BULLETT

The privileged youth of today spend a good deal of their lives looking at pictures of other people’s lives. Between Facebook and Instagram, celeb rags and party photography, street style blogs and The Real L Word, I play voyeur to friends, old and new, and to an alarming number of strangers. I see them eat brunch. I see them vacation. I see their pets, their lovers, their most recent shopping purchases. If I’m going to voyeur—and we all do, don’t be ashamed—I figure I might as well creep on the best of the best.

LVRS Tracy is a photo-based tumblr by one Tracy Allen Bailey Jr., man about town. All original content, Tracy’s tumblr captures the New York art/music/party scene of which he is a part of. With subjects like DJ Venus X, fellow tumblr royalty Danii Phae, TL Hamptons, and Natalia Kills, it looks like a lot of fun. LVRS Tracy makes me want to turn off the internet and meet you in the streets. I haven’t met Tracy Bailey personally, but I did “speak” with him recently about his tumblr. I’m going to take a descriptivist linguistic approach to this interview and not touch Tracy’s copy. Because u guyz tots read internet speak; even though, clearly, I can’t write it.

Who are you? A/S/L/Occupation.
Tracy Allen Bailey Jr  (AKA) LVRS Tracy / 22 / Dude / NYC / Fashion Lifestyle Photographer, Aesthetics/Creative Director

How long have you been tumbling? What compelled you to start?
I’ve been tumbling since the fall of 2011. I started tumbling because i seen how HUGE the platform was to get my work out there,Tumblr has over 66 million accounts. That ‘s a lot of people that can see your work and you never know where it can go ! And basically i just wanted people to see how great my work is !

What kind of camera(s) do you use?
I use various classic film cameras from nikon,yashica,minolta to canon ! i like to the classic feel of film. The whole process of shooting film and not being able to see what you shot is the best. It’s like you always have to be on point because you wont get that opportunity to take that same exact photo again ! Also the excitement with the developing process is really cool to,just seeing how your work came out.

What is your relationship to the subjects in your photos? I spy NYC art and party kids and city scenes. Beautiful creatures…
Most of the People in my photos are people i know personally,we either hang out or party together,yea its def some scene photos in there. i would shoot a couple rolls of film if i was at an event with the LVRS or if i was by myself and basically just grab the coolest and most artistic photos from those rolls and not the same cliche crowd photos like other photographers do  !

If there was a soundtrack to LVRS Tracy, what would it be?
I’m glad you asked this question because i love music and can’t go a day without it. Well my soundtrack would consist of a lot of 06-09 Gucci Mane because i went to high school in the south and thats what we listened to and it just makes you wanna go out and get it. A lot of Juicy J especially if I’m about to party. I listen to a lot of classic music as well,like Spandau Ballet and The Smiths. I own there discographies. Im prob one of the hugest fans of Michael McDonald ! Some of whats currently on my playlist now is Lil Boosie,Theophilus London,N.E.R.D,Travi$ Scott,Nite Jewel and a lot of House Disco ! Too much more to mention ! lol

What compels you to take photographs? I.e. as a documentarian urge, to preserve the passing? Is there a community aspect to it, sharing images of your peers with your peers? …Art?
What makes me take photos,well i like the fact of capturing expressions and emotions in people in moments in time that will never be the same ! Theres def a community to it, but i feel very few stand out in an unique way ! i love sharing images with my peers, especially getting the reactions and feedback from them when i show them there photo. Its definitely not just taking a photo,its ART ! I also take photo of our crew “LVRS’ lifestyle !

I hear “lovers” when I read LVRS Tracy but I also see LVMH, Louis Vuitton Moet Hennessy. Is that intentional?
Haha,iv’e never heard of LVMH but it has nothing to do with LVRS. LVRS is short for The Lovers which is a design imprint and creative group founded by Theophilus London.yes