GO Seahawks: The 12th Man Sendoff
Seahawks Blue Thunder Drumline sends off the Seahawks
GO SEAHAWKS!!!
Seahawks Blue Thunder Drumline sends off the Seahawks
Portraits of #IdleNoMore: WA St
Video: Idle No More, North West Coastal, Directed/ Edited by Dave Wilson, Produced by Brodie Lane Stevens, Camera by Ben Hampton, Design by Kyle Hatch
Idle No More: Seattle & Olympia 12/29/12 by BP
Idle No More calls on all people to join in a revolution which honors and fulfills Indigenous sovereignty which protects the land and water. Colonization continues through attacks to Indigenous rights and damage to the land and water. We must repair these violations, live the spirit and intent of the treaty relationship, work towards justice in action, and protect Mother Earth. (Via Idle No More)
Idle No More is an ongoing protest movement originating among the First Nations, Metis and Inuit peoples and their non-Aboriginal supporters in Canada. It has quickly grown and garnered worldwide support from other Indigenous Peoples as well as sympathetic non-Indigenous Canadians and Americans. It has consisted of a number of political actions worldwide, inspired in part by the hunger strike of Attawapiskat Chief Theresa Spence and further coordinated via social media. A reaction to perceived abuses of Indigenous treaty rights by the ruling Harper government, the movement takes particular issue with the recent omnibus bill Bill C-45. (Via Wikipedia)
The same crew who brought the “American Sikh” will be hopefully doing another more comprehensive article on the Idle No More/ Isolated No More from our local areas. This is the portrait series using Hipstamatic’s Tintype Pak (as you can tell I’m trying Hipsta real hard). The best part of taking these photos is the chance to dialogue with these folks. The sense of thanks they gave me for just being there in support was overwhelming. I started out in Seattle and ended up 60 miles away in Washington State’s capitol Olympia. I hope you all read through some of these links. Its educational and I must say this movement has gotten to me deeper than the Occupy coverage I have love for so much.
The movement is still young and growing and I plan on attending and covering it as much as I can. Please send prayers and meditations to Chief Theresa Spence who has been on hunger strike since December 11, 2012.
Big thanks to Chad Charlie!
Follow Idle No More on FB / Twitter Main IDM & #IdleNoMore
Hipstamatic: The 12th Man in Seattle
…and I’ll throw in a couple 49er fans for my folks who are rooting for the wrong team today…
GO SEAHAWKS!!!
I used Hipstamatic’s John S plus D-Type Plate.
For all ya’ll who are Hipsta nuts, sorry couldn’t go with the Tinto 1884 Lens just yet. Truth be told, not feeling the center focus.
Too strong for my taste.
It’s All About the Bridge: The BFAM Story
This is the Seattle acapella group, A Moment in Time. Their music stopped me in my tracks. I write to you all about my bromance with my BFAM. These guys remind me of him. The videos are of this group. My video skills are no good but I wanted ya’ll to hear the soul and spirit of these guys. Hopefully it’ll touch you as it did in this moment in time.
I recently had the opportunity to work on a promo video for the DPReview Connect Contest and talked about the connection that mobile photography/arts is more in tuned to not just the art aspects (which I believe is fundamental) but also about the relationship building that happens on the social networks that are unparallel to anything else that has happened globally.
I remember my world was based on relationships and interactions. It really was about the vicinity. It was always an experience to travel across the Puget Sound to get to Seattle when I was younger. It was exciting to think about meeting people. Those were limited though. The vicinity still kept any relationships to grow. Don’t get me wrong, the telephone was cool but it wasn’t what it was now.
But the mobile…shit the mobile has made it a totally different story.
I have the opportunity to meet and interact with people on a daily basis. I get to see their world on a daily basis. I get to hear their stories on a daily basis.
This discussion is left out of a lot of the conversations I see on any site about mobile photography / mobile arts/ iphoneography / any type of mobile anything. AND when I do, it’s about analytics, its about likes, its about follows. This is where I am coming from for this post.
I have made dear friends, brothers and sisters, all virtual from these social networks. I met these artists, gain mutual respect for them, discussed surface stories, dug into deeper life stories, hear the tragedies and comedies that they encounter daily, weekly, so on and so forth. I get to view the art that they share with the world to communicate these tragedies and comedies. It’s a crazy world.
For many of you who interact with me on any of these networks, you know about my BFAM. BFAM stands for Brother From Another Mother. Before I go into more detail about this BFAM of mine, I’d be remissed to not mention the other folks who I have created nicknames for – mostly for my sanity – DB, Fam, BWF, LILB, Sista M…there’s so many…but it all started from BFAM.
BFAM and I connected on many avenues. Again it was all visual based right?
“Great shot my friend”
“Nice caption with that Brad”
“Brilliant lyrics on that shot, Ale”
Our first Life To Music challenge contest was The Beatles. A lot of you all didn’t know but I started this contest not just to bring the community together, but Ale was going through hard times and I wanted for him to log onto IG and see the beauty of some of the art that people would put together under LTM. That he as the “Axl Rose” and I as the “Slash”, was able to bring together a community of like-minded folks within a larger community of like-minded folks under not just visual but sound.
We were going to put each other “On the Couch” and present each other to all of you, only as BFAMs can.
I wanted to introduce you all to the man who many of us know already. He doesn’t need any introduction really.
BFAM.
Alessio Castaldo. Principle of the Minimals. Juxter. Life To Music DJ. AXL.
BP: Alessio Castaldo. Photographer. Lover of Music. Lover of life. Storyteller. Lover. Father. What are some of the things you feel people out in the virtual world would really want to know about Ale?
Ale: Personally I think I am the one in need of listening to others stories, not many others are interested in mine. I don’t think it would matter even with all the words I’ve used are boxes full of memories and images and perfumes to link to stories of my forty years of life. Maybe I am into any of that words, but I’m not specifically one of those. One of the stories of my life is just that, the being everything and nothing at the same time. Maybe that’s why I always was “the strange guy”, some times dark and romantic, other times the bright and contagious smiley kind of guy.
…Til we’re talking about it, not stepping around it
Maybe I don’t want to take advice from fools
I’ll just figure everything is cool
Until I hear it from you… (Gin Blossoms, TIL I HEAR IT FROM YOU)
Storyteller I think is the best definition I could possibly ask for my epitaph, like “sometimes, in his bright days, he was able to listen and to tell some good stories about Life…”
Ale: The tender side of life might be the perfect novel I am trying to write and the best definition possible for my curiosity over people. I am probably not a streetphotographer, or not only one. I am nothing more than a silent eye looking at people, the way they move the expressions on their faces, the poses and the expressiveness are my fav keys to profile persons. Yes, I am a profiler.
