Queer Intro

Welcome to the Gay in the Bay Blog! I am Josie, a queer writer and videographer that loves to document what I see around me. This started out as a writing blog but has grown to include events that more people should know about.

This post is for the week of

Do you have a live event that needs filming? I’m a videographer! Please check out the Sweeney Media on your way to the About > Contact page. I look forward to working with you.

How to Film the Golden Gate Bridge

I took a break from writing this past week. This isn’t to say I didn’t write a single word; I did, but everything feels stale. But what wasn’t stale was my first time lapse!

The Golden Gate Bridge is the most photographed bridge in the world. There’s just something alluring about this structure. I decided make the trek down to Marshall’s Beach and film a time lapse. Here's what I learned:

Know your subject. This applies to the camera just as much as the subject itself. Questions to ask: what are you shooting? What exactly are you achieving here? This will apply for platforms; think film (fiction or documentary), commercial, or maybe a YouTube video. What format is required? Where does the customer want the shot? Questions such as these will help you figure out the best way to get that “money shot.” The more questions you ask the customer or yourself, the more prepared you will be.

Learn the best time of year to film. June, to my surprise, is not the best time to film the GGB. The sun dips behind the mountains this time of year. Which, don’t get me wrong, this is still beautiful! But the light doesn’t hit the bridge the same way. Know when the sun will hit the bridge during the golden hour.

Know your place. Location, location, location! I had no idea where a safe place was to set up. As a result, I was close to the steps (which is safe for me and my gear) but I wasn’t close enough to the water. The best commercial photos of the GGB looks like the camera is right on the rocks and water. But make sure the tide doesn’t take you out with it. Find a safe place to set up.

Bring the right gear. This may vary between photographer and videographer. But I decided to bring my GoPro Hero9, a lightweight tripod, and a 5LBS sandbag. This may be different the next time I go out and film. But don’t expect every shoot to require the same amount of gear. Create a checklist of your gear and stick with it.

Bring your boots. An off-shoot of #1. Going to Marshall’s Beach requires you to climb down a steep hillside. If you are like me, out of shape or have terrible lungs, you will know to take breaks on the way down and up. Getting a great landscape photo/video will require some hoofin’ it.

I am updating my portfolio, and beginning to learn more about marketing for myself and my photos/videos. It’s a great time to become more focused and find my target audience.

There were many people that walked in front of my camera, as you’ll see in the YouTube video I uploaded. But toward the end, someone approached me and asked me to take his photo with his parents. They had driven all the way from Yosemite to the edge of San Francisco. I felt like an NPC in their life journey that day. That is to say, something came about it, and it felt great. Now I know what to expect the next time I go out to film the Golden Gate Bridge.

There are photos and a couple of vlog-type videos below.

She’s a Witch!

Simona Kossak was considered a witch in her day. She was an incredibly smart woman who held a PhD in Biology, an author, photographer, and an uncompromising conservation activist. She refused to follow the trends and styles of her day. So it shouldn’t be a surprise that she was connected to being a witch.

Here, however, we focus on the incredible photos that she contributed to the world. There is an intimacy that we don’t often see in the wild outdoors. The very first picture we see has a boar sitting at (and on top of) a wooden table. This isn’t something we see very often. And if I’m being honest, this is something I would love to see more of; the wild and civilized being brought into a weird mish-mash of humanity living quietly with nature.

Simona was called a lot of things (witch, activist being two) that is oft considered negative. But they should be positive connotations, as they are things that bring us closer to nature. And that is something we could all have more of; including myself.

Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse (2023)

This isn’t a full review. It really couldn’t be, because I’d be far too biased toward this film. Quite frankly, this is my favorite animated film of all time. Yes, this even surpasses the original.

The joke I’ve had with everyone I’ve spoken to about this is: “They pulled a Matrix.” Meaning, the first film established the universe-skipping group of characters and the world in which they interact. Now, there is a duology of movies happening with almost too much going on. There are so many one-liners, references, and memes to keep count. And I can’t wait until the third movie, coming out next year.

Queer Intro

This post is for the week of March 19 - 25.

Do you have a live event that needs filming? I’m a videographer! Please check out the Sweeney Media on your way to the About > Contact page. I look forward to working with you.

Writing & Editing & Filming

Outlining is still trudging along with my novel. I’m running into the same issues as I did the first go-round with this book: figuring out the fun little details that lead to the ending. But I’m doing something very different this time around: I’m being patient with myself. I’ve written one novel in its entirety, and it was off/on for five months. And it’s being completely rewritten. This is my second novel that I’m writing to its completion.

