Starting off as a photography and videography series shot both on digital and 35mm film, The Souls of the Summer not only defines the era of which I was so awe-inspired and aesthetically pleased by, but it also captures my growth as a creative artist throughout the years.
Crystal Philip in "Souls of the Summer of 1976" (2016) Shot on 35mm film.
What started out as an idea to dress my friends in 1970s inspired fashions and have them top it off with colored lenses, which I call "Shades of Shadiness", has grown to be a beckon of my creative individuality and journey. During a chapter of my life where I was figuring things out, realizing how much I wanted to create in front and behind the camera as I was transferring schools, changing majors, had just purchased my first DSLR (a classic Canon T3); Souls of the Summer was the first major project I curated for myself and peers as an artist.
Joy Castro in "Souls of the Summer of 1977" (2017) Shot on 35mm film & digital.
Every year, mostly during summertime, I would gather up friends that were interested, we discuss styles, looks, which pairs of Shades of Shadiness would go best, go to a local location while most of us were home during the summer from school and really just hang out while I created and captured candid moments. As time went on, Souls of the Summer became something in the makings of group photography with individual portraits of everyone reoccurring or new.
Crystal Philip in "SOULSTICE: The Souls of the Summer Finale" (2020) Shot on digital.
But alas, when the events of 2020 kept piling up, so did the question of if I was able to conclude this series. At last, came SOULSTICE: The Souls of the Summer series finale with folks new and previous along with the end of era for me, but a new beginning and a token of my journey within my creativity.
