While starting a new job at the beginning of this year, I also started pursuing a new passion: Street Photography. My old camera died on the operating table earlier in the Spring and after a few months I replaced it with a new point-and-shoot. I love compact cameras for their mobility and discreetness (concert photography is an old and thriving passion of mine). However, the first upgrade purchased (Panasonic LX-7) fell short of my expectations, even with it's 1.4 lens (which is still astounding from a PAS). I realized quickly that my need for a tool with a higher level of capabilities was needed. Enter the Canon Sl-1!
I finally made the leap into DSLR while still retaining the mobility and lightweight I love about PAS. Yes, mirrorless solves this issue even more, but mirrorless is still in its infant stages and lens choices are bare. I do expect to see a big leap in the next year or two, in which case I will consider making that leap when the time comes. For now, I grew to not only love my new camera but also experiment with a new genre that is the streets.
My current living situation just isn't ideal for creating what you are all used to seeing from me. I know that illustration and fine art will make that calling again (I felt the scratching at the door all year) but for 2014, photography simply took over. And it was a necessary expansion. I am looking forward to finding some settled ground this coming year and get back to creating with pens and brushes. It's simply a matter of where I want to be and I haven't seem to find that nook just yet.
I didn't do much travelling in 2014. That was probably one of the biggest upsets of the year for me, especially noting the fact that I didn't see the West Coast for the first time in about five years (here's to changing that this year). However with the lack of the sunny beaches I am used to seeing, I did manage to make it out East Coast over the summer to the sun-soaked concrete slabs of New York!
I hit the open road with my puppy and my [then] girlfriend for The Hundreds and Van Styles' Street Meet. I had been watching these progress over the year and wanted to create a similar experience for my photog friends here in San Antonio. What better way, I thought, than to experience this firsthand. Along with 13th Witness and Levi Felder, about a hundred of us took the streets of Manhattan, shutting busy intersections down and experiencing street photography on a level many dream of. It was an incredible time to say the least and I returned home with much inspiration and broken barriers to unite many of my favorite photographers. Enter Street Keepers.
Intended to be a one-shot event to mimic what I experienced in NY, Street Meet SATX quickly evolved into a monthly gathering now known as Street Keepers. Through our meets I've managed to meet so many humble artists and explore so much of my birthtown in the process. I've seen sides of San Antonio I often ignored, I broke personal boundaries with approaching and interacting with strangers, and I continue to probe the hidden corners and sketchy rooftops of our humble downtown. Street photography has opened up a new side of me that my other disciplines had only grazed against in a busy train station of creativity and curiosity.
The few times I did feel comfortable to create drawings and illustrations proved to be a lot of challenging fun. The time away from my sketchbooks and canvases pushed me to the streets. That in turn built a yearning for the pen to page. This cycle gave me a few nights where I was able to create some fun work. Most of these remain hidden, as they will be great additions to the long-overdue Delayed. Sleep. Phaze. Number 3. I did manage to create some more pieces for Melodic Measures this year and that in itself was a win for me. Though I did not manage to release DSP3 or another Penumbral Silence as planned, I found time to carve out some great images and stories for both of those books, as well as spark other ideas for other forthcoming publications.
Finally, let's talk Awake and Movin'. For those of you fortunate enough to own a piece from my brand, I thank you for your support and belief in it. For those of you who don't, I blame only myself for not being able to execute this thing the way I see it in my hed (something I am blessed enough to rarely ever have that problem doing). Awake and Movin' was supposed to see complete restructuring in 2014 and launch as the biggest venture of my creative career yet. I left 2013 with drive and clarity to build my brand into what it is supposed to be and 2014 just hit me with massive, crumbling chunks of asphalt hurdled at me by The Incedible Hulk followed by catapulting blows of Thor's hammer. The brand has been simply stewing in my brain for another year and--creatively speaking--it has been the hardest moment of the year; the creation that hasn't seen its true light of day. Honestly, it fucking hurts. In those struggles though, I have been tucking ideas away, filing lessons and strategies, and silently building; waiting to do this thing properly. I've done my best this year to go with the flow and if the current was pulling me away from the West Coast, away from a struggling relationship, and away from Awake and Movin', then all I could do was allow the breeze to push me in the direction my higher self has intended for me, no matter how hard it was to do so. I had to accept faith over hope and simply shoot some dope images along the way.
