All posts tagged: photography

Confessions of a Jetsetter w/ Erick Hercules

Published by Confessions of a Jetsetter

“I’ve had the battle between stillness and chaos be primary subjects in my head – artistically speaking – even before I learned to distinguish them both apart in my photographs. Growing up, I was always drawn to images that depicted still backgrounds combined with a subject “on the move”. Stills with people running, looking back, jumping, or even walking were always more thrilling to me than a simple picture of someone standing still.  After attending music school, I realized I might have found a link between “action” in an image and why I was so interested in them.  In music, a “cadence” is the end of a musical phrase. It is the end of a sentence. Where the notes finally return home. Where everything is finally at peace. But before that cadence, music is always at unease. That’s what makes music so appealing. Your ear is waiting for music to return back “home”. An image with movement causes the same effect. There is an untold story told in one frame. What happened before? What will happen …

Right as Rain

Published by Khadijat Oseni

Rain. What is it about rain that makes moments in the city that much more dramatic? Is it the pitter-patter sound of droplets propelling from the sky, setting a silencing, melancholic stanza for droves of New Yorkers waltzing about from light to light? Though rain is symbolically the giver of life from a vast nature standpoint, in a concrete jungle like NYC, it often insights the “mean reds” which include fears of being poked in the eye by overzealous umbrella swingers, continuous loops of every Adele record possible to further drown out altered plans and of course, the inevitable struggle of what to wear to combat the unpredictability rain presents while remaining stylish. With the latter part of the equation, shoes are the most difficult statement to master because it’s easy enough to slap on a trench coat, cover your head with a scarf, pick up a poppy umbrella and feel as fabulous as Sophia Loren in The Key until you look down and realize you’re walking around with purpose in shoes that either remind …

Confessions of a Jetsetter w/ Ayesha Malik

Published by Confessions of a Jetsetter

“I was taking photographs at a photography convention in Saudi Arabia.  I was already excited by the simple fact that I was in an environment where photography was being celebrated, which meant I could roam freely with my camera.  In Saudi Arabia, it is technically illegal to photograph people in public without direct permission, so I tend to keep my camera hanging around my neck instead of attached to my face.  Set aside such technicalities, I never want to offend anyone and steal a photograph of them, especially in Saudi.  On this day, my camera spent less time hanging.  I met her through my viewfinder, through an iMac, in Photo Booth.  She was passing by and decided to fix her scarf in the webcam.  When she noticed me in the background, she smiled…I could tell from her eyes.  She said, “Do you like this…me fixing my scarf?” I said yes and we made this photo together.  It was such a contemporary interaction.  The world is huge, but globalization, and all the technology that comes with …

Vintage 70s Travel Style-Jetsetterproblems.com

Travel Style: Vintage 70s

Published by Khadijat Oseni

70s fashion has always inspired me to be more audacious with mixing bold prints, patterns, colors and high & low statement pieces in an unruly manner. One weekend this summer, I teamed up with photographer and Jetsetter Problems motley crew member, Cesarin Mateo and kindred fashionista, Kivvi Rachelle Roberts to explore the streets of lower Manhattan through a retro lens. Here’s a photo set from our session, “Wild & Free: The Rebirth” which was influenced by the unabashed attitude of 70s fashion set to the raw, gritty grooves of a Curtis Mayfield soundtrack…   Creative Direction: Khadijat Oseni, Cesarin Mateo & Kivvi Rachelle Roberts Photography: Cesarin Mateo Models & Styling: Khadijat Oseni & Kivvi Rachelle Roberts Apparel Credits: On Khadijat – BCBG (Boots), H&M (Belt), Missoni (Scarf), Urban Outfitters (Romper, Sunglasses, Stockings), Zara (Trench Coat), Vintage (Jewelry) On Kivvi – A.P.C. (Pants, Wedges), Miu Miu (Sunglasses), Zara (Top), Vintage (Jacket, Earrings, Scarf)   Instagram | Twitter    

