Fitness requires a solid mind as much as it does a strong body and Rachel Mariotti recognizes this - and talks about it often on social. When she's not in Miami, you're likely to find Rachel in New York and I had the pleasure to catch up with her again to take in the beautiful scenery from her rooftop apartment.
Shawn has always had a way with words:
Even as we grow and mature in our life, the edges also get pushed out and they remain fuzzy. Don’t worry about “fixing” those outer edges — they will always be there. Instead focus on the center and on the core — the things that truly matter — and focus on making those stronger and better.
Studio shoot with Tara B, Pilates Instructor at Neou Fitness.
Prior to purchasing the Leica Q2 this year, I conducted significant research to learn as much as possible about other people's experiences and opinions on such a costly piece of equipment. We're talking about blogs, vlogs, technical YouTube videos, and anything else that will make me happy with my purchase. I eventually bought the camera and I've had no regrets. It's been an incredible joy photography with it, which is difficult to put into words, but I believe Peter McKinnon stated it best, "The Leica's have a look to them, they have a feel, they have a vibe."
Cory Vanderploeg delivers another insightful video. I'm a huge fan of his portrait work, as well as the quantity of information he regularly gives on his Youtube channel about the business side of the trade we all adore, photography.
"If you can't answer "yes" to all of these things, then you should be charging for your work" he says:
Comuna 13 is still evolving. And the vibrant hillside neighborhood is busier than ever, and you can't properly appreciate the beauty of a place like Comuna 13 until you understand its horrifyingly terrible past and all it has overcome.
Instead of aimlessly meandering through Comuna 13's wide maze, a tour guide will not only explain the significance and history of the neighborhood's prominent landmarks, but will also expose you to locations you would have otherwise missed discovering on your own. Without this understanding and awareness, a stroll around Comuna 13's streets is reduced to a shallow picture of many works of lovely street art. This neighborhood was at the top of my list to explore during our stay to Medellin because I had read so much about it before even arriving in the country.
As a side note, having the ability to document our entire trip in Medellin with just a curiosity and my freshly purchased Leica Q2 was extremely liberating because how compact the camera is.
Editorial vibes with Julie 'JAW$' Nelson.
Vision matters. But sometimes you have to dig for a while with no sense of what you’re looking for so that you’ll know it when you see it.
David duChemin was the one photographer I continually resorted to in not only studying his documentary work but also his written words and his thought process when photographing anything way before even having a camera in hand.
I figured out the technical aspects of photographing and I'm still learning to this day, but it's that "no idea what you're looking for" drive until you finally discover what you enjoy photographing, documenting, and creating that has kept me inspired to pick up my camera everyday and I without question attribute him to instilling that in me through his writing.
If you've ever struggled to figure out which questions to ask your clients on the phone, or if you've ever felt stuck when it comes to pricing, I highly recommend listening to this short but insightful podcast episode MIDCONVO with Ed and Paul. I always appreciate it when other creatives share not only the tools they use to create, but also the business side of things, because it's not something that's typically discussed.
I finally had the chance to connect with a New York-based personal trainer that I've admired for a long time. The one and only Julie 'JAW$' Nelson.
Paintings, sculptures, and art in general are sometimes labored over in the stillness of an artist's studio for months or even years before being seen anyplace. Most individuals, I believe, would never get the opportunity to see behind the scenes of these studios, but thanks to a combination of pure curiosity and Instagram, I was able to pay Emilio Perez, a Cuban-American artist residing in New York, a visit after seeing his work online. Surprisingly, his Brooklyn studio, which is more akin to a full-fledged residence, is close to studios I've rented for personal photoshoots in the past, so I was well acquainted with the neighborhood.
There was a time when I connected more with local artists, but somewhere along the way of discovering myself as a photographer, I lost touch with that camaraderie of what it means to exchange ideas, processes, and recognize that inspiration can come from the most unlikely of places, such as the person in front of you and not always within a glaring small screen.
There are times when I feel more like a sociologist or anthropologist than a photographer, when taking images is motivated by a desire to learn more about someone else rather than simply having something pleasant to share at the end of the day and visiting Emilio at his studio was certainly one of those instances.