This last weekend, I had the privilege of hanging out with some of the finest DJs the Midwest has to offer. The crews over at PhulPhunk and Kansas City Techno got together and put on one hell of a free show for the internets. Come and take a look at just a few of the snapshots I took that night.
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Life always come full circle. I know this. I’ve seen it with my very own eyes.
What am I talking like Yoda all the sudden?
Simple.
This last weekend, I had the honor of photographing my high school English teacher’s daughter for her senior portraits. Yes. You read that correctly. I am now that old.
I had a blast photographing Katie and reconnecting with her mother. Her mother, has always been a huge inspiration to me. Whether she wants to be associated with the credit of teaching me the fundamentals of writing or not, she was the one who pushed me to write even when my writing was the absolute shittiest it has ever been. And to this day, I couldn’t even begin to thank her enough.
Anyway, come take a look at what Katie and I got into at Hodge Park in the good old Liberty, Missouri.
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Wow. Just wow. That’s all I have to say about these two. When Brandon and Monica asked me to photograph their wedding day, I was absolutely thrilled. They promised a chill and relaxed wedding that would make me feel like a guest and not a hired hand. And you know what? They totally delivered. I had an absolute blast photographing these two. But don’t take my word for it. Come and take a look at what I saw through my lens that day.
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Being that I am a penis carrying member of the Y Chromosome Club, getting my hair did really isn’t that big of deal to me. In fact, I really only have three requirements:
1) Cut it short.
2) Not too short. I still want the appearance that I have hair.
3) Make me look more “not homeless”.
See? Not too hard, right?
For the last couple of years, I have been insanely loyal to my hair cutter extraordinaire, Leslie. So loyal, I would literally drive 205 miles southwest of the Kansas City area just to get all my hairs cut. Insane? Possibly. Awesomely devoted and loyal? You bet!
With a 200+ mile drive becoming more and more inconvenient, I decided it was time to test the waters of Kansas City hairstyling once again. And this time, I knew exactly who to call.
Given my propensity for procrastination and indecision, I sent out a SOS text to my good friend Jamie. You see, Jamie is in the know. Actually, she is more than “in the know”. By being a hairstylist and also holding the titles of web coordinator and social media maven for Bell Epoque, she is on the front lines of all that is hair in the Kansas City area. (Side note: Not only do Jamie and I go way back to the 8th grade together, she gave me the honor of selecting me to photograph her wedding day.) So, within seconds, she demanded I come in and visit Belle Epoque. (And by “demanded”, she sent me a lovely invitation to check out the salon and see what they were all about.)
As I entered Belle Epoque, I was instantly impressed with the style and layout of the salon. Bright colors and plush fabrics graced pretty much every single corner. The lighting was dim, but just enough to give a feel of intimacy and relaxation. The high ceilings and exposed brick of the old downtown building gave off an illusion of industry with a dash of fashion mixed in for good measure. No sooner did my foot cross Belle Epoque’s threshold, I was greeted by a very nice gentleman named Luther. He quickly and politely asked my name and who I was scheduled with. Approximately 25 seconds later, my stylist Jane appeared.
Now, this isn’t my fist experience with Jane or with Belle Epoque as a whole. This summer, I did some photography work for not only the salon, but for Jane and her beautiful family as well. Professionally speaking, we weren’t strangers in the least. But being that this was my first time at the salon as a client, I was even more impressed than I was during my professional interactions with them. And that says a lot given their excellence as a business.
Anyway, where was I? Oh yes, Jane.
Total time elapsed from the time I arrived until the time I sat down in Jane’s chair? Maybe 57 seconds. Maybe. As efficient as that was, I never felt rushed then entire time I was there. In fact, never in my life have I spent more time at a salon willingly. From top to bottom, the whole process at Belle Epoque is different from anything I ever experienced elsewhere. With a smile on her gorgeous face, Jane sat me down, handed me a Boulevard Wheat, and started asking me a series of questions regarding what I wanted to accomplish with my hair and my expectations from her and Belle Epoque. Clear and to the point with a dash of accountability BEFORE you even get your haircut? Other salons should be taking notes.
After the questionnaire was finished, Jane immediately went to work. I was astonished by the skill and precision that Jane possessed. She mastered my short haircut without even resting a set of clippers to my head. Yes, you read that right. Belle Epoque doesn’t take shortcuts. In fact, they don’t even allow them. Jane spent all of her time with me not only concentrating at the task at hand, but being a great and extremely personable conversationalist as well. For a guy that self admittedly doesn’t like new people touching him, let alone taking sharp objects to my head, I never once felt nervous or out-of-place. And that, my friends, says A LOT.
