Insight with Course: Street & Urban Photography

This first shot I took downtown in the city I’m currently living at.  Since I normally travel throughout the United States, I like taking photos in really big cities.  Population 500,000 or more.  They have tons of lights, streets, there’s always somewhere that has that worn out feel along with all the various tones that come with so many people.  Well, the town I’m in is tiny.  Zero sky scrapers.  The streets seem to always be cleaned the second I decide to go out for a shoot.  Even the trashcan bins have a brand new bag.  So, getting that neon look with tons of lights around sunset or a nighttime shot with streaking car lights was not going to happen.

Instead, I chose to focus on incorporating a road, angles, one of the tallest buildings in town (3 stories), and sitting on the floor.  Although most people don’t do that for various reasons, I wanted to capture an intimate photo of my lyric creation process.  The journal in my hand- I have 5 of those.  Each journal is for different use; fitness, furniture projects, plans, recipes, and financial chess.  I’ve shown a few people these journals and they always get a kick when they see the size it is in comparison to the results, actions, or oversized furniture pieces that come out of such a small piece of paper with some ink.

Sitting or laying on the floor is something I started doing more often when traveling across countries.  A few minutes at least, and at most maybe over an hour.  At the time, around 2011-2012, I didn’t know what I was doing.  All I knew was anytime I had traveled beyond my homebase by at least 1,000 miles in any direction, I would sit or lay down somewhere that I felt I should have.  Sometimes there was people walking, sometimes it was totally empty.  I never really thought of it because I could feel some sort of shift taking place.  A few minutes in, I felt submersed in the realization that, although not highly probable, I didn’t need to ever go back to wherever I was.  I also could be a brand new person that I’ve never been.  Maybe something could happen and I can’t return.  Most people have this invisible chain to go back to their comfort or home when they start to feel too much of a new thing.  One or two weeks in another country, some people start crying and begging to go back to what they are used to (for some people, its simply leaving their front yard).  I never felt that.  I felt more of a peace, knowing that if something happened to me, or I simply chose, to never go back according to schedule, I’d be fine and didn’t really care.  I would assimilate with the new location, work, and maybe visit what was in the past eventually.  I could breathe easier knowing this.  To simply give up and be completely new in the environment I was now in.  I could also interact with people more as a neighbor versus a tourist.  As a tourist, you come from somewhere.  As a neighbor, you integrate.  Around 2018, I did a rigorous 3 month yoga class, where I found out that what I was doing is called “grounding”.  Who knew?

The other times I have grounded is with people that are close to me (very few).  There is a limited number of times I’ve done it with others if it’s not for a workout or yoga class.  I’ve done this with other people who like to create something artistic, or maybe after hanging out all night in a big city like Las Vegas and we’ve walked well over 15 miles in the past 24 hours.  Or you are special to Jade and I.  You can’t really force grounding.  Not for me, at least.  There’s always some sort of giving up, or leaving the past behind, inviting the present or future to drown us, or being able to breath and enjoy the air, sun, moonlight, sound of nature, or random sounds.  You have to be present.  You need to let go of all that isn’t there with you and understand at this moment there is only the now.  It’s a wonderful way to clear the slate, and let your inhibitions come out of hiding as well as open the gate for creativity, honor, intimacy, open all the channels within ourselves, and drop the weight of what isn’t necessary.

Mix it all together: the urban city theme, grounding involved, adding in the creative process of making lyrics, as well as the intimacy of my relationship, I wanted an angle that only someone special could have.  We would have to physically be sitting across from each other, maybe a foot or two between.  If we wanted, an arm’s reach and we would physically interact.  The angle needed to do this.  I didn’t want to look down on anyone, or look up.  I personally don’t like photos that are too focused on giving attention to ONLY the camera so looking dead at the camera is also not an option.  When I write lyrics, if I’m not writing, I’m looking around or have my eyes closed.  I don’t take photography or videos for a camera, I do it on a project to project basis, most of the time to let people know what it’s like to be in front of me in a natural state.  You might be thinking, “There’s no way this global business dude sits on the dirty ass floor with his partner and works on ideas.  That’s not what people do normally anyway!”.  Well, it is what I do.  I do it very often.  And if you’d like to experience it for the first time in your life to let go of normality and the stereotype to any floor other than your homes to be filthy af, let’s hangout and sit somewhere.  It doesn’t need to be a city sidewalk (some are dirty to the extent that I wouldn’t sit because it smells like piss).

But remember, I won’t simply “just do it”.  I vet people I do this with because I’m not just sitting or laying down.  If we have done this with you, sidewalk or grass, you have passed the vetting process and gained access to a more authentic Peter & Jade than before.  You could even consider yourself someone we would trust getting lost in another country with (so let’s do it).