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California-based photographer Kris Davidson was thrilled when she was approached by the creatives at Lonely Planet Traveller about shooting a feature for the 50 year anniversary of The Summer of Love. A former resident of the Bay Area, Kris is no stranger to the culture and vibe of the northern part of the state and was ready to take on the assignment.
The idea for the feature came from the writer, Gabrielle Jaffe, who hashed out concepts and locations based on her extensive knowledge of the area. Kris was the missing puzzle piece needed to complete the project, and from there they were able to pay homage to the iconic event that occurred in 1967 in the Haight-Ashbury neighborhood of San Francisco.
The idea behind The Summer of Love was a rejection of conformist and materialist values of modern life with an emphasis on sharing and community. With this feature we set out to celebrate the lingering legacy of this hippie culture in northern California.
Between the brilliant minds of Kris, Gabrielle, and Creative Director Hayley Ward, planning and production couldn’t have gone better. But in keeping with the free-spirited nature of the subject matter, one of Kris’s favorite images was made while going with the flow and seeing what comes her way.
I had one of the best shooting days of my career to date in San Francisco. Wandering into Golden Gate Park just before sunset, everything awash in golden light (rare in San Francisco in the summer). I wished out loud for a hippie van. And not 10 minutes later, one cruised up and not only parked in a perfect spot next to colorful flowers, but came filled with a wonderful, eccentric couple and their five dogs.
Kris’s most cherished part of the experience happened in Santa Cruz. While photographing surfers late in the afternoon, Kris and the team were joined on the beach by a group of kids recently released from the classroom. Fully embracing their freedom, their cheery dispositions struck a chord with Kris.
I loved watching them, their excitement was contagious. I was moved by the beauty of the relationship they already had with the ocean at such a young age.
The combination of a popular California city and the universal idea of free love has yielded plenty of positive reception. In addition to the multi-page spread in Lonely Planet Traveller’s spring edition, the images were also featured on the publication’s Instagram. As a current San Diego resident, Kris hopes to continue expanding her portfolio of Cali assignments on the heels of this fantastic assignment.
See more of Kris at krisdavidson.com.