With Jane’s mastery complete, I was out the door as quickly as I came in. To say I was satisfied with my first personal experience with Belle Epoque would be the understatement of the year. I am already hooked and booked for my second haircut in January. As you guys know, I very rarely pimp out anything unless I just had amazing service or an absolutely kick ass time. In this instance I had both. And if you know what is good for you, you’ll follow my lead and grab an appointment with Jane or any of the other fine stylists at Belle Epoque. I promise you will not only be hooked, you’ll thank me later.
What? What’s that? You want the links to my articles around the internets this week? Well, then. You’re in luck! Please to enjoy the fuck out of my MamaPop and Draft Day Suit articles for the week. Also? Make sure you check out my post and auction benefiting The I Survived Project. Only a few more hours left to bid on two wonderful photography packages from yours truly!
This week at MamaPop:
Tuesday’s Post: How I Met Your Mother Season Six Recap: Episode 6 “Baby Talk”
Thursday’s Post: America’s Next Top Model Cycle 15 Recap: Episode 8 “Zac Posen”
This week at Draft Day Suit:
Thursday’s Post: Want Good College Basketball? Check Out The MVC This Year
And last but not least, you really need to pay attention to this link!
My Lame Ass Attempt At A Bake Sale (A benefit auction for The I Survived Project)
There are very few things that I actually feel passionate about. Sure, I can get behind most charities, most good causes, and I’ll even buy those damned magazines the neighborhood kids are selling to fund their little league teams. I try to be just as charitable and giving as the next guy. But every once in a while, I stumble upon something that makes me question just how good of a person I really am. It’s not a question of self worth per se, but more of a gut check, a question of just how far I would go for someone else. Truly a “I don’t think I could do this if I tried” type of moment, if you will. When something makes me ask myself that question, I know it’s something worthwhile. And as I was introduced to this latest project, I knew that not only would it be so very important. I knew, in all actuality, that this was beyond phenomenal.
Just like any other day, my inbox is filled with all kinds of wacky and insane emails. I weed through the hilarity with precision. But as I clicked and read this particular email, I was taken aback by just how real it was. Right there, in small Courier New print, was an outline of someone’s life. An outline laid out in front of me and to a handful of others to see. This was her plan. Something that had been bubbling inside of her for years. She had finally identified her calling in life. And there in that email, she was sharing it for all of us to see.
Anastacia didn’t just send out and ordinary, mundane email that day. No, it was more of an opus. A collection of thoughts, ideas, and experiences that most people haven’t and will never deal with in their lifetime. But instead of dwelling on them, instead of keeping everything inside, she wanted to share her life. And as painful as it was, she wanted to share her darkest and most haunting experiences with the world. Deep inside, there was a hope that if she did this, she could help someone else going through the same type of hell she went through, In fact, she no longer wanted to do this, she had to.
It’s funny how a simple email can make you think about yourself. But the one Anastacia sent me that day, made me stop dead in my tracks and wonder just how good of person I truly am. A split second later, I knew I wanted to help in any and every way possible. Anastacia knew what her calling was. And as a friend, I wasn’t going to just sit back and just watch her.
The I Survived Project is something that you need to pay attention to. It’s a documentary about one of the harshest topics around, sexual abuse. It’s real. It’s raw. It’s unapologetic with the truth. Thankfully, I have never had to deal with sexual abuse personally. I thank everything holy and unholy that I’ve never had to experience these types of atrocities. But you know what? I know plenty of people who have. And it sickens me to have to type “plenty”. Now that I am a father, I look at both my children and hope that they will never have to go down that road. Matter of fact, I am going to do EVERYTHING within my power to ensure that they never have to go through things that Anastacia and millions of others out there have had to deal with.
So today, I give you my lame ass attempt at a bake sale. No, I didn’t bake shit for you to buy. Really, all you would get from me is a bad batch of pot brownies anyway. I have something way better than baked goods.
Starting today, I am auctioning of not one, but two family portrait sessions. Each session will include, 1-2 hours of on location photography, a full gallery on my website (studioeightonesix.com), a DVD with ALL the digital files including full duplication rights, and a $50.00 giftcard to tinyprints.com just in case you want to get some holiday cards printed. 100% of the proceeds will go directly to The I Survived Project. Every. Single. Cent. See? I told you! So much better than baked goods. So, what are you waiting for? Get out there and bid! Bid high! Together, we can help make this documentary a reality.
(Obligatory legal type notice: Of course some restrictions WILL APPLY. Please see the auction for details!)
There are two identical packages up for auction! Now get to it!
Listing one: Family Portrait Session Benefiting TISP
Listing two: Family Portrait Session Benefiting TISP
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