Do you remember when we talked about trying to get closer and closer? You seemed to be so attracted by people’s faces. Their big smiles or the mad and angry facial expressions around your world of characters. We were both tryin to catch a singular act of an extended play, and our characters were just entering the stage.
BP: You helped me greatly in the continuing development of my work. Recently our brother from The Minimals asked about our work when you and I connected. We were really heavy in color and yet I feel that color or not, we still captured the same photograph, whether highley edited or not, stripped down it was still the same photograph. What are the top 5 tips for up and coming photographers and fans of your work?
Ale: Exactly BFAM, the same desire to tell a story!
In colors or in black and white, with one or two apps, the touch remains the same. We are tryin to tell a story. Maybe many times we don’t even get close to that, maybe we lose on quality, maybe we can’t resist the multiple boosts we receive day by day. I mean the music, the social, the games and the fun might bring us from here to there sometimes. But i know that when we reach the score, it’s all about the story told. No “cool” or “you rock” count when we break the surface and reach the core of the story behind the photo.
No frills, less edits…
My tips are run away from the scientists, the big rockstars are so often full of themselves they are not worth your time. Interact with the kind souls, often a pic tells a lot about its author. Watch photography, eat photography, dream photography. look at books made of photography. Search for photography on the Web, look at all kinds of it, don’t get stuck on one “style”, there are many possibilities you need to explore and no fear in doin it. If you stop at one flavor, you will miss the best from life.
There are many of us out there in the world who love Ale. This post would contain thousands and thousands of names of people who have been touched by Alessio Castaldo. His art, his passion, his Italian romantic personality.
If you feel the same way, leave him a comment. Send him an email. Message him on Kik. Hit him up on all the dang social networks he is on and balancing.
BFAM – from Seattle with love!
I send this to Italy.
I Am Not A Crook: Photographs from 1973
“I AM NOT A CROOK” – President Richard Nixon
So in hopes to continue to learn more about photography and the art of it, I’ve decided to study.
We, at Juxt, have interviewed a lot of amazing mobile photographers and artists over the last 9 months. A lot of these folks have inspired many of us in the style that we shoot or with the subject matter we choose. I have many who inspire me. Everyone has mention of their favorite photographers. Some folks have the background from school and can pinpoint who inspires them and what they look for when they shoot and take photos. I need to study. So I started in the beginning of the summer on this search for my connection outside of any of the social networks and outside of the big websites that show great photography.
I’ve spent more time away from Instagram and the other social networks including limiting how much I post and return comments. If you’re reading this then now you know why I’ve been real bad about getting back to you. I just felt that some of the social network platforms dictate what gets on their popular page or who’s on their suggested user list. I’ve been showcasing the shots from folks who I’ve seen on IG when I do go through and highlighting them every Sunday. That has been enriching because I get to see artist work that I may or may not get to see because of the way the networks are set up.
I thought to myself, “Self – outside of these folks, where else have you reached to find some inspiration?”
Again, I needed to research.
How can I narrow down my self-imposed lessons?
The world of photography is so immense.
I decided to spend some time with photographs that I can access by way of the internet, or MOHAI, or the local libraries. I mean why not. When I was in school I remember having to ask the librarian to help me break out the micro-fiche reader to look up old articles and old photos. Why not use some of my time and learn the craft that I am so passionate about right now. Also during all my down time (of which I don’t have – thank goodness I have a mobile smart phone huh) I would hit up the major news hubs – NY Times, Seattle Times, LA Times etc to see what their photographers shoot for.
How do I narrow it down?
Well I don’t and can’t. Plain and simple. I can handle only perusing so much and the truth – I have to be in that mood to look through. I’ll bookmark and jot down names and titles of photos when I come across them. I’d write down the reason why they got me and revisit. This process is definitely on-going.
So in doing so, let me set the stage for you:
How Much Things Cost Back Then
Average Cost of new house $32,500.00
Average Income per year $12,900.00
Average Monthly Rent $175.00
Cost of a gallon of Gas 40 cents
AMC Javelin car $2,900.00
A Dozen Eggs 45 cents
Some Historical Events That Year
The first handheld cellular phone call is made by Martin Cooper in NYC,
Ferdinand Marcos declares that he is “The President for Life” in the Philippines,
Elvis Presly performs on live TV from Hawaii,
Bruce Lee dies,
Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries announce they will restrict flow of crude oil to countries supporting Israel,
Roe v Wade makes abortion a US constitutional right,
The Secretariat wins the Kentucky Derby,
US Troops are withdrawn from Vietnam and US involvement ends,
World Trade Center officially opens in NYC,
Miami Dolphins are the Superbowl Worlds Champ,
Watergate hearings begin and Nixon eventually impeached,
American Indian Movement siezes Wounded Knee in South Dakota,
The Sears Tower opens in Chicago and becomes the tallest building in the world,
The Exorcist and American Graffiti is out in theaters,
AND
1973 was the year I was born (along with Mario Lopez, Tyra Banks, and Kate Beckinsale). =)
So here are some photos that I found taken that year. I’ve found hundreds actually on the verge of finding thousands. These are the ones that I think influence my eye as well as subject matter in my work THUS far. There’s tons more I’d like to show. If I can make sure to find the photographer and give them credit, I will show them in future posts. I won’t show the photo if I don’t know who took it and can’t give credit.
I love these images because they are the ones I feel I can relate to.
What inspires you?
Interested in joining this project?
Research the year you were born. Find those images. Email me and let’s see what your born year in photography looked like and how it may have influenced you. If I get enough interest, then I’ll post up those photos with why they are those individual artists influences.
