Road to Marfa
I wrote about my trip to Marfa with Katherine Squier last year - gosh, almost exactly a year ago...time, I command you to stand still! (Time does not obey.) I was so inspired by our road trip, Katherine's unmistakable elegance and a quaint, little town I had never been to before. I wrote about how places are just like people, there are so many of them yet we meet so few. And even fewer will touch us in a way that makes us pause with admiration. As I reflect now I think of how lucky was I to be dually struck with awe.
We were supposed to arrive in Marfa in 6 hours and 19 minutes but we're both photographers so...naturally, it took us 8. The aesthetic of the desert gripped us like little kids watching an ice cream truck pass them by.
Photographing Katherine was just easy. That sounds so trite but really, there's no better way to say it. Katherine's essence comes through on camera, in a really authentic way. Which is crazy because, I mean, having a large device stare you down isn't very natural. I've decided its her sweetness, humility and overall generosity that makes her so approachable. I think this directly correlates to her love for dogs and dogs' love for her. I swear I'm not getting off topic. Between almost every picture I took of Katherine, there was a moment (or 2 or 3 or 4 or 50) of her with a dog.
She would say, "Ohhhh myyyyy goodnesssss look at that one. Look at his eyes, they're so blue and red. Wow. And his tail and those markings ohhhh I just have to meet him. I have to." I heard exclamations such as this countless times. It was awkward and precious and revealing. And let's be real, any girl who loves on dogs like that has a flawless soul.
I've had a really hard time getting away from these images. You're probably thinking what does that mean. I know, right. Well, I just keep sharing them and using them. I think that's why they are my very first blog post on this platform (I sound so formal). They speak to me and they accurately portray our trip, how it felt, what we did.
Katherine and I had met once before. Once. On Instagram! In my defense, Instagram has been an incredible way to make friends. Once I get past all of the superficiality (which, I might add, exists everywhere), I come across these people (or they come across me - both very exciting) and we connect. Maybe it's mutual viewpoints, a love of similar things, or wow, you seem amazing, let's be friends. In our case, it was immediate friendship. 12 hours in a car? So what! Leaky tent? An adventure!
This is what I love about photography: people. It's always been people. I'm just not that shy, cool (ok, well admittedly, sometimes I'm cool), quiet art kid. I always envied those people, they just seem so suave. I know you know what I mean! But no, I'm talkative, outgoing, excitable, outwardly passionate. Because people are incredible. Women are incredible. They possess so much complexity, fortitude, kindness and beauty. They are magic. And photography allows me to study that magic, hold onto it just a bit longer.
Katherine is the perfect example of what I'm trying to say. So if you don't get it, just look at these images. They say everything.
