ryuudancosplay

[mushramoo]

doodle I did between comms of my two baby girls 🥰

[courage-a-word-of-justice]

Cardcaptor Sakura: Clear Card-hen 1 | Gakuen Babysitters 1 | Idolish7 3 | Zoku Touken Ranbu Hanamaru 1 | Karakai Jouzu no Takagi-san 1 | Miira no Kaikata 1 | Death March 1

The debuts for the winter season keep coming, but we’re almost at the end of them with this post.

Cardcaptor Sakura: Clear Card 1

Note I don’t have any prior experience with Cardcaptor Sakura aside from 1 volume of manga and watching the show in passing while other people were watching it, plus knowing about a few spoilers and the show’s reputation as a seminal magical show show…then in more recent days, I finished 2 episodes of it (in fact as of the day I’m typing this, I finished episide 2 today!).

This OP makes Sakura look like later-stage Sailor Moon, and I think that’s the point.

Where did the bear in Syaoran’s hand go when Sakura hugged him?

Eriol! I don’t really know much about him, and I knew I should’ve known about him before starting this, but…it was a bit of a shock to see a character I technically haven’t seen the debut of with my own eyes.

I get the feeling these are the “two bears” from the prologue OVA…

Emails! In the world of Cardcaptor Sakura! Wow, I feel old…and I didn’t even grow up with her.

Hot dang! Gimme dat bishie (Yue)! I knew he was coming, but…I still don’t really know how he came to be!

Wow, this Yamazaki kid spouts such rubbish! I’m looking forward to seeing him in the main series now.

It’s pretty obvious I need to watch the original before understanding this fully, so I’m putting it on hold.

Gakuen Babysitters 1

I’m here for my Ume and Nishiyama. I’m not particularly good at dealing with kids, especially younger kids, but this doesn’t make me run for the hills either.

Ryuichi involves the kanji for “dragon” and Kotaro has the kanji for “tiger”.

That man with the hat is so not sketchy…

I’ve never heard of NAS before (but I have heard of NAZ through Idolish7).

That joke Saikawa told actually worked! These shows may all be middling this winter, but I’d be happy with even some of them on my docket. I’ve been pleasantly surprised more often than not that I haven’t found “stinker of the season” yet.

The comedy for this show’s really on point, although the overall design is a tad lackluster.

K-Kamitani?! Apparently Ume-chan’s character is Hayato Kamitani, so that’s how Ume got involved, so to speak. This sudden intro of 4 kids works on a story scale, but not in a way any person can process without pausing the video (or getting individual intros later).

Well, there are those individual intros I was asking for. Spoke too soon.

It’s actually kinda sad and quite telling how independent Kotaro is. (I still find it extremely hilarous Nishiyama – whose first name is Kotaro - didn’t voice Kotaro, although from a practical standpoint I understand why.)

Usaida has such bedroom eyes, it’s hard to ignore (because they make him look like En)! Dangit, I want my En back!

This brings back memories. My mum used to deal with kids all the time, and of course I was in the background for some of the shenanigans.

Dragon puppet symbolism, eh? (see the dotpoint a bit back about Ryuichi’s name)

As soon as this guy (who kinda looks like something out of Haikyuu) started demanding Taka come with him, I screamed. That character doesn’t seem very Ume, but…uh, it’s Ume. Gotta deal with it. Now that I listen to their voices properly though, Ume does have a “big bro” voice and Nishiyama a “earnest young man” voice.

Oh dear. Taka’s imprinted on me already, and I don’t even like boys that age.

I haven’t felt a genuine sense of danger from any of these winter shows until this one, so it seems like it’s one of the strongest debuts. Then again, CCS was my frontrunner before this and YuruCamp the second best, so I guess I can’t talk, eh?

Gah, I feel like I wanna cry now. That is a strong premiere!

I have a real problem with how anime tears come out in globs. Then again, I’m too much of a crybaby, as my notes can attest…so I guess no arguing here.

Should it be “Chairman” or “Chairwoman”???

Tsundere grandma. Now there’s something I thought I’d never think in my life…

Oh, I didn’t realise earlier but Taka = “hawk” and Hayato = “falcon man”. Animal jingoism at its finest!

Whoo, that was a real nice debut. I thought I was too old for this stuff, but it’s a keeper!

Idolish7 3

It’s a good thing I chose to cover episodes 1 – 2 so I won’t have to do them now.

