Our very first GET/TOGETHER meet was by far one of our favorite events we've organized. It definitely wasn't the biggest nor did we make any sort of profit, but that is part of the reason why it was as successful as it was. We went into planning this event without the intention of bringing in the largest crowd or trying to make as much money as possible through sponsors. It was just us, and a small group of people getting together and connecting through a shared passion; photography. We were blown away at the amount of commitment these individuals showed for hanging out with us all evening. Even though we hit some dead ends along the way, we hit them together. When something came up, we made decisions together. When we were freezing our asses off on top of Mt. Tam, we froze together. No one voice was left unheard, and that's what makes this easily one of our favorite times. We really got to bond with everyone there and just chill. We've learned so much about others and we were hella lucky to have randomly chosen such a diverse crowd. From all over the Bay Area, and even ones from Los Angeles, from different backgrounds and personalities, and of course, all different types of shooters. It was just a dope melting pot of a evening. We are definitely looking forward to our next GET/TOGETHER and you should be on the look out. Here is a compilation of images taken by our team.
You can see more images from the evening here.
Events
EXPLORE SINGAPORE
Travel, EventsComment
EXPLORE SHANGHAI
Events, TravelCommentBack in October, we hosted one of our Explore Instagram meets in Shanghai with InstaMeet Shanghai. I finally got the chance to sit down with Leon, founder and organizer of InstaMeet Shanghai, and talk about his story and to share his experience with us on the collaborative Instagram meet-up in his hometown. Here's what Leon had to say:
"We started InstaMeet Shanghai in January 2014, when we all first met in Laoximen and the Bund for a WWIM. Before that meet, there wasn't a network of Instagram users in Shanghai. Part of the reason why I wanted to organize that first one was to see who else was out there and because I felt a city as big as Shanghai needed something to help connect this talented community. Ever since then we’ve been organising meets nearly every month. The thing I probably like most about the meets is the social aspect. We’ve tried to keep the events very casual, cool and non-commercial - it’s mostly about meeting new people, exploring new places in Shanghai and improving your shooting by meeting up with other photographers. Every month it’s interesting to see how different people can shoot the same location but in very different ways. This particular meet we did with MIGHTYKILLERS at 1933 was a great one because we got to catch up with Kevin Mao who came to represent MK. Also the location at 1933 is incredible for exploring. For many years this was an abandoned and disused slaughterhouse from the 1930s. The structure is full of winding paths, ramps, and air bridges that go up and down. It's a great spot for meeting up and shooting."
We couldn't be more stoked on the turn out of the meet and we are grateful to be apart of such a dope community of creatives. Every event we have put together, we have been blow away with the support and the amount of talent in every crowd; time after time. We have put together a handful of contributed photos from the meet by:
@k_mao / @instameetshanghai / @danieullec / @hx1125 / @movable / @panvelvet / @sleepingforest1226 / @tuki6
A DAY IN THE LIFE
Lifestyle, EventsComment
We've recently teamed up with visual storytelling powerhouse Duarte Inc. on their latest series "One-Shot" to give you all an inside look at a day in the life of a KILLER.
A special shoutout and thank you to our friends at Duarte and all those who helped with this project. It's been a dope experience working with the best.
CREATIVE COLLABORATION
Events, Lifestyle, TravelCommentIt's rare these days to come across a company that truly believes in your vision, let alone is wiling to help you achieve that vision. Typically if there is no monetary return than the likelihood of a helping hand is slim. However, like with most things there are certain exceptions to this case, and Duarte Inc. is a prime example of that exception. Having built a reputation as masters in the art of visual storytelling, Duarte has become a powerhouse with a client list ranging from ESPN , former Vice-President Al Gore, Shiseido, and many moreIt's an honor to have such dope mentors guide us as we find our own voice within visual story telling.
At first we had trouble trying to decided which MIGHTYKILLERS story we wanted to represent. We wanted to include all aspects of the brand our audience has come to know and love, but at the same time we also wanted to shed some light on things you may not of known before. We wanted this story to not only be a reflection of our past but also a look into what we have planned for the future. Simply put, like a pair of Royal Jordan 1's this story needed to be timeless.
This creative collaboration didn't simply happen over night, but after many months of office meetings and countless emails we decided on our final story. Through trial and error, what seemed like disagreements at the time were just the opposite; instead healthy creative criticism on both sides. As a creative, its easy for constructive criticism to be perceived as a negative insight; however, its the true creatives that look at this criticism as a positive and a chance for growth.
Stay tuned.
LANDMARK LURKIN: SACRAMENTO
EventsCommentOver this past weekend we hosted our third installment of the Landmark Lurkin series. This traveling series is designed to highlight and showcase the major landmarks in each city. With huge success coming off of the previous events, it didn't take long to decide on visiting our neighbors to the west, Sacramento.
In the past year, Sacramento has definitely been making waves in the Instagram community. The people of the city have produced some amazing work through its official visitors bureau page, Visit Sacramento. So it was a no brainer to hit up our friend Faith Mari (@faithmari), who not only has an amazing feed but also curates the Visit Sacramento Instagram, to collaborate on an idea for this meet. She suggested that we also reach out to Will Thompson (@goodthompson) to help co-host the meet. We've been following Will for a while, so it was finally dope to meet him in person.
When scouting locations we decided that we should showcase one of Sacramento's gems, Apple Hill. This Fall favorite among locals is located just east of Sacramento, and has been a top destination for families for years. They're especially known for their ciders and baked goods, especially the donuts...mmm..donuts. Faith helped organize and reach out to the Apple Hill Growers Association who were nice enough to donate free vouchers for donuts. Now who doesn't love donuts? Especially free ones!
