Are You a City Girl or a Country Girl?
Wednesday, August 19, 2015
Dress: Free People//Boots: Betsey Johnson//Sunglasses: Forever 21
What a day. I started with my hair up to beat the heat, then I decided I looked weird with my hair up so I took it down, and then, thinking I was done with fashion photos, put on my combat boots to go hiking. However, soon my husband began snapping away under the speckled tree lights as they played on my back and face and I couldn't help but love those pictures too. As I glared at the screen deciding which set of pics to share, it got me to thinking: am I a city girl, or a country girl? Is my fashion sense based on how I think it will look next to downtown alleys or against wooded arches?
As much as I always want to live in a big city, I always find myself sneaking off into nature settings for photographs. In fact, the whole reason I set up in front of the gray alley wall was to try something a little different. Something that made me uncomfortable. I wanted to challenge myself.
And I was uncomfortable, somewhat. I love the city, the hustle and bustle, the lack of silence, people everywhere, but for pictures... I'm still not sure. Woods are fun and I feel like I can work more efficiently in the solitude they provide. I admit that I feel like photography in the solitude of the woods or open fields has given me a sense of security in my photos. Maybe I just like that the scenery does half the work for me. Maybe I'm just too comfortable.
You see, there is so much to see in this wonderful city that I feel sad not sharing our glories with the world. We have beautiful architecture and brightly painted brick walls and lovely coffee shops and I love showing that Kentucky is not a state full of people missing teeth and drinking moonshine, but a state with cities full of artists, musicians, and a love for life. But then reality hits. People gawk at me as I hit my remote, as I jump up and down in a 2 second time frame hoping to catch the perfect shot... I don't mind their curiosity, but I do find it distracting. Can it be possible that a part of me needs pieces of both worlds? A place to work in quiet as I frame and hit shutters and a place to drink coffee in noisy cafes while writing stories about strangers? Maybe it is. But what will I do if I ever move to a big city? What if there aren't woods around for me to sneak off to?
I guess I'll cross that bridge when I get there, because for living, I'm pretty sure I'll always be a city girl. I can't imagine waking up and not hearing the clatter of lives birthing a new day. I need the sounds of people starting their cars and coffee cup clinking against kitchen counters at 6 am and neighbors discussing what to pack for lunch. If I lived on a big farm in the middle of nowhere, or even in the suburbs, I know in my heart that I would be sad. I thrive on being in the middle of everything even if I do enjoy spending an hour or two in the woods once a week. What about you? Where do you find your soul fulfilled?
