All My Friends Zine - Issue Three, Planet by All My Friends Zine

welcome to

planet hi! i never know how to start these, jeez. the first two editor’s letters are laid out on my bed, and reading them is such a weird feeling! it’s so crazy that almost a year ago AMF started. this year has been truly the best one of my life. i’m listening to the 1975 as i write this, and the overwhelming feeling of appreciating my youth is swimming through my brain. i <3 AMF! anyways, welcome to planet! planet is the largest issue we’ve put out yet. it was made with love from (literally) all over the world. 3.5 months ago, the AMF team released the theme for our third issue: PLANET. following the release, we were blessed with over 400 submissions. unfortunately, we were only able to take a few. i (and i say this all the time and will never stop saying this) am so grateful for each and every person who is interested in AMF. it means the world to me, seriously. this issue could not have been possible without katie, lina, and ava, and of course my family. but, possibly most importantly, this issue could not have been made without you. every single person in the AMF community is the reason this is able to happen. PLANET has been my favorite thing i have ever been apart of. i hope you love it as much as i do. with love forever,

abby

all my friends zine EDITOR-IN-CHIEF abby waisler EDITORS lina christopherson-jeong & katie pruden GRAPHIC DESIGNERS katie pruden SOCIAL MEDIA MANAGER ava hausner

contributors Ahsia Barrientos Alexandra Hernandez Alexis Attard Amanda Pendley Athena Merry Ava Hausner Cailynn Johnson Chloe Felopulos Claire Natiez Claire Richards Elizabeth Case Emily Conner Emma Higgins Emma Jul Erica Kuhlmann Erin Reilly Estephany Barrera Florence Sullivan

Gabriella Adams Lisa Oiwa Gabrielle Barrera Lola Ortiz George Thorpe Maisie Delaney Graham Hanson Maria Staack Halley Linscheid Matilda Eker Hannah Howells Maya Stewart Helena Byczkowska Monica Anjos Janelle McNiff Nikki Pezeshkian Jasmine Ohki Sadie Burrows Jessica Vallan Salwa Rahman Jo Gaffney Sequoia Livingstone Fore Joey Ayers Skyler Ross Justine Schwaab Sliver Sphere Kari Trail Sophia Cutino Katie Pruden Stella Singer Kay Perry Taran Bastasini Kim Davis Thursday. Lauren Hicks Tia Ealy Lina Christopherson-Jeong

front and back covers by Thursday.

pla

net

erica kuhlmann 1

p a i n t i n g : lauren hicks

w o kari 3

s : trail

( e

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d a

) :

how to put into words the way things feel unconscious love letters insinuated in our pockets the flowers we pick settle into drab arrangements sensations hinged to everything around me eyes obsessed with the blur of taillights how light slants on the floor the rows of tulips syrup upon pancakes ink on paper the color of earth after rain the constellations butterflies & ladybugs silk’s smooth, infinite nature i fold into the scenes desperate to savor each bite eyes eat up the world its melancholy hues and i fall into it let it take me away gentle slumber eternal dream

found images___ work by cailynn

nature’s mistress

sophia cutino

drawing by lauren hicks

My nature: My skin is uneven Left with marks of abnormality That my body has let me keep My mind is a mountain of Unpredictable Ups and downs With each downhill I take I know I will stumble upon these spots; The after effect of places i’ve persistently picked Are now permanent I’ve adopted the things I tried to remove As my own Instead of wishing them away Because they proved they are here to stay I have let go of what is not there And accepted what remains And what chooses to travel with me Up and up Again down and down Again as my own 17

