatically slowed the climbers’ pace—they would take a step, breathe, take another step, then repeat. There were points where their Camelbacks froze and they used hand warmers to thaw the ice. Some of the climbers were so cold that they had to warm their feet by taking them out of their boots and place them on another person’s stomach. “I had on three pairs of gloves and couldn’t feel my hands,” Cook said. “Shooting was difficult—I basically just had to put pressure on where I thought the shutter was.” By Cook’s second attempt at paragliding from the summit of Kilimanjaro, several of the single gliders had achieved lift-off, but the tandem gliders were failing. This second attempt was again unsuccessful. His pilot called it quits, joining others in their descent down the mountain. But then Cook saw Coury Deeb of Nadus Films and his pilot launch successfully launch as a tandem, becoming the first Americans and the first to tandem paraglide off the summit of Mount Kilimanjaro. A few others followed this record as well, and Cook was determined to join them. Although his pilot had already left, Cook strapped in with another pilot, Rudi Van Der Walt, for a couple more attempts from a lower part of the mountain. In total, Cook made four attempts, and failed each time. Altogether, 18 pilots achieved lift-off, and only six did not, which were mostly tandems. Some of those who were unsuccessful decided to spend another night on the summit at Crater Camp, where they would sleep inside the volcano then attempt lift-off in the morning. But since Cook’s knee was injured, he had to make it back to camp before conditions worsened. “That was a hard choice for me because I wanted to make it happen, but I couldn’t do another night after seven nights of sweating and freezing.” Cook said. “So I descended, and that turned out to be the hardest thing I’ve ever done in my life.” The descent is approximately 22 miles and should only have taken about 12 to 16 hours, but Cook was continuing to suffer from altitude sickness; he was hallucinating, and at one point was carried down a portion of the mountain by a crew member to speed up his descent. By the time he reached camp, his health started to improve, and for the next three days his body was so sore he struggled to walk or sit. When he finally returned to the U.S., he was sick for almost a month because his immune system was so weak from the journey. “I didn’t want to interact with people,” Cook said. “It was an emotional ride for me, so I wasn’t sociable and I didn’t feel like being out. I lost almost 20 pounds just from being on the mountain. I felt weak. I was jetlagged and sick. It took me awhile to re-acclimate to life.” Through this particular project, WOK raised over half a million dollars for clean water and charity in Tanzania. For Cook, this was the most rewarding part of the journey: saving lives through art. “I’ve been fortunate enough to be a part of a lot of amazing opportunities. I mentor people and do a lot of things that a lot of people consider rewarding, but nothing compares to saving a life,” Cook said. At the time he concluded the WOK journey, Cook had lost 130 pounds and half his body fat. It was then a question of what he would do next—what do you do after you’ve accomplished such a massive feat? Moving forward, he worked with FStoppers on a successful fashion and editorial portrait photography tutorial video and continued to shoot for clients. Today, in addition to his client work, Cook teaches workshops in various regions, as well as a number of non-profit initiatives throughout the world. Most recently, he has just returned from Iraq, where he was sent to document the aftermath of ISIS. The project focuses on one family’s harrowing return home after two years of abandonment and ISIS control. “The biggest part of accomplishing a goal is taking the first step,” Cook said. “You’re always your own worst enemy and the biggest hurdle you face in anything you do. It’s up to you to overcome that fear—you’re fearful of what people think, you’re fearful of what you’re going to hear, and you’re fearful of finding out how bad you are. If you’re unhappy with your lifestyle, health or the way you look, the only way to surpass it is to be open to change. I don’t necessarily think you need to go on an insanely strict diet or do something drastic that completely alters your life. You just need to alter a few things.” “You’re in it for the long run,” he added, “and moving gradually into something that’s realistic to stick with is a key part of making the change digestible.” This story was originally published in “The Fitness Issue” of Resource Magazine. Visit the Resource Shop to pick up a copy. via RSSMix.com Mix ID 8230553 http://ift.tt/2vtltFi
For our #ThursdayTheme last week we wanted to see your wedding images. A wedding has to be one of the most intimate and emotional days of your life so it is lovely that so many of you shared your gorgeous wedding images – thank you!
#FridayFoto is this stunning image from our friend Michael Carver!
Here’s what Julie had to say about Michael’s image: “Michael is one of my favourite photographers ever.
