Life Outside Photography

A recent conversation with a new acquaintance of mine brought about some new thoughts. What do I do outside of photography and blogging? How else do I express myself? After thinking about it for a while I'm starting to think that it's important to have something else I like to do outside of my work (ie, photography). I would consider myself creatively bent, but I don't really dabble in some of the classic arts like painting, drawing, sculpture, or poetry. And I think I'd really like to at least try. 

What have you always wanted to try but never have?

Hello, Fall.

And with that August was gone. Can you believe it? I keep wondering when life will slow down and I'll have time to do more things like watch every episode of the Mindy Kaling Project (seriously, did you catch the episode?  New crush!!).  But when I think about it, I like to be busy. I don't know anything but busy. When I don't have something to do I either get bored or get sad. Either one isn't too much fun, so I have this habit of overpacking my schedule. And before you know it it's 11pm and I realize I still have a million things left to do.

Fellow Philadelphians: Erik Honesty

Erik Honesty is the vision, the style, the entrepreneur, and the curator behind Cultured Couture Vintage, a vintage menswear store in Philadelphia showcasing hand picked items by Honesty himself. Erik started Cultured Couture Vintage after being inspired from a trip to Paris in 2005. He says that international fashion continues to influence him to this day.

Erik may quite easily be the best dressed man in the city. We met up in Northern Liberties at a cafe, and after a little chatting we headed outside to take some photos. I was nervous about the light (as I usually prefer to shoot my subjects in natural light) but I think the cool blue tones fits Erik's personality. He 's obviously a driven man, but is laid back and easy to talk to.

Cultured Couture Vintage carries menswear that have stood the test of time and are made with the highest quality. The pieces cater to a man with a more refined taste and the concept is to provide those high end vintage pieces at a reasonable price while shopping in an elegant environment.

The details in the shop are saturated through, even down to the decor of the shop. I joked around asking if the croquet set was for sale, and while it doesn't have a price tag on it, Honesty said he'd be glad to find them a home if that moment came long. There's a great deal of thought and "hunting" (as Erik calls his thrifting excursions) when it comes to pulling Cultured Couture Vintage together and it's evident the hard work has paid off. 

Cultured Couture Vintage

Location: 703 W. Girard Street

               Philadelphia, Pa 19123

Hours: Monday - Saturday: 11am to 6pm

CulturedCoutureVintage.Tumblr.com

Facebook // Twitter

info@culturedcouturevintage.com

To see more Fellow Philadelphians click here.  Know someone who deserves a little Philly Love?  Send me an email! streetsandstripes@gmail.com

You're My River Running High

Another night out in Northern Liberties. The weather started to cool down a bit this past week and it was perfect for sitting outside with friends or visiting new places to eat. This is what I'm reading lately (whenever I can snatch the time). What's on your nightstand?

Also, thanks to Migdalia for saying such sweet things about Streets & Stripes on her blog Oh My Dalia.

Fellow Philadelphians: Swabreen Bakr

Swabreen Bakr authors both iPhotoPhilly and Urbsvox; sites dedicated to featuring Philadelphia creatives and the vibe of the city. We share a common interest and appreciation for the creative people of Philadelphia, as she also regularly interviews and photographs Philadelphia creatives on Urbsvox. One thing I really noticed about Swabreen, having met her for the first time at this interview, was her cool confidence. She was very collected and put together, but still knew how to laugh.

Swabreen started off as a foodie of sorts. She began reviewing restaurant interiors for the Design Consumption column on Phrequency.com. As she moved away from blogging about interiors design, and started immersing herself in Urbsvox, Swabreen started reaching out to creative people in Philadelphia in hopes of interviewing & photographing them for her blog. It started with friends and then evolved from there. One thing she loves about writing content for Urbsvox is that it challenges herself as a photographer and writer. Meeting new people and going to great events are perks too.

What Swabreen loves about Philly is that it teaches you to hussel and to network.  She calls it a "smaller town in a big city" but you need to have the confidence to get out there, meet people, and put your work on the line. You have to trust in yourself; it gets easier over time.  When you work in a creative field you have to be the biggest promoter of your own work. Your work needs to be recognizable and have a cohesive message.

Swabreen's Links

• Urbsvox.com
• iPhotoPhilly.com
• Twitter

To meet more Fellow Philadelphians click here. Do you know someone who deserves a little Philly love? Email me the info!

I'll Follow You Deep Sea Honey

Summer has always been a notoriously hard season for me to dress for. While this summer I have been getting some more inspiration on how to dress for humidity here in Philadelphia, I still find myself having blandish outfits mainly due to the heat. I can't wait for autumn. That's when things really start happening : )