Author: Alexis

A goddess like woman emerges from the still water, its calm surface reflecting her face back to her. She has dark brown skin that is highlighted by the vibrant green forest that surrounds her. She looks down at the water, but makes no eye contact as she towers far above the water.

This is “IMUA,” one of many water paintings that artist Sean Yoro has created. Using a paddle board and his self taught painting skills he traverses the water looking for interactions between humans and nature that he can use as a canvas. Most of these locations tend to be bridges or walls that separate water from land. Yoro transforms the blank concrete, starting right at the sea level to give the impression that the woman he will paint is rising out of the water. The placement allows the image to be reflected onto the water perfectly.

Yoro isn’t limited to water portraits. He recently worked on project that had him painting on icebergs. Working with North Face he created a film that follows his time spent with the Inuit people while facing the challenges of painting on melting ice. The project highlight the dangers of climate change and combined his love of art and nature to send a powerful message.

Pictures of his murals can be found on his instagram, @the_hula,  as both works in progress and finished products. Yoro shares information about his creative process, upcoming projects, and highlights some of his favorite pieces from his past work. Each photo is more mesmerizing than the last, and the creation of the murals is both impressive and intriguing.

From Hawaii to Florida to the Arctic, Sean Yoro has left his mark as the_hula. In addition to being beautiful, his art is sending a powerful message about preserving the climate and valuing nature. Hopefully one day I’ll be riding by on a paddle board in the Hawaiian sun and see one of his creations. Right now, in the middle of February in Michigan, it’s a really nice thought.

When I found out I was going to be shooting the Lumineers concert I started preparing immediately. I read articles online and watched videos that gave advice on camera settings and how the whole “concert photography” thing works, but nothing could have really prepared me for the actual experience.

When I pulled into the parking lot of the Palace I was 10 minutes late for my arrival time and slightly freaked out. I managed to avoid paying for parking- after holding up the line for five minutes frantically trying to explain that I was late and had no cash- and got a spot in the VIP section right in front of the main office.

I hauled my equipment inside the office, which was a separate entrance than the main concert doors that were crowded with people, and realized that I had just missed the communications director. The receptionist said I had missed him by about two minutes, so I searched my email for his contact information and called him from the lobby. I could barely hear him over the noise of the stadium and the failing reception, but after apologizing profusely he grudgingly agreed to come back up and get me to take me down to the general admission pit.

The guy was probably the least friendly person I’ve met in a long time, and that really didn’t help with my nerves. But I just followed him as he led me through the concessions area and down the steps into the arena, putting my personalized photo pass around my neck.

The first opening act took the stage shortly after i had assembled my camera and taken a few test shots. I was inside the pit with the other concert goers, but there was barely any crowd this early in the night. I walked back and forth from stage left to stage right taking pictures constantly just trying to adjust to the constant motion and dramatic lighting. After three songs I met the communications director and the two other photographers who had been on the other side of the barricade, near the entrance to the pit. The four of us left together, following the director out of the arena and back to the main office lobby.

We sat down and I began to look through my photos, deleting almost all of them, while listening to the photographers talk to each other. These guys were definitely professionals. Their equipment made mine look like dollar store purchases.

While we were waiting for the next opening act to start two more photographers arrived. They greeted each other with familiarity, talking about recent shows and asking about each others holidays. It was almost funny how out of place I felt in that room, and I really couldn’t help but laugh at my situation. There I was, a 19 year old college student with her school issued camera that rented a zip car to come to the Palace to cover her first concert on behalf of a college newspaper, surrounded by these middle aged men who had camera lenses strapped to their bodies like tools in a tool belt who were professional concert photographers working with local popular Detroit radio stations and magazines.

When it was time to head down for the next opener, the five of us followed the director and this time i went with them to the other side of the barricade. I was as close to the stage as i could possibly get and I was savoring the moment, knowing how enviable my location was to the concert goers. We photographed the first three songs, moving around in front of the stage getting different angles and perspectives. Right as I was starting to feel like I was getting the hang of it, it was time to go. We crawled underneath the stage and followed the director back up to the lobby. I was much happier with this round of photos than the last, and I was feeling excited and prepared for the Lumineers.

When we finally made it down for the Lumineers the general admission pit, which had been almost empty an hour before, was packed tightly. We could barely get to the barricade through the mass of people, but i reveled in the space once we made it to the other side. When the band came out I was almost shocked by how close they were. With my telephoto lens, close proximity, and experience gained from the last two performers, I was getting awesome pictures. But the time went by super fast, and suddenly it was time to make my way through the mass once more and meet the director by the entrance.

Shooting the concert was one of the most stressful experiences I’ve ever had, but also one of the most fun, interesting, and unique experiences too. It challenged me artistically and demanded things of myself socially and professionally that I didn’t know I was capable of.

The Palace of Auburn Hills was filled with energy and excitement on Friday night as the Lumineers brought their Cleopatra world tour to Michigan. Openers Andrew Bird and Margaret Glaspy took the stage first, playing to a somewhat distracted crowd that was still busy getting settled and making trips to the merchandise tables and concession stands. But when Glaspy began to play her electric guitar under the glow of a blue spotlight, the crowd was captivated.

