We made our foray into the YFT universe last year, while California was going through a low-key apocalypse. Seeing as how El Capitan Canyon (the usual venue) was totally dammed with washed up cars, we hopped in the van and charged up an archetypally sketchy mountain road. Despite being only a couple hours outside of LA, we saw no less than three inches of snow the whole time in Big Bear (“mountain edition” venue). As a native blizzard-born east coaster, this was refreshing. I can’t say the same for the Bay Area squad. Serving coffee to lively creatives and shooting in perfectly diffused lighting conditions is great in its own right, but there’s just something a little bit more special about Field Trip. At risk of sounding campy: it’s adult summer camp. If you had a terrible time in summer camp as a kid, then this is the opposite of that. They put it best: “the need to fill a dark, lonely chasm in the creative journey. At a certain point, it hits everyone like the unwanted flu—routine, sterility, crossroads. We all desire to do something that will rekindle our lust for peak creativity. At Field Trip, we do that through creative cross-pollination—a blend of community, ideas, conversation and the freedom to simply, do.” It was my first YFT, and I remember feeling like the whole thing was strange as advertised.
The next logical stop on this train? A retreat to the wilderness outside the one-stoplight town of Marfa, TX. Naturally. And you might just see us there with coffee... Til then, enjoy this slideshow! Cheers.