words katie

by: pruden

work by Janelle Mcniff

about the end of the world: abouttheendofthewor

byclairerichards: by claire richards byclairerichard

rld about the end of the world: abouttheendofthe

ds: by claire richards byclairerichards: by claire ri

The first time I ever watched Sex and the City

was in the sixth grade. I didn’t understand half of the jokes as most of them end with a sexual punchline, but I watched it purely for the fashion. There are certain productions from the late 90’s and early 00’s that I just cannot bare rewatching for the unfortunate trends and fads that took place which translate into the costumes. But Sex and the City? Manolo Blahniks and tulle midi skirts will never get old. Ever. And you know what else never gets old? Instagram-stalking semi-famous fashion school students based in NYC. Wow. I can’t believe I just confessed one of my deepest, darkest guilty pleasures. But yeah, that’s how I wandered upon Chloe’s profile; through her glittering feed, filled with dramatic faux fur coats, flirty little lace gloves, pearls, satin corsets, disco balls, wine glasses, cowboy hats, pastel co-ord sets, feathers, and endless photos of Paris. I immediately crowned her as my “dreamgirl”.

Lina: Hey, good morning! Chloe: Hi! Good morning. How are you? L: I’m good, I’m good. What have you been up to? You look awesome, by the way. C: Thank you! *laughs* I got bored so I figured, ‘why not get dressed?’. I’m at my parents’ in Boston. Actually, it’s a little town right outside of Boston, but people don’t really know here, so I just say Boston. L: Gotcha. So, truth be told, I did scroll around your Instagram previous to this call, and I saw a lot of New York and Paris as the scenes. Are you in school? Is that why it takes you around [the world] so much? C: Yes, so I go to school in NYC, and I just finished my abroad semester, though it did get interrupted by the virus. But yeah, those two cities inspire me a lot and so I love it there. I want to move to Paris, actually.

*laughs* I gotta make it happen! L: Yeah, for sure. I’m sorry to hear your semester get cut short, by the way. I’d be super bummed. What was your favorite part about studying abroad there? C: So I go to Fordham, which is liberal arts, and I minor in fashion studies, so I get to have this well-rounded education along with what I adore [fashion]. And then I decided I wanted to study abroad and do an art-focused program, so I found PCA, which is Paris College of Art, which is an American institution based in Paris, which seemed like the perfect fit for me. It gave me an amazing art experience, and it really gave me time to be a true art student. L: That’s so cool, seriously. *laughs* Some of us at the mag are approaching the time where we start to think about college and so we were all like, ‘we gotta figure how she’s living our

dream life!’ so that’s super helpful. ranges from 14 to around 21 and I feel like that’s the age when peoC: Yeah, of course! Definitely though, ple start to round up enough confipeople do only post the highlights dence to wear what they want! So, and the best parts but it’s definitely what kind of advice do you have an experience to have. Anyone can for young people that are just startdo it too, which is exciting. You can lit- ing to dip their toes in fashion? erally visit me, I’m so down. *laughs* C: That’s interesting, because I had L: I might have to take you up on that moment where I was like ‘I’m that offer. So let’s talk style. It not a fashionista, I’m a high school seems like you have this mixture kid living in the suburbs of Boston’. I of vintage fun with colorful pieces remember once, I was like, ‘what if I while you still have this sleek, mod- wore a cheetah coat to school?’ and ern-chic concept going on. How then I just fucking did it, and honwould you describe and say you estly, it was empowering to feel like developed your individual taste? myself. So I think just, and this is gonna sound basic, but wear what you C: Oh my gosh, first, no one’s been want and only listen to how you feel. able to explain [my style] before, but Don’t listen to what anybody else you did it perfectly. *laughs* I think, says or thinks of you when you’re in ever since I was really young, I’ve al- those clothes, you know? If you put ways had this thing to wear whatever it on and you feel good, you should I wanted to wear. And as I really got let yourself feel that way. Clothes into fashion and got to express who I are meant to make you feel someam, like freshman or sophomore year thing, and it’s important that you let in high school, that’s when I started that in, and so yeah, just be yourself. thrifting more. I have a Savers and a Buffalo Exchange around me and so L: Totally, I relate to that. I live in going there and picking out clothes the suburbs of San Francisco, and that didn’t cater to the trends was so I totally get that ‘all eyes on really important to me. Also re- you’ moment. As for projects, what working clothes and finding ways to are some projects you’re planning style them really expanded my eye. right now and some milestones you want to reach in the future? L: Sustainable and affordable, yes! So, our audience C: Everything’s kind of postponed for now with the virus, 27

