Far Away Eyes
Alex Simms is an 18-year-old boy from West Virginia. Besides taking photos, he enjoys traveling, hanging out with his friends (a.k.a. the Weekend Warriors), attending Super Smash Bros. parties, and occasionally rewatching episodes of Arrested Development on Netflix.
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Hello, you. June’s theme will be LONGING. Unlike more-acute forms of desire like desperation or need, longing is a sweet ache—more pining for something than dying for it. It’s nostalgia, homesickness, boredom, a persistent feeling of lack, dreaming of escape/the future. It’s summer: summer homes & cottages, stuffy summer bedrooms, sun-bleached memories of summers past. The shadow of September that hangs over June. It’s secret hangouts, crushes, unrequited love. Send what you’ve got here, and thanks. ♥
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About Rookie
Rookie is a website for teenage girls. With monthly-themed content, we update three times a day, five days a week, and are happy to offer you millions of bad puns. Click here to find out where to send stuff you'd like us to see. Learn about the people who write this thing here.
I love these…captures my idea of paradise, too.
Log in to replyBEAUTIFUL!
Log in to replywowowow, stunning!
I especially dig the first and last ones, your work is beautiful Alex! :)
http://interstellarsuburbia.wordpress.com/
Log in to replyThese are gorgeous! I especially love #8! How do you get that effect with it focused in the center?
Log in to replyI’m not Alex, but… if you swirl your camera around, the center will stay in focus (but use a manual focus to ensure this) :)
Log in to replyPrecisely! Thanks for answering for me mdemariah, as I didn’t have an account until now.
Log in to replyI absolutely adore this collection of photos! They’re very Martha Marcy May Marlene-esque.
Log in to replyGreat photographs! I really liked 14 but I have to say, as a suburban girl who lives near a large national park, I can’t say that I relate to this as my paradise. But hey, to each his (or her) own
http://anisarose.blogspot.com/
Log in to replyoh my god these are beyond beautiful
Log in to replyGreat pics Alex!
Log in to replyI crave summer even more than ever now!
Rosie x
Log in to replyhttp://rosiesayrelax.blogspot.co.uk/?m=1
Okay I am sooo in love with this boy, these are astoundingly beautiful.. I find paradise in nature, too
Log in to replythese are beautiful.
Log in to replyThese are all so nice <3
Log in to replyoh my, polaroids. photo 14 is my favorite but these are all great.
Log in to replyAlex’s work is gorgeous! I wonder if he reads these comments?
Log in to replyi am thoroughly in love and extremely impressed with the way he captures seasons. seriously amazing and gorgeous.
Log in to replyVery pretty (particularly no.14!) but my idea of paradise would be multicultural. Well, that’s an unfair statement of me to make; but I have felt a little sidelined by recent picture-based posts on Rookie that have consistently featured the same waifish, fair-skinned and doe-eyed young females. I liked the recent anti-gender-binary shots but didn’t that just emphasise the difference between those who adhere to the ‘Tumblr’ standard of beauty (coincidentally promoted by Urban Outfitters) and those who don’t? I love Rookie and I don’t mean offence to the staff or Alex Simms work but I find that, as of recently, I only look forward to text-based posts.
Log in to replythank you for posting this because it wasn’t until i read your comment that i realised i’ve stopped looking forward to photosets, too, for the same reason.
Log in to replynot to diminish how beautiful these photos are because i do really really love them (i am absolutely in love with 5, 12, 14 and 15) but i feel like shoots such as Hometown Heroes and Teen Witch really set Rookie apart because they celebrated a different standard of beauty.
i agree that the recent anti-gender-binary post was a+++ though.
that’s a little unfair. I mean, in the case of Alex and in the case of many people you photograph the people you know and that is not a purposefully exclusive action! he, a teen boy, is friends with teen girls and they in your eyes happen to fit a convention of ‘beauty,’ but knowing him/his work they’re his friends (he is not just seeking out ‘waifish fair skinned doe-eyed females”). I don’t think the anti-gender binary shoot was meant to emphasize a split; beauty is multifaceted.
I understand your frustration but Rookie is in fact trying to promote/showcase diversity and it is doing a much better job at that than many magazines for a teen girl audience! rookie is trying to work out a lot and it has time to do so don’t lose faith.
Log in to replyI feel the same way. To me, it’s not about what is available to the photographers but what is posted on the site in general. I really enjoyed reading that girls hair journey (I can’t find the article/title) and I would love to see more things like that to read about some different perspectives.
