Friday, July 26, 2013

Street Smart

Let me tell you something about my friend Camille. We first met at an anime convention, back when I'd still actually attend such conventions (the reason for my absence was mostly because of school) and my convention blog was still alive. She cosplayed Luffy from One Piece and while I'm not a fan of One Piece, I liked how she looked anyway and photographed her. After that she found my Tumblr(s) and a pseudo-online romance spouted from there.

The next time we met was at another convention. By then we knew a bit about each other (though not by much really) and she even handed me a small drawing (which I think I have now misplaced... sob) which made me really happy because I have always loved her art style. She also gave me some Lip Smackers lol. I still remember which flavor I kept.

Since then we had always wanted to have a shoot together, but it never happened because of schedules and availability, location-wise. I mean it's already strict enough to shoot at casual locations here, add to the fact that Camille comes in and out of the area because of school. And it wasn't even just for a shoot; for some reason our plans to simply hang out always fell through.

Then one day, with Camille in town, we saw each other at random, completely unplanned and all. I was ecstatic because we finally got to at least hang out, even if it wasn't for long. I mean, before this accidental meeting, we had only met face to face for a total of two times, and both were at conventions so it's not like we could completely bask in each other's company.

A week following that pleasant surprise, we talked a lot more. She gave me these two Korean songs that were up my alley because of my current music tastes ("I don't know why but I'm so into hiphop THUG STUFF THUG THUG WHAT IS HAPPENING") and they were her tastes too so that's cool. And I'm the type of person who doesn't expand their music collection unless a recommendation comes up, which is why I had never given K-pop a chance (save for a select few) despite having always seen it from afar. (I was always more into the Japanese really.)

So you may know Camille as The Girl That (Unknowingly) Got Me Into K-Pop. Since then we've been talking much, much more and have inevitably grown exponentially closer. (So close that I have even shared some of my insecurities with her- insecurities that not even some of my closest friends know, only because they're the kind of issues that can only be understood when in the same situation. I'm only glad Camille's in the same boat as I am because we can cry our feels together.)

Three years down the road of that fateful cosplay and convention, and here we are. I've ~*~graduated~*~, Camille's off to ~*~university~*~, I'm a K-pop fangirl now (though still very selective with my choices), we choke each other with our feels.

Oh, and we managed to get a shoot in before she leaves for school again.







The theme we took was something that pretty much brought us together, which was the thug life. We didn't choose it, because it chose us. That's the way we thugs roll. We're fly. We got swag. Don't hate us 'cause you ain't us. Yo.

HAHAHAHA I'M JOKING but yeah, the idea was going along with a more street vibe. We both like street style, and street art, and just the culture in general, so why not take that into our first ever shoot together? Well, that, and because we really wanted to shoot in a parking lot. Actually, this shoot came to be because this was shot during Camille's last weekend before leaving for school, and she was going to be in the area for stuff so I was like LEZDODEEZ since it was near my place and it was going to be in the morning which was perf because said area is notorious for not allowing any ~*~shoots~*~. Unless you're me and pull a guerilla often.

This was the first shoot I've done since thesis, and my last thesis shoot was early in January! That's half a year of a gap, so I hope I wasn't too rusty. The unofficial hiatus just happened because I wrapped up with school then did some traveling after graduation, which was always a luxury to me that was unattainable until recently.

TL;DR: I MET THIS CHICK AT A CON THREE YEARS AGO, SHE GOT ME INTO K-POP, WE HAD A SHOOT TOGETHER, HASHTAGTHUGLIFE

I'll blog about the outtakes and other in-betweens in a separate post, because as much as I like some of the other photos, they simply took a turn for the hipster when we reached patches of grass and they hardly fit with the theme. I wanted to kick myself.

I hope you like the photos! Thanks so much Camille for being such a sport and have a safe trip back okay? UNNIE LOVES YOU!!!

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