Bohemian babes

Tis the season for over-caffeinated drinks and impromptu adventures

Friday after school, my favorite bohemian babes joined me for some adventuring and picture taking around Ocean City. Despite the complaints among locals that there’s nothing to do around town in the off season, it’s really all about perspective. There are some rare gems around the island that stay open all year round. Among our favorites is Ocean City Coffee Co, and that was our first stop of the day.

I don’t normally drink coffee-related drinks, but when the cute little pixie barista recommended a vanilla chai with a shot of espresso, I figured I could probably benefit from some extra caffeine. For the next hour or so Alli, Victoria and I took pictures. I’m not sure if it was just the fact that it was a Friday and we were all kind of hyper, but the vibe for a serious photo shoot just was not there at all. None of us could keep a straight face, and 90% of the pictures ended up blurry or completely candid. Exactly the way I love them.Our next stop was to the soccer fields on Tennessee Ave. We knew the lighting would be perfect, hanging low enough that it would just peek over the tops of the marsh grass, our backdrop.

Styling Alli and Victoria was my favorite part. I call the look of the night “Wise gypsy travelers wear their best bohemian/ homeless (in the best possible way) attire.” This look consisted of dozens of rings, enormous sweaters, head scarves, wide hats, and broken in denim.The shoot was better than I could have hoped for. I think that the real key to taking good pictures is to stop taking them so seriously. Take pictures of people when they aren’t looking, or when they are talking, or eating, or dancing. Honor the mistakes. When you look back on the photos you’ve taken, you won’t remember the stories behind those that hold cold, glaring faces ever so specifically poised. You’ll see the ones of your friends laughing, their hands blurred because they couldn’t sit still for 2 seconds, and you’ll remember the story behind the photograph. Candid photos carry so many more memories: scarves blowing, eyes closing, sun cracking over half a face. That’s what you remember. That’s what you feel.

Thank you to my friends for letting me stick a camera in their faces all day and for letting me dress them in outfits that may not have always been weather-conscience. This was a day that I wanted to capture.