The New Totem Pole | Northwest Arkansas Photography

Over the past few months, we've had the privilege of working with illustrator Chrystal Seawood on a new art project she's been dreaming up. Chrystal is a super talented local artist with a passion for creating art that generates social commentary. Chrystal's new project titled "The New Totem Pole" addresses unconscious hierarchies in today's society. Through this project, Chrystal wants to bring to light a conversation concerning the stereotypes and social classes we unconsciously lump people into. She believes that this process creates a "totem pole" effect where certain people are perceived higher than others. Chrystal envisions a new "Totem Pole", where everyone stands side by side, eliminating the effect of a vertical hierarchy and promoting equality among everyone. It is our belief that photography is most inspiring when it points us to the realities of life and challenges us to be better, more loving people in the process. Here's a few of the portraits we created for Chrystal. Enjoy & Happy Friday.

Mumford & Sons | Guthrie Oklahoma

If you've ever read the bio page on our website, you'll know that I'm a huge Mumford & Sons fan. So it was a real treat this past weekend to travel to Guthrie Oklahoma for their Gentlemen of the Road Stopover. The Gentlemen of the Road Stopover is a huge 2 day festival with lots of great music, food and festivities. The idea behind these festivals is to setup in a small, mostly unheard of town, enjoy music from a wide variety of bands and to embrace the local culture. Of course the townspeople get into it as well (most of them, anyway). Despite the intense Oklahoma heat, our time in Guthrie was super fun. Some of my favorite bands were Bears Den, Alabama Shakes and of course, Mumford & Sons who ended the event on Saturday night. Here's a few images from our weekend away. Enjoy.

People of the Flea Market | Vol. 1

Typically when I visit a flea market or an antique shop, I’m looking for one thing…old cameras. But recently, I noticed that there were lots of interesting “people” in flea markets. Most of them of course, are not real…unless you count the lady or gentleman running the establishment. But, scattered about the intricate layouts of shelves and booths, you can find very interesting characters indeed. Some of them are downright creepy. Some are sad. And some leave themselves open for interpretation. Here’s a few interesting faces I found recently. All photos shot with an iPhone. Enjoy.

iPhone, Special FeatureNovo StudioSeptember 5, 2013Novo Studio

Europe Pt. 2 // Paris, France

They call Paris the "City of Light". Some people call it "The City of Love". But I would simply call it "The City of Awesome". We had the same game plan in Paris as we did in London....a "no agenda", whatever we felt like doing vacation. We didn't go to the Lourve. We saw it on a subway map though....and on postcards. We went to the Eiffel Tower three times, once to just see it, once to eat a picnic lunch in front of it and, once at night to see it light up. (magical) The Paris Metro was easy enough to navigate and according to the subway map, there was very little of the city we didn't visit.

Having been to Paris before but without a decent camera, I was excited to return with one...and also, with my wife who had never even been across the ocean. Paris was very much as I remembered it and yet, it still took my breath away. The architecture is ancient and stunning. The atmosphere (for the most part) is laid back much less hurried than what I'm used to. And in spite of what I’ve always heard about the French, they are friendly, if not chatty and down-to-earth. We spent our time walking the streets, studying the terrain and soaking up the culture. We ate at cafes or bought bread and cheese from a nearby market. And of course, we made images with our cameras. Here’s a few of my favorites.

Have a great weekend everyone.

A Day 2 Play, Special FeatureNovo StudioAugust 23, 2013Novo Studio, Paris, France, Eiffel Tower, Arc de Triumph