I've decided to enter a #haturday contest, because, hats

This is my good buddy Julius. I met this guy a couple of years back just a few weeks after he'd moved to LA. We met in a strange way, on Twitter. I don't remember how I found his account, likely a random tweet that was recommended to me, but after a couple messages, some funny shoot ideas, and more than a few jokes via text, we decided to grab some coffee.

I think we chatted for maybe 15 or 20 minutes before the energy we had growing was unbearable and we just had to shoot. The lead pic is from that day. We shot a whole series of him in that pimp suit, indoors and out. A lot of those original shots ended up in his professional modeling portfolio when he signed with BMG in Chicago. Something I find endlessly amusing for reasons only me and Julius will ever understand. A man who said he never really wanted to model heading off to South Africa, NY, and who knows where to strut some fashion, lol.

Sounds kind of like a modern day love story would start. Right? And in a way it was. Two men, passionate about their crafts, who vibed on a creative level and loved to work together. A rare combination. Him a stylist and budding model, me a photographer.

I owe a lot to him. In the year or so we got to work together I think we both made massive strides forward in what we did. The ability for us to bounce ideas off each other, try new things, and the endless energy we had, allowed us to grow in amazing ways. Not to mention all the crazy stories we built up from adventures in Silverlake. More posts for the future, perhaps?

The reason I chose these images to submit to the #killerpix #hatturday challenge is because of a recent conversation I had with Julius. He had just arrived back from working in South Africa for 3 months as a model, and was heading out to NY for fashion week shortly. Listening to him talk about his experiences in SA, some of the art projects he had brewing, the new things he'd learned, and in this crazed yet focused energetic fashion...it was reinvigorating to me, and inspiring.

I wanted to throw up some pics of him because of that. And because he looks so dapper in hats. That man really is a model. And deeper than that, a creative. Can't wait to see his projects grow because I know they will :)

My submission to the #killerpix #hatturday contest