I didn’t notice Nagi getting all huggy there with everyone in range (the first time, at least).

In case you don’t know from all the other idol shows, the centre is the one in centre stage. They’re often seen as the leader, so it’s a very important position.

This song can’t be anything but Monster Generation! Woohoo!

Wow, I haven’t seen one of those “watch from a distance” things in a while. Makes me nostalgic.

“Ichi” would probably refer to Iori, right? (He has the kanji for “one” in his name.)

Wowee, Nagi’s entendre…is really thick. Like pudding.

I agree, brothers can be so strange…

“…spoil me sometimes.” - Laying on the entendre thicker than custard here, Iori!

These boys are so into their Magical Kokona. I want in now.

Tamaki really is an En-chan…En-chan! Come back! (But why does Tamaki have no socks???)

These ED outfits are so elaborate! Ooh! Imagine a gender-swapped cosplay of them, that’s be great!

Who’s that on the edge of the ED video though? (You can see something hopping up and down.)

Zoku Touken Ranbu Hanamaru 1

Can we please just call this “Hanamaru 2” like Crunchyroll? “Zoku” just refers to a continuation…anyways, I got Hanamaru season 1 done last year while dealing with Katsugeki, so…here I come, sword boys!

Didn’t Hanamaru get a dub, by the way? Why would you dub this? For me to criticise it? The Touken Ranbu fanbase is kinda small…

W-Wait, did they just write Yams out of this season? Yams is the protag (if not a protag) here! What did Ichiki do now to deserve this???

It was getting too hard to jump through the proxies to play Touken Ranbu as of late, so I deleted my DMM account. Even still, the sword boys have multiplied since I left! Yikes!

Wow, unexpected 1st person bit there, Kashuu/Masuda. I thought I told the industry to stop doing that…

Exposition wave…I don’t need this wave, but I guess anime-only fans might. Carry on, Heshikiri.

So this multiple Konnosuke thing wasn’t a Katsugeki-only gag? Oh dear, my head’s spinning…

I don’t think I noticed, but Kashuu uses a brush (and not a specialty brush provided in the lid of nail polish). Probably because in Touken Ranbu, plastic isn’t much of a concept…

I still appreciate how Kashuu was this Saniwa’s starter. Makes me feel warm and fuzzy for my own TR days…

Photos are a nice way to recap. After all, 1 picture speaks 1000 words.

Wow, Shishiou’s a real chibi compared to these tachi. But Shishiou’s a tachi too…

Dang, I’m jealous. These bros were around when I was a TR player, and I missed ‘em! Dang Kebishii drops!

So that thing really is a nue. I could never see it on Shishiou’s card, y’know.

Hmm…considering the bros are new swords, the Saniwa’s strategy is to level up them up using the younger bro as leader (remember, the leader gets more experience). I see…

A “pincer attack” is a V shape, so the description fits the Crane Wings formation…

I can’t say I wasn’t impressed by Akashi just then. Come to think of it, he didn’t have any battles in Hanamaru’s 1st season.

A double attack suits a pair like this, of course!

Oh my gosh, they even got two dfferent voice actors for the Konnosukes! LOL!

Hanamaru’s EDs kept changing and it seems like they’ll continue to change, eh? This one looks quite spiffy.

The style of this ED doesn’t look like Hanamaru at all. It was probably done by the original illustrator for the swords.

It’s a great return to form for Hanamaru! I’m sold!

Karakai Jouzu no Takagi-san 1

Another day, another long title…plus this show I would’ve passed on, if not for that resolution…

Michiko Yokote is on a lot of shows I watch. I don’t really know what her influence is, but it seems she’s genuinely competent at what she does.

So…uh, Gendo pose anyone?

I think the teacher is the best part of this. I’ve been a bit of Tonari no Seki-kun, and the pull of that is the sheer ludicrousness of what Seki does with his stuff. However, there didn’t seem to be any intervention aside from Yokoi (I think that was her name)…

Nishikata’s reactions are just way too easy to read…

Well, that was okay, but it’s definitely a show to binge all at once. On to the “on hold” pile it goes.

Wait, but they missed a segment (the 100 yen segment). Gotta skip forward…

I didn’t get any laughs out of that show at all, but it’s still a decent school SoL.

How to Keep a Mummy 1

I have absolutely no experience with this manga, mind you…aside from seeing this tiny mummy on Comico…

Wow, if the mummy can fit in his shoe…how big is it?

