7/4/24 was when I had met cassie. it was a joint horror summer camp + syd's birthday party at her place. I'd arrive way early as I was coming directly from a shoot. syd and ivy were there so I gravitated towards them, I'm terribly awkward around new people til I can get drunk enough. mutual chaos can sometimes fast track the process of being acquainted beyond icebreakers. I had taken a polaroid of cassie and their partner that day, she still had it. how fucking cute. I love polaroids.
at that party, my friend quynn and their partner at the time were also attending the party because they knew one of the roommates hosting. I fucking love seeing quynn so I'm already hyped and ready to come along for whatever. so once they finally found me coked up, vaped up, drank up, and vocal register way up, they introduced me to cassie—again.
it was a great fucking party. staring at the fireworks just barely rising above the horizon as evening fell... fuck.
I knew I'd be back there someday just didn't know exactly when, especially once I entered my unplanned hiatus in october that year.
fast forward to 3/21/25 and we fulfilled that makeshift vow to myself. I got to meet the dog of the house once more. he goddamn loves sticking people's hands in his mouth. then I got to meet, the sweetest, the cutest, the cuddliest motherfucker in charlotte a.k.a. kitty girl a.k.a. KG. she's a cat. and I love her for it.
we're both photographers. I wish I had gone deeper into cassie's motivations and aspirations in the medium but I get so caught up in the moment of taking the photos and falling in love with the cats that I can never think straight. the core desire that I think applies to every photographer though, is we just want to make shit. either just the experience of working with likeminded creatives, the existential panic in wanting to leave legacy, or some other bullshit—we just wanna make. and cassie's been making, and I look forward to all she does.
so many of my favorite photographers are women. growing up on tumblr, you'd see people doing their best to uplift them, root for them, share their labor. their victories were everyone's because it was success as an exception. the field is so male-dominated, and the industry as a whole can still be very toxic towards women especially those still establishing themselves. I hope whatever resistance that cassie might face, she fucking cuts through it and becomes undeniable to the point where her name will fit snugly next to the likes of nadia lee cohen, petra collins, kirt barnett, vivian maier, annie leibovits, and the countless other talented women we hold in our creative hearts.
after meeting cassie, can't help be optimistic.
