Marisa Matluck Photo Blog

Last week Diplo threw it downnnn at Grand Central and my boy Ari hooked it up! I am just such a music lover so if you show me a stage, with a DJ on it, and I have a camera in hand (like always), this is what ensues…

This year I didn’t get to Basel as much as I would have liked to. To be honest, I have been super busy (a good thing) and have felt quite bad that it has taken me almost 2 weeks to update my blog.

That being said, I made it to Art Miami and Scope and Art Asia. Thats all. For the second year in a row, I missed the actual Basel show. I really like Art Miami. My critique of the artwork I saw: I like the use of dimensions and patterns, mixed media, Patrick Hughes and the local Jen Stark were among my favorites. I was a bit disappointed with the photography I saw. There was nothing that really inspired me in that department. Nothing too memorable. Not to say it was bad, but I now feel challenged!

So here are a few photos of things I found interesting at the art shows.

I was invited this past weekend to the Dunkxchange. What is it? I was unaware such a thing existed until I arrived. Apparently there are sneakers or “dunks” that are worth hundreds and sometimes thousands of dollars. There are dunks there that are the Gucci or Fendi of the sneaker world.

Along with these super expensive dunks comes a huge following. Enter Dunkxchange; an event held on different dates all around the country where dunk fanatics come to buy, sell, and/or trade their very valuable sneakers.  It was dope.

Yesterday I had the opportunity to do an engagement shoot for an absolutely beautiful couple whose wedding I will be photographing in just 3 short weeks! I am so excited to get to work with such awesome (and photogenic) people!!!

Which brings me to this blog post… we took a stroll down Calle Ocho. It was the first time I had ever actually walked around there other than the festival held in March. Rachel and Rene (the couple) are Cuban and wanted to have their shoot there. I was so glad, it was a nice change from the typical places people normally want their photos taken.

Anyway, as we were strolling along, they led me to a place where there is a monument and a torch and a super big tree. Im not sure what the monument and torch were for because I was mostly paying attention to the tree but it had something to do with Cuba I am sure. Rene told me about this tree, called a Ceiba Tree, that is very important in Cuban culture. I had never seen such roots. All the photos you are about to see are mainly just the roots of this ginormous tree. I did include one photo of the couple just because they are awesome!

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This one time, a bit over a year ago, I got lost in Noosa, Australia. Let me just clarify that it was not in the middle of a city that I was lost. I was trekking through the National Park with 2 Israelis I had met and the sun was setting and we were lost in what seemed to be a forrest. It was some scary $hit for real!

The funny part of this story is how we got out of the park:

I got lost in the park with a couple of Israel soldiers who swore they could protect us and get us out in once piece. I trusted them, but was really not happy about getting lost in the dark. As we were walking across an empty beach (part of the park) at sunset, contemplating on pitching a tent and hoping the tide didn’t rise and leave us stuck or heading away from the ocean into a forrest area that we were unfamiliar with, we met a couple. Not just any couple. We met a very drunk, nude, couple of swingers. This was just icing on a cake and I knew that at some point in my life I would be able to share this story.  Needless to say, they were quite amused with us and our getting lost. They thankfully led us out of the park, through the forrest… picking on us the entire time. They kept shouting “snake” or “possum” or some sort of animal, just to scare me. Once we got out, the man saw my camera and dropped his drawers one last time for photo purposes. That one will not be on the blog… sorry

On Friday night, I attended an über cool fashion show at a hip, new, members-only burlesque bar called La Fee Verte. It was my second time there and I actually really like the place. You have to be on a list to get in which could sometimes be annoying but they only let a certain number of people in the place. This is great because you can enjoy the atmosphere with plenty of breathing room!

The crowd is cool. Its an ‘anything goes’ kind of place. Did I mention their drink specialty is Absythine?

The reason for the event was a KRELwear fashion show. Krel is a local designer (support the locals!) with such a talent for knitting and color. “The one of kind line embraces flaws with no rules at all; enhancing originality through organic methods, let it run, knit.” I took that from her site. I am not a fashion critic but I have happened to photograph my friend Erin Newberg in her clothing before and it is absolutely, without a doubt,  photogenic! I didn’t include many of her pieces in this blog post because they are featured in my photo gallery on NBCMiami. These can be seen by clicking here.

I was really glad I was able to bring my camera in the place. I don’t think they allow photos to be take which is why I am not showing the faces of the girls that stripped down to everything but nipple covers and undies. I love being able to take pictures in dark surroundings where the light hits the body just enough to see curvature. Lets face it, women have beautiful curves. And this, my friends, is why I enjoyed taking photos that night  (for artistic purposes).

I never cared much for futbol (soccer for you Americans) until this year. Being in an office full of fanatics makes it that much more fun. I watched these boys in the office trade “monitas” (stickers) like 5 year olds trade SillyBandz. Every game was on in the office, I don’t think I missed one. I have to say, that although those vuvuzuela’s put me to sleep with their monotonous tone, I will miss them and the excitement that was the World Cup for the past month.

Yesterday I went to a super cool world cup celebration block party on Brickell. I wasn’t really cheering for any team in particular, I was there for the photo opportunities. I was really excited when I was allowed on stage and managed to snag a few shots of the Mayor of Miami!

Man was it a good time ! I think that 95% of the crowd was ready for Spain to win and when they did… it was mayhem.

I love this city and the energy that it comes with when crowds like this one gather.

I recently returned from a nice little vacation in Virginia Beach. Why Virginia you ask? Well, I happen to have a remarkably good friend who just happens to live there. Aside from being a good friend, Michelle is one of the coolest people I know. I called her up and told her I wanted to come visit and take pictures and for 5 days she showed me around and let me snap away.

We did everything from concerts (Hall and Oates & Passion Pit), to bike riding, wake surfing, touring… we even visited a haunted hotel. Actually, we tried to visit the haunted hotel (The Cavalier) but the doors were locked so we peered through the windows. I am also 100% sure that we saw a ghost on the top floor window and when we mentioned it to her friends later that night, one of them confirmed that some one had in fact jumped from the very window a long time ago.

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Its been a while since I have been out, wait , thats not true. Let me rephrase: It has been a while since I have been to the Vagabond. So this Saturday night, I headed out with my good friend Joanne. You may recognize her from my post “Downtown Joanne”.

Anyway, her and I were just dancing, minding our own business, when suddenly there was a man on stage getting whipped with a paddle. Crazy! I guess that is how the Vagabond is, anything goes. Its a place where you go if you feel like going out in nothing but body paint and a wig or dressing as funky and independent as you like. A huge jump away from South Beaches “Models and Bottles” rule. It is really a one-of-a-kind place and putting a label like “club”, “bar”, or “lounge”, really does not do it justice.

SO, when I entered the Vagabond, I realized I had left my camera in the car. Not cool. After a cocktail, I went back to get it because I just cannot be without it. What if I miss a great moment… I would definitely regret it! I got back just in time for the festivities…

Enjoy (but not too much)

You can also see more of my photo on nbcmiami.com just type my name in the search field!

A few months ago I invested in a Canon G11. I just wanted something I could carry around in my purse at all times that would not weigh me down but would take great photos.

My friend Joanne lives downtown. Downtown Miami.

I dont know if it is the smartest thing to disclose her residence but for photography sake, I need to. Last week, I spent a lovely afternoon going through her closet and drinking wine on the balcony with Joanne. I got snap happy, pulled out the G11 and the following blog post is the result of that wonderful afternoon.

Oh, did I mention that she is a fabulous Interior Designer!