The translation of “ready” is surprisingly ganbaru, and there’s a “but” mentioned in the Japanese title missing from the English. Also, “ready” has sexual connotations I’d rather not pair with a tiny mummy…I’d say the translation of the episode title should be something more along the lines of “White, Round, Small, Very Wimpy But [Also] Tries Its Hardest” (“It” being the mummy and not Pennywise…).

Is Dracula even public domain right now? (Does anyone care about the intellectual property of a classic vampire novel anyway? Because I sure don’t.)

Can we please start making jokes about how Sora’s daddy got him a mummy? It may seem childish, but I’m tempted to now.

This mummy is so adorable, I think it even beat out the kids from Gakuen Babysitters! Geesh, I’m spoilt this season! It completely set off my moe senses, and I don’t even have any!

It imprinted on him! Oh wow!

The mummy doesn’t even have a mouth…how can it spit things-oh wait. That’s the joke, isn’t it?

Come to think of it, crybaby characters ae few and far between. However, between this and Devilman…er, Crybaby…they’ve suddenly become popular…I guess?

It’s like a harem, only it’s between a dog and a mummy. Why I never…

One of the best things about anime is that you can learn about other cultures through the things included offhandedly…like that molokhiya thing that Sora mentioned. Apparently it’s a Jewish vegetable of some sort.

Do mummies get jet lag too? I was just thinking how Comico stories, with their full colour and yet simple design (to allow for downward scrolling and intake by the eyes) are perfect for anime.

I listened to the show with volume for once…because Tazuki seems to be the guy voiced by Keisuke Koumoto…and I think I was on the money there. Plus, Sora’s VA really sells the delivery of jokes (although he seems to be voiced by a woman…?)!

Yamanba…like Yamanbagiri’s namesake. The mountain hag, right?

Yep, I was right on the money with Tazuki being Koumoto. Kamitani Tazuki, it seems his name is…

This dance ending’s kind of cute, too. It’s a keeper!

Death March 1

(looks at title just above this dotpoint) C’mon. There’s no way I’m going to repeat “Death March to the Parallel World Rhapsody” over and over again for at least 11 or 12 episodes…by the way, I’m here because I was reading a KonoSuba novel and saw an ad for this, just in time for the anime…

“SADA”, my butt…

I love how they almost replicated Windows 8 in this show. Or is it 7, or 10? They don’t show the taskbar, which is the main visual difference between 8 and 10, but either way the Windows replication without being sued is really something…

This OP’s gonna make me dizzy someday…

Classes, eh? So that means Suzuki’s working with an OOP language. Plus you can see Cortana on the computer as the mention of classes goes by, meaning that person’s on Windows 10.

UML.

By the way, Satou is a fairly common name in Japan…at least to my knowledge. But Suzuki is a pretty common one, too, hence the mistake.

The client? Unless Suzuki is referring to the client as in the program, it could also mean the client as in the person/group who wants the game made. Considering what he says though involving a call, it’s probably the latter.

That’s the second show with a lost kid in the first episode. It seems a bit trite, don’tcha think?

According to his phone map (flip phone!), he’s in Akihabara.

FFL…eh? Google says there are multiple Final Fantasy games for Android, meaning I’ve probably thinking of Fire Emblem Fates (which doesn’t match), and there’s no such thing as Final Fantasy 50 (L in Roman numerals) yet.

That’s the second time they mentioned work/daily life being a death march. Can we not???

Come to think of it, Suzuki looks like Nobuaki (King’s Game), which doesn’t bode well for either show.

Apparently you can get Facebook Messenger for Windows 10, which I didn’t know…

“…being a corporate slave.”

C’mon! This ain’t the Animatrix, but still, if you’re trying to make stuff look technological, at least make it look a bit better.

Third time they’ve mentioned “death march”.

It might just be Houseki no Kuni’s fault, but this CGI is really janky.

Welllll…at least it looks like a game.

Welllllllll…at least they knew where to put their money for some sakuga…

This running through fields scene is either a homage to Every Anime Opening ever, or Pokémon. I distinctly remember it being in Emerald’s opening animation, at least.

Dude, if you want to look for a wyvern, do it from the ground where you won’t get injured, dumb Satoo.

Does this look a lot like Berserk (2016) with all its CGI knights…or is that just me?

Zena…? I might be showing how old I am with this (or how much I scour the internet), but…by any chance, do you mean this gal instead?

