Carpe Noctem // Evan Pollock

Carpe noctem. Sieze the night. This series by Evan Pollock shows nighttime as it should be seen.

Q + A with Eva Kosmas Flores

Q: Why did you choose your craft?

A: I really just fell into it as a high-schooler with no thought whatsoever. That being said, when I started by food blog some 8 years after that, I started shooting and styling food because I wanted the recipes to look as good as they actually tasted.

Q: How hard was it to become profitable at it?

A: It took me about 4 years before I made the transition to blogging full-time. I was supporting myself as an assistant in the television industry in LA and living in a little apartment in Studio City, and taking that leap was a really big deal since I didn't have any back-up plans. Working what was essentially 2 full-time jobs for that 4 year period was pretty insane, but it allowed me to really hone my craft and establish my blog before making the big leap to leaving my day job. I recommend *not* rushing into blogging full-time if you're on your own and supporting yourself financially. Try balancing both for at *least* a year and be smart about it, start saving up a certain amount each month and setting it aside to give yourself some padding for the first year of freelancing as a blogger. If you have enough saved to pay your rent and groceries for 6 months, you won't feel as much anxiety about the whole thing and you'll be able to focus more on getting freelance work and doing a quality job with all of it.

Q: Any suggestions to newcomers to the field?

A: Make friends! Seriously, all my food blogger friends are the best people I know, and we all help each other out. It makes a world of difference being able to ask someone with experience about any issues you come across. Like something that's in a client contract that you're not sure is normal, or what is an ok amount to charge for a sponsored IG post based on your following, etc. I actually started a First We Eat Facebook group where all of us could share this info super openly with each other and it's been so fun watching it take off and seeing everyone giving really helpful and awesome advice to each other. Anyone is welcome to request to join!

Q: If you couldn’t be doing your craft, what would you do instead?

A: Man. Well it'd probably be either one of three things—if I stuck with the entertainment industry I'd probably be doing something documentary-related because that was my ultimate goal when I started in that career path years ago, and I still do love documentaries. The second option would be something with plants. Maybe an herbalist? Just a job where I could be surrounded by plants all the time haha. And the last option is teaching. I loooooove teaching people, and my mom and my sister were/are both teachers so it's kind of a familial trait haha.

Q: Any favorite moments of your career so far?

A: I have a few! One of my favorite moments was getting my new cookbook, First We Eat, in the mail and opening the first copy of it. It's the book I've always wanted to write, and it felt so crazy just holding it there in my hands after having it in my head for so many years.

Another favorite moment is the last supper of every one of my First We Eat photography workshops. We've spent several days shooting and eating and exploring together at that point and we've all become so close. Everyone is having the literal time of their lives. Sometimes I mentally step away for a second in that moment and just feel really humbled and amazed that all these incredibly talented people came together to learn from me. I get kind of emotional during those moments haha, gotta reign it in before the waterworks start!!

And my last favorite moment is probably the 'Wintertide' Secret Supper I co-hosted with my friends Danielle, Mona, and Jaret (we all host seasonal Secret Supper pop-up dinners together). We have an awesome group of kickass women volunteers who help us with each supper, and for that particular supper we all spent hours and hours digging a giant trench out of 3 feet of snow so that we had somewhere for the table and chairs for our guests to sit for the meal. Everyone just had the best attitudes and it was such a crazy and wild adventure. The guests absolutely loved it, the food was amazing, and afterwards we were able to clean up really fast and then just hung out in the main room of Suttle Lodge and had hot drinks and relaxed by the fire. It was the best.

Q: What would you do differently if you could start from scratch?

A: I'd have taken it seriously earlier haha. When I first started blogging, it wasn't really a career option like it is now, and I was just doing it for fun to share recipes. I didn't have any strategy or plan or anything like folks do now who start blogs. I think if I had even had like 1 or 2 goals set each year for the first couple years (like 'start a mailing list' or 'start a Facebook page') it would have sped up my career/blog growth.

Q: Is there a defining moment in your career so far?

A: When I opened sales for my online photography course I met my 6-month sales goal in the first 4 weeks. My husband and I had worked SOOOOO hard on it for months, and at the end of a long project like that I always wonder "will anyone even use this?" You know you start to get a little nervous and doubtful closer to the release date. But the response was HUGE, and all the feedback has been so insanely positive. There wasn't really anything of that caliber out there for people who wanted to learn about food photography and styling but couldn't afford a travel-based workshop, and being able to provide that for folks and hearing from them and actually seeing the improvement in their work through their instagram accounts and their blogs has been really moving. It felt so good to be able to teach and help so many people at one time.

