DEAR READERS, So during these past two months, I forgot about why I started this magazine in the first place. It took hiring someone and then firing them only a few days later to realize that this isn’t necessarily for everyone, though I do appreciate the support greatly, but this is for me. April 2009 I started an interview blog on Blogspot called Touched. I wanted to showcase amazing photographers, who either didn’t get enough credit or got what they deserved, but either way they were all amazing. Early January of 2010 I posted my 50th post and my last interview with Jordan Blanchard. Less than two months later, I was thinking about all of the amazing people that I still hadn’t had the chance to show to the rest of the Flickr community, and there came the birth of Racing Minds. Seven issues later, I almost forgot why I started the magazine. Although of course I love getting the already Flickr-famous that might even be successful in real life, what I really loved doing was getting the people that only got a couple of comments on an incredible photograph. Those were the people that I loved to feature, because they didn’t get what they deserved. By now, Racing Minds has stretched far beyond what I ever imaged. Although I appreciate all of the support, submissions, and offers to help, I feel like I don’t need nor want any more help with this. I have a select few friends that I have already trusted far before Racing Minds even started to help me out, but they don’t do anything major. I am the one putting this magazine together, piece by piece. Although I wish I could say I do this in my “free time” I can’t say that, because I do this when I probably should be doing something else. I just love creating this magazine. It’s a part of me now, and this is for me. For. Me. Of course I love getting submissions from people because that makes finding you much easier, but as for job-wise, I’m fine.
Racing Minds is like my child, birthed from my own inspiration and creativity. I don’t know where it will take me, or where it will take itself, but I hope it’s somewhere amazing. Sincerely, Sarah
Photo: Sarah Nieman
CONTRIBUTORS Founder and Editor-In-Chief Sarah Nieman
Managing Editor Rinaldi Djohor
Co-editors
Staff Photographers
Caitlin Angelica Maria Kaffa Whitney Justesen
Caiti Borruso Alex Phillips Jordan Tiberio
Graphic Design
Music
Sarah Nieman
Maria Kaffa
Featured Leah Bernhardt, Karen Castillo, Marielle Chua, Savannah Daras, Bayley Dodd, Sophia Dzikas, Rosa Furneaux, Anna Gutermuth, Eryn Inglis, Franey Miller, Matthieu Soudet, Emily Tebbetts, Nicole Wu
General Information, Submissions, etc: racingminds@yahoo.com
racingminds.tumblr.com
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WHATS INSIDE ________________________________________________________________________
08. Cover: Summer Days 16. Bayley Dodd 22. Close To My Heart 24. Emily Tebbetts 32. White Water 38. Nicole Wu 44. Eryn Inglis 48. Music: Mix Tape 50. Here We Are
58. Savannah Daras 66. Marielle Chua 74. Matthieu Soudet 82. Collapse & Relationships Are Sinking 84. Leah Berndardt 90. Rosa Furneaux 94. School Times
SUMMER DAYS Photographs by Caitlin Borruso
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BAYLEY DODD ______________________________________
14 / Seattle, Washington, US / Photographer The main thing that draws me to film is the complete lack of instant gratification. You press the shutter and the picture is stored on that roll of film inside your camera, a moment that is never going to happen again, and it sits there, waiting. There are so many ways an exposure can become flawed, and yet these flaws, are to me, usually what makes a photograph so beautiful. What you see and what ends up in your hands are generally two different things, and I'm fascinated with the process. Every frame counts, so you need to make sure this scene, this memory, is something you're going to want because even with overexposure or underexposure or light leaks, the picture is still going to mean something to you in the very end and nothing can top the feeling when I flip through my latest roll. http://www.flickr.com/photos/48890433@N06/
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SOPHIA DZIKAS ___________________________________________
Writer
CLOSE TO MY HEART
W
e huddled like birds in a nest in the small closet-like room. Earlier, my Dad had told us we would visit my Grandfather, Nesi, today because he was “feeling well”. However, all 10 of us sat there speechless, not shifting once in what felt like infinity. Finally, my Mom leaned over to me. “Go over and talk to him,” she said, slightly pointing toward the bed. Seeing the worry in her eyes, I slowly rose, trying not to disturb anyone else, and moved to his right side. He took my hand, and I felt his weakened grip. My free hand grasped my locket that was around my neck, as if all of Nesi’s life was filling my heart. He opened his mouth to talk, but struggled. Then, as if his life depended on it, he managed to say “Everything is going to be alright”. The crackling of his voice frightened me. My eyes shifted only to see the glowing monitor with colorful lines in which I did not understand. Heavy tears built up in the crevices of my eye. Was this what was keeping him alive? Pulling my hand away in disbelieve, the tear fell to the floor. “Everything is going to be alright,” echoed over and over in my head. Though I knew this was a lie, I wished more than anything that it would be true. If it had turned out fine, my Grandfather, my Nesi, would had never left. Though, at that moment, I did not expect the worst. With the adjustments done, I still hold Nesi close to my heart. In a locket, that is, holds my last memories of my Nesi, my inspiration, my life.
