We outside! A toast to NYC celebrating Oktoberfest this year…
If you can’t make it to Germany this month for Oktoberfest, New York City got you covered. From juicy sausages to German beer by the tap, these five places are celebrating Oktoberfest right.
1. Celebrating Oktoberfest with The WaterMark could get you a mini keg
The Watermark at Pier 15 in Manhattan is perfect if you want to compliment your authentic German beer with a view.
Located in Manhattan’s historic Seaport District, this spot offers a pleasant view. Let the nice breeze hit you and watch the sunset over the Brooklyn Bridge as you go for another round.
This event is free to attend with VIP Reserved Tables and Express Entry options available.
2. Keep your Oktoberfest real bougie at The Standard Biergarten
Located in the Meatpacking District, underneath the High Line, The Standard Biergarten offers authentic German cuisine, including savory pretzels and juicy bratwurst. The Biergarten is partnering up with Sixpoint Brewery this October in hosting a largescale party on Oct. 13 and 20.
The party will include games, giveaways, a stein-holding competition, and a live Oompah band.
3. Getaway and take a trip with the Bear Mountain Oktoberfest Cruise
When it comes to celebrating Oktoberfest in 2021, cruise and booze on the Hudson with the Circle Line. Sail up the Hudson River to Bear Mountain State Park while drinking onboard beer and eating delicious pork schnitzels.
The cruise will also have onboard live polka music to compliment your experience.
It’s an every day Oktoberfest at Brooklyn’s first Authentic Biergarten. Radegast Hall is going all out this year and is celebrating Oktoberfest with authentic German beer and food.
Drink your beer from steins, wear your finest lederhosen and dirndls because the Hall will be having giveaways, music, and competitions.
5. Keep it authentically German by celebrating Oktoberfest at Bierhaus NYC
Located just two blocks from Grand Central station, transport yourself to Munich at Bierhause with Hofbräu Bier. This authentic Bavarian-style beer hall is serving up some satisfying Hofbräu bier by the boot.
Nothing goes good with German beer like German food, and Bierhaus offers a fine selection of traditional German food including their Jägerschnitzel, a breaded pork filet, served potato salad, red cabbage, cucumber salad and topped off with their homemade Jäger sauce.
The New York film community is growing. As new photographers pick up old analog cameras, the niche form of photography remains alive. Brooklyn Film Camera partnered with Lomography USA hosted their annual Film Photo Gathering at Prospect Park.
The event perfectly captured the passion and love that film photographers have for the discipline.
Brooklyn Film Camera + Lomography NYC Film Photo Gather 2021 Photo Creds: @img.mos
As always prospect park was breathtakingly peaceful. The bright sun and comfortable temperature made the venue more inviting.
The green meadow was filled with people enjoying their day without a care in the world. On one side of the field stood an unusual flag resembling a roll of 35mm film that singled film enthusiasts to gather.
The crowd grew large and everyone was excited to see what the picnic had to offer for the event.
Prospect Park Meadows Photo Creds: @img.mos
The Banner Calling all film Photographers to gather Photo Creds: @img.mos
This picnic event welcomed all sorts of film photographers, whether you shoot small, medium, or large. I was greeted with water and the staff hosting the event encouraged everyone to talk to one another.
Brooklyn Film Camera and Lomography held workshops to teach other forms of film photography including a cool introduction to the Wet Plate Collodion, where Colby Sadeghi demonstrated how he takes portraits using the Wet Plate Collodion method.
Workshops like these were very hands-on allowing new photographers to experiment with expert-level techniques. I even had a portrait taken on a large-format camera.
The attendance was great and the event was incredibly welcoming to film photographers. Everyone attending showed up with their cameras, ready to talk and shoot, and if it’s one thing film photographers love to talk about most, it’s their camera.
FIlm shooters came in with 110, 35, 120, and even 8mm cameras. Everyone was vibing with one another, talking about their favorite film stock, or exchanging Instagram.
Unique cameras were brought to the picnic Photo Creds: @img.mos
As a film photographer, I always talk about how inclusive the community is. We’re all just trying to learn and develop. I talked to a couple of film photographers at the event who were extremely nice.
It’s not every day you find others who’re interested in this niche form of photography. It was just pleasant to talk to others who appreciated the craft which sparked the motivation for me to create.
The New York film community continues to grow each year. As photographers who refuse to see film die out, it is our responsibility to encourage each other to grow and create more regardless of what format we’re shooting on.
