My sister Shannon lived in a cozy lil apt in Brooklyn with her then-bf Rob and our cat Katchoo. I always loved cat sitting when they'd leave town because it was my chance to live dat Brooklyn life. Wander thru coffee shops, boutiques, galleries, and bars, weave thru runners and bike traffic on the Williamsburg Bridge, experience all the energy that makes that town so special.
It was while walking through Williamsburg, I spotted a yellow Schwinn locked to a post with the word printed COFFEE on the frame. I took a pic of it which became one of my favorite images and used it as a background for my 'pooter for a long time. What I started to notice right after that first shot was Schwinn bikes had different names and they were poppin' up everywhere.
Some of the most common were Varsity and Collegiate, coming in a wide variety of bold colors in the parts of the world I was able to visit. Others were rare, like Coffee. I am pretty sure I saw another Coffee Schwinn years later, but it was beat up and seemed impossible that it would be the same one that caught my eye back in 2012. Who knows? Life of Bike Unknown.
What is known is the Coffee Schwinn photo was taken with my Canon Powershot A3300 on 11/25/12 in Williamsburg, Brooklyn. Today marks eight years of this fun, fascinating, creative photo project that has inspired hundreds of photos from my travels around the world. It is, for me, a joyous reminder of how when I am so unsure of myself, there's something extraordinary growing inside my creative mind all the time. It's not dumb, I'm not lazy, I simply relate to the tortoise in the race with the hare - slow and steady.
My series of Schwinns photo project was not an idea until months later when I stopped passing the other bikes and photographing them. Finally - FINALLY - after eight long years, I am pleased to start sharing the series and stories with you. (You didn't think it was just going to be photos? No. Stories. Lots of stories. Some true. Some random. We'll see.)
Enjoy, friends and visitors. I took this photo on the corner of N10th and Driggs because I love wandering, photography, bicycles and coffee. When I hit bottom and thought there was no direction to turn, I found this image represented something I have been doing right my entire life. It represents my purpose and gift to the world, and something to be proud of.