Ashling Hayes
Audrey Boniwell
Barry Robb
Chris Scott
Hannah Lamprell
Jacqie Monk
Jane Ashton
Jessie Swift Steimle
Jim Davies
Joanna Pabel-Gruszczynska
Kelly Dunn
Laura Elizabeth Wood
Laurie Pilia
Linki Abrie
Liz Stowe
Megan Faber
Michaela Strivens
Nikki Mih
Olwyn Hunter Young
Tiffany Hopwood
Vaughna Palmer
Pop by and request to join – you’ll love it! The post Weddings – A selection of images from our #ThursdayTheme appeared first on Tea Break Tog. via RSSMix.com Mix ID 8230553 http://ift.tt/2vo1zLX Photography is an expensive pursuit. As new gear develops and technological standards rise, photographers live in the midst of a perpetual arms race. To remain competitive, photographers must continually invest in better glass, higher megapixel counts, and cutting-edge gadgetry that seems to be emerging on a daily basis. This is why Philip and Melissa Niu, co-founders of startup, Parachut, saw an opportunity to help photographers benefit from access to new gear without committing to a static personal inventory or crippling prices. Parachut offers the best of both worlds—the chance to remain technologically competitive within an affordable pricing structure. “We saw a need and we attacked it,” Melissa explained. “We saw the growth of companies like Rent the Runway and their ‘unlimited’ swaps option. Imagine being able to virtually walk into your own warehouse and access what you need, shipped where you need it, for as long as you need it, and return it whenever you need to swap it for something new.” To achieve this, Parachut subscribers receive a monthly “Chut Drop” of gear selected from its massive online warehouse, with several tiers of membership options that determine the maximum dollar value of gear allowed per drop. The introductory $99/month level offers up to $750 in gear while the highest tier of $499/month provides up to $7,500 of gear. Subscribers can swap out gear as needed, and subscriptions are month-to-month, allowing photographers to access gear specific to their current needs. There’s also no commitment to maintain a subscription level, so on assignment-heavy months, photographers can select a higher value subscription, then easily pause or reduce their subscription level when things slow down.
In Philip’s previous career leading an international marketing team, he witnessed first-hand how complicated facilitating gear rentals for multiple photographers can be. With rates varying across multiple companies and influenced duration, item value, and shipping location, planning and orchestrating shoot logistics was a nightmare with no realistic alternative. Melissa, on the other hand, a photographer, writer and editor, saw her peers struggling to maintain relevant gear inventories. She noticed her colleagues were cyclically selling and buying gear online to keep up with new advancements—an increasingly losing proposition as gear devalues over time. This why the duo decided to rock the established system, favoring flexibility, accessibility, and creativity over all else. As a “relationship driven company,” Parachut offers subscribers not only access to gear, but access to a personal photography expert as well. “Each member is assigned a dedicated Parachut Pro that they can text anytime for technical help, recommendations, or specific needs,” they said. “Our Pros get to know their members on an individual basis to really understand their history and individual creative needs. Our Pros are the best at what they do and want each member to feel that they always have someone there to lean on for help.” In addition to the value of relationships, the founders of Parachut also designed their product around company culture. “Our culture is driven by these three words: relationships, trust, and creativity. Trust is the backbone to a well solidified relationship,” Melissa said. “First and foremost, we want people on our team to know that we trust their talents, therefore allowing them to work and create freely without feeling like someone is looking over their shoulder. Whether you’re a member, a partner, or an employee, you’re so important to us. Each person that comes into the Parachut culture should thrive on trusting our brand and our Pros, thrive on feeling valued, and in turn be completely fulfilled and creative.” In order to maintain that standard of trust, subscription is available only by joining a waitlist, in which Parachut vets potential members. “Through several factors,” Philip said, “we verify that potential members are real people and have the ability to contribute to our community and exercise good judgement when using our gear.” It’s a strategy that cuts down on fraud, reduces risks to inventory, and ensures that each member receives the best possible care and attention. As the startup continues to expand beyond its current team of eight Salt Lake City-based employees, they’re eyeing expansion into other cities for additional gear hubs, promising faster gear swaps and greater convenience for their members. Philip and Melissa are excited about what they’ve achieved so far, and for the future of their company. “We’re building the processes and infrastructure to ensure that access to the tools you need is finally available no matter where you live in the world,” they said. “It’s really exciting to do something in an industry that has never been done before. We get to wake up every morning and forge a new path with new challenges and new problems to solve.” ____________ This story was originally published in “The Fitness Issue” of Resource Magazine. Visit the Resource Shop to pick up a copy. via RSSMix.com Mix ID 8230553 http://ift.tt/2wi1JJ4 Have you ever been at a restaurant and wanted to take a great photo for social media, but didn’t know how? This video walks you through my process of finding good light, and then making it better using natural reflectors. Get ready to start sharing yummy photos on Instagram and Facebook If you want to download the