Beach Baptism, May 1973, Newport Beach, California by Steve Rice
Hari Krishna and Blind Man, NYC, NY, 1973 by Paul McDonough
Young Man and Woman Smoke Pot during an Outing, Leakey, Texas; May 1973 by Marc St. Gil
Two Ways to Wash an Elephant, Northridge, California; April 1973, by Bill Varie
A Young Black Man Showing His Muscle During A Small Community Program In Chicago On The South Side, Chicago, IL; August 1973, by John H. White
An Abandoned Car in Jamaica Bay, New York, June 1973 by Arthur Tress
At the Doorsteps of “Lets Make A Deal”, September 1973, Los Angeles, California by Marianna Diamos
Clark Avenue and Clark Avenue Bridge, July 1973, Cleveland, Ohio by Frank Kales Androwicz
Demonstration for Gay Rights, July 1973, Seattle, Washington by Robert J Miller
Man and Subway, October 1973, NYC, New York by Erik Calonius
Brothers, 1973 by Dennis Kendal Hall
GIs and Vets lead Anti-war March in the Financial District, 1973, San Francisco, California by Steve Rees
Ernie and Genevieve, 1973, Grover, Colorado by Jerry Downs
Member of the American Indian Movement (AIM) guarding Federal officers and locals, 1973, Wounded Knee, South Dakota by Frank Jurkoski
Sidewalks in the Bronx Becomes a Playground for these Youngsters, April 1973 by Dan Mccoy
Womens Alliance to Gain Equality, 1973, San Francisco, California by Cathy Cade
Water Cooling Towers of the John Amos Power Plant Loom Over a Home Located Across the Kanawha River, August 1973, West Virginia by Harry Schaefer
Rick Griffin, 1973, San Francisco, California by Art Brewer
Closed do to Gasonline Shortage, June 1973, Portland, Oregon by David Falconer
‘Lucha Libre En La Calle’: A Boyhood Love With Wrestling
From the late 1970’s through to the early 1990’s, my Uncle Paul would record wrestling onto tapes that he stored in my Auntie Joy’s walk-in closet. There were boxes and boxes of betas and VHS tapes full of wrestling videos taped from NWA (National Wrestling Alliance), WWF (World Wrestling Federation), AWA (American Wrestling Federation) and GLOW (Gorgeous Ladies of Wrestling). It was great. I swear my brother and my cousins would go to their house and never fail, sit in front of the tube watching tapes that he recorded earlier that week for hours.
My brother and I loved the Rock and Roll Express. You see we grew up in the South somewhat and so, it was great to watch a specific alliance and we were both pretty loyal to the NWA. We would always pretend we were the RnR Express and would wrestle our cousins and friends who would pretend to be the arch-nemesis team, The Midnight Express with Jim Cornette (he was the manager who always carried around a tennis racket, and it was assumed that it wasn’t a tennis racket but a crazy weapon used on unsuspecting opponents when they fell on the ground and the referee was caught not paying attention.)
I remember rooting for the Road Warriors, Animal and Hawk. A LOT! I mean shit it was the 80’s and the Cold War propaganda was in full effect. The Road Warriors would always be battling The Russian Team, Ivan and Nikita Koloff, Krusher Krushev, and some other one I don’t remember AND of course they were from the Soviet Union. The Road Warriors also feuded with the Four Horsemen. Now let me tell you, if you’re about wrestling and wanna fight about this, even though I’m a grown ass man, I will fight you. The Original Four Horsemen were the best branded group in professional televised wrestling. They had their own gang sign. They had the women. They had the belts. They had everyone trying to knock em off their blocks. They had the fans that booed them but deep down inside, actually loved their wrestling technique and style (that’s right I said it, wanna fight?) The Original Four Horsemen (and the only one that matters, what, wanna fight?) includes Ric “I’ll take you to Space Mountain…WHOOOOO” Flair, The Minnesota Wrecking Crew – Ole and Arn Anderson, and Tully Blanchard.
It was (at least I thought when I was younger), all about the South. I remember when Magnum TA fought Tully Blanchard for the Intercontinental belt…BUT in JAPAN. I was sprung. JAPAN? Really? That led me to learn about the Great Kabuki and others like The Samoan SWAT team…and one of the greatest pacific islander wrestlers EVER, Jimmy “Super Fly” Snuka. Outstanding! We are talking about wrestling is taking over the world. I was young. I didn’t know that wrestling had taken the world (pre-cable television, Vince McMahon) already. I didn’t know much about the Luchadores. I didn’t even know about the whole idea of Lucha Libre.
Fast forward to switching between “Saved by the Bell” and WWF, and BAM – Rey Mysterio Jr. “HOLY SHIT!” that guy is AWESOME! He was the novelty in mainstream wrestling. I didn’t know about the history until I was too old to care about even watching it. Lucha Libre huh?!? OK! The high-flying, acrobatic, jump way high off the top turnbuckle really made wrestling more exciting. It became, dare I say, compelling. It was now an international flavor. It had more complexities than before. Before it was blood, submission hold, chair across the forehead, blood…with the addition of other cultural and ethnic fighters…it became…more entertaining. YIKES. Again a novelty. The purpose of this post isn’t for the race relations in the world…but come on…there’s a connection (what wanna fight?)
I realized recently, how much wrestling carved out a lot of what I know today. I seriously loved the fact that I thought it was real until high school (what, wanna fight?). I believed in the camel clutch BUT not as much as the figure four. You wrestling fans know what I’m talking about. I used to force my brother to lay out so I could put the figure four leg lock on him. I used to suplex my brother the same time my boy Mark would suplex his baby brother (I love Mark but that guy liked the Ultimate Warrior way too much).
Another fast forward: I get a text from @gotgoat talking about, “We are going to take the kids to South Park.”
“WHOA! South Park? for what?” South Park is a neighborhood in Seattle, well known for its gang problem, its graffitti, its crime. Why would you want to take your kids there? (such a conditioned response from me…I actually love South Park for its cultural and ethnic diversity, aint that how it works though…cultural and ethnic diversity equals “gang problems, graffitti, crime”…anyways, wanna fight? disclaimer done, still wanna fight? let’s wrestle!)
“We’re going to take the kids to go see the Lucha Libre”
“LUCHA LIBRE!!! We’ll meet you there!!!”
So let me tell you about South Park. South Park is nestled in between West Seattle and Georgetown/Boeing Field along the Duwamish River. I know that before when I used to play a lot of Texas Hold ‘Em, the only way to get to the casino without having to take a 20 minute detour was over the South Park bridge that connected South Park to one of the main thoroughfares in Seattle’s Industrial District. South Park was well known for having really bad water and pollution problems because they had/have top soil contamination and the lack of city support to upgrade a lot of the underground water systems. Property value in South Park is SIGNIFICANLY less than any of the other neighborhoods in the city. When you mention South Park to a local, you will probably get the same response I gave @gotgoat, “Really…you’re going to South Park?” Again, it was a conditioned response for me…yeah, I’m a jerk, wanna fight?
My boy lived there in the early 90’s and he would talk about at least every other night he would hear gunshots. The day of the Lucha Libre event, I witnessed drug deals in plain sight/ daylight. Cops at a city neighborhood event? Nope. Nowhere to be seen. It was wierd. I ask my wife if she noticed and she said, “well even the cops are scared of this hood…PLUS there are luchadores here. No one’s going to mess with anyone because there’s a whole mess of luchadore’s here.” True that!
They’re like superheroes! The cops know that luchadores are like Batman and Superman to some folks.
