I first became familiar with Christopher’s work through his girlfriend’s blog, and I’m hooked! I love the candidness of his photos and how they serve as a visual diary of his life.
Lives in:London.
Shoots with:Over the years I have used a few different camera’s. I use a Canon SLR for most of my photographs, however I love shooting in 35mm more recently. I also have some vintage cameras that are over 30 years old. My secret weapon is disposable cameras.
Favorite Subject: My girlfriend. She is also a great photographer, so when we go away or spend the weekend together, we like to take photos. It’s great to be able to look back at experiences you shared together and have some cool snaps.
Inspired by: My father used to be a semi-professional photographer in the 70’s, and he has taught me much of what I know. I would say he has been a big influence. Aside from that, I am easily inspired by the blogs I revisit, as well as my friends and family.
I love to hear the meaning and stories behind the little things people keep at their desks. Everyone’s desk space here is so unique and full of tiny, fascinating details. Here’s a look at the Free People office coordinator’s desk top!
1. The headphones were actually a Christmas present from my father last year. They help when I’m looking for new store music!
2. This little giraffe statue was given to me by our creative director. She’s having a baby (!) and gave away little things after she baby-proofed her home.
3. This is a photo of my friend/coworker. His last day is on Friday (he’s going to grad school) so I snagged it off his desk so I can still see him every day.
4. It’s a pin that says, “Happiness is a warm puppy”. I bought it from a thrift store, it makes me smile :)
5. A photo of my little kitten, Walker <3
6. A piece of my mom’s artwork that she did in college. Unfortunately, artistic ability is not hereditary.
7. A Swedish wooden horse my grandparents brought back from their visit to Sweden.
8. As the office coordinator, people often come to me asking for candles when they have office parties, so I keep them at my desk.
9. I get migraines all the time! My mom sent me this holistic Migraine Tonic recently- hopefully it works! (fingers crossed)
10. Worry doll- I think this came off of a cupcake from an old office party. They remind me of my childhood.
11. Photo of Audrey Hepburn- She’s one of 11 women I have hanging above my desk as my eyebrow inspiration #dontjudgeme
12 . One of our first round discs for a store mix cd
13. This finger puppet needed a home, so I adopted it.
What if there was a magical spider that weaved its webs into intricately beautiful creations resembling lace doilies and delicate crochet… transforming abandoned or un-remarkable places into a beautiful work of art…and instead of being repulsed or scared, people would stop to admire its work…
That magical spider may not exist, but these amazing installations by Poland street artist NeSpoon do… so beautiful.
“The bridge will only take you halfway there, to those mysterious lands you long to see. Through gypsy camps and swirling Arab fair, and moonlit woods where unicorns run free. So come and walk awhile with me and share the twisting trails and wondrous worlds I’ve known. But this bridge will only take you halfway there. The last few steps you have to take alone.”
Sometimes I love going through our Free People stores’ Facebook pages. I like to see what they’re posting about in different parts of the country, and I always find so much inspiration! Here are some of the photos they’ve posted that caught my eye…
Our creative director just sent me this beautiful story and video… read on, and watch the video below!
“This is a couple I spent some time with in my youth. Their son, Fabby was like my little brother for awhile. Beatrix was the 1st beautiful eccentric I had ever met. She taught me about surrealism and holistic medicine and that it was okay to adore clothes. I remember when I first saw her at the Foxfeild horse races she pulled up in this very old silver Rolls Royce and when she got out of the car I was dumbfounded by her elaborate way of dressing. I love it that she is showing up on blogs now!”
Lives in: I was born in Slovakia, but moved to Vancouver, Canada when I was 12. About 3 years ago I moved back to Europe, spending two years living in the countryside of Spain, and I’m currently living in London, UK! I love it here, as there is so much culture, and inspiration everywhere!
Shoots with: For digital I use a Pentax K200D, although I dream and am currently saving for a Canon 5D Mark II! I also sometime shoot film, and for that I use a hand me down Cosina CT7. My good friend also just gave me an old Polaroid, and I’m excited to start exploring with it!
Favorite Subject: I really love shooting women! I love the whole 60s, 70s, sunshine,flowing hair, lens flare, freedom vibe, and I think women just tend to lend themselves to that really well! But really I love shooting youth and people in general, boys as well as girls. (My boyfriend has been very patient modeling for me when I want to try out new techniques and ideas!) Fashion shoots inspire me, because there are so many different directions that you can take with a shoot, sometimes inspired by a single dress or shoe. I find the whole creative concept exciting and beautiful.
Inspired by: I draw inspiration from everywhere, from walking around, to music and books,vintage photos, movies, magazines even dreams. I suppose the concepts of nature and youth, of life and freedom and all that it intertwines, really moves and inspires me. Magazines like Dazed & Confused, Love, AnOther Magazine, Flaunt, Interview and many many others constantly provide bursts of happiness and creation! I also love how the internet has managed to connect us all, and I am a regular reader of many great and inspiring blogs. Some of my favorite photographers are Ryan McGinley, Paolo Roversi, Camilla Akrans, and Guy Aroch, which is why it’s so amazing that he just shot the campaign for Free People!
Random Fact: I’ve worked all sorts of jobs to pay rent and afford travel, including being a snowboard instructor as well as a flight attendant!