so the future’s a little unclear, but career goal wise, the thing with the fashion industry is that you can wear so many hats at the same time, and so I don’t have specifically set goals. My current favorite designer is Jacquemus and I’d die to work for him but he works in France. I’m looking for the right opportunities and building off the ones I have now. Currently, I’m a styling assistant for Sam Ratelle; he’s an up and coming stylist and so I’m doing that, and I’ll probably figure out some other stuff.

samples, all that stuff during off seasons too. L: That’s crazy. Okay, so maybe this is cheesy, but this one is from the team. Initially, when I sent your profile to the group chat, everyone was like, ‘the resemblance between her and Bella Hadid is uncanny!’. C: I’m literally going to pass out.

L: First, I love Jacquemus’ pieces. They never disappoint. Second, that’s so cool! What do you do as a styling assistant?

L: *laughs* So then off that, who are some figures and what brands do you get a lot of inspo from?

C: Oh my god, I have so many albums in my Instagram saves but my tops would be the brand Orseund Iris, C: So basically, Sam and his husI’m obsessed with them. They’re band started RRR Creative which dresses red carpet events and other Brooklyn based and they’re super cool. I love them. And then Devon stuff. It’s big in the theatre industry so their clients often come from Carlson. I’m absolutely obsessed with her. Broadway, and it’s super cool, the biggest being Billy Porter. It’s just L: For real though, who isn’t? Such a kind of being his right hand man. Doing emails, keeping in touch with queen, seriously. Her vlogs are so fucking interesting during fashion weeks. brands and designers, asking for 28

C: She’s awesome. She’s totally broken through the industry and she’s just iconic. I love her style. It’s everywhere, like she can be super casual, but so fabulous and then literally can go to the Yves Saint Laurent show looking flawless. L: Definitely. Kind of a shift, but our Issue Three theme is “planet’, and we want to know your thoughts on fast fashion and sustainable fashion as someone involved in the industry.

around so much in the past couple of years, and people are really starting to find ways to incorporate it, which is awesome. If I ever make it in the industry with a bigger role, I definitely want to stand for that. L: I agree. Sustainability is almost even now a “trend”, ever since I think this sense of shame was created for buying from places like Forever 21 or H&M or any place that practices fast fashion. Now, there’s that ‘trendiness’ of Depop and thrifting.

C: Oh, definitely, It’s so important to talk about it. I think a lot of brands C: No, it’s so true, even some of do it kind of half-ass and that’s so my friends will be like purchasing disappointing because you got- from like, Boohoo, and I tell them, ta practice what you preach. The you know, the reality of it all and word ‘sustainable’ has been thrown they know that, they’re aware of 29

that, but it’s so accessible and the sustainable brands we know such a Reformation is all so expensive and pricey. It’s just hard, but once more sustainable brands come out with more fair price points and gender fluid pieces and plus size products, it’s gonna take time, but I believe it’s all gonna be worth it. L: Inclusivity and all that, definitely. Going off that, how do you look good on a budget; what are your top five closet essentials that you just need everywhere you go? C: An oversized blazer, you can style it up or down. Such an easy editorial vibe. Also, just a white ribbed tank top, so essential. Also a good pair of sunglasses that fit your face. A good pair of jeans. Lastly, a mini bag. L: Oh, they’re so in right now. So cute.

C: Girl! Baguette bags! They’re the best. L: Lastly, what is a piece of advice you want to leave our readers with? C: I’m gonna go ahead and just go with what my parents told me: follow your bliss, believe in it despite what others say, and do what you love. People have slated me for what I want to do, but whatever you are passionate about, do it. Pursue it. Reach out, collaborate; there’s a lot out there and people should be creative with love. L: That’s the perfect note to end it on. That was pretty much all I had. C: Yay, thank you again for thinking of me! This was so much fun. L: Of course. I loved talking to you!