It is our duty to introduce this intimidating technique of capturing newcomers who are interested instead of gatekeeping. I believe it is the grit of healthy competitiveness that makes this community great.
As luxury designers get ready to showcase the next seasons’ collection, the streets of New York were filled with more models than usual. For photographers who couldn’t make it to the runway, this was the perfect opportunity to capture high-end fashion worn by professional models.
Maison Kitsune Host their all-day pop-up festival in front of the AfterPay Quarters|Photo cred: @mos-neammanee
The already photogenic cobblestone streets turned into a runway walk as professional models dressed in high-end clothes strutted down by the Starbucks Reserves.
As a street photographer, the environment is significant when creating art and the historic architecture is a timeless beauty that can be used as an amazing backdrop for portraits.
From the cobblestone streets to the old brick walls, the aesthetic completes the wonders of fashion week.
Breath-taking models walking around the meatpacking district were generous, allowing me to photograph them and their outfits.
The process of taking fashion photographs becomes seamless because professional models knew their poses and angles. The experience of quickly shooting then moving on to the next model was exhilarating. Each model was incredibly charismatic and kept me motivated.
The outfits these models wore this year in the Meat Packing District were vibrant and creative. These models expressed themselves through the fabric and color they wore. They were moving, breathing visual art.
By their postures and pose they looked absolutely fantastic, to say the least. As fashion week came to a close these models reminded me that New York is where fashion breaths.
More than a year has passed since photographers took part in the Vogue Cover challenge. One of the biggest names who dominated the trend was Los Angeles photographer Beacasso.
Beacasso, real name Beatriz Valim’s journey within photography is nothing less than inspirational. Beacasso’s growth from digital to film and motion picture is something many aspiring creatives can look to for the courage they may need to experiment and grow within photography.
Beacasso’s started photography at the age of 14. Since then she has been studying photography and cinematography in class where her passion grows each year. As an artist, her work has multiple layers of inspiration.
“I get my inspiration from watching movies. When I have free time, that’s all I do. It’s my form of entertainment and education. I study lighting and composition and try to emulate emotion and the use of color theory within my photography,” said Beacasso.
How identity and location influenced Beacasso’s art
One of the most noticeable aspects of some of Beacasso’s images is her use of bright colors and wardrobes.
“Having a Brazilian background has inspired a lot of the use of bright colors in my work. Brazilian art from Brazilian artists is vibrant and bold and I can see how much that has impacted me and within all of my work,” said Beacasso.
Part of what makes Beacasso inspirational is her courage to experiment and push the envelope.
Beacasso started experimenting with film because of the 365-day art challenge her and other artist are doing. Beacasso’s influential growth into film photography and super 8 films represent how unrestricted the community is and that photographers and videographers are not limited to digital.
For many photographers, film photography is intimidating. Film cameras are less forgiving and won’t hold your hand as much as a digital camera.
The number of shots is limited, and the development cost is a factor in the shooting. Not only that but there’s no preview, so the person behind the lens must be more attentive.
“I started film photography because of my challenge and it’s been the best decision I have ever made. Film photography made me want to slow down and think about what I want my photograph to look like before pressing the shutter,” said Beacasso.
At the end of the day, all great artists are only human. Like all creatives, Beacasso has faced obstacles herself.
Her challenges don’t always come from a technical aspect. To simply dive into photography and sharing an artistic perspective is a challenge but Beacasso intends to teach other aspiring creators to overcome them by sharing her own
“I could only think of one big obstacle I face every day, and that is overthinking. I think too much and this prevents me from finishing work sometimes, or from even starting,” said Beacasso
“It is important for me and other artists that also have this challenge, to take things one step at a time. Slow down. Stop thinking of the end result. You are doing great!”
– Beacasso
Beacasso didn’t stop at still images. Her creative journey continues on Super 8 format. Her 365-day art challenge ended on September 8, where she released her first directed and shot fashion film.
“Photography means everything to me and more! Photography makes me smile big! Photography makes me feel so alive! In many ways, photography has affected my life, but one big thing was that it has saved my life,” said the photographer.
“Days feeling that have no meaning, now have a meaning for me. Photography gives me a reason to get up so happy every morning, meeting amazing people who have become my friends, and making memories that will last forever”
“The best two pieces of advice that I can give to new creatives is create, create, create! Every single day. Never feel discouraged! Practice makes perfect. Lastly, be authentic. Make art that makes you smile and makes you have happy tears. Make art that is meaningful to you. Make art for you.”