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EMILY TEBBETTS ______________________________________________
I'm Emily Tebbetts, I just turned 19, I grew up in a town in NJ, near NYC, where I still live, except when I'm at college in Boston. I like learning from other people, exploring, traveling, and changing strangers into friends. http://www.flickr.com/photos/ emilytebbettsphotography/
Racing Minds: When did you start photography? Emily Tebbetts: I've always loved taking photos, ever since I was a little kid. It started with disposable cameras, then evolved to DSLRs and photos of sunsets and flowers and butterflies and other nice things. I got a little more serious a year and a half ago at 17, when I got a Nikon D80 (I now use a D700 though) and started asking my friends to do "photoshoots". Since then, it has completely intertwined with my life. I think in photos, photos make me happy, and photos have connected me to some of the most amazing people and amazing experiences of my life.
RM: Do you think your work possesses a specific style? ET: I guess so! People have told me I do. And I see a style, too, I think. I think that my photos are pretty young and free and spirited. That's what I hope at least! RM: What are three things you couldn’t go a day without? ET: Food, water, and talking to people. I know this is being really literal, but that's all I could honestly think of, haha! RM: Who is your greatest inspiration, for photography or for life in general? ET: This varies a lot for me. One of my earliest inspirations was Nirrimi Hakansan, whose free spirit style really spoke to me. She was one of the first young and talented photographers I found on deviantart, and I loved her photos so much that it inspired me to start taking photos of people. I am currently inspired by SO many amazingly talented young photographers, and in the last couple weeks some big inspirations for me have been Alexis Mire, Mary Robinson, Leila Berney, Bee Elton, and Wendy Liu among so many others. As far as professional influences, I just had the pleasure of meeting Bruno Ripoche, whose manner and photographic style really appealed to me. I absolutely loved his photos. He and his photos reflect kind of photographer I would like to be, and it was really heartening to see someone successful with so much soul and freedom in his photos. What I especially loved was that he brought a small, thick book with him, where he had glued in photos that he had taken in various small sizes. It was so personal and beautiful and it's something that I really want to try to do myself. I think it allows you to see your work in a whole nother way, which I really like. RM: Whats your favorite concept to portray in a photograph? ET: I'm not really sure. It completely depends on my mood, what I've been experiencing lately, or what I've been inspired by. But I always tend to like youth to be an underlying concept :) RM: What are you listening to right now? ET: Alexi Murdoch :) RM: What do you find most challenging when taking a photo? ET: I'm not really sure about this. I think the best way for me to answer is that there are certain types of photos that are harder for me to get right. Wider photos, for instance. It's tough for me to get the image that is in my mind to come out correctly in the camera.