Anyways…the event:
The beauty of this event is that it was for the positive aspects of the neighborhood. It’s a strong cultural and ethnic community. It’s long time residents who refuse to leave and actually fight to be heard to the city council. For instance in between matches, they would hold raffles and when a kid would win the raffle and they were from South Park of another adjoining neighborhood, the crowd would cheer wildly. It was great. It was a community proudful of itself and of course trying to tell the world that they love themselves and their hood.
We get there a bit early. They are still putting the ring together. I talk to one of the organizers and he tells me that at least this year, we were able to secure a real wrestling ring and that in itself is a big accomplishment. It’s first year (last year) they had to use a junior boxing ring which is too small and way too different for the luchadores to do their thing. I go around and take a few shots and notice the neighborhood and try to capture those moments even though I know I really just wanted to shoot some luchadores. Luchadores who were traveling and who were also local started to stream in. The crowd started to grow larger. Our kids and all the other kids were running around the street wearing luchador masks or painted luchador masks.
Everyone did forget about the stereotype of the neighborhood. It was like people didn’t believe that this event could happen without something going down in light of all the bad things happening around the city this year.
Needless to say, the event was a success. All I heard from folks there, “I can’t wait until next year. This is going to be one of the best festivals in the city.”
It’s true. It will be.
I’ll leave you with some more photos and hopefully for some of you in Seattle, I’ll see you next year in South Park!
PS. I love the fact that I was able to get a “press pass” to shoot with my camera phone. I hope the big camera folks shooting ringside find my shots are cool enough to hangout with them. =)
@bradpuet (Twitter, Instagram)
Seattle Pride 2012 Documented!
Well another awesome parade and festival has come and passed in 2012. This time it was Seattle’s Pride Parade. I’ve asked some contributors from the event to turn in their shots. At the end of this post I’ve included my own shots.
I must say this year it was pretty political. I’m pretty sure it’s because it is an election year and everyone is shooting for a spot or an agenda. All rightfully so at this parade. As an ally, I totally believe that “love is love” and who am I or anyone else to say different. IF two people loved each other and wanted to be together in the eyes of their/our Creator, why do we need to be in the way of that? Needless to say, I wouldn’t want anyone telling me who I want to happily marry. Noone is telling me how to love or love someone else. APPROVE R-74!*
Either way, the pride parade was real eventful. BIG THANKS to the contributing shooters to this post! Enjoy these great shots from @jasminewoo, @paulrule, @donnnic, @starrush360, and *SEATTLE, let’s give a big welcome to the town’s new citizen* @adamsvisuals!!
Happy Pride from Seattle!
@Donnnic (1-5) and @Paulrule (6) (Photos below)
Possibly the best crowd ever, and a true family event. Watched most of it on 4th and Stewart, then moved up to the Pacific Science Center. Was impressed by everyone in the parade wishing us “Happy Pride” and posing for pics during the parade. Had some friends with us that had never been before and they had a blast.
I loved the variety of groups in the parade and it was really great that the governor was able to be one of the Grand Marshall’s.
@JasmineWoo (Photos below)
Ain’t no parade like a Gay Parade to bring out the crowd. Even the rain couldn’t bring itself to come down on it… As if that could stop the 4 hours of partyin’ down 4th Ave! Rainbows for everyone! Cheers!
@adamsvisuals (Photos below)
I just moved to Seattle from a small Illinois town where I was the photo editor of the daily newspaper. My wife and I selected Seattle because of the free attitude of the city, the mild climate, and the beautiful scenery of mountains and ocean.
I started to use Instagram a lot when I started to pack up to head out to Washington State. I documented my week along 2,000 mile plus trip across the nation. Since then I’ve been kind of hooked. I’ve always carried my camera along with me, but this gets me another tool to do street photography.
Before I left my job, I was photographing assignments almost seven days a week, and going down to all self assignments has been hard, so I’ve been trying to dive head first into any events in Seattle.
I enjoyed using the iphone at the Seattle Pride, most of the time when I raised the camera to capture a real moment the person would stop and smile at me. I’m not interested in those kinds of photos. I’m able to shoot from the waist, trying to plan out the composition, timing, layers, exposure is always hard, interesting and challenging.
@starrush360 (Photos Coming Soon)
and here are my shots (below):
*The opinions expressed in this article does not represent the opinions of We Are Juxt or its contributors. Just me BP, let’s , make that clear. If you have any questions regarding my personal beliefs, please direct to me as an individual. Big thanks!
How The Center of the Universe Welcomes Summer
WHATS HAPPENIN’ YA’LL!!!!
HAPPY SUMMER everyone! Here we go, 2012’s Summer, may be the last of our lifetime if we let the Mayan Calendar and all other future-see-ers tell us…and if thats the way we go out, let’s start it out with a fun filled welcoming in of the summer solstice in Seattle’s awesome and crazy, artistic and revolutionary neighborhood called FREMONT aka The Center of The Universe.
The Fremont Solstice Parade kicks off the neighborhood’s weekend long celebration. Along with the parade, comes the fair and other festivities. THE most memorable of which (at least for me) is the parade. Let me pre-empt this with…there are going to be some long johns and pillows in this article (if you know what I’m sayin). DANG…was that warning to late? =)
I’m not going to talk too much as I’ve asked some Seattle mobile shooters to also send in some their shots and possibly write some text. Have fun viewing these shots! OH by the way, did I mention that my first time actually meeting an IGer who wasn’t someone I knew before Instagram was at this event a year ago. Mellow aka @threetree and I celebrated our bromance this year again and so, I’m sure you’ll enjoy his view of the Summer Solstice by way of the Center of the Universe!
The Words
Let Your Freak Flag Fly! – Mellow L. @threetree
High praise to the Seattle Weather Gods! Was it just me or were there more naked cyclists this year? Either that or they couldn’t resist looping and looping and looping… not that I’m complaining. I always enjoy this chance to witness the kooks and free spirits celebrating the beginning of summer in Seattle and will be right back on the sidewalk next year; rain or shine. – Jasmine W., @jasminewoo
As a long time resident of the Wallingford/Fremont area, I am a little embarrassed to admit that this year was my first visit to the Fremont Solstice Fair. I’d always heard it was a great time, filled with the celebration of life, art, and the free spirited culture of Seattle I’ve always been in love with. The Solstice Fair definitely lived up to expectations! What a blast! – Brad Hefta-Gaub, @zappoman
“Fremont has been one of my favorite Seattle neighborhoods ever since the I was a teen in the mid 80s and I would shop at at Deluxe Junk for retro clothes and get a cheap lunch of pork humbow at Yak’s Teriyaki…ah, memories! And even though today we only live a couple of miles away, it had been ages since I went to the Solstice Parade and Fremont Fair. I got out of the habit when my kids were little and then it always seemed to coincide with other family commitments. So, I was psyched that everything aligned this year and we could go…the whole family…and it was fantastic! I feel so fortunate to live in such a vibrant city where I can walk down, take in all the weird and wonderful sights, shop for handmade items, support the arts and be truly inspired by the creativity that abounds in the Center of the Universe!” – Adrien Hefta-Gaub, @ella67
I have lived in Seattle for three years now, and this was the year I finally decided to see what the /Summer Solstice/ celebration was all about. I had heard about the event but thought it was simply a few folks streaking through town in the middle of the night, Tour De France style… naked.