Log in to replyagreed.
Log in to replyI think that you are being overly critical. First of all, rookie wouldn’t reject this beautiful photography simply because it wasn’t diverse enough. Second, there really aren’t that many places that are amazingly diverse. Perhaps the photographer lived in an area where there weren’t many people of different races.
Also, not all of these people are waif-like. He doesn’t focus on their bodies, he focuses on the setting and the position of the people.
Log in to replyI mean, you cannot even see anyone’s faces in these photos. I think their personal identities are not the point!
Log in to replyI know I’m responding to this late, but I’m not offended at all! I see where you’re coming from. However, it is never my intention to really focus on whomever I photograph, as I photograph anyone when I get the chance to, haha. My friends in these photos just happen to be used to me taking photos of them, that’s all. Also, I am actually multicultural myself! I am half filipino and half caucasian, as well as my other siblings. I would love to take photos of my sister, but she always declines, haha. Thank you for liking that photo (no.14), it is particularly one of my favorites too.
Log in to replyI felt bad about what I said so I’m relieved that you didn’t take offence to it. My criticism wasn’t directed towards this particular photo-set and I think that I didn’t communicate it properly. I was just trying to say that Rookie’s recent photo-sets have made me uncomfortable in that, to the credit of each photographer, it wouldn’t be unusual to see some of them in a professional, glossy magazine in particular because of their choice of models. I understand that these are part of the aesthetic/vibe that Rookie tries to give out. But one of the reasons that I avoid glossy magazines is because they’re always promoting self-love and then focusing on a single, elevated standard of beauty. I had just been wondering if such a standard is represented on here as well.. Please understand that I wouldn’t have written this comment or the one above if I hadn’t felt strongly enough about it.
Log in to replyHey, Jeanette. When you say our recent photo-sets, which ones are you talking about? I feel like our Style and Eye Candy photo albums have been pretty diverse lately. And we rarely use professional models.
Beautiful. Looks like hazy rural/suburban area. They do feel like a version of paradise.
Log in to replyreally pretty
Log in to replyWow, stunning photos! So many different views of what Paradise can be. I really enjoyed these. :)
Log in to replyxo, Tori
http://daisiesandpixiedust.blogspot.com/
these are amazing!! #3 is my favorite
Log in to replythese are incredible, my idea of paradise is incapsulated in these photos
Log in to replyI love these! They are so pretty. This does really seem like paradise. :)
Log in to replydoes anybody else now have a crush on this alex simms d00d? is he single? can we make art together and pick flowers in a field and then watch arrested development? anyways, what a dreamy collection of pictures!! it is a total bummer rainy day right now in missouri, and these paradise photos are giving me a rush ‘o’ sunshine and fairytale inspiration
Log in to replyRookie photographers, I need some camera advice.
Can you recommend a relatively cheap (under 200 dollars) digital camera?
That would be lovely.
Log in to replyyes! Nikon Coolpix cameras are really good! the Nikon Coolpix S210 for example is an excellent camera (it’s $139). it’s the camera I took most of my photos on before I got a dslr and most people can’t tell much of a difference at all because the quality of the camera is so great.
Log in to replyThanks!
I adore William Eggleston, and finally found the cameras he used in Kentucky and Mississippi- models like the Contax G2, the Leica M6, and Canons, Hassleblads, and Olympuses- and, of course, a cheap, lazy teenager can’t really afford any of those.
Evidently I’m a novice, but I gotta start somewhere.
Log in to replyWilliam Eggleston is a remarkable artist! he’s one of my favorite photographers EVER! I completely understand. those cameras are amazing but maybe you’ll save up for one one day. for now, little digital cameras can be your best friend! and nothing wrong with being a novice. the learning process makes it so worthwhile.
This would be awesome. I have a cheap camera and it works fine, but it’s, well, a bit old and unsophisticated. Good cameras are expensive, but if there’s a pretty good one for under 200 it would be cool if somebody could recommend one.
Log in to replyWhat kind do you have?
Log in to replyEight and nine are my absolute favorite. These are beautiful photos! (:
Sweeteelou
Log in to replyGorgeous.
Log in to replyToo beautiful! Absolutely love it
Log in to replyVery ethereal and evokes a sense of nostalgia. Excellent work.
Log in to replyBreathtaking!
xo
Log in to replyhttp://couturecultureblog.blogspot.com
Beautiful photos! :)
http://daisycats.blogspot.com
Log in to replyLOVE LOVE LOVE those photos!
absolutely stunning effects!
http://munashumbleopinion.tumblr.com/
Log in to replyThese are astounding! They are so beautiful! Great job.