The turn out was amazing! I was blown away by how tightly knit the community of Instagrammers were in the Sacramento area. Mostly all of them knew each other and saw one another on a monthly basis when meets would pop up around the city. To have Mighty Killers be apart of that was truly a blessing. We are extremely thankful for those who drove great distances to come out!
Sacramento is definitely a stop everyone should make.
EXPLORE 1 YEAR ANNIVERSARY
EventsComment#MKEXPLORE was built around the idea that seeking inspiration through exploration should always go hand and hand. The Mighty Killers have always been a supporter of pushing boundaries, sharing ideas, and building relationships within a community.
A year later, we would never expect the community to span to a global scale and the hashtag to reach over 500k post. The response from the community has been incredible, and has allowed us to reach out to individuals around the world. This wave of positive feedback has been the catalyst for why we chose to expand our EXPLORE meets to a global scale. We not only want to give back to all the individuals who have been with us from the start, but also those around the world who continue to contribute and offer a perspective that many have never seen. We can't thank everyone enough for all the posts they've contributed, feedback they gave, and overall support they've shown.
So, for this one year anniversary meet we wanted to do something very special and give back. We've partnered with arguably one of the best and most well known flash memory manufactures in the world, SanDisk. They were nice enough to bring out some of their top of the line products to give away, as well as contest prizes (check out Instagram for contest rules). It's very dope when a major company shows its support to a small community, and we are truly appreciative. If the giveaways weren't enough, the horrible sunsets that've plagued EXPLORE meets in the past were no where to be seen. This year we were stoked to receive an amazing sunset that hit the beach perfectly, causing a mirror like reflection. Overall, we were juiced to see old faces and meet new ones, all while enjoying a dope view.
Thank you to everyone who came, especially those who drove great distances just to make it out. We definitely appreciate everyone who continues to support #MKEXPLORE and the Mighty Killers!
Cheers to another great year!
TASTEMADE GALLIVANT
Travel, Lifestyle, EventsCommentOver the weekend, the Mighty Killers squad was fortunate enough to be invited down to the Tastemade Gallivant event. Yes, the same Tastemade that you see on just about every social media platform that makes you drool all over your phone as you watch mesmerizing food-porn videos. You can say that it's NSFTH (Not Safe For The Hungry).. Tastemade has made its way into just about all major outlets with their hypnotizing DIY food videos and travel shows. They are without doubt, this generation's food and travel channel, so you know when they host a party, all of LA's heavy hitters in the restaurant scene will be in attendance.
And they sure didn't disappoint, open bar and a huge spread of finger-licking goodness... everything from poutine fries to lamb neck tacos. Yes, lamb neck.. don't knock it until you try it.
The ambiance and vibe of the whole party was crazy. Everything took place in the Tastemade Studio, which used to be the distribution center for TOM's shoes and one of MTV's old recording studios. Walking in and seeing the set up from all of the individual studios on their Snapchat channel was dope to see in real life. The set up and presentation of all the food was amazing as well. It brought together a real relaxed feel where everyone was able drink, socialize, and enjoy divine food.
We chilled with a lot of dope people, of those were Terry (@ASTERYX) and Antonio (@KOSTENNN). Who were both there to help launch Tastemade's newest docu-web series, Under Discovered. Terry and Antonio were there for the same reason we were, to participate in the Q&A for the Under Discovered series. The series is about the new generation of urban explorers who are connected through social media. The idea that one person can reach out to someone across the country that they have never met in real life but once they do, it is as if they have known them forever. The power of social media is huge and it is what Mighty Killers is all about. To continue to push the boundaries of social media, Tastemade also announced the upcoming launch of their new app Facet. We will be announcing the app in the near future. Trust us, this app takes travel and exploring to new heights, all the while connecting people.
During the Q&A, Marvin, Nikk, and Sam spoke on behalf of Mighty Killers about some of the craziest things they've done just to get the shot. Everything from Sam hanging off the edge of a cliff in Yosemite while holding on to Marvin's unlaced shoe. To Nikk climbing to the middle of California's tallest bridge. It was really inspiring seeing and hearing the reaction from the crowd, especially after the show. We never do what we do for the likes or comments, instead we do it because we love it. The adrenaline and passion to chase the perfect shot is the reason why we push the limits.
INTO THE VALLEY : 1
Events, TravelCommenta few of us were blessed with the opportunity to go out to Yosemite with Moment Lens. It's been about a year since I've last visited this massive national park with a bunch of homies and all i have left from that trip was a bunch of good memories and dope photos so you can imagine my level of stoked-ness this time around. As soon as we got into the park, we wasted no time and jumped right out of the car and started shooting. Something I was really looking forward to this trip was sunset. We've heard that the recent fires have been causing a thick layer of haze all across the valley which can give photos a epic glow at the right time of day. As we sat here waiting for the rest of the crew, I then realized I was totally not prepared for the heat. Apple's weather app has lied to me, yet again.
Landmark Lurkin Toronto
Travel, EventsCommentMuch love to the 6! Thank you everyone who came out to our Landmark Lurkin in Toronto this past weekend. It was dope to finally meet everyone and shoot along such an inspiring and supportive community. A special thank you to our hosts for the event:
@alenpalander @tilore @smvrk @dashgrey @seandshoots @silassao
Stay tuned for the next Landmark Lurkin event, it may be coming to a city near you!