Yes, there were lots of bike riders sans apparel, wearing nothing but a coat of paint (think Sports Illustrated painted swimsuits, but on bodies of all shapes and sizes). Some were even bold enough to join the party completely au naturel.
Sure, some may think this event is creepy, but in this case, maybe it’s the spectators and looky-lous that are creepy. Afterall, we are the ones gawking and taking photos. Ha! But amid all the amusement and visual distractions, I found these three quiet moments to be my favorite. I also have a thing for superheroes, so these guys round out my top four shots from this event.
Fremont, you truly are bizarre. The Summer Solstice pre-show bike ride and pomp and pageantry of the parade were a visual feast of totally random weirdness… and I enjoyed it thoroughly. Does that make me creepy?
What a way to welcome Summer! — Cat R., @visualchemist
I love so much about this city and the Solstice Parade is one of my favorite events all year, I’ve been attending for along time. This year, I decided that I wanted to immerse myself in the pre-parade preparations. I love the juxtapositions, people in body paint, giant bees, Storm Troopers, butterfly wings, and magical creatures. Who says you have to be a kid to dress up and have some fun? Happy Solstice! – Ari S., @rupee_mama
The shots!
Adrien Hefta-Gaub, @ella67
Ann P, @annubells
Ari S., @rupee_mama
Brad Hefta-Gaub, @zappoman
Cat R., @visualchemist
Jasmine W., @jasminewoo
Mellow L., @threetree
…
HAVE A GREAT SUMMER everyone!
Bring Back Our Team: Seattle Supersonics
Slick Watts, Seattle Supersonics (1974-1978)
I don’t play basketball.
I don’t have the footwork or the shot to merit me to play that sport. I used to play football. I used to play a lot of volleyball also. In my senior year of high school I had a pretty lax schedule with a late arrival and early dismissal. 2nd period was advanced team sport and my fifth period, I was a TA for advanced team sports. Yea, it was really relaxed. Every sport we played during that time I played except for basketball.
I’m writing based on my memories as those are what tied me into the Sonics. Chapters of my life (as corny as it may sound) revolved around what happened with the Seahawks and the Sonics. Not so much the Mariners, but I gotta say that in 2001, Ichiro Suzuki was given some award in a magazine and it also listed the top 100 folks after him, and the group that I was a part of at that time, was like #67 or something.
I remember watching John Coker, who was the tallest guy at our high school post up and straight kill folks in the paint. I remember hi-5’ing folks next to me for every blocked shot. It was good for me to pass time watching basketball in high school and college during the football off-season. The Sonics at the time had Dale Ellis and Xavier McDaniels aka the X-Man. If I remember right, when I first moved to Washington State from the East Coast, Seattle was in the playoffs and made it to the Western Conference Finals.
Shawn Kemp (Seattle 1989-1997) and Detlef Shrempf (1993-1999)
In college, I played a lot of intramural volleyball even playing against the college team players. I was a lot shorter than them, but boy could I get them a perfect set for a crazy smash. Meanwhile Seattle traded Ellis and McDaniels for Kemp and Payton.
After college, my fraternity brothers and I organized a 3 on 3 basketball tournament in the city to raise money for a local domestic violence service provider. One of the brothers in the fraternity, had domestic violence significantly alter his life. We felt as a brotherhood that raising money for the agency that helped us help him and his family through that ordeal was the least thing we could do. That tournament has been running since 1996. I remember trying to figure out how are we going to get Payton to host one of the tournaments. I mean shit, he was such a big name that it would help to raise more money for the cause. We didn’t get Payton, but some high schooler destined for the NBA did play…some of you may know him, Jason Terry. Obviously after he signed up and played, we had to change the rules up. No team organized players can play the tournament. Terry just made fools look real dumb on the court.
I used to watch the Sonics in the Key and on TV lots. It was definitely something that was a must-do in my house. Gary Payton, Shawn Kemp, Detlef Shrempf, Nate Mcmillon, Hersey Hawkins, Sam Perkins, Steve Sheffler, Eric Snow and the rest of the 95-96 team was awesome to watch.Even though they lost to Jordan and the Bulls that year, you just knew the team was gonna make The Town proud.
AND PLUS we had The Glove and The Reign Man!!! Payton/Kemp was one of the best duos in NBA history. Damn they were dope. The duo dubbed THE SONIC BOOM.
Gary Payton aka The Glove, (Seattle 1990-2003)
The Sonics means a lot to a lot of people in Seattle. Despite the losing seasons, the breaking up of that ’96 team, Kemp leaving to the Cavs and us getting Vin Baker, Mcmillon retiring, Karl leaving and getting replaced by Westphal, Payton going to the Bucks…a whole bunch of shit happened that made the Sonics become real mediocre. But we still loved em.
Ray Allen and Rashard Lewis brought up the morale a bit by getting the city a division title in the ’04-05 season, BUT it wasn’t enough. In 2007, Seattle decided to trade Allen and brought in Kevin Durant. KD was the Rookie of the Year that year so the trade was great, but he didn’t have the supporting cast to help the team get past 20 or so wins. Terrible!
I remember talking to my brother and his homies (who were much more knowledgable about basketball than I) over a whole mess of cigarettes and drink, regarding the possible loss of the team.
