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Dear readers, ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________
We are now in the start of summer, and many of us cannot be happier. More time for fun and games, more time for the things that we enjoy, whether it be writing, photography, lounging around, or holing up on the computer. I am happy to announce that with summer comes extra issues of Racing Minds. Due to having more time, I will be able to put together two issues each for the months of July and August, so expect another issue after this mid-July. I’m also happy to announce more new additions to the Racing Minds staff! My good friend Caitlin Angelica has agreed to be another co-editor. Also, another friend Jordan Tiberio, has agreed to be a staff photographer. I look forward to working more with those two in the future! They are both great people. Other than that, I hope you enjoy this new issue of Racing Minds! And don’t forget to look out for the second July issue in a few weeks! Sincerely, Sarah
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Contributors ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________
Founder and Editor-In-Chief Sarah Nieman
Co-editors
Staff photographers
Caitlin Angelica Alex Phillips Whitney Justesen
Alex Phillips Jordan Tiberio
Cover Design
Interior Design
Chloe Scheffe
Sarah Nieman
Featured Magazine Edie Magazine
Featured Photographers Martha Alem, Maria Kaffa, Rahee Nerurkar, Ana Santl, Jill Willcott
Contributing Photographers Caitlin Angelica, Valerie Chiang, Rosa Furneaux, Anne Garrity, Jenna Hammond, Richard Hill, Marie Hochhaus, Rachael Hyde, Anna Kansad, Kristi M, Lizzy Newman, Sarah Nieman, Kelly Rosen, Jenn Slade, Leo Tage-Hansen, Laura Thompson, Elisa Tijhof
Feel free to contact us! We’re always looking for more photographers, designers, artists, etcetera. Email all submissions and questions to racingminds@yahoo.com. Writing – fiction, poetry, etc – will also be taken and gladly accepted. Someone will get back to you within two weeks, so always expect a reply. Thank you!
Contest! Submit your photos for a chance to be featured in Racing Minds magazine! The best photos will be chosen for every theme. This month’s theme: Asians! (This is NOT meant to be in any way disrespectful.) Any photos of Asians can be submitted. As long as it fits this theme and is not in any way inappropriate, your photos will be considered for a feature in the next issue. Also, there will be more than one judge, so the decision will not be biased. Good luck! Deadline: July 20th, to be featured in the first august issue.
Rachael Hyde
Contents Pg 12 – Maria Kaffa Feature Photographer Pg 22 – Rahee Nerurkar Interview Photographer Pg 32 – Ana Santl Feature Photographer Pg 42 – Skin Contest Photographs
Pg 52 – Martha Alem Feature Photographer Pg 62 – Edie Magazine Interview Magazine Pg 70 – Red Heads Contest Photographs Pg 80 – Rebirth of Summer Photography by Jordan Tiberio Pg 90 – Jill Willcott Interview Photographer
Maria Kaffa I'm Maria and I'm sixteen, going on seventeen. I was born and raised in Cyprus, an island far away from pretty much everything but I try to create a world that's close enough to where I want to be. I've been dancing since I was four years old, playing volleyball since I was twelve and writing all sorts of fiction ever since I can remember. I took up photography three years ago and I'm madly in love with it. I hope one day I can pursue this as a career. Maria’s Flickr: http://www.flickr.com/photo s/7380465@N04/
Rahee Nerurkar My name is Rahee Nerurkar and I'm 17 years old. Getting ready to start my freshman year of college in August! I am Indian, I am tall, I have crazy hair that used to be crazier, I never wear matching socks, I love the color purple, I laugh too loudly and too much. I want to travel the world. I want to be a pediatrician. And of course, I absolutely love love love photography! Rahee’s Flickr: http://www.flickr.com/ph otos/rahee_nerurkar/
How and when did you get into photography? I became interested in photography during my 8th grade year. It actually started out as a project that was required to graduate middle school. I chose photography... not because it interested me at the time, but because my dad suggested it. I had no intentions of pursuing it after the school year ended. Over the course of the year it grew into a real interest for me. By the time I actually graduated, I was hooked, and photography has steadily become a larger and larger part of my life since then. What about photography, do you think, drew you in? I think the most amazing thing about photography is the ability to show others the beauty that you, as an individual, see in a certain place or object or person. We all see the world through different perspectives, different