I’m preparing to take some tests this week. No, I’m not going back to school. Blackmagic Design hosts a training program called Train the Trainer (aka T3). This certification will give me more opportunities as an editor teacher. I feel woefully unprepared. But maybe that’s just nerves. I’ll have more to update on that later on.

I helped out with Reel Oakland on a student-run film set. It ran all afternoon, we were exhausted by the end of it. But it felt great to help out again and be on set.

There was a lighting issue at some point; we wanted to light the background as a killer drags his victim through a hallway. But the light was seen in the background of the shot! I was asked to move the light closer to the camera, and I did. The light being in the foreground ended up looking even better and more sinister.

News

SF Floods are different from Memphis floods…

Flooding continued to hit the Bay Area last week. There were gusts of wind, torrents of rain, and blocks and blocks of SF and Oakland without power. And when Atmospheric River Bob was bored enough to leave, there was much rejoicing.

A friend of mine came in from Memphis, TN to attend the Game Designers Conference. We hung out on Tuesday when the rain decided to hit us all. When attempting to show him a comic shop, we looked up to realize how dark parts of the city was. It was strange. And a reminder that we as humans don’t pay enough attention sometimes.

Queer Bedtime Stories musician

In the March edition of Queer Bedtime Stories, we had a musician grace our presence with a guitar and some sweet, sweet vocals. They go by Penny’s Luck on Spotify, links here and down below. Their music is as pleasant and delightful as a nice cup of tea. Which is very refreshing, not the least because we’re all addicted to over-priced coffee out here in the West.

Comedian in a Dress

This comedian had a comedy show in Nashville last week. In solidarity, he wore a dress. He joked that he might get arrested, bringing attention to the reality that many will and already have gotten arrested for the exact same thing. I don’t generally like it when a comedian makes topical jokes like this; the difference here is that he must have thought his points through and didn’t really punch down on anyone (except the folks who wrote the anti-trans bills).

International Day of Trans Visibility

March 31, 2023 is an important day, now more than ever. There are people trying to eradicate the existence of trans/non-binary people across the United States. If you’re reading this and think I’m exaggerating, you haven’t read the bills carefully enough and buy propaganda way too easily.

Montana Bill

This article (linked in the title) focuses on a therapist stating that nobody under her care has ever regretted transitioning; with her staying in contact with her patients.

This disproves the 80% myth and claim and even forced a Republican to concede to the point. More details in the article. I do not know author Erin Reed but I do encourage support in her efforts in covering the current anti-trans bills popping up all over.

The unfortunate reality is that there are a lot of people that claim many regret transitioning without any proof. This is why properly researched papers and statistics are important, and why quoting statistics from decades ago can be dangerous regardless of the subject.

Lil Nas X and Apologies

Lil Nas X said something that the Trans Community found offensive, and he ended up retracting his apology on Twitter. In the video above, Cody Bordone covers some conflict resolution tactics that I honestly needed a refresher on. It was nice to see what could be done about real world issues.

I took a Conflict Resolution class in college, many moons ago. If I remember correctly, many of the examples felt made up and exaggerated to fit the module for that week. Something about that didn’t make the class feel all that important.

Pop Culture

Each week I include media that I’ve enjoyed. If you’re a creator of any kind, please email me to be included in this list. I love discovering new artists; from singer-songwriters to upcoming directors, and beyond.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Olive Klug (Olivia Klugman) (@oliveklug)

Olive Klug strummin’ along.

Brian Falduto has debuted a new album called Gay Country. I found it funny at times, even though this might be a serious album. My understanding of most country albums are that they take themselves seriously. Let me know what you think! Check it out on Spotify.
People still do playlists, right? I hope so, because I’ve started a super-specific playlist for my queer superhero book. It’s only a few songs right now, but I’m always on the lookout for more. This isn’t character specific like Casey McQuiston.
McKenna Grace landed on my suggested page on Spotify. The album Bittersweet 16 was off-putting and confusing to me. But once I got into the pop/rock music, I really enjoyed it. Sometimes it’s the weird album art that really captures my attention. Grace’s music is a real bop! Check her out on Spotify.
I found Olive Klug via the embedded Instagram post above. It was touching, though unfortunately it’s not on Spotify. Here is her Spotify page and her site.
Penny’s Luck is a local artist in the San Francisco Bay Area. I mention them above, so here’s their Spotify page.