Also, I usually shoot during the days, but I love post processing my photos at night; it’s the time that I find most inspiring. I love the quiet, the darkness, a glass of red wine, all making way for concentration and evocative thinking. My parents still tell me to this day (I’m 26) that I need to “turn my schedule around” to prepare me for a “real job”.
See more of Lucy’s amazing work here, and also check out her awesome blog!
This week’s featured blogger is our good friend Natalie of the blog Natalie Off Duty! Here’s one of her favorite looks for fall (featuring our polka dot boho top!) and what she’s most excited about this season.
What trend are you most excited about for Fall?
For Fall, I am sooo excited to get back into layering, especially with knits. I love something chunky on top with something a little more fitted at the bottom. Playing around with proportions is great for fall weather. Right now, I love mixing something very classic with something totally unexpected and fun. I look forward to everything from printed blouses to shearling coats!
Favorite designers right now?
My favorite designers right now are Chloe, Stella McCartney, Rebecca Minkoff, Alexander Wang, and Isabel Marant.
Your must have Free People item for Fall?
The Genteel V-Neck Sweater. It’s super classic and looks great with just about everything. It also looks like something I could just cuddle in!
What is your favorite Fall activity?
I LOVE playing in ball pits or riding my bike through the parks!
Rachi Farrow is a Vermont-based artist whose work is currently on display at the Christine Price Gallery Fine Arts center in Vermont – here is her story!
I make ART with STUFF instead of throwing stuff away. It’s how I recycle. At first I gathered flotsam and jetsam from roadsides, beaches, dumpsters, trash cans, etc. I see something I can use, I take it to my studio.
10 years ago I was in Guatemala working in a make-shift studio and scrounging around for materials to use. I discovered a room in the factory full of leftover yarns and woven scraps. The mother-load!
The XXXL project began once I was back home in Vermont. I asked my welder (he’s also my husband) to make a stick figure armature from scrap steel. I wanted to make a doll.
My sister Carol was talking with a friend who asked her what kind of art I was making. Carol described what I was using to make art…Her friend works at Free People…and the rest is history. I am currently working on doll #7, which is the 4th XXXLer made from Free People’s fabulous-fantastic-funderful damages & samples.
Today’s Snapshot is of a pair of photographers who wrote in their first email to me, “we are two young photographers, who live far from each other. Though we live on different sides of America, we manage to collaborate and make art together. Distance doesn’t affect our art or relationship; we’re still a dynamic duo.”
Photography by Sofia:
Photography by Luke:
Collaborative Work:
Lives in:
Sofia – I live in the suburbs of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
Luke – I call Texas home. But I travel a lot and gather so much inspiration along the way. I’m prone to adventure while on the road! In fact, I may run into Sofia in Paris this spring.
Shoots With:
Sofia – I shoot with my Nikon D90 (digital), my Nikon D90 (film) and a Polaroid camera.
Luke – For digital, a Canon 5D Mark II and for film, a Polaroid 600 SE (although I’m about to start experimenting with medium format!). Sofia and I swap cameras a lot. We may shoot a few videos with her camera but take photos with mine. It all depends on our mood.
Favorite Subject:
Sofia – My favorite subject would have to be people; models and friends help me get my story across. I love to create elaborate, conceptual ideas that tell stories, and provoke people’s imagination. People show such strong emotion, and I find it important and compelling to capture that in the photos. I also love to photograph Luke. We always end up with these personal memories and photo collections of our youth.
Luke – Sofia, of course! We know each other so well that expressing each other through photographs is almost like taking self-portraits. We’re very much a single photographer. But I’m looking forward to exploring photojournalism. I’m fascinated by people who live in rural areas and plan to make some trips out to the country to photograph such distinct characters. There’s so much complexity to play with.
Inspired by:
Sofia- Inspiration comes from just about anything, I could see something silver and it sparks an idea for a shoot. Example: using an oversized spoon and fork for a shoot. Music is also something that has an influence. I listen to music and the songs takes me many places, creating visions in my mind. Fashion, magazines and travel also help me with ideas but sometimes, I can’t even begin to explain where ideas come from, they just appear out of thin air.
Luke – Youth, maps, Canyons and deserts in the Southwest, hibernation, Alzheimer’s, clocks, shoes across telephone lines, shadows of passing airplanes/clouds. Then again, people fascinate me. Just people. In addition to photographing, I write fiction and verse. Both involve crafting characters without losing the complexity of an actual three-dimensional person. Every person is its own story with dozens of other stories attached like branches. I want to explore these branches, snatch each leaf. Similarly, I want to express this in my photos. An artist is one who can express complexity in a single piece of work.
Random Fact
Sofia- I will be traveling to Paris in June. I am so excited to shoot and live there for 3 weeks!
Luke – This summer, I visited a witch doctor in Africa (called a “sangoma” by natives). It was in the back of his yard in a township near Durban. Although it was the afternoon, time seemed warped inside his healing hut. The only light was from candles. All the different bottles of potions glowed green, purple, orange. When he explained his healing methods, he kept looking down at his hands in his lap, sometimes moving a finger over the wrinkles on his palm. I left Africa with these beautiful images of the potions and his beaded headdress and his wrinkled hands.