Q: Is there anything you really enjoy in your craft vs another line of work?

A: I really like that I can travel a lot. I love learning about other cultures, especially when it comes to how they interact with and prepare food, and hosting the photography workshops helps me be able to go to many different places and then also share that food culture with the attendees while we're there. I also like that I'm able to work from home, because when I'm not traveling I'm kind of a hermit and really really really love being in my house and in my garden.

Q: Biggest pet peeve about the industry?

A: I think like any large public platform, it gives some folks the ability to be publicly disingenuous and then be rewarded for it. Which basically means that sometimes people are phonies and don't practice what they preach, which is a bummer. But those are few and far between in the food blogging realm, honestly. It's a pretty fantastic community and I am so happy to be a part of it!

Q: Is flannel really always appropriate?

A: F*CK YES IT IS.

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Be Kind // Stella Marina

Be Kind. 

Kindness in its essence is a trait sometimes undervalued and often forgotten.  
Yet a few words carefully selected, or simply left unspoken can mean the difference between a smile and a tear.  We speak of intention, of gratitude and karma, but a simple act of selfless kindness is all it can take to brighten or soften the days of at least two people. 
 

It is present in babies when they are born, no child comes into this world with a preconceived idea of malice or hatred, we arrive with the capacity to love unconditionally, yet slowly that capability becomes ground down and chipped away over the years. In some minds, the potential for love, charity or altruism becomes crystallised, growing in new forms, in others a sort of calcification takes place, a smooth, hardened shell presents itself to the world.
 I might like to add here, that I do not write this from some rose-tinted cloud of kindness and empathy. I write this from my kitchen table, where I am slumped. I dragged myself here across the carpet because today I had a panic attack and I had to leave work.  I have felt the rumblings of one for the past week or so, but some loose-lipped words this morning sent me over the edge, and as I lay on my bed in that hazy aftermath where you feel completely empty and a little bit numb. I decided that the best thing to do was something constructive with this feeling (I also had to stop the day from feeling wasted).  
 

To draw us back to my favourite analogy, life on a boat actually offers up a wonderful platform for kindness. 

To be at sea grants us a condensed version of the outside world, yes it is archaic and often patriarchal, but it relies on wanting to keep one another alive. We depend on one another, knowing that the task ahead would be so much harder if not impossible alone. That self-reliant entity that is your ship, allows you to shed the skin of daily life, removing all other roles and responsibilities aside from sailing, eating, sleeping and how you will progress from A to B. Each change of direction is predetermined by a greater force, you cannot fight the wind, you can only harness it in order to move forward. Maybe this applies to our emotions, to anger or frustration? Bottling them up inside will rarely relinquish them, you may only harness that energy in order to move forward. Then there are the consequences of careless harsh words in an environment fuelled by broken sleeping patterns and constant movement. Not only are those words magnified but there is no easy exit, you are with those people for better or for worse, so please let's be kind. These words are easy to write, the thoughts are easy to form. The hard part is in the heat of the moment when you are distracted or angry. I do not claim that it is possible to constantly check yourself for thoughts of anger. The freedom to express our thoughts, ideas and emotions in any way that we like is a human luxury, we must try only not to exploit it. If you are granted words, please use them kindly. If you are granted authority, please use it wisely.

A Look at Chernobyl // Barbara Arcuschin

Photographer Barbara Arcuschin submitted these eerie photos of Chernobyl.

It’s been over 32 years since the catastrophe, and less than 10 since the site was opened for tourism. The area surrounding the former power plant won’t be safe for human habitation for the next 20,000 years.

“Chernobyl is like the war of all wars. There’s nowhere to hide. Not underground, not underwater, not in the air.” 
― Svetlana Alexievich, Voices from Chernobyl

Photographer of the Day // Mike Kelley

From the first glance, each of his photos are extremely inviting. So inviting, that I almost felt like a firsthand witness. My brain invented sounds, smells, and sensations immediately-- the bears' snarls, the salty sea air hitting my nose, bare toes on a wooden dock. 

Click through for an adventure. 

Adventurer Q&A // Giulia Woergartner

The color yellow is bright, full of life, and undefinable. Many adults cower away from wearing yellow though, offering the excuse that yellow is "childish." Yellow is a color that requires a boldness to wear. It's not a color for the faint of heart. 

Giulia Woergartner calls herself, "the girl with the yellow jacket." Her yellow jacket she explained, is her trademark, a stamp that marks her adventures and photography as distinctly hers. 

[Q] Why do you adventure & Why do you explore? 

