field trippin'
This moment just happened
and now there's another
moment for you
to explore and discover
to build and maintain
to reflect and pursue
to inspire the others
and do what you do
to gather in bundles
and build up a tower
of moments and months
of magical hours
of time that you've spent
just feeling and seeing
and learning and living
and trying and being
Shelby and I flew into Santa Barbara just hours ahead of a torrential rainstorm that broke California's drought with a vengeance. We dined on Mexican food with Leela Cyd and her adorable and funny husband, Dave, ate gorgeous desserts from local bakeries (which Leela had photographed earlier that day), and heard stories from Leela's incredible father, photographer Richard Ross. We slept under surf boards in the Ross home, a home so perfectly comfortable, creative, and unique, I could have spent the whole weekend there (see last four pics above). But, of course, that is not what brought us to SB (though it will bring me back, wink wink Ross family).
Field Trip kicked off with an incredible talk from children's book author Dallas Clayton (parents if you don't own his book get yourselves down to your local bookstore and scoop them all up, you won't regret it!),and though I could write paragraphs about the weekend, I'll refrain from getting all gushy and just say it was beyond fun, totally inspiring, and super muddy. I met and learned from photographers I had admired for years (ahem Max Wanger,Jill Thomas, and Natalie Norton I'm talkin' to YOU) and I connected with people I had only "known" online and am now lucky enough to call real friends (too many to name but ya'll know who you are). We marched in a parade in honor of Paul Octavious's 30th birthday (if you're not following him on Instagram stop what you're doing and go follow him!). We were awarded gold medals. We laughed at people's weird-talents and cheered from the top of picnic tables during a lip-syncing contest. There were free lattes every morning and free whiskey drinks every night. And it all ended with a crazy dance party. Field Trip was truly like summer camp for photographers; super rainy, [almost] kid-free summer camp, and some of us in our exhausted states may have shed a few tears as we said goodbye that last morning (the day the sun finally came out and most of these pics were taken!).
Oh, and Smilebooth was there.
Until Field Trip '15 I'll just keep dreaming Field Trip dreams... xo, PQ