I think I’ve had enough of this flip for now, so I’m putting it on hold.

[crystalwitch-in-the-tardis]

Crocodile Spirit Guide

The wonderful @clairvoyantclove did a reading for me the other day from their Animal Messages Oracle Deck and it was a very intense message and lesson that I am trying to integrate within myself currently. 

Crocodile said this:

The alchemy of energy teaches that death will always yield new life (He side eyes me, raises his chin, and begins to speak) Child you heal. That’s noble. But you can’t heal all things. That’s just not natural. You can’t heal yourself if you’re too stressed to relax. You can’t heal a patient who won’t accept your energy. And you can’t heal death. Death is a beast of its own accord; its own construct if you will. Some can assist with death by making the final blow, or helping the spirit continue it’s travels, but that’s not really your style. Nevertheless you have to accept it. Let it grow in your womb and realize without it, you wouldn’t be alive. You’d have nothing to heal. You’d have no drive to be as far as you are, and you’d never successfully get anywhere. Because, my dear, death is the final destination. And no matter how long you ride that train, it’s going to stop somewhere.I thank crocodile, he lowers his head, blinks, and slides away. 

In the moment of this reading it hit me so hard I knew this was something I had been avoiding, a lesson that had been trying to open me up for the past year. I have pulled the death card more the past year that I every have in the 5(?) years of doing tarot; the day of this reading my daily card was Death. I have also been surrounded by family and animal deaths this year. Loosing loved ones in close succession. Also the clients I’ve encountered the past year have challenged me as a healer and a person and there is a lesson within this that directly relates to at least one client in my life right now. 

Yesterday I meant to meditate on Crocodile and their message but I was exhausted from my long weekend and like they said, I can’t heal myself if I’m stressed out. So I chose to relax and veg out instead of straining myself to contact a spirit. 

But to begin to integrate Crocodile’s lesson and message I set up this grid/offering to Crocodile in the hopes they would help me with this. I set out my Death card (from the Shadowscapes Tarot deck), My special quartz points, a feather (it seemed right and I thought it would help speed the wind to bring this to Crocodile and him to me), and my tumbled piece of Crocodile Jasper. 

I knew I needed to meditate on this message today and see if I could contact Crocodile spirit. I decided to go outside and lay in my hammock which is like a cocoon because its one of those ENO parachute hammocks for two people.  I set up my crystal circle that I use whenever I do work where I ask spirits to come visit then got in the hammock and lay down. I took the Crocodile Jasper that I had put out with this little offering/grid and placed it on my third eye. I could not get into trance very well at first so I decided to try to go visit my astral home I had created last year. I’ve only visited it in my imagination as nothing is actually solid I’m just like, this is here, this is what it looks like, lol! It took me a few tries to get through the door, but I just focused on the stained glass moon phases panel set at the top of the door, pushed, and went inside. Once inside I saw how dusty and in disarray everything was. I felt really bad about not having taken better care of my astral home and plan to try to do more astral home visits (Which might actually help me get there in truth). I went to my, poor, giant quartz cluster on the wall and polished it till it was shiny and no longer covered in dust and spider webs (also in real life the spiders would not leave me alone at this point). I got things somewhat in order, then went and built a fire in the fire place.

Crocodile came to me out of the caves that lead off out of my cave/house and into different areas of the mountains my cave is in (I’ve not explored these yet and plan to, but the main thing is they lead off into different areas of astral or into myself).  He lead me down one and we were in a dark area, I did not see anything I felt damp darkness around me and it smelled of wet earth. I felt him start to circle me. He probed me a couple times with his head then he opened his mouth wide. I was kind of scared but kept telling my self this lesson is about death and you need to learn it. Just stay calm.

He breathed into my ear and then his mouth was around my head, crushing me. I didn’t feel pain so much as pressure and suffocation. He crushed harder with his mouth and my head started to turn inwards and my chin was touching my left shoulder. My body was getting crushed and turned in towards the left side and all the sudden I thought, this lesson is about W (my client who’s symptoms have made her body in the exact shape he is crushing me into). The pressure released and I could straighten up again. I sensed him saying, Yes. You can not do anything about death. You must learn to let go. Death is Death and you cannot stop it. You can ease the pain along the way but there is nothing you can do about the final destination.