RM: What does your ideal photograph look like? ET: I definitely can't think of one ideal photograph, there are too many different types that I like. Something that really portrays something, like emotion. If it's film, probably a bit grainy, with beautiful light, and probably the whole photo in focus. Something farther away. If it's digital, something clear with gorgeous colors and light, more likely with some yummy bokeh of sorts, probably closer up. But that really doesn't mean much, haha. RM: Whats your favorite memory? ET: I have so many. The beach with my family, fun, ridiculous times with friends when we were young, lots of different days with my boyfriend, and my recent trip to Paris and Belgium :) RM: Do you have a favorite photograph that you have taken? ET: No, I have too many! But I think if I had to pick one, this is definitely one of the top: http://www.flickr.com/photos/emilytebbettsphotography/4 056387231/
RM: How much do you think your photography – and you – has evolved since you started? ET: A lot, definitely. Especially in my use and knowledge of photoshop and the technical aspects of my camera and lenses. But I think I've regressed in ways too. When I started, I had a specific concept, and some of my photos were more conceptual. For awhile, they became 'just pretty photos of pretty girls'. Now, I am trying to find a good balance. My biggest struggle right now, though, is learning how to peacefully merge the spirit and style of my work into what is required of professional work without either one compromising the other. It's really tough for me, but it's essential, and once I've gotten past it, I will have put myself on a whole new level. RM: What do you think has been your greatest achievement, in photography or in life? ET: I think my three proudest acheivements were being selected for and completing the selective photography workshop I did in Paris (go to photographiccommerce.com for more details on the program), having my portfolio selected out of a quarter of a million others as a featured portfolio on carbonmade.com, and a mixture between being honored in the Nonsense Society Hall of Fame for 2009 and later being asked to become an editor/talent scout for the site (nonsensesociety.com). I feel really, really blessed when I think about these types of things and where they have led me so far. I'm really amazed at where life can take you.
WHITE WATER Photographs by Alexandra Phillips
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NICOLE WU ______________________________
15 / Shanghai, China / Photographer My sister, parents, and best friend inspire me to shoot for the stars, and to chase my dreams, no matter what I have to overcome. http://www.flickr.com/photos/36706852@N03/
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ERYN INGLIS _____________________________________
19 / Scotland / Artist I believe imagination allows people to escape, to go anywhere in their wildest dreams, and I have been lucky enough to be able to express my imagination through my art. I am currently working on music inspired illustrations which give me the ability to add a personal touch to universal popular culture. http://discardedjewels.tumblr.com/
Photo: Maria Kaffa
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MUSIC BOX _____________________________________________________________
01. Everything to Nothing- Manchester Orchestra A new discovery of mine, definitely a keeper. Will put everyone in a good mood.
02. Camp Out- An Horse Such a great tune from the indie duo. This goes on your road trip playlist.
03. Sons of Ghosts- Ef They’ve described themselves with three words: emotions, explosions, energy. Nothing more needs to be said.
04. The Widow- As Cities Burn Even if you don’t like this band, you’re in for a treat with this song of theirs. A light yet powerful track for everyone’s tastes.
05. Laughing With A Mouth of Blood- St. Vincent This is definitely one of those few songs you want to wake up to. Sweet sweet sweet!
06. Oh Yes You Won’t- Sneaky Thieves This song is for anyone with a broken heart. Consider this your medicine. It tastes a little bitter but it fixes things.
07. Control- Lionlimb This is what’s missing from your music library – the sweet but surprisingly strong flavor of this song.
08. The Moments In Between- The Reign of Kindo A wonderfully rich-sounding melody that will leave you positively refreshed and uplifted.
09. Before And Again- Akron/Family Let me make this explicitly clear. This song may make you fall in love. Give it a listen.
10. Suicide By Star- God Is an Astronaut Saved the best for last. This majestic soundscape puts every other instrumental out there to shame. Hand on heart, this track is unbelievable from beginning to end.
HERE WE ARE Photographs by Karen Castillo
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SAVANNAH DARAS _______________________________________________
22 / Maine, US / Photographer http://www.flickr.com/photos/savannahlynne/
Describing what photography means to me has always been a loaded topic. What originally sparked my interest in taking photographs was the idea of capturing a moment in time and preserving it indefinitely; stopping time with the click of a shutter, who wouldn't want to be apart of that? At a young age I always had disposable cameras and Polaroids at hand. As I have gotten older the meaning of photography for me has of course changed. I create images in hopes of capturing the natural beauty that every person, object or piece of nature has within.
I create because it is what drives me, what gives my soul that feeling of purpose. Whether or not anyone ever likes what I create is an entirely different topic; I just feel that if I do not create in some way my reason for living is not being used to its full potential. Photography is a means of expression for me as it is for most, but it is also a way for me to capture what I see in others and somehow keep memories alive for longer than they ever could have been.
