1:1 - Daniel Vidal

Interviewed by Mark Killian

Oh, hello there. You’re just in time. We were about to interview VSCO photographer, social media expert, and occasional writer, Daniel Vidal, but then he caught a glimpse of a grackle fluttering ever so delicately around the top of a recently constructed Austin skyscraper, and he just had to capture the moment with his iPhone.

Then he’ll have to filter it, caption it, hashtag it, share it--you know the drill. Anywho, Danny’s work is all over the 1:1000 Archive, so we’ll give him all the damn time he needs. Ah, here he comes now. He’s smirking. He must have a bunch of likes already.

1:1000: Daniel, Danny, Dan, what sparked your #instadope VSCO photography hobby?

DANIEL VIDAL: I've been playing with a camera off and on since high school. My grandfather loves taking photos and documenting moments. It's to the point now where he sends us Year in Review DVDs with all the photos he took and collected. I love it and am inspired by it. I love a photograph's ability to capture a memory. A very specific time, place, and mood that might not continue to exist otherwise.

1:1000: DVDs? I think it's time to get that man an Instagram account. So, what are your favorite things to filter: people, landscapes, architecture, objects, etc?

DV: This is hard, as it changes often, but I try to capture photos of the ordinary. I think there's inspiration to be found in those things that you see everyday but might not think twice about. Whether it's just taking a moment to look up at the skyscraper towering above you or a sliver of light dancing on the wall, it would feel great to know a photograph I took has someone looking twice the next time they walk down the street or into their kitchen.

1:1000: Well then feel great, sir, because you’ve completely changed the way I see window washers. What's your favorite photograph you've taken so far, and why?

DV: My answer changes every day, but it mainly depends on the feeling I get when taking the photo. There are sometimes when you just know it’s going to be special before you even trigger the shutter.. It doesn't always happen, but right now it's this one…

I think chance and timing play a big role in creating a "good" photo. The symmetry in this image, and just having the guy walk by at the right time, was perfect. I honestly just stumbled across this shot. It all happened in under a minute.

1:1000: Dang! That’s faster than most selfies. Speaking of, what’s your stance on the selfie? Under what circumstances is a selfie acceptable?

DV: Meh. I guess maybe in a volcano or maybe when travelling the world.

1:1000: Have you fooled around with a camera outside of your smartphone (don't worry, I won't tell it)?

DV: Yeah, I have. Like I mentioned early I've been playing with a camera since high school when I bought my first DSLR before a family trip to Colorado. The hobby dropped off a bit after college and it wasn't until I joined Instagram (yes, really) that I felt inspired to pick it up again. I liked the accessibility of mobile photography and the fact that there are some pretty powerful editing tools out there, too. After messing around a bit on my iPhone, I collected a few of my grandfather's old 35mm camera, bought a new DSLR of my own and have been working on my collection since. I honestly shoot a lot of film now and really enjoy it. Mainly, because it really forces you to think about what you are shooting and to take your time in capturing the photo. It can also be unpredictable which is fun. Everything on my website is film actually.

1:1000: Hey, there is no shame in rekindling your love for photography through Instagram. Switching gears, you were also kind enough to share your writing chops with us. What was it like being on the "1000" side of 1:1000?

DV: I really enjoyed it. I like writing a lot and it's a good challenge for me. I think it's good to do things that make your head hurt or require effort, and writing 1,000 words is that for me. I hope to give it another shot sometime soon.

1:1000: We hope you do, too. That is, whenever you’re not busy. According to LinkedIn, Social Content is your profession. Does that mean you pretty much Tweet, Instagram and Snapchat all day?

DV: Kinda. I actually write a lot, believe it or not. Most of my day is spent pushing out content for some of our clients. I also help drive strategies, wrangle designers and concept our photography shoots. Although, all of the content I work on is for social. It's fun and a little stressful, but it keeps me on my toes and I learn a lot.

1:1000: You ain’t lyin! The social space is an ever-evolving landscape, much like downtown Austin. If you could push a magical button and rid the planet of one form of social media, which would it be and why?

DV: As a user, I say Facebook, but the marketer in me says you can't do that. I don't like Facebook at all, and rarely use it. Proactively, at least. It helps me stay in touch with family in Colombia, but email and WhatsApp work just as well.

1:1000: Facebook Followers, don’t listen to him. Keep your eyes on your news feeds, especially Tuesdays and Thursdays. What is your white buffalo; that one thing you want to VSCO more than anything else in the world?

DV: Hmm, that's a tough one. I think spending a day photographing my grandparents sometime in their 20's would be awesome. No particular time or event. Just a random day. That'd be fun.

1:1000: I don’t recall saying you had a time machine at your disposal, but that answer is too adorable not to accept. Anything else you'd like the world to know about Daniel "VSCO" Vidal?

DV: I feel like Ron Swanson said it best, "I'm a simple man. I love pretty, dark-haired women and breakfast food." Also, my spirit animals is the wolf.

1:1000: So you’re saying you’re a Stark?

DV: Wait, is that a Game of Thrones reference? I think I’ve only watched 3 episodes of that show.

1:1000: Well, Danny, thanks for taking the time to speak with us today. Get going before you miss that sunset over Town Lake. Bonus points if you capture someone falling off their paddleboard.