Summer is coming to an end and Fall is just around to corner to bless us with aesthetics for epic photographs. For photographers in NYC, Fall is the perfect time to shoot no matter what type of shooter you’re.
The season delivers us Fall fashion, vibrant landscapes, and several opportunities to develop what type of photographer you want to be. For a photographer to thrive this season, there are several things to keep in mind and look forward to for the next couple of months.
KultureHub got you covered to shoot anything and everything this Fall.
Look to the sky for some composition
For beautiful Fall photos use the sky for lots of negative space. Autumn has some of the most spectacular looking sky’s and it makes a great addition to your pictures whether it’s portrait or landscape.
Most Fall days allow for explosive skies and the perfect amount of clouds to adds character to your photograph. For many fashion and portrait photographers, on a budget, the vibrant autumn sky makes for a perfect backdrop.
While you’re looking up at the sky be sure to take in the sunsets. Fall produces the most vivid sunsets for photographers to shoot.
The natural orange hue of the sun setting on the New York City skyline is intense and a skyline shot is easy to shoot on any camera with automatic settings.
A sunset shot is easy enough for beginner photographers to learn about composition and exposure without pressuring them to mess up their shot.
As the air cools down fog will be a more likely sight. For landscape and street photographers, fog can be a great addition to your images this Fall. If you want to add a bit of fog to your shot plan accordingly.
Fall is the best time to dress. Fall fashion is diverse, comfortable, and flexible when it comes to outfits.
For fashion photographers, this is the time to build up their portfolios and take amazing fall fashion shots. This Fall photographers should coordinate outfits with their models to contrast well with the Fall vibes.
Incorporating Brown tones, nude shades, wine, and neutral yellows are ideal when discussing outfits with your model. Some Fall essentials for any model to enhance your Fall fashion photographs include turtlenecks, a sweater vest, a blazer, or a neutral trench coat.
With class back in session these fall fashion photographs would work perfectly in a museum like the MET. To better encapsulates the Fall vibe, a park or forest would capture the season perfectly.
Autumn leaves are a staple for the season. Vibrant orange and red leaves can contribute quality and contrast to your images. For New Yorkers parks are the perfect place to capture the changing season. What better place in New York to photograph trees than Central Park? This 843-acre park is considered the Lung of New York City.
Fall wouldn’t be complete without Halloween. This season Fall photographers can take advantage of the spooky and ominous aesthetic of October by capturing Halloween-themed photographs. Perfectly encapsulating the creepy vibes by photographing creepy places such as the abandoned buildings or streets.
For portrait photographers using certain techniques may enhance their creepy Halloween portraits. Motion blurring photographs will create an artistic uncomfortably satisfying effect to the subject that just gives off those possessed vibes.
There’s a particularly ominous and mysterious vibe to fall and Halloween. One creative technique shooters can implement in their Halloween shots this fall is silhouetting their subjects.
Silhouettes shots have been used in horror films for decades including Nightmare on Elm Street and Nosferatu. Silhouettes if done correctly can emphasize the eerie feeling of mystery.
What will be your next concept for dope Fall photographs?
We went back, closer to basics with Sissi, and talked about her, her development, and her project, A Word to the Young. As artists and the younger generation, we have a lot of wisdom to take in from our peers
Sissi started photography in college where she originally studied music but switched visual arts after finding her passion in photography. Since then she began her journey into film photography starting with a Nikon F3 and moving onto the well-renowned Hasselblad.
With only a year of sharing her work, she gained a huge following on Instagram and a continually growing youtube channel where she vlogs photo walks and her art project a Word to the Young.
Sissi’s long-term project a Word to the Young archives timeless wisdom for all generations whether it’s love, money, art. The older generation has a lot of experience and wisdom to share.
In a time with a huge generational divide, Sissi bridges the generational gap to connect the younger generation with the older.
“I thought it was so unfair for older people to want to look young, instead of embracing their age, which I think wisdom, and knowledge comes from age. I think they should be rather proud of that”
– Sissi Lu
A Word to the Young captures portraits of the older generations along with advice that stems from years of wisdom and experience. Sissi captures these portraits on film, a medium which not many photographers explore due to the technological advances of digital photography.
Each portrait is beautiful, the expression and detail encapsulate age in a magnificent way.