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MARIELLE CHUA ___________________________________________
17 / California, US / Photographer & Writer http://www.flickr.com/photos/thiselephants/
I take photos because I am terrible at verbal communication, if I can show others what Im seeing in my head maybe I wont have to explain myself to them. It may be a lazy practice but I've been this way since I first figured out that I could speak through the camera. However, there are times where you a photo wont do justice. It gets difficult to show thoughts as a vibrant photograph. This all started with a trip to the store, it started with my brain speaking in bold words during the mundane and routine and it began when I started remembering the words even when I got home. The receipts are a way for me to give the words tangibility, I can feel these receipts and read and remember. Words and photographs have a likeness in that they are both made with intention, they are alike in the way that they have given me a home.
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MATTHIEU SOUDET ___________________________________________________
I'm Matthieu Soudet, I'm 18 years old, I live in France, Normandy... I started photography when I was about 8 years old by shooting landscapes, insects and all that kind of nature stuffs. My dad taught me the basics technics, then I learnt everything by myself. I gave up my studies though I was a really really good student because I was bored. Now I live in Paris and try to pop up as a freelance artist. To me, photography isn't a way to catch the real, it's more a way to use it as a raw material to create. http://www.flickr.com/photos/matthieus/
Why and when did you start photography? I started when I was about 8 year old, when I got my first camera from my parents. At this moment, I guess it was just a way to catch moments I thought too much ephemeral, like encounters with animals in woods or particular lights... I started with nature photography : insects, landscapes, ... It was the last times of silver photography, I began with it. Do you think your work has taken on a specific style? I don't know, I think, or I hope, there's a sort of cohesion in my work whatever I shoot nude, portraits or animals. What is something that no one knows about you? My extrovert hides many things. For example, no one knows that I'm a penguin, and that my species is gonna take the control of the earth. Or more seriously, no one knows (not even me) why I am obsessed with penguins ! Since a few years, I must have drawn ten thousands penguins or more. Most of the time, during classes. My friends know me as "The penguin photographer". Okay, I should stop talking about it now ! (laugh) Where do you want to go with your photography? The first objective is to make money with my passion, at least enough to live. But honestly, I dream of the top even if I'm young and I know I've still many things to learn. Photography is my life, and I'm quite ambitious. But I don't care of being poor, as long as my pictures are good ! Who is your greatest inspiration? Painters, illustrators, cinema, and finally a few photographers. But I'm a big image addict. I need my daily dose and I can spend hours on the internet, on image bookmarking websites, or communities like Flickr. About paint, my favorite artists are Leonardo da Vinci, Gustav Klimt and Egon Schiele. I also like the Rococo period, especially Fragonard. There are many photographers that I admire, but they don't really inspire me : Ellen Von Unwerth for fashion, Rankin for portraits, Vincent Munier for nature, Erwin Olaf for the perfection of his images, Richard Avedon, ... If you could have any superpower, what would it be and why? It could be invisibility, you know, to go wherever you want, whenever you want, to shoot whatever or whoever you want, see without being seen. So your presence don't influence your subjects.
It could also be immortality, because I have too much projects for a normal human life ! What does your ideal photograph look like? If I only knew... I would already have done my best to realize it ! What is one thing you don’t like about your photography? Too much aestheticism in the absence of good concepts. What defines “home” to you? The place where I can be safe, warm, alone, and being myself just for I ! What is the craziest thing you have done to get a picture? Go into a dangerous disused chemical industry and get arrested by the police, my team and I, at the end of the shooting. The pictures were good ! Police thought they have deleted all the images, but I recovered it. What element of a photograph do you think is the most important? The photographer ? Haha. The light and the composition, and the subject, the idea. Actually, a photograph, a good one, is an alchemy of so many stuffs and they're all primordial ! Do you have a favorite photograph that you have taken? If I had to chose, It would be this one : www.flickr.com/photos/matthieus/4000878366/ Because it's the first image I really "built" ! I mean... I had this image in my mind, I thought about it, I made sketches, and I prepared everything to get this image especially. I wanted to start working this way, and I did it for the first time with this image.
What’s one thing you push yourself to do? Not just in photography, but in life. Let the words leave my mind, not only by art, but verbally !
