so much stuff is hard to resist. Gravity, inertia, taxes, lethargy, etc. But the influencers on YouTube make it tough to resist photo oriented stuff; at least for me. But fortunately, this time I got off easy. Justin Mott is a successful professional photographer and video producer who is based in Hanoi, Vietnam and has a YouTube channel with a rapidly growing (and well deserved) following. And he always, always wears an odd style of hat when he appears on his videos. It's basically a little, French brimless hat. Similar to hats worn by workers in parts of China as well. The hats are often referred to as Miki hats or Docker hats.
He wears them because he's going bald and he wants to keep the harsh rays of the sun off his noggin. Sounds like a good idea to me. Here in the ole USA the default is usually to wear a baseball cap or a "gimme" cap. But Mott justly argues that the bill on the ubiquitous American baseball cap can interfere with your camera operation. Even worse than using your camera in a vertical orientation and, at its worstest (ha. ha.) when trying to use an on camera flash.
And he admits that it looks gauche to flip the baseball cap around so the bill faces backwards while you shoot. With which I totally agree. Here's Mott's take on the hats: https://www.youtube.com/shorts/CEsJecqjWns
His logic was sound and I'm always happy to keep my head protected from the deadly UV rays so I started to research a bit. The brand he buys is pricy. There are a bunch of variations on the dreaded Amazon.com site so I took a shot and ordered some from a likely vendor. 100% cotton. Nice looking. Well made.
I think, after wearing one for the better part of a week that they are comfortable, look pretty cool and perhaps, if I wear them long enough, I can become an influencer like Justin.
Since the ones I bought are just a thick cotton material they aren't particularly good cold, cold weather hats but for temperatures down to 38° or so, with no heavy wind, they remain comfortable. Below that? I look to the Canadians for guidance...
I have been well and truly influenced by a YouTube influencer (one of the good guys). But an influencer with value --- beyond his taste in hats....
In the frozen north we call that one a beanie. If gets colder we pull out a toque. If it gets REALLY cold we pull out one like I sent you. I like Mott. Good content. I plan on dropping in on him, maybe later this year or early next. Would be part of a larger trip.
ReplyDeleteEric
Love the Mott. But we don't have all those arcane words for different kinds of hats! :-)
DeleteWell, this is kinda embarrassing. I did the same thing. I have three of them, in blue, black and green. I also read Mott.
ReplyDeleteKhaki, Gray and Black here. Now ordering the Green. Comfy. Mott is really good.
DeleteI never heard the term "gimme hat" before. I don't get baseball caps, they leave your ears exposed to the sun so what good are they?
ReplyDelete"Gimmie" hats started as polyester, promotional baseball caps with big company logos; like John Deer or Rigid Tools logos. They were given away for free as advertising and swag for potential customers. "Give a free hat." Walking promotion? Now, here in the southern states, mostly referred to a "gimme me" hat. The two advantages of a baseball hat over no hat at all are: Keeping the sun off the top of your head and shading your eyes from the sun. A secondary benefit, when used in the rain, is to keep raindrops from running into your eyes. And....I have seen them in parts of Canada!!!
DeleteAgreed. After about of Basil cell carcinoma on my left ear a few years ago, I was ordered in no uncertain terms by my Dermatologist to never go outside without my ears covered. Now wearing Stetson hats with a 3" brim that in New England of all places.
DeleteBasal? Had one removed from my left cheek.... No fun..
DeleteOne of my favorite baseball photos (not mine) is of a guy in the left field bleachers at a late afternoon Mariners game. He's wearing his baseball cap with the brim stylishly backwards...and shielding his eyes from the sun with his hand.
ReplyDeleteI saw a pic on a similar theme on FB some time ago. A short-bed pickup truck in traffic with a few long 2x4s resting on the front dashboard near the windshield and sticking out the rear side window, The caption was cruel, along the lines of 'too bad you don't have a compartment for carrying construction materials'.
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