The original concept for this piece was published several years ago. It was a brand collaboration I shot between Wrangler Jeans and the John B Stetson Hat Company. While it’s not exactly ancient history, the experience of creating and sharing content was different at the time. In retrospect, the social media landscape of only a few years ago feels like an old neighborhood hidden in the perpetual urban sprawl of short-form content and marketing strategy. It’s still out there, and though quiet beauty doesn’t always cut through the mix, we still need it. Authenticity will always have a place, and minimalism will always be an inspiring form. At the time this set was created, there was an interesting brand of hope, excitement, motivation and a sense of curiosity for the future of what these platforms had to offer. I believe it still exists today, even if we have to slow down a bit to appreciate it. In any case, this post is just a momentary reflection, or even a self reminder, of where this movement began – days when we all envisioned something inspiring for the networks that brought us all together.

Personally, I enjoy the new momentum, even if it means wading through some degree of unavoidable over-saturation. I also acknowledge that the past always seems a little sweeter, whether it actually was or not. I do hope prominent social media platforms try to stay true to the mission of expression and human connection in the long run, but there are already silver linings we often overlook. The current state of social media has created an environment in which smaller communities and subcultures are beginning to branch off and thrive. It’s also deconstructed the binary between those with massive audiences and those without. This piece was originally created during a time when companies still believed an artist’s follower count was a direct reflection of their value and ability. To brands, the count was a sign that content creators had been publicly vetted as a great choice. Over time, industries came to realize that numbers were not a direct indication of an artist’s ability to conduct business or deliver quality work. Today, I know photographers with huge audiences who aren’t highly involved in the business side of things and others with no notable social media presence working on large campaigns for interesting brands. Change is rapid. The pace challenges me. It’s forced me to become a better artist. But for nostalgia sake, I’ve repackaged this shoot into a retrospective view of a time that was special to so many of us.

I’ve removed all the quotes and writing originally published with this set of images. It was a fashion shoot. A good one, but essentially pretty pictures of interesting people on a beautiful backdrop. Minimalism and form. Things have changed, but I still aim for this level of beauty and simplicity in my work today. This one set a high bar for me in terms of how pure, potent, and visually inspiring my experience as a photographer could be. There’s nothing mind blowing or revolutionary about it. I just enjoy the quiet minimalism, colors and natural beauty. At the time, there was no reason to engineer it for anything more, and if we were to zoom out, I think the same would be true even today.