Why do you like photography? What draws you in? Photography is an obviousness to me. Hard to explain, and hard to understand for other people I guess... I just feel it, I can't imagine my life without photography. I love everything in this art !
How much do you think your photography – and you – has evolved since you started? When I began, I was really young, so of course I changed radically since my start. And my photography grew up with me, or I grew up with her. I can see that my pictures are getting better and better in the course of time. Thanks to the photography, I met many people, and I became exactly the person I wanted to be when I was young, shy and ugly!
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ANNA GUTERMUTH _______________________________________________
Writer
COLLAPSE water--ride. there were my body was an amusement park and my ear was a water lines upon lines of angry, disgruntled people because the ride was closed. there were two little children, a girl named marigold and a boy named tiberius, and they knew what was wrong. they knew that i just couldn't do it anymore. the amusement park was shutting down because i was falling, failing because the pain was just too much. "mommy, daddy," they said, "we have to leave. we have to get out of of here." "not now," they said, "we're having too much fun." slowly my body started to shut down as i fell deeper and deeper into the infection: the jumpy castles of my lungs were deflating, the giant slide that used to be my nose started to collapse. in the the amusement park of my youth, i was finished.
RELATIONSHIPS ARE SINKING
i'd like to believe that everything was genuine. that your hand grazed my cheek, fire to ice, and you kissed me before it happened--a sign of true affection, something that's far too foreign for you to comprehend. but that's not how it happened. it was rough and uncomfortable. give and take--but all you wanted was the latter. i'd give you what you wanted; you'd take the satisfaction and everything that mattered to me: my innocence, my childhood, my relationship. everything you had stolen created another invisible bruise. turn me inside out and you'd see the stitches of the pieces that make up my perfectly happy, perfectly stable facade. and what would i gain? a guilty conscience, blame and self-hatred. the voice in my head screaming, "this is all your fault" whenever i happened upon the incident in my memory. i'd wander down the path of victimization, holding a white rose in your honor. the thorns pricked me, the openings bleeding out pieces of me to let in more of you.
i fell in love, and you took the last essential piece of me: my heart. i fell freely into the pain, embracing numbness as your hands spun spider webs around my delicate frame. tightening like a corset, i'd lose my breath at the sight of the masochistic gleam in your eye. and still your webs continued to spin: harder and each time around went faster than the last. i'd like to believe you told me, "hey, i love you too" but wishful thinking often gets a person nowhere. you took and took and took from me, left me gasping for air in your wake. caring was not your forte, and neither was rejection. the silence you left me with scarred more than the forgotten promises you left shattered at my feet. you ran like a coward with your tail tucked between your legs. denial was your ally, and i became
your enemy. i tiptoed around you, walking on glass. we turned our relationship into a game of keep away; you hid your feelings that i so badly wanted to hear. i broke out of your webs, leapt over your broken promises and into a new path: survival. i was done blaming myself and blaming you. you still had my heart and i still had my memory, but you could not take my words. i began to spin circles around you, waiting for you just open your eyes and see me. that, too, was a failed attempt at some sort of recognition. the tables turned. i ran away with my tail between my legs, a sign of my own failure. our relationship lay beside me, crumpled up and tossed away. my tears finally began to fall, one by one, reminding me of another day with you.
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LEAH BERNHARDT _______________________________________________
16 / St. Croix, Virgin Islands, Caribbean / Photographer I want people to realize how beautiful this world is through my photos. Because I think we're all really forgetting. http://www.flickr.com/photos/leah--/
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ROSA FURNEAUX ____________________________________________
18 / Norfolk, UK / Photographer http://www.flickr.com/photos/aida_e/
Wherever it takes me, I hope photography never becomes something I do just to get by. I make art for me and I want that to be the case always, because to create for anyone else makes the finished product, however beautiful, worthless to me. Photography isn’t how I want to make my money; it’s how I want to make my meaning.
I create because it proves there is something unique inside me; something I and I alone can access. It lets me give something back to others, and it makes me valuable as an individual. I create for myself, too. To have a camera in my hand puts me in control and makes me powerful. It lets me release what’s inside me in a positive way. Photography feels as natural as breathing now.
SCHOOL TIMES Photographs by Franey Miller