I’m not entirely sure how to explain this in a way that will make sense to everyone. The truth is, The Misfits is one of my favorite bands. I absolutely love them. I’ve never really been drawn to darkness, the rougher side of life, or even the punk rock scene in general. I’ve always been a girl with fairly mainstream musical tastes. But what can I say? They’re a weakness of mine. A guilty pleasure? Not at all. I’m proud of what they’ve contributed to music, art, and culture. And the reason I’m bringing all of this up is because, just like the title says, this post only really makes sense if you know, have heard, or are at least curious about the music these geniuses created.
I don’t consider myself much of an artist, and certainly not a photographer. In fact, I hesitated quite a bit before posting this in this community. I’ve seen the work people share here, and it’s honestly beautiful. Most of it follows the fundamental principles of visual art and has been created by people who almost certainly have far more experience and skill than I do. Even so, I wanted to highlight how a particular style, a way of making music, and in my case, the good fortune of being able to appreciate it, has influenced the way I approach photography.
Enough with the context and overexplaining. Yesterday, my city was hit by a storm unlike anything we’ve seen in decades. According to the reports, we got as much rain in a single day as we would normally get in an entire month. It was unbelievable. Streets, drains, and major avenues were completely overwhelmed by the amount of water that came down. The day after that, which is to say today, I decided to take advantage of the gloomy, muted, heavily overcast weather and go for a walk.
Call me crazy, but I love it when routine gets disrupted. I don’t enjoy tragedies or conflict, but when you live somewhere as predictable and uneventful as my city, having the weather suddenly transform everything can feel refreshing. It creates new perspectives and even new ways of experiencing art. So I grabbed my headphones, put together the perfect The Misfits playlist, and headed out. Not toward any destination in particular, obviously. But in my opinion, the walk gave me some of the most beautiful backlit scenes I’ve ever had the chance to photograph.
The pictures you’re about to either appreciate or dislike, who knows, were taken along the road that connects the entrance of my neighborhood to my house. As I’ve mentioned before, I had no plan whatsoever. It was just chaotic nature, my aimless wandering, and some of the best punk rock ever written. Nothing more. As cliché as it sounds, sometimes the most remarkable experiences happen when you’re not expecting anything at all. From where I stand, that’s exactly what happened to me today. I wasn’t even planning to post anything on HIVE, but after this walk, it felt unavoidable.
You have no idea how difficult it was for me to find the right community for these photos. They’re black and white, intentionally dark, and not especially bright or conventional. I wasn’t confident about sharing them in a photography-focused space. At the same time, I didn’t want to ignore the influence that The Misfits had on all of this. For better or worse, their music filled me with joy, irreverence, and a strangely appealing sense of everyday nihilism. One day the sky looks like it’s about to collapse, and the next I’m simply making the most of what nature has handed me and letting a walk guide the rest.
Even my daughter had something to say when she saw the pictures. Her immediate reaction was, “Mommy, these photos look like the music those ugly people you listen to would make.” I laughed so hard. Kids really do tell the truth. Anyway, this post is my attempt to show, in a fairly simple way, the uniqueness hidden within ordinary moments. And how, without any planning at all, the best things, at least for me, seem to converge in the same direction every now and then. Coincidence? Fate? Both? Neither? I have no idea. I love The Misfits, I love trying to take photographs, and this is the final result. Chaos, gloom, and a road stretching ahead.