[A] Exploring means discovering new things, having fresh eyes for every new day and being inspired by little moments. I want to keep my eyes, ears and heart wide open. I want to create my own vision of the world and share it with others to inspire them to go on their own little adventures. I have a desire to see the most beautiful corners of this world. I have traveled and experienced quite a lot over the last few years, but the curiosity to see more keeps me going. My goal is not just to come home different, but better.

[Q] Why take risks in life?    

[A] Because life is short and it can be over at any given moment.

[Q] Where are you from?

[A] I am from the Dolomites, Italy.

[Q] What is your 9-5?

[A] I am a full time travel photographer, still sounds crazy to me if I say it!

[Q] When you were growing up what or who did you want to be?  

[A] I have always been a creative child, I always dreamed about being a painter or musician. Well any kind of artist really!

[Q] Favorite place you've visited?    

[A] The Faroe Islands and New Zealand still are my favourite destinations to this date!

[Q] Place you most desperately want to visit?

[A] Patagonia and a lot of places in the US.

[Q] What  has  changed  about  you  because  of  your  travels    

[A] I have become a more confident, open and loving individual

[Q] Who  is  the  most  dynamic  and  thought  provoking  person  you've  ever  met    

[A] Good question, I think that person is still out there!

[Q] If you could travel with one person in history or in present who would it be and why?  

[A] I would like to go back in time and travel with some of the real explorers 

[Q] Must haves for travel?

[A] My camera and a yellow jacket! 

[Q] Travel tips?  

[A] Sleep in cars, cook for yourself, save your money for more travels.

[Q] When  did  you  feel  you  were  most  out  of  your  comfort  zone? What  did  you  learn  from  that  lesson?

[A] I did a 7 months solo trip to New Zealand after graduating high school. I flew from Italy all the way to the other side of the world to explore ad capture every corner of New Zealand. I bought a van and lived in it for about 6 months. The first few weeks were tough as I had to adapt to this lifestyle and to the new environment. After a few weeks I realised that I was free to do whatever I want and I could simply enjoy life and see all these stunning places. The few things that I was really worried about at first ended up being the greatest benefits and lessons of this adventure: when you have a dream or a vision, you just have to go for it. Don’t let anyone talk you out of it, no matter how silly or ridiculous your dream might appear to others. Following your passion is the only thing that will bring you happiness.

[Q] What would you say to someone who has never travelled before? 

[A] I would show them my pictures and let them speak for me.

[Q] What would you say to your former self?  

[A] Love more, hug more. Be bold. Don't let fear run your life. Have confidence in yourself. Don't be self-conscious. Don't be so hard on yourself and have more patience.

[Q] Where to next?

[A] Canada!

[Q] Is flannel always in season? 

[A] Of course!

Photographer Update // Joshua Fuller

I have always loved idioms. If you're unfamiliar with them, idioms are seemingly nonsensical phrases that by usage became loaded with meaning-- kill two birds with one stone, once in a blue moon, pot calling the kettle black. 

There's an Icelandic idiom, "Það eru margar undur í höfuðkúpu," which translates roughly to "there are many wonders in a cow's head." To my understanding, it's a way to say that the world is crazy. 

These landscape photos from Joshua Fuller's trip to Iceland had me pondering the wonders in a cow's head. 

Adventurer Q&A // Derek Tice

At Folk, we're actively trying to get to know our readers. We know that each person adventures for a different reason, and we aim to tell your stories. 

[Q] What's your name?

[A] Derek Tice.

[Q] Why do you adventure? Why do you explore?

[A] I want to see and experience as much as I can in this short lifetime I have been given. My brother and I grew up in a family that pursued an outdoor lifestyle. I was on skis by the age of two and dirt biking as soon as I had mastered the peddle bike. Growing up in this fashion has led me to appreciate and pursue a life of adventure where I feel most at home in the outdoors.
I didn’t find a passion for photography until I took a photo course in grad school where I picked up my mom’s old Nikon film camera and began to shoot. I was immediately addicted, the feel and sound of the shutter button was bliss. I soon found myself documenting all of the weekend adventures my friends and I would go on. Photography was a way I could implement design/art into the adventure lifestyle I had grown up knowing.

[Q] Why take risks in life?

[A] Have you heard of adrenaline? Yeah it’s nice.

[Q] Where are you from?

[A] Bozeman, Montana

[Q] What is your 9-5?

[A] I work as an Architect in training for a design firm.

[Q] When you were growing up what or who did you want to be?

[A] Growing up, I was always fascinated with the ocean. Being from the land locked state of Montana, it was a mysterious entity to me. As a kid I always thought I would be somewhere in the marine biology field, or scuba diving at the very least (sad part is, I have yet to go scuba diving).