I felt him move towards my side as I lay on the ground and then all the sudden his head went into my abdomen, right below the solar plexus area, but above the naval. He clawed his way inside me and before I could even move I saw his hind legs and tail scrabble through and he was filling me. (I had placed the crocodile jasper on my third eye and I felt part of him go into it , while still making himself small and filling me ). After a while I became a crocodile, I felt my tail whip and felt myself claw my way along a river bank, a heavy tread, feet sucking into and out of mud, belly muddy being pulled along the river’s edge. 

Something grabbed my leg and I jumped so hard that I startled myself back in to my physical body.  It took a few moments and then was able to get back into a trance and I was the crocodile again but I was fatally hurt. My whole left leg had been torn away. Up to part of my left hip and a big chunk had been taken out of my tail as well. I don’t know what did it. I assume another crocodile. As I lay there, I tried to drag my body away from the river. Eventually it was too much weight and I lay there, numb and in pain, my left lower body in tatters. I was still alive when the other crocodiles found me. They tore me apart. Ripping and rending flesh, legs were pulled apart from my body, head was broken from neck; they totally consumed me. As they did I felt a darkness come over me and Crocodile was there again. He said, life is death and death is life. It is a cycle you cannot escape from but you can find peace in embracing it. 

He let me drift back into my body and he seems to be hanging out near my crocodile jasper. I think he will be here if I need him or I need a reminder.

Overall I feel kind of numb and drifty, like I’ve been in the ocean too long and the water has washed me away. But I also feel at peace. My solar plexus and left hip are a little sore. And I think this is going to be a long lesson. 

I have since done some research on Crocodile as a spirit guide and this experience seems to connect with a lot of beliefs held around Crocodile. Some of the interesting things (to me) are:

Look for an opportunity to ingest new knowledge and wisdom. This totem animal contains all the unbridled creative forces of the world and the fury and ferocity of Primal Energies. It is the keeper and protector of all knowledge. Know that this is the beginning of a new period of growth and regeneration. Use breathing techniques to keep yourself balanced during this time of change and give yourself time to integrate all of the changes you are making in your life. Patience is key at the moment. x.

and

Alligator/Crocodile’s medicine includes maternal protection, primal energies, connection to mother earth, protection from manipulation, understanding deceit, revenge through patience, initiation, understanding weather, access to ancient knowledge, power to survive.

The Alligator/Crocodile has inhabited earth for millions of years. They bare the unstoppable, untameable creative forces of All That Is, the force and fury of primal energies. They symbolise creation and destruction and are the keepers and protectors of all knowledge. In many a myth and legend crocs/alligators are known as the keepers of ancient wisdom. When one of these creatures enters your life, look for an opportunity to touch very primal energies. There will be an opportunity for new knowledge and wisdom.

Concealing themselves in mud and water, the alligator/crocodile will wait patiently for unsuspecting prey to come by and quickly snap it up! They eat any animal they can get their snappers on, and if unable to swallow it whole, will tear it into bite size pieces. YUM! In spite of this, they don’t eat unnecessarily. Waste is not a part of their medicine.

The alligators/crocodiles eyes located high upon their heads, giving them the ability to stay pretty much hidden below water yet still see above it. Symbolically this suggests clairvoyant abilities. From these creatures we can learn how to be patient and appropriate timing, for the alligator/croc knows when to hide below the water, when to peak above it, or take action and snap.

Concealing themselves in the water links the croc/alligator to the emotional body of man. They contain the lesson of discovering and letting go of emotions hidden below the surface. In the wet season when water is high, the alligators/crocodiles dig deep burrows that in the dry season are wet alcoves to which they retreat. As well as this, the alcoves act as reservoirs from which other animals drink. Water is the giver, the blood, the nectar of life, and though the alligator/crocodiles may be regarded as fearless and fierce by most, the sharing of these reservoirs shows that the alligator/croc respect all life forms. x.

I will be working more with Crocodile in the future.

[sosico]

Favorite Flicks of 2017

Like the previous year, looking back on 2017 through the camera lens, here are 12 of my favorite photos that I shot this past year - my favorite of each month - and the stories behind them. Enjoy...

Polaroid Test Shots  -  January 16

As far as my own photography work goes, 2017 was a slower year for me than I had hoped for. I shot a lot for clients, brands, and SOSICO. - more than I did for myself, but that's what you gotta do to pay the bills I guess. This will be the over-arching theme of the year and all of these posts, so get used to it...