photo from this video to use as a stock photo on your social media, feel free to snag it >>HERE<<. Photo equipment used: via RSSMix.com Mix ID 8230553 http://ift.tt/2wdB6Wg In our favorite romance movies, such as Casablanca, The Notebook and now The Big Sick, we see countless scenes of monogamous couples pairing up despite all odds. In fact, attitudes about coupling have been shifting over the years with more laws welcoming members of the LGBTQ+ community, but polyamory is still stigmatized to the general public. Come to think of it, our perceptions of polyamory come from stigmatized shows and movies, such as Sister Wives and Big Love, or even late night news stories. Brooklyn-based photographer Erika Kaplin seeks to overcome this stigma in her photo series, The Open Photo Project. Kaplin joined the polyamory community back in 2012 when she and her husband transformed their monogamous relationship into a non-monogamous one. Being in New York City, she found a community with likewise people via Open Love NY. A photographer by nature, Kaplin started doing some research on polyamory couples and found that images rarely showed the diversity of the polyamorous community. “If you Google ‘polyamory’ images, you see all white people, almost always 20s to 30s, conventionally attractive, usually in a Male-Female-Female or ‘Open Marriage’ situation,” Kaplin said. From there, she wanted to expand the search result of images and learn more about the community for her personal activism of raising awareness. Many people are unaware about the scope of the polyamory community and have many preconceived judgments, but Kaplin hopes to change that. “When people look at The Open Photo Project, I hope they see a diverse array of people, caring for each other in a diverse array of ways. And I hope that touches them somehow,” Kaplin said. For those who judge the polyamory community, Kaplin hopes they’ve just never seen “real, non-exploitive” photos and stories of polyamorous people—and just need a new source of media to change that. Kaplin sees relationships as a “choose your own adventure” scenario, and hopes people will question what they want in their relationships and their structure after seeing this series. Like many relationship-based photo series, people are not always willing to open themselves up to the camera and the photographer themselves. Kaplin found that although she was a part of the community, people were wary about participating in The Open Photo Project. Aside from taking photos of her friends, Kaplin tries to reach out to other members in the community. Many aren’t out to the public and fear judgment at work or within their families. Kaplin has photographed a number of subjects without their faces showing or blurred and has changed their name in the accompanying story for the sake of privacy. “My goal is to find beauty in the mundane, day-to-day moments in my subjects’ lives,” Kaplin said. This leads her to photographing many of her subjects in their home, but some are uncomfortable letting Kaplin that far in. In this case, she asks to photograph them doing work or what they enjoy doing in their spare time. Sitting down with them, she talks about their involvement in the polyamory community and takes out her camera when the scene presents itself. Just taking people’s photos once isn’t enough for Kaplin. She follows up with individuals, couples and triads over time to see the progression of their relationship since they all last met. “It’s important over time to see the different aspects of their lives as they might be in vastly different situations than they were when I talked to them before,” Kaplin said. The photos mainly inhabit her website, but Kaplin is looking to take The Open Photo Project global. Most recently her photo and our featured featured image of Chris and Zindzi intertwined was featured in Vogue Italia. This fall, Kaplin is setting up an installation at a conference in Vienna, Austria and hopes to create a more expansive one in the future that incorporates audio recordings from her subjects. Learn more about Kaplin and The Open Photo Project here. via RSSMix.com Mix ID 8230553 http://ift.tt/2vDunDv
We can’t believe how fully you guys entered into the spirit of this Legography theme. There were so many fabulous entries and I know you’ll enjoy the blog this week. Thank you to EVERYONE who entered an image. Epic theme!
Our #FridayFoto is this little piece of brilliance by Anya Foust Hone!
Here’s what Julie had to say about Anya’s image: “Firstly I really admire the thought and effort that you put into the setup Anya. I LOVED looking at your behind the scenes shots. Thank you so much for sharing them! Shooting this outside in full sun instead of setting something up indoors just makes it look so authentic! The use of the blue tarpaulin as the sea is a stroke of genius and shooting wide open to blur it and the pirate ship out just makes it all look even more realistic. Then we have this adorable pirate scene playing out at the front. They’ve all been so carefully placed and posed – every single one of them adds something to the story. You really nailed the composition of this whole shot. Thank you so much for creating this and sharing it with us Anya! It really brightened up my day!”
Anne McBeth Simpson
Annemarie Smith
Ashling Hayes
Chiobhon Muller
Corrie Shallcross
Dana Klement
Dave Simpson
Jessie Anne
Justyna Kolodziej
Kelly Dawson
Kerry Sidwell Wilson
Kirsty Moore
Lindsay Lorenzo
Lori Meyer
Loryn Payne
Lynn Denness
Mona Naem
Pamela Kidd Hall
Sabrina StLaurent MacDougall
Stacey Millspaw DeForest
Tina Meesen
Vanessa Imrie
Victoria Anne
Zoe Glasgow
Pop by and request to join – you’ll love it! The post Lego – A selection of images from our #ThursdayTheme appeared first on Tea Break Tog. via RSSMix.com Mix ID 8230553 http://ift.tt/2vD9Yyw |
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October 2021
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