[Q] Favorite place you've visited recently?

[A] Swingarm City= Epic Landscapes + Dirt bikes

[Q] Place you most desperately want to visit?

[A] Any place I haven’t been to yet.

[Q] What has changed about you because of your travels?

[A] My travels and photography have taught me how to see the world. Finding beauty in the everyday makes life worth living.

[Q] Who is the most dynamic and thought provoking person you've ever met?

[A] This is a tough question because it suggests I need to rate the people that have been/are in my life. I would have to say any person who has had the time to share a conversation over a campfire. Everybody brings their own ideas to the table, you just have to know how to listen.

[Q] If you could travel with one person in history or in present who would it be and why?

[A] My girlfriend, she levels me out, and is the jokiest joke maker I’ve ever met.

[Q] Must haves for travel?

[A] A tripod. I tend to usually forget mine and end up stacking rocks or finding some other means of creating a stand that never quite adds up to a sturdy tripod. Oh, and a good attitude.

[Q] Travel tips?

[A] Go with the flow. Our lives are inherently based on routine. Take the time to travel and break the mundane schedule of the everyday world.

[Q] What is the single greatest moment of human humanity you've experienced while traveling?

[A] My girlfriend and I took a weekend trip to Glacier National Park. Knowing that the crowds would be outrageous during tourist season we planned on getting to the campground a little before 6:00a.m. to ensure we got a spot at the campground in the park (a first come first serve basis). We arrived before the sun was fully up to a line of cars waiting at the entrance of the campground. We ended up being the 14th car in line. Ridiculous, but we were anticipating it. Everybody was frustrated and there was even a car who managed to sneak their way into line, cutting a bunch of us off and putting us further behind in line. It was pure chaos. As we pulled up to the gate being the next car inline, the ranger told us that it was a 50/50 chance we would get a spot. 20 minutes later she appeared and told us we would be getting the last spot for the day. Feeling relieved we couldn’t help but feel bad for the 15 or so cars behind us that had wasted their entire morning. So we took it upon ourselves to have the ranger invite the car behind us to camp at our spot. They immediately took the invitation and were extremely grateful that they paid for the camp spot. Even if it were the slightest of gestures, we were relieved to offer some humanity in a morning full of disarray. To this day National Parks do not appeal to me as they once did, but I hope I left it a little better then I found it.

[Q] Based on your travels what is the single most needed improvement for humanity to be stronger.

[A] Kindness. Respect the people around you and treat this earth like you live here.

[Q] What would you say to someone who has never travelled before?

[A] To each their own

[Q] When did you feel you were most out of your comfort zone. What did you learn from that lesson?

[A] Any time I’m standing on a cliff edge I’m out of my comfort zone. This taught me that I’m very scared of heights.

[Q] What would you say to your former self?

[A] Good luck out there

[Q] What gives you hope?

[A] The two days at the end of the work week and a full tank of gas.

[Q] Where to next?

[A] I ask myself the same thing everyday. I normally don’t know until I get there. I travel for the in-betweens not the destination.

[Q] Is flannel always in season?

[A] Only if the sleeves are cut off, Hell yeah brother.

35 mm and Marrakech

Katie Bird is a photographer with a passion for traveling. She sent this mini series of a single stop on her 18 month trip throughout Asia, and Australia. She captures life with vivid simplicity.  

Photographer of the Day: Nick Cagol

Thirty year old, Nick Cagol is a part time photographer who lives in Northern Italy. His goal is to capture more than just the beauty of a landscape, he aims to capture a story. More of his photography can be seen on Instagram @alchenick

Do What You Dream

The melodic words of Ingrid Michealson’s song “You and I” bounced around in my head as I read a long email from Christian Bendel. Truthfully, I felt silly about it. As I continued to read Christian’s candid recollection of his adventure through Provence, I broke down and got reacquainted with the song.

“Let’s get rich and buy our parent’s homes in the south of France,” Ingrid says whimsically. 

The rhythmic song dared me to dream, but Christian’s words pushed me further. The goal of the adventure was, in his words, “to do what he dreamed, instead of simply talking about it.”

Much like the song, Christian’s adventure was a love story, and his photo series captures their relationship intimately. Together, they traveled through canyons, cities, and around mountains. They cooked their meals on a fire, and slept in their car.

Christian said he aspires to do things differently. He explained that living this dream was not a straightforward path, but one that required spontaneity, and flexibility. He called this adventure, and his past ones, “Crossroads” for that reason.

