humansofnewyork:

I am a street photographer in New York City. Several months ago, I was approached by a representative of DKNY who asked to purchase 300 of my photos to hang in their store windows “around the world.” They offered me $15,000. A friend in the industry told me that $50 per photo was not nearly enough to receive from a company with hundreds of millions of dollars of revenue. So I asked for more money. They said “no.”

Today, a fan sent me a photo from a DKNY store in Bangkok. The window is full of my photos. These photos were used without my knowledge, and without compensation.

I don’t want any money. But please REBLOG this post if you think that DKNY should donate $100,000 on my behalf to the YMCA in Bedford-Stuyvesant, Brooklyn. That donation would sure help a lot of deserving kids go to summer camp. I’ll let you guys know if it happens.

procrastinateine:

youwontlivethisonedown:

Last week, as part of a cultural discovery project for one of my classes, I spent three days wearing ‘girls’ clothes while going about my day. I wanted to explore the general reaction and preconceptions that people in my city have to clothing, especially in regards to gender. To me, the idea that a piece of fabric or accessory can be so intertwined with who are in our conscious is perplexing. I didn’t want to show off, or offend anyone by my act of curiosity. Rather, I wanted to act as a meticulous observer of the times, to see if the community around me was really as open-minded as I wanted to believe that it was. After all, if such things really only had a place in the realm of high-fashion and in Scottish tradition, then something bigger must be at work. 

On the first day, I wore a long-sleeve pink top cropped at the collarbone. I received many compliments, a few glares and even a free Venti gingerbread latte. On the second, I rocked a pink blouse with a high-waisted belt. Again, the same amount of well-wishes, questions and passing eye-rolls. These things were to be expected, as it isn’t necessarily the norm to see someone like me wearing things like these. I felt collected and confident in these modest outfits, seemingly convinced that the world around me could care less about the clothes someone wore. Most affirming was the response to my nails, which were almost always met with a cheerful grin, a high-five and a few words of encouragement.

What happened on the third day changed my perspective on humanity forever. I dressed myself as I normally would; band t-shirt, cardigan, plain Vans, etc. However, instead of black jeans, I complimented the outfit with a plain black skirt and matching set of tights. For me, this was a huge step in self-image. Years ago, I was barely confident enough to leave the house for school. These days, the opposite couldn’t be more true. As I set off about my day, the absolute worst in people came out in a full-force flurry of expletives and discomfort. I was ridiculed in whispers. I was mocked in glances. I was obnoxiously and filthily cat-called by a construction crew who, from behind, couldn’t tell that I was a man. Stopping by a bathroom before a lecture, a frat-bro went out of his way to shove me into the adjacent wall after eyeing me up and down on his way out. Expletives and names that might induce me to vomit were I to repeat them, were casually thrown in my direction with almost zero passing thought. By day’s end, I feared a full-on breakdown, unable to stand up for myself or what I believed in to maintain the integrity of the observer’s perspective. In a way, I had no right to feel that way, mostly because of the realization that this is the way that many have to live their lives. I fought back tears as every stare and ill-formed word engrained themselves in my sub-conscious. 

Though I may not know you, I think that it’s important that we all come to understand why these things happen. In my book, cat-calling, shaming and harassment are among the worst actions we can engage in. As a heterosexual male, I will never truly know the fear that women may experience while walking home from work, going see a friend for lunch, or being sized-up in public based on their clothing. I will never truly know the gut-rot that a transgendered individual may feel while being eyed up and down at the store or in class, strangers seeming to think as if the clothing they see before them begs a legal invitation of ridicule. I will never truly know the plights of these people, but as an ally and a human being invested in true equality, it is now my obligation to stand up for them as if I did. 

What scares me the most is not the glances, mixed emotions, or 10-page paper that will inevitably come as a by-product of this project. No, what scares me is that this is the world we live in. We exist in a place where individuals living their truths can be subjected, directly or otherwise, to fear simply for living those truths. We live in an age where feeling ‘normal’ in your own clothing can create unfathomable contention with strangers, despite them having zero investment in their lives. We live in a world where the material, the fabric, the pieces that adorn you are somehow allowed to say more about who you are than the convictions in your heart and the sincerity in your deeds.

I don’t know about you, but I refuse that world. I refuse to let these things overcome the passion and genuine honesty that I’ve been so fortunate to bear witness to in my time. I refuse to let backwards, unprogressive mindsets stifle the glow and drive of those who are undeservingly robbed of it. Don’t say it can’t happen to you. If it happened to me, under the most average of circumstances on the streets in a progressive-leaning city, it could happen to anyone, and that is something I truly do not understand.

After all, it’s just a skirt.

What is it about a piece of inanimate, plain fabric that scares you so much? 

 

YOU DESERVE AN AWARD! 

That las question, holy cow.

(via jessicapancakes-)

copgloves:

glee being filmed at my school

OH HEY COOPER WADDUP

I really wish the boys would stop getting so many tattoos—I know its their own body and they can do whatever they want, but have they really thought it through what they’re putting on themselves (almost?) permanently? I like Harry’s new tattoo, but not the other ones he has…

needsmoresarcasm:

Liam and Louis buy Nerf guns to shoot the paparazzi with in NYC (x)

I love the boys, wish I could see them for just one time… :/

(via sultanzayn)

I’ve had this happen to me quite a long time ago… But I wouldn’t call it spiritual awakening (:

(Source: shawn-bear72, via thegeographyoflove)

(Source: seventhdevil, via justavaultfullofsecrets)

iraffiruse:

Frozach Submitted

(via flickerism)

tehblackbirdishiding:

schwoozie:

[x]

Best ever.

(via flickerism)

teenvogue:

Say hello to Essie’s winter collection! 

Photographed by Lauren Drago

SO BEAUTIFUL ~~~ *O* ~~~~~~~~~~ i want this now ~~~~ *****

reblog and make a wish

this is my second time reblogging and my first wish came true so

i have to

I reblogged this a week ago, my wish came true 2 days ago, hopefully my wish will come true this time

why not

i did this a few days ago and it also came true, i was freaked out like fuck

hmmmmmmmmmmmm

here goes nothing

reblogging because this happened on my 18th birthday/first time i rolled. it could be good luck, yeah?

Why the fuck not? 

whyy nooot? jajaja 

(Source: nasa.gov, via alicjazak)

gingeronastick:

ganderbulbs:

bouderie:

nintendonut1:

breathingocean:

reblog because wow what a great quality audio file this is

wow this file really is high quality

im kind of shocked 

i thought the comments were being sarcastic im not sure if im disappointed or not

dude holy shit you’re right.

(Source: vvildvvaves, via eccentricat)

destroyingsomethingbeautiful:

wordssetinstony:

tricksterkids:

cadegrey:

mjwatson:

i don’t really understand where penises go when boys wear pants

sometimes to the left

sometimes to the right

sometimes up

sometimes down

sometimes painful

sometimes not

depends

take it back now y’all

One hop this time

cha cha real smooth

(via t0wel)

I really need to work on my silk screen project.

Not only do I need to work on it, I want to work on it. First time I’m pretty excited to work on art project, but I wish the subways would work and Coopz had power back too…

And I need to go out and shoot some pictures, but the weather isn’t so great. Boo hoo ):

I just wanna be back in school…

darkandchaos:

this movie <3

what movie is this???

(Source: thegayteen, via t0wel)