“No way bro”
“AW hell nah”
“Seattle ain’t that dumb”
“Why would they do that shit, we just got Kevin fuckin’ Durant…HELLO, DURANT-ULA”
“If they do leave, it’ll be because of Starbucks”
Jason Reid, Director of Sonicsgate
Well the couple years heading into the relocation to the other city garnered a lot of local coverage. Through this coverage we could hear and see the lies right before our face from the new owners from that city. These fuckers purchased the team under GOOD FAITH, that they would not leave Seattle. I really won’t go into too much detail as I’ll leave you to watch SonicsGate: Requiem for a Team. Jason Reid and his crew has been at the forefront of bringing a team back to the city. They have been the ones to make sure that folks do not forget that not only do we not have a team, but that the team was stolen from us. I think you’ll be quite impressed and just as maddened at the whole idea of how it all went down. If you are not from Seattle, think about your hometeam or your favorite team leaving you, leaving your city, leaving your memories homeless. I mean I am buying old Sonics gear to explain to my son what the team used to be and what it means to me and our family. Yea there is a bunch of us who are salty. There are a lot of people who say get over it. What do I say to them? You’ll understand when this happens to you. When you get the rug pulled out from under you. When you have to explain to your son (or daughter), that there USED to be a team in the city, it used to be called the SUPERSONICS, then you’ll understand. Some of ya’ll say we should root for Durant now, since they are in the playoffs. Well, I read a tweet that was the dopest rebuttal to that, “If they win the championship, the first person to hold the trophy isn’t going to be Durant, it’s going to be the owner.”
What’s happening now? Well Seattle got a new dude in town who is trying to bring a team back to the city. Chris Hansen along with the Sonics Arena crew are not only trying to being professional basketball to The Town, but also professional hockey. Yesterday the Sonics Arena crew, threw a Sonics Rally, brought over 5000 fans to Seattle’s Pioneer Square Neighborhood at Occidental Park. It was so dope! Green and Gold everywhere. Music from The Presidents of the United States to local hip hop favorites the Blue Scholars. Speeches given from Gary Payton, Shawn Kemp, SLICK WATTS among other noteables.
It was a great day for Seattle. Green and Gold all over the place. People honking at people all over the city wearing Sonics gear and waving Sonics flags and banners. It felt like we were in the NBA finals this year.
It felt like GP threw Kemp 50 alley-oops. It felt like Calabro calling another excellent game.
It felt like The Town had an NBA team called the Seattle Supersonics.
For those 3-5 quick hours, Seattle felt like 1996 again.
Chris Hansen, Spearheading the return of the Sonics with a new Sonics Arena
These shots represent not only the city coming together again under the Green and Gold, but also marked the increased hope and possiblity to have another team come back to The Town. In no way does the fans of the Sonics wish to take away another city’s team or history. It is recommended to the NBA that an expansion be granted. Let’s hope they listen. What we do know, is that Chris Hansen and the crew aren’t looking to lie and cheat to get another team to the Emerald City and the Northwest. They are looking to have the team in Seattle and do exactly what Clay Matthews and that crew didn’t do – lie to a fanbase of their cowardly plans.
Bring Back Our Team.
BIG thanks to Geologic @prometheusbrown from the Blue Scholars for the All Access.
These are photos from my brother @pahliewalnuts on IG.
America’s Love Affair With Cars
“Everybody remembers their first car, family driving vacations, a sports car they fell in love with as a teenager,” says ACM CEO David Madeira. “Personal experiences with cars are at the heart of the American experience, and we’re going to showcase more than a century of automotive lifestyle and history as well as the future of transportation.”
Harold and Nancy LeMay amassed the largest privately owned collection of automobiles, motorcycles, trucks, other vehicles and related memorabilia in the world.
At its peak, the LeMay Collection numbered in excess of 3,000 vehicles and thousands of artifacts and was listed in the Guinness Book of World Records as the largest privately owned collection in the world; impressive if accomplished by King, but jaw dropping, awesome when accomplished by a local businessman from Tacoma, Washington.
LeMay – America’s Car Museum (ACM) spotlights America’s love affair with the automobile. Featuring a nine-acre campus – with a four-story museum as the centerpiece – ACM, situated atop Tacoma, Wash., 30 minutes south of Seattle and in the shadow of Mt. Rainier, will be one of the world’s largest auto museums and attractions when it opens in June 2012.
“Harold would love the design, the way it suggests a car, and most importantly, that it is designed to become a gathering place for the community. I believe this is a great vision and that we can and will get it done”.
The above text was taken from the LeMay Museum website.
So. Cars. Love em.
When I was born my pops had a Chevy Nova. In 8th grade, my pops sold that beautiful ride for $10 to my uncle. I remember telling myself, “one day you’re gonna get that ride back.” I love the Nova. Actually there are three chevy’s that I want; ’63 Nova SS, ’69 Chevelle SS, and either a ’64 or ’67 Impala SS. Is that too much to ask?
My pops would drive my brother and I in the Nova all over San Diego, CA and Charleston, SC (he was in the Navy, thus the 2 largest navy stations in the US). We didn’t have a great system, so when we got into music, we brought along our double tape deck Sanyo. It was tedious to rewind the cassette tape especially if you wanted to repeat the same song. Of course it was the MJ Thriller tape that we had and it was always about repeating tracks 1, 2, 3, 6, and 8 (Wanna Be Startin’ Somethin, Baby Be Mine, The Girl is Mine, Billie Jean, and PYT). I had the original cassette tape and then copied it over to a Memorex 90 min (That’s right…”Is it live or is it Memorex?”…ummm, its a cassette tape and I had to rewind it sometimes with a #2 pencil when my damn Sanyo would eat it up…and what was up with the pastel triangles on the clear plastic on the packs of 3 that ya’ll would sell…huh Memorex, what’s up with that!).
Cars are for all – young and old alike.
We had some great memories with my pops in that ride. One in particular was when he took us over to the Cooper River (many times), and I believe it was right by the bridge, well the older bridge, and he took us out low tide fishing and so we went out into the flats. Not with poles because I still don’t know how to use a rod and reel…but we would go out in our shorts, wade out to about chest deep, break out our net and circle a huge perimeter, then bring it in. We would have to watch out for puffer fish and other poisonous things, as well as look out for water moccasins that would cross the river BUT we would get a whole mess of flounder and trout. My cousins and uncles who came with us (back then we didn’t have to wear seatbelts so of course, the Filipinos would pack as many people into a Chevy Nova as they could) were out in a rowboat and they would get us the big fish, the Spottails. These fish were awesome and I remember how much adoration I had for them when they brought them in. It was great. A day of fishing out with my dad, uncles, and cousins (at this time my brother was still too young to come out and I was the youngest).
My pops Nova was the shit. My uncles all had Chevy’s as well and so when ever there was a family gathering we were out in the street either talking about the cars or talking about the fish we caught.
The Sonics Guy – Save Our Sonics! and enjoy the LeMay!