Log in to replyhttp://purplebabaushka.wordpress.com/
Very Beautiful……
Log in to replyThese are very nice. It’s different from my idea of paradise which is very warm and like LA or Hawaii. My favorite is #3. Did he take the background picture today (yellow flowers, Unicorn) too?
Log in to replyBreathtakingly beautiful.
Log in to replywow these are beautiful! i’m loving how many photo sets rookie has posted recently
http://www.sweetindigoroad.blogspot.com/
Log in to replyThese are gorgeous!!!! They have such a cool vintagey feel and the photography is amazing. Can I see more of Alex’s pictures?
Log in to replyThank you! You can find more of my photos at flickr.com/casimms
Log in to replySo beautiful! The landscapes look straight out of Impressionist paintings. :)
http://theaverageasiangirl.blogspot.com
Log in to replyI want to go to there.
Caden x
Log in to replyhttp://www.etsy.com/shop/pinkpoppies1991
EXACTLY what I was going to comment. haha.
Log in to replyI love that you can’t see any faces clearly. It’s all a haze of wonderment and old friends and strangers alike.
Log in to replyhmm i wonder if the name “the weekend warriors” a reference to the book looking for alaska…if so this dude is awesome
Log in to replyHey Alex Simms! Do you want to be friends?
These are so beautiful and ethereal. They are to me, like a memory. Permanent but fleeting at the same time; simultaneously taking all of the time in the world and no time at all; meaning one thing and meaning everything…more than we can explain with words. Like when you’re sitting with your friends on the grass in the sun, having experienced none of the world, knowing that next year you’ll all be in college in different places, and that you’ll still see each other, but it will never be exactly the same. You’ll remember the smell of your friend’s gum and the feeling of the sun’s rays upon your skin and the sound of the crickets. Some bits will stand out more than other bits, some things will be a bit blurry, but you know that you’ll remember how you felt, and that’s all that matters.
That’s what I was thinking when I was looking at these. Well done.
Log in to replyThis is one of my favorite comments I have ever received in my four years of taking photos, so thank you!
P.S. YES I LOVE NEW FRIENDS.
Log in to replyLOVE
Log in to replyLove theres another dude loving Rookie!!! Love these beautiful pics too!
Also I love the Rookie Eye Candy photoshoots, especially the more “pop” ones. Loved the recent “Greetings From Teenage Hell” and I loved the Bowie inspired one in January!
Keep it Rookies, KEEP IT UP!!! :)
Log in to replyRookie dudes UNITE.
Log in to replyK totally irrelevant but I just saw pubic hair as a tag on the side bar and died a lil bit
Beautiful photography
Log in to replyMakes me excited for summer looove
Truly great photos!
Fashion in Pepperland
Log in to replyWow. This took my breath away. Man, you are talented!
Log in to replyAbsolutely stunning! Possibly one of my favorite Rookie photosets. <3
Log in to replyOoh i love these photos! They’re just so magical and beautiful! :)
munchmecat.blogspot.com
Log in to replycoline-rialan.blogspot.com
twin peaks-y vibes in 3, 5 & 12 x
Log in to replyLove these! They’re all so ethereal and beautiful. 1, 6, 10 and 15 are my favourites.
Log in to replyauthor introductions (or like…descriptions of people) always seem like a string of arbitrary things that are quirky and supposed to be somehow endearing or interesting. It just seems so contrived to me. Mostly because it is arbitrary. Regardless, the photography was stunning with the exception of some cliche themes. I enjoyed the picture of the boy and his dog the most.
Log in to reply(I’m allowed to democratically critique on this site right?)
I LOVE ALEX! im so glad to see him on here
Log in to replyWeekend Warriors… LFA reference? <3
Log in to replyAwesome pictures.
The last one reminds me so much of Slim Aaron’s photography. (6o’s photography)
Google him sometime, his pictures are absolutely sublime!
And so are yours Alex!
Log in to replyI’m in love with all of these, I can’t get enough of 1 and 2 especially!
Log in to replyAMAZING,
Log in to replyI love these – they’re so much more than typical Instagram photos, they’re real talent that look like they’ve been taken with a lot of thought and artistic view. I wish I could shoot this well, but alas, I am a sketcher, doomed to sit in one position for 5 minutes – 1 hour trying to capture whatever I’m looking at :) Well done!
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