Andrew Bird played next, his style and sound more closely resembling the Lumineers, fueling the crowd’s anticipation. He swayed at the microphone while playing his violin, alternating between plucking it with his fingers or dragging the fraying bow across the strings.

The arena had changed dramatically during the two hours since the doors were open- every seat was filled, the general admission pit was congested with people and the anticipatory energy was palpable. It all culmintated in a powerful roar from the crowd when the large black curtain that had been hiding the stage fell to the ground in a dramatic reveal.The Lumineers were spread across the stage, each with a microphone and instrument in front of them, immediately commanding the attention and adoration of the crowd.

But it wasn’t until the first few note of “Ho, Hey!” began to play that the true intensity of the crowd was felt, obviously pleasing the performers. Lead singer Wesley Schultz invited the crowd to sing along, which they enthusiastically accepted. The united voice of the audience soon overpowered Schultz, who continued to play his guitar as he walked out to the edge of the stage. Cellist Neyla Pekarek and percussionist Jeremiah Fraites smiled to each other across the stage as Schultz returned to his spot in the center at the conclusion of the song, the crowd cheering fiercely.

The first time I went to Literati Bookstore was in November with some of my friends. It was a Saturday evening and we had decided to explore downtown Ann Arbor, but started to regret it when the cold temperature almost became unbearable. We started to walk back towards State Street, abandoning our exploration for a warmer day, when we saw literati on the corner of Washington street. It was busy- people were coming in and out and though the windows we saw the small space crowded with people. In a different situation the crowd would have kept my out, but we were all so intrigued (and freezing) by the little book store that we had to go in.
The sea of people surrounded the small islands of books. We made our way to the “Holiday Favorites,” but couldn’t stay long as it was a popular spot for early holiday shoppers.
We walked along the perimeter, the walls lined with shelves filled with books and illuminated from spotlights above. Handwritten index cards were placed beneath some displayed books. The cards were handwritten and had personal reviews from the employees who wanted to share their favorite reads from that month.
We headed to the basement, passing by the window display featuring a tree made of stacked books and decorated with twinkly lights. The basement was less crowded, but still tightly packed. Sections of books lining the walls were distinguished by chalkboard signs. The “Travel,” section lured me to the corner of the room in the far right. I sat on a stool, overwhelmed by the selection. My friends were making the rounds, stopping every once and a while to pick up something that seemed interesting or read an employee recommendation.
I finally tore myself away from the travel section to meet my friends at a type writer by the stairs. It was placed on an antique table with an invitation sit down and leave a message. It had already been used several times that night- the paper was almost full. My only experience with type writers has been in antique shops that were always displayed with a harsh “Do Not Touch,” sign. So, we seized the opportunity to leave a message to commemorate our inaugural visit to Literati.
We left the warm and cozy atmosphere of the bookstore and returned to the harsh bitterness of a November night in Michigan. We cross the street and looked back to the corner store, the crowd still visible through the window but silent from a distance. With the glow of the store behind us, we walked back to campus, already planning a return trip.

Welcome to award season 2017! It’s Golden Globe Sunday which marks the first big award show of 2017. November through January is always a great time for movies and television, and my goal every year is to see as many of the nominated films and TV shows as possible. This year was more difficult being in my first semester of college, but so far I’m been able to check a few off my list.

Manchester by the Sea, Hacksaw Ridge, Deadpool, La La Land, Arrival, Fences, War Dogs, Stranger Things, The Crown, and This is Us are all of the Golden Globe Nominees that I’ve seen. It’s actually more than I had thought, but there are still so many movies and tv shows that I want to see!
Based on my limited sampling of the nominees I can categorize them into Great, Okay, and Not Great. I didn’t see anything that was terrible, but I would consider this season to be somewhat underwhelming when compared to last year’s selection (The Big Short, Spotlight, the Revenant, etc).
So, “the Greats,” which are still a work in progress as I make my way through the noms, are Manchester by the Sea, Hacksaw Ridge, Arrival, and Stranger Things. If there was an award for most depressing movie ever made, Manchester by the Sea would win hands down, and would probably never be usurped. Aside from the ridiculously tragic plot that gets worse even when you think it’s impossible, Manchester by the Sea was one of the best movies I’ve ever seen. I’d be surprised if Casey Affleck isn’t rewarded for his incredibly moving performance (Nominated: Best Performance by an Actor – Drama). Arrival was also a favorite, but when they went towards a more fantasy approach (Spoiler: she starts time traveling in the end… I think…) the film lost a lot of it’s credibility and intensity and started to get a bit cheesy for my taste. When they were focusing on communication and different responses to the alien invasion I was totally on board. Up until the end it seemed realistic enough for a movie about aliens landing on Earth, and that was the most intriguing aspect.
The “okay” category is abnormally large this year. Like I said, I’m just not as entertained, if you will, by this year’s choices. Deadpool, War Dogs, The Crown and This is Us definitely get spots in this category. However, my opinions on television aren’t very strong as I never really think critically of television. Deadpool was a great comedy, but I had almost completely forgotten about it and had never imagined it would be involved with the award shows this year. I guess I never think about the summer blockbusters making it through to the New Year, but it was definitely worthy of a spot in the comedy/musical categories. I’m actually happy that an actual comedy is featured in this category, when so many times there are movies featured that are the last thing you would think of as a comedy.
Time for the “not greats.” Fences and La La Land. Unpopular opinion: I hated La La Land. Maybe it’s unfair of me to judge due to my preexisting distaste for musicals, but I could barely sit through the whole thing. It takes a lot for me to get bored or restless during a movie, so on the rare occasions that that happens, it usually means that it didn’t hold my interest at all. Now I’ll acknowledge that it was beautiful. The colors, scenery, and cinematography in general was stunning, but that was pretty much all I liked about it. Ryan Gosling (The Nice Guys…10/10 would recommend) and Emma Stone are some of my favorite actors, but lets be honest. They can’t sing. So many “cringey” moments and feelings of second hand embarrassment were induced by their performances which was a bummer because I love them. Also the songs…not a fan. I did like the instrumental parts, but the lyrics were forgetful and annoying. Maybe I’ll give it another chance…everyone is raving about it and I’m sure it will take several awards, but right now I’m still anti La La Land.
Okay, so I’ll stop here since I could keep going on and on. Hopefully I’ll be able to watch the actual award show… the amount of neglected reading I have for women’s studies makes that highly unlikely but I’ll give it a shot. Also, Jimmy Fallon is hosting which seems more promising than past hosts (second hand embarrassment is a very real thing and I am extremely sensitive to it).
I’ll make predictions for the top categories based on what I’ve seen. Hopefully by the Oscars I’ll be able to make more educated predictions.