Joshua Fuller // A Look at Landscape

Josephine Hart believed that our souls have an eternal geography, a landscape if you will. She said that we constantly search for its outlines. Much like explorers, we attempt to chart maps of our souls, day in and day out. Landscape photography, at it's best, allows us to see the shapes of our souls. We're able to juxtapose ourselves with the divinity of nature, and decide where we sit between the two. 

Photographer, Joshua Fuller submitted this series from his travels. More of his work can be found on Instagram @Joshua_Fuller_ 

Hands Dyed Blue

“Having an indigo vat is like babysitting a sleeping baby who sleeps through almost anything, but when you do wake it up you have to keep it warm, fed, and any movement you make could agitate it. Oh, did I mention that baby reeks of ammonia?” Alyx Jacobs said.

Alyx, in the simplest terms, has a kind face. The curves of her cheeks are soft and her dimples give the impression that she’s the type of person who’s always smiling. (I’ve had the pleasure of knowing her for years and know this to be the case.) Her arms and legs are decorated with all sorts of tattoos — from a rendition of Van Gogh’s “Starry Night” that sits tucked away on her inner bicep to a large mum that descends intricately down her thigh and calf.

Since I’ve known her, I’ve marked Alyx in my mind as one of those people who seems to ooze a creative sense of self. After almost a year without seeing each other, we reconnected over coffee and she told me about a new obsession — indigo dyeing and quilting.

When I first met her she was still a student at the Kansas City Art Institute. She’s since graduated with a BFA in Graphic Design major + in Fiber.

“In the graphic design department, I was creating simple, yet intricate designs. Then I went down a path of taking sustainable clothing classes, which led to the natural dyeing. Kim-Eichler Messmer, my quilting teacher, is the one who introduced me to natural dyeing and quilting. I was lucky enough to show my quilts with her after I graduated,” she said.

Over time, Alyx explained she was drawn to the tactile nature of quilting.

“I always found a way to integrate thread and yarn into my paintings,” Alyx said. “My mom was so surprised when I chose graphic design as my major because she assumed I would always be working in the computer. Which wasn't completely true, but I did need more variation in my education. I signed up for a quilting elective somewhat randomly.”

Quilting, and natural dyeing lead Alyx to Athens, Georgia to study with an indigo farmer.

“I wasn't sure what to expect. Donna picked me up in her little Mazda 3, with her indigo tattoo proudly displayed on her wrist. Her house was simple and tucked back into the woods off of this road about two hours away from the airport.”

All week long, indigo was the core of all activities.

“Every day, we would wake up early to get the vats ready, whether it was making concentrated indigo to start a new vat or heating up the vats so that we could use them later in the day, indigo was always our first priority.”

Her experience in Georgia exposed her to more than just dyeing.

“The whole experience was an introduction into this beautiful, simple, wholesome life. Donna had a garden where she grows medicinal herbs for homemade tinctures and veggies. I fell in love with the lifestyle.”

Indigo dyeing is something Alyx spoke about fondly.

“Indigo dyeing is definitely a labor of love,” she said. “It really forces you to take a moment to stop and think — to be mindful of the process and how much time and effort you're putting into one piece of fabric. It is really easy to take advantage of going to a fabric store and buying any color of fabric that you desire without even batting an eyelash, but when you have to dip, wait, let oxidize, dip, wait, let oxidize, fully dry, wait more, etc. to build up color, you really appreciate the colors that you're getting because you've spent the time with each dip.”

When I look at Alyx’s quilts, I see modernity, but her hand-stitch shows a more delicate nature. Alyx’s choice of hand stitching is a tribute to the slow nature of indigo dyeing, and the long history of indigo. The traditional style of Japanese quilting she practices is called Sashiko. Sashiko is a traditional way Japanese farmers would mend their work jackets. Indigo is also traditionally used to overdye fabrics throughout time in the Japanese culture. Her deliberate use of these small white stitches takes time and love to hold the layers of indigo-dyed linen fabric together.

Alyx does add a touch of modern to her quilts. During her time with Donna, she explored a new idea: screen-printing with indigo dye — an art that hasn’t been fully explored.

I asked her what was next; what were her long term plans? With her dimples showing in full force, she smiled about a recent wedding proposal and a new last name, telling me not to worry that he fully supports her blue-dyed hands. Beyond that, she was happy not to have an answer.

“This is always an interesting question,” she said. “I didn't know the answer to it when I was a lost high schooler going into art school, and now that I've graduated from college, I still don't necessarily know. People have responded very well to my quilts and it makes me so happy to just have people interested in them. I am currently working as an admissions counselor for KCAI. In this position, I get to travel the country and talk to young artists about their future in art, and that is what I love to be doing. Luckily, quilts are very easy projects to travel with!”

See more of Alyx's work at here.