It ain't always easy....but it is beautiful

I just shot a catalog using Danny Fuller and his new wingman, Skelly. I’ve never worked with a skeleton before, and discovered it poses some serious challenges. The guy is more demanding than your most prima donna model. Every little joint has to be taped, tied, wired, or somehow rigged into position. The clothes don’t fit so smart, either. All it takes is the wind to blow or someone to look at him sideways, and it's back to the drawing board. It proved to be a long, hot, and humid day, and this bag o bones really tested our patience. At the end of the day, I think all of our hard work paid off…though I’ll think twice about bringing that skinny bitch back on the job!

Joe Schilling

I have been shooting a project of a young Muay Thai boxer from LA named Joe Schilling. I am fascinated by the discipline, dedication, and mind set of people who beat the shit out of one another, and what it takes to step into that ring. I suppose I'm interested because this mentality goes against my own nature so much that I feel drawn to understand it. Also, I really dig the ritual of competitive fighting. Whatever the reasons, I do enjoy a good fight.

The Polaroid Kidd

Saturday night was an art auction to raise money for a documentary film by Faythe Levine, called "Handmade Nation". The film is about the DIY art, craft, and design scene happening across America. Wife and I previewed the auction online and saw there was a print by Mike Brodie, aka “The Polaroid Kidd”. There were some other great pieces we were interested in, but it was Brodie's photograph that we were drooling over.
If you've never heard of The Polaroid Kidd, just google the name and you can find any number of posts about him and his photographs of modern hobos, train jumping krusties, gutter punks, and other road weary marginalized members of society. His photos are authentic and rare glimpses into these worlds, and from what I understand, the work was created when he was just 20 years old. I’m really curious to see how his photography unfolds. Word has it that he was a bit overwhelmed with the whole gallery experience and checked out to build houseboats out of junk. Sounds bitchen…I can only hope that he is documenting it.

We showed up right when the show opened at 6:30 and looked at all the art. There were some great paintings, a croched image of a gun, and a screen print we liked, but it was Mike's photograph that really turned us on. It was a silent auction where you wrote your bid on a piece of paper which was taped to the wall under the piece. Since the bidding wasn't set to end until 9:30, we decided to go eat and return at 9:00 to see how the bids were stacking up. When we arrived, there was only one bid on the photograph for the minimum of $125 and I immediately began scanning the crowd trying to figure out who else it was that wanted it. Jodi went over and wrote in a bid at $5 over starting bid. As I was standing by on “bid-watch”, I noted a freckled girl with a bob haircut watching her, and pointed her out to Jodi. I knew by the look in my wife’s eyes that it was gonna turn into a bidding war. When it was announced that there were only 5 minutes left, the other bidder walked up to the wall, looked at Jodi's bid, and without making a move, stepped back into the crowd. Then, it was announced that there was one minute left and the bob haircut bid $135, wife immediately bid $150, bob haircut bid $160, wife $170, bob haircut $180… it was ON. The announcer yelled, “10 SECONDS”!! The two ladies stood shoulder to shoulder, out bidding each other until bob haircut realized that she was up against a madwoman who refused to lose. Wife was not leaving without that photograph. Bob haircut let her scribbling arm drop to her side, and turned away as wife’s smile stretched ear to ear. When the noise subsided, the woman looked at Jodi with a sweet smile, and said "watch yourself, cause I'm gonna jump you in the parking lot!". Jodi just smiled her big, beautiful smile and bounced up and down like a happy child. The freckled girl later congratulated us, and we talked about how much we like Mike's photos.
As everyone waited for the bids to be sorted out, a preview of the film was projected on the wall, and everyone sat on the floor drinking beer. It looks to be an inspiring and unpretentious film about people making art out of just about any and every medium. Our favorite characters were "The Knittas" from Houston, Texas. The Knittas are a knitting gang who go out in the middle of the night and cover telephone poles, street lights, and traffic sign posts with rainbow colored knitted tubes. Kinda like graffiti artists, but with knitting. They tag everything with “Knitta, Please!”, and have kooky knitter gang names, like P-Knitty, GrannySQ, PolyCotN, and MascuKnitity.

