Femme Petal
Savannah Spirit is all about flower power—and I don’t mean the hippy kind. This series of images proves that flowers can be provocative, complex, and, dare I say, sexy.
This series, as well as more of Savannah’s flower photos, are available for purchase here.
Snap is a free monthly digtial publication from Hipstmatic on the iPad. Snap showcases the driving forces behind global creative culture, and explores provocative new ways to interpret the beauty around us.
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I’ll never forget my first time getting inked. I was terrified—of the pain, the permanence, the potential regrets. I was a total basket case, sitting in the shop and dreading the inevitable machine buzz. I kept asking myself: why do I want to do this, again?
Several years and several tattoos later, I can’t help but laugh. That near-paralyzing fear gave way to immense pride; my tattoos are now an intrinsic part of my identity, and I love expressing myself in such a unique and personal way. Despite their incredible publicness, tattoos feel deeply intimate—it really is like wearing your heart on your sleeve.
It’s partly because of that intimacy that tattoo artists must find the balance between creator and translator. After all, they are dealing with identities—their clients’, yes, but also their own. The tattoo artists at San Francisco’s Seventh Son, known for their strong and unique artistic voices, have perfected this balance: they’re not only creating masterful works for their clients, they’re also shaping the city’s creative identity.
San Francisco, which saw Ed Hardy and other pioneering artists rise to fame, has a unique role in tattooing’s rich history. Erik Rieth and Luke Stewart, co-founders of Seventh Son Tattoo, have helped bring about the next chapter in its tattoo culture; they’re melding new and old, drawing on those time-honored influences while moving the conversation forward. We sat down with the pair to talk about that process—their collaboration, inspiration, and thoughts about carrying the torch.
Post No Thrills [Snap Highlight]
Street art is one of my favorite reminders that beauty can be anywhere. These guerrilla pieces add soul to a concrete jungle, life to an otherwise sterile spot; they turn an environment into a canvas. If there’s anything that solidifies Make Beautiful for me, it’s this wonderfully organic art form: a symbol of empowerment, creativity, resistance, and enduring strength.
The photos of street art in these pages have been submitted by people all over the world. These photographers are also making beautiful—they’re both contributing and documenting positivity and passion.
Snap is a free monthly digtial publication from Hipstmatic on the iPad. Snap showcases the driving forces behind global creative culture, and explores provocative new ways to interpret the beauty around us.
Download Snap Mag
San Francisco’s Travis Jensen has some advice for how to develop your own street photography moxie:
Try not to get caught up on perfection. I spent years obsessing over it, lining things up just so and making sure everything was tack sharp. If the frame’s a little crooked or your subject is a little out of focus, so be it. The images Hipstamatic produces are far from perfect and can be very unpredictable, and that why I love the app. It helps you let loose—and that’s where true style comes from, in my opinion. Embrace Wabi-Sabi.
Being sneaky leads to trouble. I’ve seen this backfire on people many times. I’m usually very open when shooting on the street. Sometimes I ask before taking a shot, and other times I shoot first and ask later. Trust your instincts.
Get close, be bold. In the immortal words of Robert Capa: “If it’s not good enough, you’re not close enough…” (Though I don’t think one can compare street photography to snapping photos while dodging shell fire on the beaches of Normandy.)
Try shooting solo or in small groups. Too many people can taint the photo well, meaning people will go out of their way to avoid the circus. I find I get my best images when lurkin’ solo or with one or two other people at most.
The key to good photography is light. Light is everything—study it. If I see something interesting and the light isn’t right, I usually just walk right past it. I’ve seen pictures of garbage cans look like majestic shrines under the right light.
Don’t be afraid to approach someone. People usually ask me how I go about doing this: I simply walk up to an individual or a group of individuals I find interesting, introduce myself, tell them that I am a photographer and would love to take their picture. I’d say eight or nine out of every ten folks I ask say yes. Street photography is the perfect cure shyness.
Study the work of other photographers. Maybe take a little something from everyone’s work you admire and apply it to your own. That’s what I do, and I find that over time this practice leads to you finding your own style. I like being able to look at a photograph and know who shot it without seeing a byline. Some of my favorite photographers include: Jerry Berndt, Diane Arbus, Gary Winogrand, Andres Kertesz, Fred Lyon, Boogie, and Brad Evans.
Fresh off his work with Brad Evans on the #iSnapSF Field Journal, Travis is preparing to launch his next series, “A New York Minute: 96 Hours On the Streets of the Big Apple.” The series of 26 Hipstamatic images (all John S. and BlacKeys SuperGrain) will be featured at a pop-up restaurant in San Francisco. Check out Travis’s website for more info!
We stopped by the Creators Project this past weekend in San Francisco and saw great art, music, and technology. Performances by the Antlers, Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Zola Jesus, and more happened alongside innovative installations and beautiful SF scenery. Welcome to the Bay, CP! You’re right at home.
Snap is a free monthly digtial publication from Hipstmatic on the iPad. Snap showcases the driving forces behind global creative culture, and explores provocative new ways to interpret the beauty around us.
Download Snap Mag
The Creators Project featured this Hipstamatic stop-motion video a few weeks ago. We always knew they had great taste.
Cult of Mac sat down with Travis Jensen, one of the featured photographers at tonight’s #iSnapSF Street Photography Exhibition here at the Haus of Hipstamatic. Travis shared some of his tips and tricks for achieving such excellent, spontaneous photographs….including such pithy advice as “line that sh*t up!” Too true, Travis.
Snap is a free monthly digital publication from Hipstamatic on the iPad. Snap showcases the driving forces behind global creative culture, and explores provocative new ways to interpret the beauty around us.
Download Snap Mag