A word to the older generation
One of the messages emphasized in Word to the Young is teaching the younger generation to not brush away older people because of their appearance, the other message is for the older generation.
Sissi wants viewers of her art to know the beauty that comes from being older.
“I always tell them, when I approach them that they look beautiful. I think often they have forgotten how beautiful they are, and just how kinda their smile is.”
Navigating the new network while keeping it old school
For photographers, exposure online is as important as the exposure while taking the photo.
In such a short time frame of shooting film photography and showcasing her work, Sissi has gained an impressive following with more than 27 thousand followers on her Instagram.
“Think of it [social media] as where you show your friends on the internet what you do. Keep it genuine and keep it pure. If you’re very genuine and pure, they will start liking what you do”.
– Sissi Lu
What makes a good film photograph
For aspiring film photographers of all generations, Sissi offers her own piece of advice. When asked the question “what makes a good photograph”, every photographer will have a subjective answer. Some may say use of light, color, or expression, for Sissi it’s about accessibility.
“A good photograph shouldn’t take an artist’s eye to notice. A good photograph should translate to any people. The people who don’t speak your language, the people who don’t understand your story, the people who just pass by, could be young, could be old. ”
“A good photograph should translate what you mean to anyone…”
– Sissi Lu
In the description for Sissi’s YouTube channel, UNDR DVLP she says “we are always learning, and that’s what makes us underdeveloped.” As creatives and as humans in general, this is the most important piece of wisdom we need to be reminded of every day.
Red Bull BC One kicked off on July 24th in the birthplace of hip-hop and breakdancing, NYC. Red Bull BC One is the world’s largest breaking competition, where all the top b-boys and b-girls bless the floor at 350 Grand Street’s rooftop in a one-on-one competition. It is a celebration of breaking to compete for the top spot to become a champion.
The largest breaking competition in the world was hosted by Nemesis and B-girl Trinity. The competition was organized into two separate brackets, judged by Kid Glyde, Red Bull BC One All-Star Neguin, and the 2020 Red Bull BC One World Final contestant, B-girl Sunny.
This was more than a competition for the breakers, this was a celebration of a way of life and art that crossed borders and identity. From an audience perspective, the breakers use dance as an expression and language to communicate with judges, the crowd, and opponents.
Breaking itself is a culture and to be in a cypher is a rite of passage. For it to be in the largest breaking competition in the world is another honor in and of itself.
“For me, the cypher is where people introducing themselves and style without any words, a lot is happening out there, I love cyphering,” said Beket Azimbaev, a 27-year-old b-boy who started breaking at 15.
Outside the Cypher Beket Azimbaev @youngb_nyc breaks with other b-boys and b-girls Photo Creds @img.mos
The first half of the world’s largest breaking competition was for the b-girls and the second half was for the b-boys. These highly skilled breakers faced off against one another separately and a panel of three judges determined who moved on. Their performances were critically judged based on, but not limited to, creativity, attitude, and style.
The largest breaking competition yet was fierce as each breaker battled it out in the cypher, holding nothing back. The innovation and creativity gave the rooftop intense energy. Each battle consisted of taunts, spins, and quick leg work. When the battle was over the floor was left with nothing but sweat and streaks.
Breakers bless the floor before the competition begins. Non competing b-boys and b-girls show off their skills for the audience Photo Creds @img.mos
b-boy, Frankie Perez, and b-girl, Marta proved their skill on the floor and were championed the winners of the Red Bull BC One New York Cypher and will move on to the U.S. Red Bull BC One National Finals.
Friends and family crowd behind their b-boy/b-girl to show support. Cred: @img.mos
The Red Bull BC-One embodies the complex and rich culture of breaking in NY and beyond. There are so many fine details and traits that are taken into consideration for NY Breakers before they enter the cypher.
B-girl @marta_run receives her trophy for winning her competition. Photo Creds @img.mos
The winners of the Red Bull BC-One b-boy Frankie Perez and b-girl Marta talked to us about their beginnings and the freedom of breaking culture in an interview.
Paying homage to NY
KultureHub: What’s the relation between NY and breaking?
Frankie:NY is not only where breaking started but also Hip Hop Culture as a whole. With respect to breaking specifically, a lot of pioneers are from here like Kid Freeze, Float, Ken Swift etc. Dancers like these have influenced countless others around the world so the reverberations of that make NYC a mecca of sorts for dancers in general.
Marta: Breaking was born in the Bronx, NY. I believe the essence of NY will always be found within the movement of Breaking no matter where you are in the world.