Origins

Items confiscated from a Fairy-American arrested for fixed-gear biking under the influence of gluten-free alcohol. Jaemin Riley, The Disassociated Press

If you're not sure, think it silly, or are one of those individuals who's been rigorously tuned by scientific reason and deductive logic to dismiss those things which might be called “magic” or “mystic,” then this account may not be for you. But if you give me a chance, I may convince you that fairies do exist.

Our concept of fairies, like so many things deemed magical, has become warped and disfigured over time. The horrendous actions of fairies have been skewed by fiction writers of the past and present to conceal their true, fiendish nature. For example, Tinkaret, or Tinker Bell, the mad kidnapper of lost children; or Sióg na bhfiacla (original Gaelic), The Tooth Fairy, clepto connoisseur of human molars and bicuspids. These new characterizations were created primarily to ease the integration of dwarf folk into society after the great dwarf massacres of 1609, which is interesting because dwarves aren't necessarily magical and fairies aren't necessarily small. However, the kind portrayal has had more ill effects than good as many dwarves are forced to work demeaning holiday and birthday performance jobs. Recently, a resurgence in distrust and fear of the dwarfish folk has been fueled by Peter Dinklage's role in the television series “Game of Thrones.” Many dwarves have deemed his performance incredibly empowering. That will be the only mention of the series, hand to God.

Fairies, or “good people” as the Irish refer to them, originate from the Celtic Islands – Ireland primarily. The Irish call fairies the "good people" because they're absolutely terrified of pissing them off. Fairies are spiteful little monsters. According to Irish historical documents, fairies have been known to cripple, maim, and curse for the most insignificant of transgressions. They mock families who have lost infant children, they torture the elderly for watering their flowers too heavily, and they've even killed a few people. Fairies, the real ones, are no joke. Some believe that the confusingly adorable, sarcastic character of the Irish evolved from being forced to cope with the surreal circumstances of living every waking moment in fear of offending these action-figure-sized (though not necessarily) beings who exist beyond the realm of normal observation. Such a life would drive anyone to drink, and probably worse, but the Irish are a resilient and clever people.

In recent years, reports of fairy-caused chaos are scarce. Fairies have seemingly disappeared, and are known contemporarily as cute, miniature angels that make orphan dreams come true. Though, every so often you hear of an individual who has suffered stranger-than-fiction tragedies for no apparent reason - obvious fairy meddling (not debatable). According to some, the long time lack of fairy meddling is due to the majority of fairies attempting to assimilate into common society. I wouldn't claim to understand the how and why of it, but I suppose such is the nature of magic – unfathomable, and certainly unfalsifiable.

Before discussing fairy integration, some fairy characteristics:

C1. Fairies are extremely territorial. This includes music, culture, and geographical locations.

C2. Fairies enjoy mocking mortal culture, but one should never mock theirs - hypocrites.

C3. Fairies do not handle criticism well, i.e., “fairies are not wrong, ever.” - every fairy.

C4. Fairies dress funny. Funny hats, goofy shoes, fairies just look funny, which is why it is often difficult to take them seriously.


1958, Bobby Fischer wins the United States Chess Championship, and the robust melting pot that is the United States is beginning to find some semblance of harmony – a suitable environment for fairy integration ground zero. The first attempt, a child prodigy named Theodore Kaczynski, is accepted to Harvard at the age of 16. Ted excelled in the field of mathematics and would even go on to teach at the University of California, Berkeley. Ted, the first man-adapted fairy, was to be a success, but then things went terribly wrong. Like some inverted Frankensteinian experiment, Ted suddenly went rogue on society. Ted, or the "Unabomber" as he will be forever remembered, was eventually captured, and the inherent anti-social nature of fairies would eventually be numbed via better cultural acclimation programs, but the first fairy-humanity merging attempt was, by all accounts, a tremendous failure. Luckily, only a few people lost their lives. In response to these events, the Fairy Federal Emergency Management Agency (FFEMA), a secret sub-agency of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), was created specifically to manage fairy-caused chaos. The agency consists of two middle-aged men who write a great deal of Tolkien fan fiction.

By the 1990's, fairies were starting to find their footing. The punk/grunge “scene” provided the perfect environment for new Fairy-American citizens to begin anew. Fairy-Americans found camaraderie and comfort in the new anti-establishment movement, and they've been here ever since.

Today, we know Fairy-Americans as Hipsters. Yep, that's where they came from, and all of that Kerouac, hip cat, jazzy bullshit had nothing to do with it. Are all hipsters assimilated magical creatures? Of course not. Some of them are just posers, or remnants from that great time in the 90's, but they all fit that fairy character mold pretty snugly. Though, if you're not sure if your company is fae or mortal, try the following: Abruptly interrupt the potential candidate dressed in a vintage care bear t-shirt, suspenders, lensless specs and a unicorn stickered fedora (C4) who is probably carrying most, if not all, of the items above, and is uninformatively discussing, a place/band/activity you've never heard of (C1) by asking, "What's so great about it?" When they mock you for not knowing, and begin their tired diatribe against mainstream culture (C2), calmly claim, "That is utter horse shit." Now, right before they snap back at you with rants concerning your ignorance and irrelevant allusions to works and authors they've read about on Wikipedia (C3), yell, "Fairies don't exist!" And slam your beverage down on a hard surface three times fast. They will either shrivel up and die, or wander off in a confused state of horror. Regardless, terrible conversation ended. Cheers.

Written by: Hunter Hirsch

Photograph by: Jaemin Riley