Confessions of a Jetsetter w/ Teff

Published by Confessions of a Jetsetter

“I suppose I always seek out nuances of Orange. Or anything in the citrus family…greens, yellows, soft pink, etcetera. The burnt Orange dirt roads, my family home is the softest peach colour and white. The vibrant, vivid hues of yellow, Orange ridden all through the Sunrises and Sunsets. I haven’t seen the Sun rise nor set quite like it does in Africa. Nigeria in this case… This particular photo was taken in the Wuse II neighbourhood of Abuja, Nigeria. My dad, older brother, and myself had been out for most of the day, in the heat, running errands. We didn’t have much breakfast, so we stopped to get some bananas and roasted groundnuts. This woman was out there with her daughter and young son. In all her hustle, her daughter – not any older than 12 – had assumed the role of caretaker. The image reminded me of how some roles may be imposed on us. But the true measure of character and strength is riddled in the management of said roles. Her daughter reflected …

Confessions of a Jetsetter w/ Cesarin Mateo

Published by Confessions of a Jetsetter

“Music and old classic films have a major influence on how I shoot and edit. It is what made me love photography to begin with. The two coexist within each other, one cannot live without the other… When I decided to travel to Rome on my own, all I had was my music and the classic films I have watched to visually guide me through the city, as well as a map. What made it more of an epic trip was waking up one early morning right when the sun was rising to explore the empty streets of Rome. Nothing is more beautiful and incredibly inspiring than to be in a place where there is so much history and having that all to yourself. Moments like these, that are the most simple and mundane, are what I typically find to be the most gratifying.” – Cesarin Mateo   022/100 of #100DaysofConfessions Instagram Project

Confessions of a Jetsetter w/ Guzman

Published by Confessions of a Jetsetter

“Cobra a Sans (known as first people)…man we met in Botswana’s Kalahari. He is a tracker, and medicine man, Cobra speaks to and understands the sentient beings in his environment…birds, scorpions, snakes, lions, meerkats, etcetera… He can read the markings and tracks of a myriad of animals, he is one with his environment. Meeting Cobra was absolutely life altering. Trackers reading prints, the landscape, intuit where when how … To quote Marcel Proust …the real journey of discovery consists not in seeking new landscapes but on having new eyes…” – Guzman AKA @lesguzman   017/100 of #100DaysofConfessions Instagram Project

TIM KAU-Jetsetterproblems.com

Confessions of a Jetsetter w/ Tim Kau

Published by Confessions of a Jetsetter

“Four years ago, I bought my first bike in New York City. Prior to owning a bike, I got around the city walking, taking the subway, hopping on the bus… and reluctantly taking cabs. Once I started riding my bike, I was hooked. I found myself cutting my commute time in half, without having to use my MetroCard or to pay the taxi fare (or Uber bill). I also could control the speed with which I could absorb all that was around me.  I found myself creating mini “road trips” to the different neighborhoods of the city… Being on a bike freed me up to explore and check out different boroughs… even riding my bike across the Williamsburg Bridge is exhilarating and gets your heart racing. It’s good exercise. I could ride and be free – in a way that wasn’t hindered by train traffic, car traffic or people traffic. The autonomy of deciding which route to take and being able to mix up my commute… all of these options opened up with my bicycle.  …

Travel Style Inspiration: The Photography of Louise Dahl-Wolfe

Published by Khadijat Oseni

Louise Dahl-Wolfe was a wildly popular and talented American fashion photographer that was most notably recognized for her work as a staff photographer for Harper’s Bazaar during the late ’30s up until the 1950s. Her signature was shooting exquisite, environmental portraits using natural light. Being a huge fan of vintage fashion, photography as well as collecting old magazines for travel inspiration, I’ve always felt a great wealth of wanderlust and solace in her imagery. Here are a few of my favorite jet set moments from Louise Dagl-Wolfe’s archive: xo Khadijat  

Time Travel: 1920s & The Jazz Age Lawn Party

Published by Khadijat Oseni

A week ago, I had the opportunity to travel back in time to the 1920s via the annual Jazz Age Lawn Party on Governor’s Island in New York City. It’s always a fun affair that perfectly captures the decadence, elegance and vivacious energy surrounding this era. New York fashionistas show up in droves and dress to the nines to escape to an alternate steamy world filled with big band sounds, high-stepping foxtrotting dancers, and fancy St. Germain cocktails outside of the sweltering heat of the summer. When nostalgically reflecting on this delightfully chic summer activity that has now become a bit of a tradition for me, I also particularly love looking back at old photographs of New York City for vintage style inspiration. So, I’ve decided to integrate some of my favorite atmospheric shots of New York during this decade with images from my past weekend playing dress-up on the lawn. Enjoy! xo Khadijat