C: I’ll definitely be ringing C: The power that it adds to an you up for work, count on it. outfit? Incredible. It’s so bad, but my bag obsession is getting L: Duuuude! Yes, I’ll literally just follow out of hand. It’s so addicting. you around and organize your bag collection, I’d be happy just doing that. L: It’s so easy to color coordinate, too. Like, if you’re wearing little lavender written by: Lina Christopherson-Jeong kitten heels, throw on a little match- You can find more of Chloe at ing baguette bag, and you’re set! @chloe.felopulos on Instagram

work

rachel,

the 31

sea

alexis

attard

dust at lake arrowhead 32

favorite

place 33

the

house

hot

springs, 34

the

sea

t h e b l u e s t w a t e r Maria

Staack

When you sat on that cliff that overlooked the bluest water you’d ever seen, you knew with all your heart it was where you wanted to spend the rest of your life. You imagined yourself owning a little gallery by the docks. You would only sell paintings of boats and water and adventures you were too afraid to take. You would wake up at five o’clock every morning to walk along the cliffs as the sun rose silently in the background.You would never forget your notebook and blue ink pen to take note of how perfectly the light glowed and the waves crashed. You would befriend the owner of that bakery down on main street, the one that always smelled of elephant ears from half a mile away. You would say hello to the mailman, and the librarian, and the butcher, and your next door neighbor. You would know everyone and everything in this small paradise like the back of your hand. It’s been four years since that day at the cliff. I still spend a lot of time daydreaming about how blue that water was. I still want to own my little gallery by the docks. And I still want to know the whole town by heart. That trip changed my life. It was when I realized that I was a part of the Earth. Every morning for a week, I would wake up early, leave my family behind, and wander around aimlessly for hours. Those hours were some of the best of my life. I still remember the goosebumps cropping up on my whole body as I found a little hidden grove tucked on a side street between two houses. It was so hidden that only locals could possibly know about it. I took it as a sign that I had found where I was meant to be. I went there every day that week. I watched the water and the bridge in the distance and wrote it all down in a cheap pocket sized notebook. 35

t h e w o r l d As we drove home, back to New York City, back to a life which was nothing like the blue water I had spent the past week with, I realized I had lost my bag somewhere along the way. It was a brand new bag that I paid for with my hard earned money, but I didn’t care about the bag; I cared about the notebook it contained. I felt a knot tying itself in the pit of my stomach. I had lost a week of the deepest feelings I had ever felt in my life. Upon my arrival back home, I frantically attempted to achieve any feeling close to being surrounded by the blue water. I desperately craved the sense of euphoria of my heart beating in time to the Earth’s breath. I explored New York City. I wrote everything down. I went out of my way to keep myself always entertained by the streets of my home. I came close, but I never achieved it. I couldn’t quite get past the beauty of New York. It didn’t compare to the smell of elephant ears, or the picturesque boats, or the shimmering stars in the night sky. I would look at the buildings, the people, and see them as cogs in a machine. When I wrote about my life in the city, the words felt hollow. I was trying too hard to make the shiny silver buildings into my blue water. When you sat on that cliff that overlooked the bluest water you’d ever seen, you could more than see the water and feel the wind; you were the water, and you were the wind. You already knew all the people in the little town because you were just like them. You didn’t want to have to dream of worlds with blue water and white waves and the scent of cinnamon coated pastries because you knew that it was real. You knew that one day it would be yours because it already was. 36

work by tia ealy

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Inside the Life of a Rising Pop Icon

writer Gabriella Adams chatted with up and coming musician, SILVER SPHERE for our third issue. 41