Anyways, I started the year with a brand new polaroid camera that I received as a Christmas gift. This is a photo of the first photo that I shot on it -  a test shot selfie in a mirror in my basement with Allen lurking in the background. Classy.

Blank Face  -  February 12

It was snowing. It was cold as fuck. We sent it to Providence to try to shoot some content for the recent line, "Criminals Painted in a Bad Light". The "Blank Face Ski Mask" was the highlight of the line for me because of how dope it was to photograph, especially still coming off of a recent obsession with the (highly underrated in my opinion) Blank Face LP by ScHoolboy Q.

Alex and I sent it through the mall and to the other side of the parking garage to a pretty frequented photography location. This staircase has bright blue painted handrails and is incased in triangular shaped floor to ceiling windows that allow for tons of natural light. Because of the weather that day, the muted tones worked to almost "sterilize" the photograph and allowed the cyan criss-crossed handrails to pop out in the foreground while the S's logo dead center on the forehead of the ski mask stood in focus.

Blurred Vision  -  March 9

From a random shoot with Matt, Ricky and Johnny. We kept it pretty local on this one due to the weather finally breaking and warming up a little bit. I had envisioned this concept a while back and having my tripod with me, was finally able to execute.

While having the subject stand completely still, they would then move their head around rapidly while taking a long exposure - being sure not to move any other part of their body. If it all works out correctly, everything will be still and sharp, while their head and face become a complete blur.

Never stop experimenting with your art. Always try new techniques and new ideas. Don't get boring.

Beauty in the struggle  -  April 9

In the childhood home of Brodie Fresh in Elmont, NY.

This was my first time eating Jamaican food from Jamaican Flavors in Queens. This short trip was also my first time going to Philly. A couple firsts here. Things were good. Things were happy here. There was a lot of shit going on, on both of our plates, but we were making due with it all and at the end of the day we were both happy. It might look bad on the surface, and although shit sucked (underlying), it's never all bad.

I think that the struggles of life can simplify things sometimes.

Escape  -  May 30

Sometimes creating art for no reason is reason enough. Took some much needed time to wander around the coast that day with Alex, Will and Brodie. I had been working on a lot of different things lately, one in particular was planning for the store that we were about to open a couple months later.

This shot feels so West Coast to me. Like a warm Californian day looking out at a beach from the vantage point of an ocean cliff adorned with sweet flowers. It's not though, and that's why I think I like it so much. It was Rhode Island in late May. Warm enough, but still very overcast and the least bit tropical. Perspective is all it takes to let your mind roam.

Reserva Florestal de Recreio do Monte do Brasil, Terceira Isl. Açores  -  June 26

Looking over the West side of Angra do Heroísmo from the crater of the Reserva Florestal de Recreio do Monte Brasil. After a long hike to the top of 1 of the 4 peaks of a crater, Ricky & I hiked down into the middle & then back up the other side to the Southernmost point of this peninsula that juts out in front of the city of Angra. This photo is shot from just above the crater. As we continued, we were surrounded by nothing but rolling hills and the sights of trees & flowers with the city in view between the peaks in the distance.

Beautiful Abyss  -  July 1

Sitting on a whale watching boat in international waters off of the coast of the Island of Terceira. Out in the distance there was this one, singular low hanging thick puffy cloud gliding just above the calm sea. With nothing else in site or surrounding it, it felt so vast and empty - limitless like an abyss - but beautiful in the simplicity of it all.

Jamiacan Rain  -  August 19

Hot, humid, tropical rainy showers in Lucea, Jamaica. From the entrance to our hotel we could look out past the lush flowers and palm trees to the bright blue Caribbean ocean.

After I shot this photo, one of the gardeners at the resort insisted on taking a photo of us. He then asked us if we had ever had a fresh coconut before, to which we replied no. He asked us for our room number and told us he'd be by in 5 minutes.

There was a knock at the door shortly after. I opened it and he was standing there with makeshift water bottle vase filled with fresh flowers he'd picked from the gardens (for Bethanie), and a coconut the size of our heads with a small hole hacked in the top. I drank the fresh coconut water & instantly started speaking creole...