Outside of my own life, 2014 saw a lot of dopeness in the forms of culture and entertainment. In this past year we saw some great creations. The Hundreds x Reebok collab brought many of us back to our unfulfilled youths with the new Pump. Only now we are old enough to get the shoes our parents more than likely simply couldn't afford when we were kids. Street Dreams Magazine became all the rave and showed us that print is very much alive. Bridging together many photographers across the world in the form of a printed hashtag, #streetdreamsmag showed us all what an idea with passion and drive can really do. Frank Miller and Robert Rodriguez brought our favorite characters out once again in another Sin City film that was just pure black and white dopeness laced with a side of Jessica Alba we've all been wanting to see. The Guardians of The Galaxy captured all our hearts with one of the most entertaining cosmic adventures we've seen on the big-screen. On top of that hit, Marvel gave us their lineup of movies well into 2019. Let's see how it plays out (WHERE THE FUCK IS THANOS ALREADY!?).
Deltron returned with a new record and sic live performance including former The Mars Volta's Juan Alderete in tow. Outkast returned to the stage, from Coachella to ACL. Slipknot returned with a new record, a new bass player, and a new drummer. Ultimately, a new breath of life for the masked collection. The Mars Volta officially died only to have a Phoenician rise in the form of Antemasque; by far one of [Cedric and Omar's] best inceptions yet. Seriously, the energy in that record is describable only to a feverish mash-up of incest breeding between ATDI and TMV and matched only by their onstage performance of these new songs. The Wu returned, only to be overshadowed by 36 Seasons; Ghost continues to stand on his own and owning hip hop. J. Cole came through with one of the best (and one of my favorite) and one of the most honest & real albums of 2014. No singles, no videos, and no promotion prior to it's release, 2014 Forest Hills Drive was released on the same day as the new Weezy album (which has yet to drop afterall). The world was introduced to a lovely voice by the name of Banks. And we all fell in love. From front to back this record saw heavy rotation in my work day. Between her and J. Cole, you can expect new additions to Melodic Measures in early 2015 for sure. Lastly, Murs and Mayday hit us all with a much needed musical punch of fun and good vibes in the Voltron of Mursday!. I saw them live this year and it was by far easily one of the top ten shows I've ever seen. Pure dope, pure fun, pure energy.
The FIFA World Cup was a bust, but we all still sat at the edge of our seats with every match. The hometown heroes brought one more trophy home against what was said to be the best team in NBA history. In five games. #GOSPURSGO. Lebron returned to Ohio, Manny and Floyd still haven't touched gloves, and Derek Jeter hung up his bat after an incredible career. I wish I had something dope to say about MMA but I simply hadn't watched many fights this passed year, much to my disappointment. I do know that Rhonda is still kicking ass, though. Let's hope Turtle's guaranteed ass whoopin' lives up to the hype. Kelly Slater hit the first ever 540. And came out fakie. Jaws continued to live up to his name by dropping them. The long awaited Cherry dropped and Thrasher and Vans' King of The Road was some of the most entertaining skateboarding to watch this year, hands down.
Van Styles and Tianna G fixed the internet after it was supposedly broken. Trashhand showed us how it's done like a G. Watch x Witness continued to share their antics with us all. Mirrorless showed us it's power and potential. Leica, Leica, LEICA. DSPTCH took our money and we'd happily give them more. Hyperlapse showed up and VSCO continued to shine. VICE showed us Igor (we are still waiting for Huang's World btw. Eddie! Vice! Where you at!?). And 4K is the new 1080p.
As another year passes, a new horizon approaches. It is uncertain what lies ahead of us, sometimes regardless of what we may want or push for. I do know that it is a new year with new goals and opportunities. Make it count, make your own path, and most importantly, through all the bull shit, Keep Pushin' Forward.
Cheers and peace out 2014.
Stay Creative,
BLUE731
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