To this day, I wish my pops didn’t sell that Nova. Especially when we moved to Washington. We moved into a development where there were other Filipino car enthusiasts. All of their pops kept their vehicles. One uncle right across the street had an AMC Javelin. Down the street, Darvin’s dad had a Baracuda. Across Fairgrounds road, our boy Pedro…his pops had a ’71 Monte Carlo, ’68 Monte Carlo, and ’67 Corvete Stingray. YUP. All the fellas had some type of classic or muscle or both in their garage because their pops kept theirs. I on the other hand, got to look at 2, thats right COUNT it two cherry red vehiculars. The first was a 1982 Toyota Corolla hatchback. The second was a 1985 Nissan 200SX. I’ll say it again, both were cherry red. To top it off, both had black louvers. GREAT for when I started driving and I put some bass speakers in a box and traded between the two, and boy did those black louvers stay quiet. There wasn’t a rattle heard when I would play some of my bass cassette tapes from Miami. OK so I lie. The louvers were so loud that even though the bass was turned up nice and loud, you could still hear that crispy rattle. It was terrible and embarassing.
Whats the point in me telling you all this?
Well. No point really. Figure I would introduce some pictures with some life back stories. Now a days, I love to shoot cars with some of the other car enthusiasts in Seattle. Last year a few of us went to the LeMay Auction and it was Auto heaven. Fast forward to June 2, 2012 and BAM, heaven has got membership dues and my boss (wife) let me have a card. Unlimited entry into the museum equals a lot of car photos on the photo social networks that I am on.
A volunteer next to the vintage Mercedes line.
If you are on Instagram, check the hashtag #lemay_igers_seattle. Also be on the lookout for the “Autography” Show including 4 great woman photographers from Seattle and @jayzombie from the Instagram community team. It’ll be a great one as it is in conjunction with the local Greenwood Annual Car Show which is their 20th Anniversary this year.
Also, watch out, the cars are coming out, so my feed is about to get inundated by vehiculars. I’m looking for my Nova, Chevelle, and/or Impala. Please email me if you see them on the street. OOOH another shameless plug if this post got you interested, check the #whipsinthewild hashtag on IG. AND if you are on Instagram and you have taken photos of vintage, classic, and/or muscle cars tag @joanna and hashtag it #juxtcars.
With that, here are the photos and a couple stories from the Grand Opening on June 2, 2012 at the LeMay Auto Museum: America’s Car Museum.
Meet Mac
Mac is a proud of owner of this 1948 Chrysler New Yorker. It has been in his family for 40 years and is one of a few that his family has owned. As you can tell he is a PROUD owner and rightfully so. For some of the owners, I typically didn’t find them by their vehicle. Mac and his family were sitting in the ride with smiles all around. I approached him and told him how beautiful his ride was and he obliged with a great smile and a bit of history on the car. I asked him the worth of the car, and he stated, “It’s not the same as the Cadillac of this year but it’s my car, and that’s worth a lot.”
Mac is also the neighbor of a friend of ours who we didn’t know about until we were in line. It’s great to know how small the world truly is. Gita we met a few years back when her son was only 9 months and our son was yet to be born up in Orcas Island. We shared quick stories about being new parents and learned lessons thus far. It was great to see Gita and even more so, great to know that because of Mac, they are becoming automobile enthusiasts.
Meet Jim and Carol
Meet Jim and Carol and their beauty of a road machine, a 1950 Chevy Coupe. Ya’ll remember up top when I said I love Chevrolet, well I waited for about 20 minutes to let this couple and their family settle before approaching them about this vehicle and of course them. They had some great stories about the car but I’m gonna switch it up a bit and tell you more about the interaction.
Of course Jim was very receptive to taking a photo and being put on the blog but even better, when I asked him if he was the owner and if he would take a shot with his car, he said, “Of course!” then immediately called Carol over and said, “he wants to take a photo with the owners, get over here and take a photo with your car!” I absolutely love it. Carol and I talked real quick about it. This may be Jim’s hobby, but he also knows it’s his hobby because his boss agreed to let it be his hobby. Gotta love the queens of our world!
_______________________________________
Contact: [email protected] Twitter/ Instagram: @bradpuet EyeEm: bradpuet
God’s Favorite Beefcake, Folklife, and The Town on May 30, 2012
God’s Favorite Beefcake, Seattle WA
So…why this video from 2011 if I’m gonna post about Folklife 2012…well let me tell ya’ll a story and use that as my post with just images from FL2012…
2011…last year I went to the Georgetown Carnival with @boohi_bronson and @smlife and it was a great day for shooting street…I posted quite a few photos…one was of a guy who was dressed like the 60’s MIB secret agent and he was talking on his cell like he was tracking someone…another image was of a Tom Selleck type moustache guy that Boohi and I ran into at Starbucks and his ‘stache was just straight amazing…luckily I ran into him at the Carnival…and another photo was of a man with a top hat, a real interesting moustache, with a vest of golden sequins…all of these posted onto my Instagram of course, but I can’t for the life of me find the original RAW formats that I would’ve loved to post…
The Carnival like Folklife has many awesome characters…a lot of folk bands which makes for dope music…and I’m not a folk music expert or nothing but I do find the history and the music and the people to be very awesome…
Fast forward now to yesterday in Seattle…mass murder that had the shooter murder members of God’s Beefcake, including Schmootzi the Clod and Meshugunah Joe…Joe is the third guy I mentioned up above…top hat, real interesting moustache, and a vest of golden sequins…the muder took place in the Roosevelt neighborhood of Seattle at Cafe Racer, a local coffee spot that was a spot for folk music and art and was well respected for their arts involvement in the community…the shooter then took a bus to downtown and murdered an innocent woman, a mother of two, for her vehicle…and all victims were shot in the head, with one fighting for his life at Harborview now…
The shooter then ends up in West Seattle where Seattle Police finds him and he ends up taking his own life in a residential neighborhood…
Initially when I was at Folklife, I wanted to take photos of the artists and musicians of Folklife in a way that is different that what was getting posted on Instagram…the ducklipped teenagers, the Space Needle, the bursting water fountain in the middle…there were some great shots posted to the hashtag #folklife of some musicians…well I wanted to capture those moments of the artists and the musicians to show that the spirit of the festival was really true to the original founders…it’s about the culture of the northwest, the music, the art, the community…and then a shooting happened on Saturday and I was going to talk about the plague of violence that has happened around town and how the mission of Folklife got lost…since 2008, Folklife has had gun violence top the news at the festival…and i was going to talk about the fucked up things…like the boss (my wife’s nickname) and I were talking about why we had to leave Folklife by 3PM because the kids are starting to show up and that means it’s not such a family atmosphere any more and we should get going…it’s wierd that all of Seattle’s (I’m sure in a lot of the world’s metropolitan cities has this problem also) festivals are set like that…fun times until the late afternoon when it’s time to get moving because it’s about safety…well shit…I’m starting to go into commentary about guns and gun violence and I don’t wanna get into that…
So let me parlay real quick into the music…again I’m not a folk expert…but the music to me, shows a lot of soul and real life talk about being alive in this world we live…I mean all music does for the most part…but folk music really carries that old school vibe for me, with mandolins, and banjos and washtub instruments…and the carnival and circus feel to it…entertaining and yet gritty and country…I gravitated to a lot of the musicians at Folklife this year…mostly to those that had some great lyrics and emotion in performing…the ones that caught my ear, and my son’s ear…he absolutely LOVED the washtub instruments and the drummers on buckets…for the few hours my family was at Folklife it was a great feeling to remember the mission of the original founders ideas on showcasing the art and music from the Northwest…and I’m not into the stage musicians so much…but really love the buskers…the street musicians…with their music and harmonizing and gritty yeeeehah’s…lots of finger pickin, cheesy grins (Graham if you read this…this is why folks look so happy in my shots)…they just love the music, love the work that they do singin and entertaining!