Swisher Sweet  -  September 30

September was lame, but I did get to shoot for Swisher Sweet. I also don't own the rights to this photo anymore, but I'm posting it here anyways.

of us  -  October 19

In early 2015 I founded a second clothing brand in the form of a creative outlet; OF US. The name is rooted from a mix of prefixes such as “de”, which translates to “of” in most latin based languages. My family name, Deus, is of Portuguese origin and translates to God. When broken in half, it becomes, “De-Us”, (how it is pronounced) or essentially, “Of-Us”. The OF US brand is the unofficial sister brand to SOSIC. and represents the creative balance between the two. Its backwards nature and concept deems it solely exclusive to the individuals behind and around it. It is created OF US and exclusively FOR US. In recent years, I have produced very small, limited runs of clothing under this moniker. If you asked me about it or what it was, I probably told you it was some shirt I bought in New York. This brand is more personal; an extended look into my conscious and subconscious. Do not expect it and do not try to understand it. It is of God; with contrasting beauty and fear. It is fleeting - here today and gone tomorrow. It is of ambiguity; bearing marvel and curiosity. It is release, to maintain balance in juncture. It is undivided, sole and unique among the masses. It is OF US & FOR US. Losers Never Win.

Dirty Mirrors  -  November 15

On a whim, we shot these looks for the "Dirty Mirrors" single promo content one night in the basement of the shop. We dragged these huge 4x8 foot mirrors down the stairs, and in the process fucked a lot of shit up. There were pieces of broken glass everything and Vincent sliced his hand open really good - to the point where he turned pale white and almost passed out from the blood. It was sick.

After a slight recovery, we positioned the mirrors into a pentagon shape with them all facing in towards each other and had Matt and Vincent sit inside one by one. We shut the lights off, and with an iPhone flashlight in one hand, and my camera in the other I proceeded to lean in over the mirrors from the outside and shoot away blindly.

The best part of this is how fluid and experimental it was. We just went for it and it worked and that's always the best. There was very little done in post which is always super cool too. This shot also reminds me a lot of some shit that The Weeknd would put out for content a while ago, back when he dropped House of Balloons and The Trilogy.

As it all unfolds -  December

I couldn't pick just one. I did this the previous year.

December was one of the better months for photography and even in general. So many cool things came from it. So much progress. Myself and all of my friends doing great things. It seems like things are finally unfolding and shit is gaining traction. We're starting to figure it all out.

UNTLD. launched their first single & I shot this crazy as photo of them for their profiles. I wish I had photos of the setup we shot this with lol - it literally looked like a big fucking disaster. We cleared out a corner of our soon to be photo studio room and shut the lights off in the shop right during the middle of the day. I rigged up a desk lamp on the floor, and rested a taller lamp down on a pillow on each side to try to diffuse the hard shadows behind them cast on the white wall. It looked like a mess. Each portrait of Matt & Vincent was shot separately and then brought together in post production with a good amount of editing to get it all to fit right. It was the first time I did anything like this, and I'm proud of it. Thoroughly.

A week after that I shot with Spocka. He needed some new general promo content. No set direction, just content. We drove around brainstorming and shooting random shit. After a while I got sick of how boring and overdone everything was coming out. The solution - "Bro, your hair!" "What?" "Everyone knows you by your hair 'cus you've got these really long dope dreads." In my head I was thinking of some crazy ass Busta Rhymes styled video angles so I just sat down and shot up with Spocka looking directly over the camera.

Later that same day, I shot more content for UNTLD. again. Walking into the location was like walking into the past. It had this old vintage feel, it was perfect. 100% plan on shooting there again soon. Hmu.

Elmont, NY. Brodie Fresh. Directed by Fred Focus. Lamborghini with the top down in the Winter. Enough said.

And finally - the first SOSICO. tattoo. Yes it's real. Yes, that's how we're really setting the tone for 2018. Get ready.

It's done, 2017 is a wrap and I'm so much more excited for 2018 than I've been for any other year. This past year felt like a dud, but I did a lot of learning. There were a lot of experiences and it helped me start to get my shit together - and so much more than I could ever explain in a blog, and so much in store for the coming year. I even have a list of resolutions. Is this what growing up feels like? Am I "adulting" now, finally, at a fresh twenty three years of age?

Things feel like they're coming together. I've been connecting the dots. I'm not worried about or focused on things I once was, it's past me, and moving on and focusing on the bigger picture has become the new trend I feel I'm on.

Photography is a direct reflection of one's self, and if you have a camera in your hands most of the places you go it will embody that. You allow people to see your point of view, literally. With that said, by the next time I'm sitting down to create my list of "Favorite Flicks of 2018", it will be from a much different perspective that I can't wait to share with you all.

Peace + Happiness

- Zack