things hold different significances for us... it's amazing to look at a photo and feel how important the subject is for the person who took the picture, and that's really what continues to draw me into photography to this day. What are three things you couldn’t go a day without? Oh, gosh. Uhhh. Honey Roasted Honey Bunches of Oats. I'm absolutely addicted to that cereal, I have it at least twice, if not three times a day. Music is something I definitely cannot go very long without... it makes me feel so alive! And chapstick. A lot of it. What is one goal that you hope to accomplish through photography? Through my photography, I really just hope to inspire people. Inspire them to express themselves and to see the beauty that lives all around us. Do you hope that you will continue with photography as you grow older? Absolutely! I cannot imagine life without my camera close by. I'm planning on taking a minor in photography or photojournalism in college. I know that it will always, always be a huge part of my life. What do you find the most challenging when taking a photo? For me, its definitely getting the image thats in my head into a photo. I know that a lot of photographers say this is their biggest challenge, but it really is incredibly hard. The journey to getting the perfect photo is an amazing one, but challenging nonetheless.
Besides photography, what else do you do? At the moment, school takes up a lot of my time, so I use most of my free time to take pictures. Other than that, I dance [although I'm absolutely horrible] and I write. What’s your favorite memory? I went to a daycare at the company my dad worked for when I was really young. I could never sleep at naptime, so instead, my dad would come pick me up. We would go for walks in the woods and pick blackberries, and he would take me to his cafeteria and let me eat a brownie. When I was finished, I would pour salt and pepper and ketchup and whatever else was at the table on top of it, and then we would put it on the conveyor belt and watch the expressions of the people inside the kitchen. And on the way back, we fed the goldfish in the pond. I wasn't even in preschool yet but I remember those days as clearly as anything.
Ana Santl Ana Santl. Seventeen. Slovenia is where I come from and Austria is where I am now. I am human. I live. I breathe. I move places. I paint. I draw. I drink water until my stomach drowns in it. I collect sunglasses and believe that they make me invisible. I like the sound of the rain. I sometimes worry, I usually don't. I care. I sometimes sleep. I have so much to tell you but can't find the words. This is why I take pictures. Ana’s Flickr: http://www.flickr.com/photos /ana-ana-ana/
Kristi M
skin
Leo Tage-Hansen
Valerie Chiang
Jenn Slade
Marie Hochhaus
Laura Thompson
Rosa Furneaux
Rosa Furneaux
Martha Alem My name is Martha Alem. It has been since for seventeen years—since I was born and probably till the day I die. I live in a house with too many windows and not enough sunlight, on the green hills of the northwest. I enjoy far too many things, most of which I never have the time for anymore. Photography and I have a love // hate relationship; I am never satisfied with my work but I enjoy the creative aspects of imagining what it can be like. My imagination lets me down most of the time, which makes me want to work harder than ever to master this art in my own way. I like to spend my days reading, and listening // making music. I’m a pop culture fanatic, lover of concerts and big cities, master of procrastination, and I drive my minivan like it’s a mustang. I hope you see something that I don’t in my photographs. Martha’s Flickr: http://www.flickr.com/photos/3849620 9@N04/
Edie Magazine My name is Megan Cooper, I am a 17 year old, avid blogger, full time artist, high-waisted skirt wearing Radio Lab fan. I'm a junior in high school and planning to attend Kansas City Art Institute in the fall of 2011. I am a huge fan of printmaking, folk music, lacy dresses, floral wallpaper, and Doctor Who. I love my family and my dogs. My name is Madeline Walters, but everyone besides my mother calls me Maddie. I don’t own a digital camera, so I collect film cameras instead and take photos with them from time to time. I also read and write a little when the weather calls for it. I’m somewhat of a grammar nazi and enjoy making lists about any and everything. I get a certain kind of high from shopping at thrift book and clothing stores as well as a good batch of brownies. I’m going to Lyon College in the fall to receive a bachelor’s degree in journalism and will then journey to the University of North Texas to receive a masters degree in library science. My two favorite poets are e.e. cummings and Charles Bukowski and I have a profound intolerance for mayonnaise.