Two of my favorite bands at Folklife this year was Intuitive Compass and The Bottlecap Boys.
Nora from Intuitive Compass
Summary: It’s too fucked up that in the news it’s about the violence and not about the festival any more…and it’s too bad that people aren’t willing to go and experience it because of the crowds…and more importantly the violence that occurs at a family friendly event…it’s too fucked up…
For the victims of the murders, for the victims of senseless violence, for the music lovers, for the arts lovers, for my city…this is for you…
REST IN PEACE Schmootzi the Clod, Meshugunah Joe, and the other victims from May 29, 2012.
**Disclaimers: 1. I’m not a journalist 2. I’m not a folk expert 3. I wish this world was different sometimes.**
_______________________________________________
Luke from The Bottlecap Boys
Ross from The Bottlecap Boys
Nora from Intuitive Compass
Bass Player for Intuitive Compass
Wyatt from Intuitive Compass
Bellydancer from Folklife
Captain Aaaaar, The Pirate
_______________________________________
No Ask Photography =)
Contact: [email protected] Twitter/ Instagram: @bradpuet EyeEm: bradpuet
MayDay Seattle/ Occupy 2012 : : : A Photo Story
There’s this fascination I have with protests and rallies and social change movements. In college I was honored to be a part of a few organizations that worked on identity of self and how ones role in the larger society is viewed/perceived by the mainstream culture. Fast forward to post college and I’ve been able to be a part of other organizations that was also focused on “love as revolution”, “love as self”, “love for community” as its vision and missions.
It definitely wasn’t something that was instilled too much from our parents (my brother and i). We were always told that we had a fit in society already and that we were not to rock the boat or be a part of that because the best thing we could do for our family is “make it.” BUT what my parents/family did teach us, is to be passionate and be in the moment.
My brother and I both went into social service work/ community based work for a reason. We do love the communities we live/work for. There were times in that community where we felt that it was not necessarily healthy for us to stay in it. Pushing the limits and lines of our belief systems definitely is a daunting task. Sometimes you believe in certain things, certain people and yet it feels that those things can be turned upside down and on your ass without you knowing what happened until your licking your wounds. The personal price is as hard to swallow like the holistic horrors that we fight against.
Ok, I know…I’m talking without telling you all too much. Well, let’s just say that for a time there my brother and I retracted from the community we serve because we had to re-evaluate our place in them and figure out what is a good balance, a good role for us to fight the good fight.
My fight is: how to pass it down to my son. Enough said. He will learn how to fight and how to be the person who he wants to be as a good and righteous man; free from bunk and negative ideologies, like the “isms and phobias”, free from gender stereotypes and fucked up beliefs that men are superior to women…all of it…and I’m surrounding him with the village that I know supports this change. That pass it down in their own way to him.
Well, when I go out to occupy it’s a bit self-serving. One it satisfies that part of me that used to go out and raise hell. Not back down, and rally folks behind for the cause. Now I’m an observer and an occasional activist who engages in dialogue. I’m older with a family that can’t afford any ill will or repercussions that didn’t scare me before. SECONDLY, it satisfies the “passing it down to my seed” idea. I come home and before I share with you all on the social networks, I’m editing and showing it to my son. These conversations help me know that a part of me is doing something for the movement.
So with that long ass intro…here are quite a few images for you to digest from the May Day in Seattle of 2012. It also has OCCUPY elements as it is the first International Workers Day event post-occupy wall street.
Some of the images will have captions, some will have quotes from folks after talking to them, I hope to portray the movement from the ground level, with you there with me. I am going to try not to talk too much about the negative aspects – the news and media got that covered.
well…here we go…thanks for following the coverage…if ya dig it, i’d appreciate if you would tweet, fb share, g+ it =)
____________________________________
There were a couple clowns (amogst a few other uniforms and costumes), the prep for these guys were pretty deep as they were ahead of the rally most of the day. I’ll have a few of these shots up of these dudes.
The Dialogue
Lots of times during these protests, you’ll be able to have conversations with folks about the societal woes. I see a lot of times, people just walk around them and avoid them, but there are folks who will actually take time to find out exactly why there is a protest or rally and want to understand (not necessarily agree) with what is happening.
There was a contingency called the “Unicorns” which was a queer group who truly led a lot of the rally with festive and powerful messaging.
This shot signified the joinging of the two rallies in the late afternoon; the Westlake Center group and the International Workers rally. I must say that this was a beautiful site, as it brought tears to many before the two groups converged. Throughout the day it had been the Westlake group who was handling most of the action and press coverage. The workers rally started later in the afternoon coming from Judkins Park in Seattle’s Central District. The two groups met; with about (I thought at least) 750-1000 per side. I’ve read reports that there was upwards 4500 total. I’m not good at math so I could be way off =) but when the two groups met up, it was like in a movie. The groups were seperated by about a block, both groups became quiet; after a few minutes, BOOOM. All you hear is cheering from both sides. It was surreal. It was amazing.
___________________________________
The Voices
“I am a part of this because of the issues that my community faces. Deportation plagues my community and I am here to stand up for those who are not allowed to.”
“I am here for Occupy Hip Hop. We are the 99%. My music, my culture, my people have a right to stand up and using this as a platform to get my political ideas out is one of the best ways for me to stay involved.”
“I am an artist. I am the 99%”
“I am this monster created by the evils done against the citizens of the world. I choose to fight for you and us. They will rid of me with a signature on a check. I want to have them remember that I cannot be deleted.”
“This is for my great grandmother. She deserves to know that this world is a better place than she left it. She was the 99%. I am the 99%”
____________________________________
The People, The Movement
Contact Information:
Twitter: @bradpuet
Instagram/ EyeEm: @bradpuet