Getting started and the journey along the way…
KultureHub: How did you start?
Frankie:A neighbor of mine showed me and all my cousins at the same time while together in my grandma’s house. The rest has an almost 20-year journey to where I am now.
Marta:As a teenager, I came to the street festival with different urban cultures involved to have fun, and Breaking Jam caught my friend’s attention so I joined the company. Right away these guys were something different: they looked differently, danced differently, their performance was on top.
The crew name was Illusion of Exist. Me and my girlfriends found out where they teach and decided to go learn some Breaking. Only I came to the first practice, so here I am. Fell in love with breaking immediately, got into the crew Illusion of Exist a year after, and still in it. My biggest inspiration.
KultureHub: How long did it take for you to get to this point? What was the journey like?
Frankie:About 20 years. There were a lot of ups and downs. I went from an enthusiastic amateur in the scene to really honing my craft and then putting it to the test citywide, nationally, and then competing in international competitions. The process has taught me a lot of things I still find valuable today like how consistency is a big part of success as well as doing things that make you scared so as to expand as a person and dancer.
Marta:I dance for soon to be 15 years. The journey had its ups and downs. You are growing, and your dance is growing with you. You love, search, feel, cry, and hate on the road, and I think this makes Breaking beautiful – each person has it’s own story here. I lived in several places during my breaking career, and each place gave me something.
New York, for sure added its flavor to my style, and I’m very happy where I’m at.
Marta
Breaking influences
The b-boy winner of the Red Bull BC-One Frankie Perez @frankie_sb_ Photo Creds @img.mos
KultureHub: What’s your influence when you’re breaking?
Frankie:I’m influenced by my crew Supreme Beingz as well as those who came before me like the b-boys I mentioned. I’m also inspired by a few b-boys who are still competing as well.
Marta:My biggest influence in breaking is my crew Illusion of Exist, who inspired me to start dancing.
KultureHub: How does watching other breakers affect how you break?
Frankie:It can be anywhere from motivating to stagnating to informative depending on how much I’m balancing it while taking care of other areas in my life and using myself as a standard for comparison.
Marta: It’s always a pleasure watching other dancers get down because it is nice to see a different approach to the same art form.
The essence and art of a b-boy/b-girl
KultureHub: What does it mean to be a b-girl/boy?
Frankie: Traditionally speaking, it’s when you’re connecting to music while incorporating foundational elements of the dance-like footwork, power moves, toprock, and freezes. But for me it someone is really a b-boy/b-girl when they’re contributing something original to the craft.
Marta:Being a b-girl/boy is fun. I’m 31 but I’m a kid when I’m dancing. I guess it stays with you forever.
KultureHub: From a fashion perspective, it seems like everyone has their own style. How does what you wear come into play when you compete?
Frankie:Yes, in our scene fashion can also have a very practical perspective too. For example track jackets made of a certain material can help you spin or slide on the floor better while someone who wears loose sneakers might be doing so because it’s easier to remove his shoe if its part of the move he’s trying to do. For the most part, b-boys/b-girls try to dress comfortably for what we’re doing while looking as fresh as we can.
Marta:Oh, this is a whole gamechanger here. First of all, you need to be 100 percent comfortable in what you are wearing – nothing can bother you while you’re making your moves. Second of all, you need to be confident – there’s no other feeling like when you’re hyped about your outfit, you feel it, people around you see it.
Self-expression and freedom
KultureHub: What does breaking mean to you? How has this art changed your life?
Frankie:It’s self-expression as well as therapy. It’s changed the trajectory of my life in many ways by introducing me to work ethic. I also met my wife and ultimately had my son because of breaking, and my career as a photographer/filmmaker is rooted in my background as a b-boy.
Marta:For me, breaking is a place where I’m free. Free of worries, problems. I am truly happy when I’m dancing. I grew up as a person, an artist with the help of breaking, it made me stronger, it gave me lots of wonderful friends all around the world.
The Red Bull BC One competition moves on from NYC, continuing with regional qualifiers taking place in Los Angeles, Boston, and Houston.
The winners of these regional qualifiers will move onto compete in Red Bull BC One National Finals taking place in Orlando for a chance to compete at Red Bull BC One World Finals taking place in Gdańsk, Poland, on November 5 to 6.
The largest breaking competition the globe has ever known continues. But for a recap of the events up to date, the Red Bull BC One Cypher can be watched in its entirety below:
