Photos by AngieStarPhoto

SXSW came and went yet again this year, and as Austin cleans it’s streets and goes back to normal, many of us out-of-towners are back home still recollecting the culture combo we were part of. Whether you’re from Chicago, Atlanta, California, Texas, New York City, the UK, or anywhere else in the world, SXSW has become a place where anyone can come to mix culture, share art, collaborate, and eat endless delicious food options. In the past week, I’ve received more CDs, mixtape downloads, Instagram followers, and openly met more strangers and brand ambassadors than I ever have.

SXSW truly is a festival of its own kind. There’s much more than music, film showcases and conferences, as it’s more of a combination of Texan culture, art, food, and most of all, a diversity in people. Outside of the local “Keep Austin Weird” types, you have endless writers, bloggers, photographers, videographers, musicians, and actors from all over just trying to stick out and be seen or heard, and all in an open, free spirited form. Most intriguingly, it’s all random… one minute you could be listening to a rock band on Rainey Street and the next you’re bumping into Wiz Khalifa downtown, then backstage with comedian Hannibal Buress and Chance the Rapper at the Fader Fort (true story). And right when you think you’ve seen or experienced the most random scenario, someone else will share an even more random story with you. It’s on open environment that connects all types of people and this is what loved to capture on the festival. I’m not saying it wasn’t fun shooting the performances at various venues, but it was the wandering, behind-the-scenes, spontaneous perspective I loved the most – the plethora of food trucks were a definite plus.

Here are some photos I gathered that I feel capture the essence of the people and scenery while walking around at SXSW. From locals, to people of all ages from different parts of the world, to the food scene, culture, ambiance, and most of all, the great American gem that is Austin, Texas. Find more photos here.