Megan Cooper Why did you start the magazine? What is your "job" for the magazine? Originally making a magazine was sort of joke we tossed around, it sounded like a lot of work, and time we didn't really have. But eventually we decided that we were ready to commit to a creative process as tedious as Edie. As far as jobs go, my job consists of all the page layout, and graphic design. I took the cover photos for the first issue, and pestered all of our contributors when they didn't turn things in on time. I also run the email account, which is nice. I love getting to read all the responses Edie has been getting. For the first issue Maddie did almost all of the writing. Since we really didn't have submitters for the first issue, we really didn't have much choice but to do most of it. The second issue is different in that I'm doing more writing, and Maddie took the cover photo. I don't think we'll ever nail down jobs, we'll just both do the same things, and take the best of it. For the first issue we originally weren't going to credit ourselves, but for this issue we definitely are. What is the main goal or purpose of the magazine? What kind of magazine do you want this to be? The main goal of Edie is to inspire and challenge and inform the creativity of readers all over the world. We want to inspire our readers to be creative problem solvers, and we want to fill them to the brim with lovely things. What type of people do you want to have featured in it? We choose contributors who are young, but extremely talented in comparison to people of all ages. We've been trying to choose people who are relatable, but also role models. Do you have a specific feel you want the magazine to have? I want Edie to represent all of the girls who want to balance femininity with strength. We want our readers to draw confidence and creativity from their femininity, no feel that femininity goes hand in hand with being submissive. We think that femininity is just as important as feminism. It is easy to draw strength from femininity, as it is from feminism. Where do you want to go with it from here? Everywhere. I want Edie to go everywhere. I do not anticipate stopping anytime soon. What difficulties have you encountered? What do you find easiest about it? Difficulties probably have come from how different Maddie's and my working styles are, and finding time to get everything done. Especially with how much we have going on, it's hard to find time to work. We also occasionally have arguments over Edie, but I mean it's really shocking how little we've argued about it considering how hard it is to work with your best friend. I think what's easiest about it is the same as what's hardest about it, and that's working with the person you love most. Because sometimes it's easier to get angry at the people you love, but it's also easier to forgive, and be forgiven.
Madeline Walters I already have Megan’s point of view on this, but in your opinion, why did you start the magazine? Honestly, Megan and I got bored last summer and decided to make something that we’d like and maybe other people would enjoy too. What is your "job"? For the most part, I offer Megan organizational and emotional support as well as comic relief and a majority of the writing pieces for the magazine. She’s the director and I’m the tech support. What type of magazine do you want this to be? Good question. Um, I’d have to say I’d like for Edie to be A Thing of Beauty. Google the part I capitalized if you don’t understand what I meant by that. What difficulties have you encountered with the magazine? Creating a magazine isn’t as fun as I would like to say it is. There was an incredible amount of hard work and stress put into our first edition, and I’m so glad to say that the second has been a lot easier on both Megan and I. Most of the difficulties were centered around the fact that we had too much to do in too little time, which is never a fun spot to be in. What is it like working with your best friend? A hell of a lot better than working with someone you aren’t friends with. In all seriousness though, there were several instances during the process of creating Edie that I was so ridiculously happy that I was making such a monster collaboration with someone I love so much because if I had been working with anyone else, not only would Edie not have been birthed, but all would have gone to hell in a hand basket. Please visit their website: http://www.ediemagazine.com/ And their Issuu: http://issuu.com/ediemagazine
Red Heads
Anne Garrity
Richard Hill
Richard Hill
Jenna Hammond
Kelly Rosen
Anna Kansad
Elisa Tijhof
Rebirth Of Summer Photography by Jordan Tiberio
