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 June 4 — 10.

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.

A Very Queer Roadtrip

I disappeared from the Bay Area for four days this week. This was desperately needed, as I noticed how much I was retreating into myself. And that’s no good! There was something bothering me and I needed to get out of my current element to figure this out.

This culminated into a trip into the woods of Northern California. And for a couple of reasons. Both are spiritual in nature, though by definition very different. I’ve recently become a Norse Pagan and am still exploring that. The other reason: finding the location of the Patterson-Gimlin Bigfoot reel.

Now, I apologize for being all over the place. Putting religion and Bigfoot into the same subject? What the heck is this person thinking?! (I imagine you, dear reader, asking yourself) I have ADHD, and often times have a difficult time separating certain subjects. After all, this exploration of the internal and external happened in a rush of four days! And I have so much footage to share in a vlog soon. But in the meantime, I have pictures of the Bigfoot memorabilia.

Norse Paganism

For the longest time I thought I knew the answers: organized religion isn’t for me. And I was satisfied with that answer. I called myself an atheist. But since moving to the Bay Area, I wasn’t satisfied with that answer. The phrase “if you aren’t growing you’re dying” has been zooming through my head, and I wanted change. I’ve explored being non-binary and other aspects of myself; I know that this is an ever-evolving part of my nature and will always change. But religion?

Talking to my cousin had brought me to discussions of Asatru. If you aren’t familiar, Asatru is a religion which involves the worship of ancient Germanic and Scandinavian Viking spirits and gods (as defined by Wikipedia). I’m 90% Irish and Scandinavian, so I owed it to myself to explore this side of myself.

There is a YouTube channel that is linked in the Pop Culture section that I found enlightening called Genetically Grown Skeptic. In a recent video, he discusses the differences between atheism and anti theism. The differences are subtle, but important. Many people, including myself, have pushed away from Christianity, believing there is no other option in religions. We are taught there is only one God — but that god simply didn’t want his followers to follow anyone else. There is a lot to unpack here, but I am merely introducing them. I would like to talk more about all of this in future posts.

So here I am, thinking about these fun differences in the middle of the woods. The Redwoods to be specific. Those wooden giants that tower over you. I was in awe of their power, presence, and magnitude. I said some prayers in the middle of the woods. It wasn’t organized, but it didn’t need to be. I have time to figure this religion thing out. When I exited the woods and headed back to my car, I heard crows calling from up above. I took that as a sign from Odin. I thanked him and went on my way.

A Word on Redwoods

When Redwoods were first spoken about, over a hundred years ago, people thought they were exaggerating or making them up. Kinda like how many of us think of gods of yore. For example:

How could these giant trees exist? I’ve never seen evidence of such things. And the proof you brought could clearly be faked (though how I couldn’t say). There is no scientific basis for such giant trees. I will do everything in my (biased) power to prove they don’t exist. We need visual proof!

Now switch Redwoods/giant trees for gods. One definition of faith is, “firm belief, even in the absence of proof.” I think it’s time to put a belief in something again.

Bigfoot Location

The external part of this trip was Bigfoot-related. I’m a cryptid enthusiast, with Bigfoot being one of the greats. I have favorite cryptids like some people have favorite true-crime podcasts. There is no known origin of this woodland cryptid, but there is alleged video of such a creature from 1967! So I wanted to find that place.

I stayed at the Bigfoot Motel in Willow Creek, CA, where I quickly learned that I was only 30 miles from the original Patterson-Gimlin film location. So I drove up in search of the location.

In my enthusiasm, I realized a few things.

1) I had not seen the film in a very long time. I was going about this on memory.

2) Safety is always important, especially if you’re going about this alone, which I won’t do again. That wasn’t smart. What if I had tripped and broken an ankle?

3) Geo-coordinates aren’t useful on Apple Maps — my primary map. I need to use Google or another map engine to find the precise location for next time. I was given the coordinates, but Apple Maps keeps you on the road.

4) Even more than finding the general area, I want to find the exact spot where they filmed it. I love seeing photos of a by-gone era and the background being the current state of affairs.

Did I find the exact location? No, but I believe I was close. If I had given myself more than an hour or so, and if I had cell service, I would’ve been able to locate the exact spot. What does this mean? I need to go back, with a travel buddy, and search again.

Think of this as a Part 1, and that I must continue this search for cryptid origins in a future post and vlog. Because I documented this experience, and want to share this withe everyone. In the meantime, enjoy my gallery of Bigfoot memorabilia found alongside Highway 101, on the Avenue of the Giants.

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.

Genetically Modified Skeptic — YouTube Channel
Finding Bigfoot — Spotify Playlist
Roadtrippy to Mystic (Queer Remix) — Spotify Playlist
A Queer Roadtrip — Spotify Playlist; because that’s what this past week was.
Queer Roadtrip Music for Fuckin Weirdos — Spotify Playlist

Queer Intro

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.