A Few of My Friends #5

This is a post i’ve been meaning to write for quite some time, yet somehow it seemed to always slip from me. I didn’t take in effect how life moves slowly yet quickly. This doesn’t diminish how I recall this interview due to recording. I was able to sit right back in this day in the past with the same excitement in my apartment on a warm afternoon. You know you have quality friends when you can go without talking to someone and sit down and just act as if nothing has happened. Even when writing this, I called Kyle to say it’s finally coming out. We talked for 30 minutes on the phone. The funny thing about this conversation is it was far less interview and more us just talking about old memories. He hung out with me the rest of the day, and I felt like I was 16 again. This AFOMF may seem erratic, but I wouldn’t have it any other way.


This A Few of My Friends post is with my dear friend Kyle Davison.
“ Honestly, the first time we met, I thought this kid is just as nerdy and white as me, we have to be best friends”

I’ve known Kyle since we were 6 years old. Due the our neighborhood we became friends rollerblading back and forth to each others houses, and playing playstation. One time my dad took us tricker treating.
Kyle “Your dad took us and I was uhh the ghost face from scream! You were a spy kid!!”
In high school we both became very close, and did a lot of reckless teenage things. I look fondly at those times often. It’s weird when you grow up together you go through different stages trying to find your own way. Awkward doesn’t even begin to scratch the surface on how weird we were.

We got into car wrecks, pulled over countless times. I’d ride in his trunk just for fun. Theater kids know how to have a good time. Including making a zombie movie that never saw the light of day.

I got a camera for my 17th birthday. Our plan was to make a movie over spring break. It was filled with more fake blood and crude humor than a Tarantino flick. For kids that didn’t have a clue how things work, we had so much determination.


Theater in high school really helped shape who we all became to be. I’d like to think because of the experiences we all gained an insight in how to treat other people. Kyle is planning on becoming a english/drama teacher because of those friendships we found in school.
“We were all able to release our own weirdness he said. With our senior year we tried to include everyone , in doing so, hopefully everyone felt included in welcomed.

(While technically wrong, this was probably my favorite picture from the series, I’m learning to let go,  It’s not about perfection but, the memories. I’ve seen plenty of old pictures way out of focus more than this one)


Kyle will always be a friend that I can call up out of the blue, and get a laugh and a beer with. He is one of the kindest people you will ever meet.

 

A Year in Review

To start off with an update, The “A Few of My Friends Photo Series” will continue starting eventually with one I’ve been meaning to post for a few months. Procrastination is a stiff drink I can’t turn down sometimes. At least today I haven’t succumbed to it by much.  I thought I’d do a bit of reflecting with photos from my final class project for basic photography. These images wouldn’t have been possible at all without the amazing help from all! I am pleased with how it turned out and can’t wait to see how much I will have improved this time next year.

I based this series off of a song that I’ve really been into the past few weeks by Cursive  called “After the Movies”

The opening guitar riff of the song really got stuck in my head in the best way.

FInal Project (2017)

This past year has been filled with so many different character defining moments for me. I am extremely grateful to be fortunate to have the friends and family I do.  Surrounded furthermore by my ability to dream like my very existence is centered on doing so. This blog is a huge step in the right direction to achieving what I crave more than anything which is simply to create.

As cliché as it has become for anyone with a camera, song, screenplay, ect to utter the words, “I wish to tell stories. ” that’s what I intend to do. This year has been gratifying with many projects I’ve had to do for my college education or friends or family By forcing my hand to create. I am improving on all forms. Although I am not the keenest writer at least I am trying. I have made it a point to bring one camera with me anywhere because I don’t want to miss a second of life. Thank you everyone for the continued reading of my progress as a person.

October = Love? A Few of My Friends #4

Over the month of October I have been on a crusade of sorts. I have been to a wedding every Saturday for the past three weeks.

I’ve seen three loving couples share their love for another with friends and family.
Two of the weddings, I had the honor of being in them. It has been a miraculous month to say the least.
I’ve caught myself reflecting on my life and the things that are important to me. I have found that friends and family are truly reinvigorating. I am reminded that no matter what stresses in life the people I surround myself with can truly help shape the best person I want to be.
Stress is inevitable, it’s how you choose to deal with it that really matters. Love is the most important thing. The gift of love and laughter is contagious.

Enough of my gushy thoughts, This week I’ll be showing another wonderful thing . I was asked to  take engagement photos for my friends Ty and Nikki. Here is  that experience we shared.

The couple met in early high school while Nikki was dating a mutual friend.

When remembering the incident Nikki said “ I remember thinking ohh, redheads can be cute!”

They ended up having a class together. The two quickly became good friends. I remember before they started dating, Ty telling me about  a day he had dedicated  to his best friend Nikki.
“When did you feel your friendships start growing into more?
NIKKI: “It was a lot of denial when I first felt feelings for Ty I wasn’t available emotionally to have those feelings. The other guy ended up breaking up with me, and I was like ok well it’s never going to happen because Ty’s not the kind of guy who dates a friends ex. I just kind of buried my feelings for a very long time.”
When did you start to feel for Nikki?
TY: “I don’t think that there was ever this solid “ ohh you know what…” There was always this eternal fight I guess.”

The couple stayed connected after high school. Doing things like getting coffee, birthdays, and holidays. They were still very much in a period of the emotional growth, maturing together. Eventually they confessed there feelings for each other and started a chapter learning together.

Nikki said “I think Ty has made me a little more responsible.” Ty is notoriously known for being late to things and I’m the opposite I’m always early so we balance each other out as now being fashionably late.”

Ty said “I see both of us as a tree and a vine, we can grow together and we make each other happy and support one another and love each other that’s all that matters.”

If you’ve had the chance to hangout with these two, you get a sense of balance, trust ,and pure love. I have watched them grow together over the last few years and they seem to fit together in a way written for the silver screen.

I am very happy to have these people in my life! I’m also very excited to see where they will go, hand in hand.