We ended up having a great time, meeting some really cool people, AND leaving with the piece we had our hearts set on. Stoked.



Soup, Paradise City 2006
By The Polaroid Kidd aka Mike Brodie

Flea market photo finds

On the 2nd Sunday of every month a flea market is held in the parking lot of the Rose Bowl in Pasadena. There are acres and acres of furniture, clothes, antiques, and yes....old photos!
It is definitely the best flea market in the LA area and has become a magnet for the super hip Japanese vintage buyers. Here's a selection of images I found at the last one.

Vice Photo Show

Last weekend was the opening of the 2008 Vice Photo Show in Culver City, which consisted of 3 separate exhibits. The first exhibit I saw were images by the late Australian social-documentary photographer Rennie Ellis of work he made in the 70's and 80's. I had never heard of Ellis before and feel like a bit of a schmuck about that since his biography says he has produced 17 books and his pictures are amazing. The images conveyed to me Ellis's sincere interest in people and the backyard adventures that being a photographer can bring. There was a cool group show curated by Tiny Vice's Tim Barber called 'Riddles'. This group is made up of ambiguous images by a variety of known and unknown photographers. The 3rd exhibit was another group show of 3 Japanese photographers. This work was more intense than the others, as it seemed to deal with women's roles in Japan. The images consisted of fetishized blind folded women, in addition to the ever popular sexualized Japanese school girls.
I look forward to going back when it's not so claustrophobic and sweaty.

Lock and Load

It was the 23rd hour and we were looking to get out of downtown for the 3-day, 4th of July weekend with our friends, Emilio & Dina. Typically, the beach would sound great, but because the entire south land, their visiting friends, and relatives usually have the same idea, we decided against it. We then considered Palm Springs, but bailed that after we found we could spend the price of 3 nights accommodations on a ticket to Europe (and that was for just one couple). Finally, we thought of the perfect getaway...29 Palms! OK, it may be a little hot, but as long as there's a pool, were golden. We got lucky, and our #1 choice inn had one bungalow left that would fit all four of us. We packed the car, and headed out to the high desert, arriving Thursday night just in time for dinner by the pool. The day of the 4th, the 7-Up thermometer hit 110 degrees. We spent the entire day poolside, drinking mojitos and playing backgammon in the shade. We met a gnarly local dude named Steve...total bro. He seemed stoked as long as he had a brew in one hand and a Marlboro in the other (we him dubbed "Loud Steve", for reasons you can imagine). Anyhow, Loud Steve gave us the local hook-up, and told us about the dry lake bed next to the marine base, where you could watch the fireworks without getting patted down by the 'Gestapo'. So we packed it up and headed out...on a long dirt road...the Prius was alone in a sea of 4x4s. . When the show ended we heard the father of the family parked in front of us yell "Lock and load! Everyone in the truck!" It was like being on the moon with rednecks. After the pyrotechnics spectacular we drove to a biker bar in the middle of nowhere called Pappy & Harriet's to see the band Graham Rabbit. They are the kings of the high desert music scene and the place was packed. A fun band with psychedelic visuals and surreal backup dancers. The next day was spent investigating the desert thrift stores, of which there are quite a few. If your into air-conditioning and old army jackets, this is the place to be. Wifey found a Brooks bicycle saddle, an American Indian turquoise ring, and a ceramic Spanish umbrella stand. Dina bought a taxidermy grouse. Stoked.

Newps revisited \!!!/

These are some of the images from my shoot in Newport a few weeks ago. I shot 4 catalogs, web content and p.o.p for infants, toddlers, boys, young men, men, and the new womens line in a matter of 5 days. It was a lot of fast and furious shooting but thanks to a tight crew, great weather, rad talent, and being on the beach, it hardly seemed like work.

MS 13 and Rodrigo Abd

I saw a guy in my neighborhood the other day who's face was covered in MS 13 tattoos. He was so heavy looking I couldn't get his image out of my mind. A quick bit of googleing turned up the following photos of Mara Salvatrucha 13 and Mara 18 gang members. They were shot by Argentinian born AP photographer, Rodrigo Abd, at a prison in Guatemala. I think Rodrigo did an amazing job with these, as well as the other work he has done with gangs throughout Latin America.