Image above: © Alexandra Lotz

Feature Shoot was thrilled to present the second evening of The BlowUp on June 26, 2015, a quarterly event that brought together a selection of 8 extraordinary photographers each to share the backstory behind a memorable shot of his or her choosing. This time, the theme is subcultures, a diverse and endlessly intriguing subject that is sure to inspire eight captivating short tales.

Speakers included everyone from established masters and emerging stars in photography, with photos ranging from those documenting countercultural movements from the 1950s straight up until the present.

From Larry Fink’s historic portraits of the Beat Movement to Deidre Schoo’s captures of the anatomy-defying dance moves of Brooklyn’s young Flex dancers, the evening promised to cut to the heart of what makes subcultures so meaningful to insiders and so fascinating to outsiders. Andrew Hetherington takes us aboard an exclusivee Kid Rock cruise, and Chris Arnade discloses the nuances of street addiction. Martha Cooper takes us back in time to 1980s NYC, where we would visit the then-emerging graffiti scene, and Danny Ghitis takes us behind the scenes of NYC’s kink community. Stefan Ruiz transports us to Mexico, where he met the Cholombianos, a group of teenagers banded together by their love of Cumbia music, and Gillian Laub reveals the secrets behind one of her own subculture projects.