Jill Willcott My name is Jill Willcott, I'm eighteen years old, and have lived in Newfoundland, Canada my entire life. It's cold and the weather sucks most of the time but it's beautiful here so I can't complain. I won't be living here for much longer though - in three months I'll be in Georgia attending Savannah College of Art & Design. I'm way too excited! I'm going there to major in photography and I'm possibly minoring in fashion or some branch of it but I'm not too sure just yet. We'll see what happens :)
Why and when did you start photography? I don't think there was ever a point in time where I was like "ok! today i'm going to try out photography!" haha ever since i was little i've always loved taking photos of my friends and putting them into scrapbooks so i guess eventually i took that and turned it into something more serious. when i realized photography was actually what i wanted to 'do' i was in my last year of high school, so i've been shooting for roughly two years now. How do you think your life would be different if you hadn’t gained an interest in photography? oh lord, my life would be completely different! i can't say i know what i'd be doing if i didn't spark an interest, because how could i ever know that, but it has definitely helped me formate some kind of future plan for myself - one that i'm endlessly excited about (which i think is more than a lot of other people can say about their career choice). i mean, i enjoy it so much and i get to do so many crazy/questionable things with my time and i've met so many amazing people that i wouldn't have otherwise. overall, i think my life would be a lot less exciting without photography. Where do you hope to go from here with your photography? Well, like I said, I'm going to Savannah at the end of the summer where I'm majoring in photography. I don't like to plan too far ahead and set my goals before I can see them, so right now I'm not sure exactly where I want to be, just that I'll be somewhere exciting doing what I love. (I do want to pursue fashion photography though!)
How would you describe your style? I think it depends on my mood. Some days I go for a more high fashion look more posed, more surreal, etc, but most of the times I like to capture people as themselves - simplistic, real, raw. That and the fact that I always use film. I guess that pretty much sums it up :) How would you define photography? Oh that's hard a question haha I guess the thing is, photography is art, and I don't think you can exactly pinpoint it and say "Oh, that's photography!" or "No no, that's not photography, that's just a picture". Everyone has their own opinion on what's 'real' and what's not, but I guess for me it's when someone puts in enough effort and feeling to create a photo - it's more about the thought behind it than the finished result. But that's just me ;) How do you go about planning a photoshoot? How long does a typical photoshoot take? Mmm, depends. Some shoots are very planned out - days, weeks, months ahead until I actually get around to getting all the props/people/weather haha but some are completely spur of the moment. Typically shoots take about a few hours, give or take.
What do you find most challenging when taking a photo? THE WEATHER!!!! hahaha the weather is so freaking unpredictable here that it's almost impossible to plan a shoot for a specific day. It's either rainy or foggy about 80% of the week, and the other 20%, I'm probably working haha. Most of the shoots I plan involve sunlight which is why I was so bad at my 365 - we kept having to wait for the right day. Waking up to sunlight in Savannah everyday is going to be BEAUTIFUL! ;)
Do you have a favorite photograph that you have taken? I don't have a favorite photograph, but I do have a favorite roll! The first real roll I ever shot. I didn't even really know how to use the camera and I wasn't expecting them to really come out, so when they did it was such an accomplishment! They're very summery and soft and it's the place me and Catherine went back to to shoot our 365 :)
How much do you think your photography – and you – has evolved since you started? Haha, well seeing as I started out taking photos of food, my dog, and my shoes, I would say I've evolved quite a bit :p My 365 definitely pushed me to keep at it and it made a huge difference. And having a model who enjoys it just as much as I do and was willing to go out every day was amazing. I wouldn't be where I am today without Catherine, no way no how! :) What do you think has been your greatest achievement, in photography or in life? Hmm, probably getting to the point where I actually feel like I can make a career out of it. When I first decided that I wanted to pursue photography I didn't really know what I was at. I mean, it was a cute idea but I never really had a plan. I feel like my goal is finally in reach.