If you’ve ever wanted to travel to a far-off land where band boys combust into glitter, the air smells like cinnamon buns, everyone cries glitter, and there’s always a party going on, look no further. This is the land pop princess Silver lives in, a magical planet called the Silver Sphere. Back on Earth, Silver has more than 17k Instagram followers, averaging out at just under 350k monthly listeners on Spotify alone. The Massachusetts-turned-Chicago-turned-New York City star has already found her key to fame, rising more and more in stardom every second. But who’s behind this stellar character? Sophie Cates is a twenty-year-old empowered woman who has spent her social distancing time baking bread and cookies and livestreaming for a week straight on Instagram. Her love for music arose from an obsession with Taylor Swift at a young age that flourished into musical talent at just twelve years old. “The Bandcamp stuff was just me experimenting with production and recording,” Cates comments on the platform where her early tracks could be found, “I was teaching myself and posting with no intentions of it being heard.” Despite her wishes, Silver’s music was heard, and loved, by many. “Lost Cause” was one of the songs that original Silver fans can recall being much more experimental when it was released on Bandcamp. When Silver cleared out her profile on the site, she began working on a newer, fresher, and more upbeat version of the track, finding satisfaction in the revised one instead. On YouTube, the music video for the track has an astounding 156k views. “When I decided to include a much older song on yikes, I knew I wanted to revamp the production,” Silver says, later adding that the song was written when she was just fifteen years old. She continues: “Giving it a happier undertone gave the song a more relevant meaning, as the situation I wrote it about was in the past and was something I was looking back on in a new, reflective light.”

Following the release of Silver’s “yikes!” EP in spring of 2019, she set out on tour alongside headliner Omar Apollo, a fellow musician turned great friend of Silver’s. The two ventured to cities like DC, Boston, Chicago, Houston, and Toronto. “The most exciting part was playing to so many people, and meeting fans after each show,” She recalls. Silver’s wild performer identity doesn’t stop at playing shows; in fact, she can think of multiple fun stories about her time on tour. These include getting tattoos with Omar Apollo’s bass player, Manny, yelling “fuck the club up!” over every song at the club, and Omar making her give him glitter and rhinestones at every show. Unfortunately now, due to the tragic COVID-19 outbreak, Silver is in quarantine and is unable to relive these chaotic tour life moments. “I’m so thankful to be safe and have the resources to feel comfortable right now. That being said, it’s delayed a lot of big plans,” Silver notes about the virus. She later adds: “When you’re a growing artist, it’s so important to constantly release consistently and be putting out new content. This just slows down our ability to do that, which could really mess up the timeline of a career.” Silver finishes the statement by saying that streaming services should begin paying artists more fairly, an opinion that certainly rings true in light of the pandemic. Don’t fret, there is definitely more to come from the planet Silver Sphere. In fact, she teases that the virus has delayed an upcoming EP, but that it will be out as soon as possible. If you want to keep up with Silver Sphere, you can follow her Instagram, @silver.sphere, or search her name on your favorite streaming platform.

s a d i e b u r r o w s

a playlist by my love, scarlett

to be listened to wish you were in NYC (or if you’re already there, for when you wish you were somewhere else) hope (sandy) alex g jerusalem, new york, berlin - vampire weekend yesterday the beatles in between days the cure taking whats not yours - tv girl outside with the cuties - frankie cosmos pulling leaves off trees - wallows girl in new york - role model nights frank ocean ever since new york - harry styles where the skys are blue - the lumineers city looks pretty - courtney barnett everything is scary - german error message birds don’t sing tv girl pizza, new york catcher - belle & sebastian kyoto phoebe bridgers taxi cab vampire weekend you know it colony house i can’t (nyc) - thanks for coming band an illustration of loneliness (sleepless in new york) - courtney barnett green light lorde a.m. one direction televisions current joys the horse beach fossils swimming lynn harmless new flesh current joys

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and now, a brief inter Do planets know love?: I wonder do planets know love? do they fantasize about the day their orbit will go just a little off track when they’ll finally crash into someone else create an explosion of grand sizes when stars will rain down on them celebrating their new found love. does Pluto count the days until it is closest to the sun? does Venus long for earth who is so close yet so far? does Saturn see its rings and wish there were more? does Neptune look out into the vastness of the solar system and question why this is its fate? Do planets think about love? Do shooting stars hope your wishes will come true? Do black holes wish they weren’t so empty? Do you?

