A MESSAGE FROM HARPE STAR
It’s hard to keep focused on what’s good, lately. I think that’s why we’re all flocking to the internet for escapism (or to get deeper into the shit storm that we’ve already been experiencing in our real world, boring, drab, lives.) We all want to be able to connect and relate to what everyone else is getting up to, either to compare and say “well, I guess that I don’t have it so bad,” or to say “I absolutely have it bad, these Instagram influencers are out surfing in L.A and I’m cooped up writing a newsletter in my Northern Michigan office!”
Personally, I’d take the latter of the latter any day. Though if you wanted to throw some surfing in there too, I wouldn’t complain. It could make for a fun story to write about.
All of this to say, I guess we over here at Harpe Star have decided to start a newsletter. Since the blog has been finished for a bit now, I figured it was time I (Micah) sunk my teeth into another writing project that could go on the website. Newsletters seem to be “hip” lately, so here I am!
WHAT WE’RE UP TO
This past few weeks have been doozies. Between trying to finish up a project that we filmed for The Little Fleet (after countless “finished products” that I ended up convincing myself that I hate, so I scratch, catching up on edits from a wedding, portrait sessions, band photos, and the flow of new bookings and going on shoots, we’re seeing ourselves busy. Which is great! But we also haven’t been telling you all so much about it other than the Instagram and Facebooks posts. This part of the newsletter will be that! Telling you what we’re up to, as the title up there suggests. ^^
Abby & Joiya
We had the pleasure of doing a double senior portrait session for some of the youngers of the Old Town Playhouse family who aren’t so young anymore. Most recently you would have seen their work as lighting designers for Fun Home (Joiya, and her dad Bill) and Indecent (Bill taking lead designer this time, Abby take a bit of an assistant designer role,) and good lord did they crush it. Being two of the most impactful pieces of theatre that I’ve had the pleasure of working on or getting to experience, their work played a grand part in making it all come together.
The shoot we got to do with them reflected how wonderful they are, and we’re so glad we got to work with them one last time before they both get swept away by Interlochen this fall.
Matt & Rachael
Our second shoot of the week was with two of the areas local designers/overall artists, as well as their pet pigeon Andy. I’ve known Matt for years, but after just getting reconnected this last winter due to a chance encounter in the music building at NMC, we rekindled a friendship. I was honored when he asked if Kristen and I would do a headshot session with him and Rachael. After shooting around their apartment for a while with what I can only describe as a lifestyle session for the creative professional, we had the pleasure of taking a stroll through the trials around the Grand Traverse Commons and taking a few pics, but mostly playing with dead stumps we found in the woods.
Also, their pigeon landed on my outstretched hand multiple times and I squealed out of delight every time.
Next time I’ll tell you about the Little Graves shoot, hanging out with Em Randall as she painted her newest mural, and our first wedding of the season.
WHAT WE’RE WATCHING
After finishing Broad City on Hulu, we were struggling with what to watch next. The final city of BC was so funny, and clever, and has so many moments that we’re still quoting, and phrases that have just found their way permanently stuck in my lexicon. We tried a few shows, and started a few movies, but the majority of things just couldn’t keep our attention. That is – until we got back into Watchmen, on HBO.
Kristen had already seen the first few episodes, and I’d seen the first, so we kept goin on the second, and by the end of the fifth we were both fully hooked. Since then we’ve tried to watch an episode a day, and it just keeps getting better. We just finished it, and god is it satisfying. Not all of the acting is immaculate, but some of the characters are entirely captivating from the first time that they appear on screen. There are a few questions that I was left with at the end, that didn’t get wrapped up so tightly. And with a season two rumored but not confirmed, it’s hard to say if we’ll get to know how their stories end.
If you’re looking for a new show, and you’ve got HBO, go for Watchmen. It doesn’t even matter if you’ve read the comic or seen the movie. It’s just good story-telling (for the most part…) and then you can talk to me about it and that’ll be fun, right?
We just finished season two of Umbrella Academy, too. So expect more on that and the first season of “The Comedians” staring Josh Gad and Billy Crystal.
Until then.
Signing Off
Harpe Star