Best Drama: Moonlight (Haven’t seen it but based on what I’ve heard there is little doubt it will win.)
Best Comedy/Musical: La La Land (yikes)
Best Actor Drama: Casey Affleck
Best Actress Drama: Amy Adams
Best Actor Comedy/Musical: Collin Farell
Best Actress Comedy/Musical: Emma Stone

(Nocturnal Animals, The Lobster, and Jackie are first on my list as I try to catch up in time for the Oscars…stay tuned. 🙂 )

As 2017 quickly approaches I’ve started to see my friends post their #yearinreview2016 videos on Facebook or post their #2016bestnine collages on Instagram. I haven’t made my own versions of these, but I did start to think about this past year. I didn’t think I had a specific favorite memory of 2016, but when I looked at my Instagram profile today, I realized I did. Although this year was an exciting one- the end of senior year, graduating, traveling, starting college at UMich- my most fun and exciting memory is from the Bastille concert I went to in September. The concert is captured in photographs on my Instagram profile in three pictures, all of which capture the brief five minutes that the lead singer spent walking through the crowd near my seat, featuring my uncontrollable hysteria.

Chill on the Hill is an annual “alt-rock” music festival held in Sterling Heights by radio station 89x. When I first learned that Bastille, my favorite band, was going to headline the show only three weeks after releasing their latest album, Wild World, I knew I had to go. So I bought three tickets, told my friends they were coming with me, and started counting down the days.

As more information was released about the bands that were also performing I was pretty confused. Pierce the Veil? The Used? Good Charlotte? I had heard of these bands but had never listened to them. Bastille stood out in stark contrast to almost every other band on the lineup.

When we arrived at the venue it was immediately obvious that someone had made a mistake in booking Bastille for this festival. From the music to the people in the crowd, it was definitely not their usual scene. But that didn’t bother us. The small Bastille crowd, pouring rain, and freezing temperatures (it was crazy cold for September) made it easy to sneak a seat in the front row. It was a perfect view, and the general admission pit in front of us was almost entirely empty.

We remained seated while The Used performed, all the while trying to figure out a way into the pit, which had plenty of room for three more people. When we saw security aggressively remove several barricade jumpers, we decided it was best to be happy with the upgrade we already managed to get. And I was later so thankful that we did.

Bastille finally took the stage with the venue at approximately only 50% capacity. I didn’t mind, of course. I had a great view, room to dance, and was completely absorbed by their performance. When they started to play Flaws, a popular song from their first album, I forgot about the ritual that coincides with the song. At almost every Bastille concert, the lead singer, Dan Smith, walks into the crowd while singing Flaws. It couldn’t even process what was happening until my friend was shoving me towards the aisle. Had we been in the pit there would have been no way for me to reach him in the crowd. The usual gigantic mob that swarms around him while he makes his way through the venue did not appear, and I was able to stand right next to him. He stopped in the aisle and sang, allowing my friend to take several pictures of him, me with him and the background, and my favorite, a video of my reaction afterward. As he proceeded to walk back to the stage I went from hysterically screaming to hysterically sobbing in a matter of seconds. It was one of the funniest, most embarrassing, and most emotional moments of my life, and it took me several songs to recover.

I ended up with an insane cold the next day, a result of 3+ hours in the cold, rainy weather, but it was worth it. It was definitely one of my favorite moments of 2016, and I can’t wait until next year when I’ll be able to see them again.