Nikki Pezeshkian

art by cailynn johnson 49

mission for some poetry seven days: there is a sinking warm and indulgent engulfing me and the better half of everything I have once touched it has labeled itself a friend of memory even after the demolition the cast iron coexistence and the flirtation of feelings feigned we were a history a stone pillared library and not in the romantic lens but in the gutted and genuine lovesickness of someone who contains all the knowledge of the world but still gives it all up for one girl I have had more than one girl who I would burn the earth down for but I am still in search of someone who will help me rebuild

Amanda Pendley 50

a photo collection by:

Florence Sullivan

adventures in camera roll thank you to alexandra, claire, elizabeth, emily, erin, estephany, george, graham, halley, hannah, helena, jasmine, jessica, joey, justine, katie, kay, lola, monica, sequoia, and skyler for contributing to this piece.

a collection of memories by: matilda eker

photos by: maisie delaney illustrations by: lauren hicks 65

c a i l y n n j o h n s o n

extra

terrestrial:

your feet walk the same ground as mine yet you are something of another u n i v e r s e . you glow and you radiate warmth. mimic the sun. e v e r y o n e wants to be under your light. you are who i wish i was. the immaculate a m a z i n g figment of my imagination. your existence in reality is quite unlikely. yet i like to dream about us meeting as if i could look in a mirror and see you staring back.

ava

hausner 70

There from

is a “Coach

a 2005 biographical basketball drama film. Yes, a 2005 sports movie. And this is how it goes: “As we let our own lights shine, we unconsciously give other people to do the same.” This was Salwa’s immediate response to my question, how does loving yourself positively affect our world. A cheesy quote? Maybe, but they were definitely on to something, and so is Salwa. Living right now on a planet where there is chaos, there are always little places where we can find peace and motivation. The same goes for living in a world of social media, where I found “Ur Gal Sal.” Instagram has its sides and, for some, can be a soft spot for breeding insecurity. However, it’s undeniably an atlas of things and people letting their light shine distinctively, and it can put a smile on our face. One of these lightbulbs of creative self expression being Salwa Rahman, aka Ur Gal Sal.

quote Carter,”

Scrolling through her warm and inviting Instagram is like flipping through a book of art you just can’t take your eyes off of. She can rock an under-the-sea full face look, to a simple natural look, with just a pop of color or pearl, and it’s infectious. It makes you want to rummage through your makeup drawer and finally try out that blue eyeliner you bought a year ago. Though Sal’s looks are perfect to the last stroke, she hasn’t been so without a journey of trial and error. The East London local started her early days as a tomboy. Undergoing a switch from elementary to middle school, she admits, she gave into the inevitable peer pressure of 13 year old girls and tried out makeup for the first time. As many of us experience with makeup, she said, “it felt a little alien,” but she started to find her way around it through the world of observation.

Later down the road, given more accessibility to shop with pocket money earned from her job, the 16 year old dabbled with makeup a little more, shifting the rather stagnant relationship. “I was starting to realize I always loved to be funky and weird, that was my thing, so I was like ‘Black lipstick, why not? Blue Lipstick, cool!’” The teen years of rebellion kicked in, and the color loving queen began to outwardly show. “When I was 16, I was trying to push myself with the colors I was choosing and products I was buying ‘cause I was in this state of mind like ‘fuck it’, I wanna do it, so i’ll do it.” Experiencing another school transition, this time highschool to uni, Sal gave into a sort of new “reinvention.” Along with physically leaving everyone she knew, she left her worries of “what will they think” at home and looked at this change as rather “fine-tuning.” But a girl who reaches for the blue lipstick at the drugstore in highschool is 1. Who you should be friends with and 2. Someone who deep down has never given a shit about what they might think. But, from university is where Salwa began to really experiment with makeup, and do it casually.

Gratefully learned by Salwa by some of her not-so-casual looks, makeup can be an icebreaker in new situations and even a test of future friendships. “I like the reactions good or bad because it tells you about the person.” Eyeshadow, liner, face paint, aren’t just tools of self-expression, but a compass of the people who surround us; A filter of who we should spend our time with, and who just won’t get it For Salwa it has come to this: “There is no right or wrong way to wear makeup.” The evergoing battle of “Who I am vs who I’m trying to be,” is a choice in makeup that Salwa believes only the artist has the right to choose.

Although there are still some struggles within East Asain culture and makeup that Salwa encounters, she feels “I am in control of my face and my body,” and she has learned how to adapt. Importantly, through it all, Salwa has learned to respect her natural face and with that, her identity. Presently, Salwa is taking each day one by one. Cooped up with her family at their home in the UK, the change of pace has opened new appreciations and priorities. Spending her time in the garden, facetiming with her friends, and most importantly cooking with her mom, Salwa feels she’s just “trying to find the balance of keeping myself engaged but also giving myself some rest.” When it comes to makeup, the lack of responsibilities and immense amount of self-time is giving her some useful freedom to choose when to be creative. “Having this time to do it when I want, and how I want has been really great for me.” written by: Katie Pruden photography: Thursday. production asst: Akif Rahman costume design: Puer Deorum

work by: Lisa Oiwa

Lisaberry’s

Mean

Boy

Cereal

art

Steak

cailynn

Love

johnson

Motel

80 A h s i a B a r r i e n t o s

Overwhelming Warmth

17-18 YEARS OLD

athena merry 81

she’s media

a icon,

fashion and a

fanatic, a social capturer of adolescents.

she does it all because she sees it all. EMMA HIGGINS: the new york based photographer that should be your next artist crush. to be honest, when i sat down to call emma, i was nervous. it was my first time doing a face to face interview and i truly had no idea what path it would take. i was used to sending emails with questions, and having the interviewee look over them and curate answers, so this was a whole new world for me. facetime connected me through to emma’s then foreign new york city number and my nerves were heightened. but then i heard: “wait gimme one sec, my cat is attacking me,” and was immediately put at ease. we instantly bonded over growing up in big cities and how our art has grown because of it. “reflecting upon growing up in new york kinda made me realize how much of an addicting place it is, and how much you can become addicted to the ‘hustle and bustle’ and the style of living,” emma relates. specializing in capturing adolescent culture in a fantastical way through portrait photography, emma has seen it all. “my subjects, my friends and family are more vulnerable with me behind the camera than I would be with a stranger. the reason why i kind of gravitated towards adolescence was first because of the convenience and wanting to preserve my memories of my life, but there are the pros and cons of observing people who are closest to you. people grow up too fast, and i’ve seen a lot of scary things within my friend groups. you know, we’ve all heard stories.” but when it comes to social media emma has less sure footing. as an

artist, she finds critiquing and comparing extremely easy because of Instagram and social media. “i think it’s super, super easy to get caught up and compare myself to others, and I think that’s why I often refrain from posting. it’s the fear of being compared to others and the fear of comparing myself to others and the fear of not being ‘good enough’ or not producing content that’s ‘good enough’. or, being ashamed of my photos and being like, oh shit, ‘like someone’s work is so much better than mine.’ i’m my own worst critic but i’m constantly learning and growing.” don’t worry though, she is on Instagram (and some other very special platforms) and her feed is spectacular. scrolling through emma’s Instagram, which is disguised under the pseudonym YoBabyEm, makes one feel like they’re experiencing the best parts of being a teenager all over again. emma was an angel to hang out with, and i’m so grateful to have humans like her in this industry. find her on social media at @yobabyem

kim a v

jo g a f f n e y

april 2020 photo diary gabrielle

barrera

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m a y a s t e w a r t

what would you do if you weren’t afraid?

(tell me here)