American Backcourts

Last week I listened to a podcast with Sturgill Simpson being interviewed by Rick Rubin. Rick is Rick. He’s a legend. And Sturgill is one of my favorite musicians. Not just because he’s extremely talented, but because he takes risks. Every album is different from the last which probably causes him to lose a lot of fans. During the interview Rubin asked if there were any major things that happened to him which greatly improved his career. His answer was great. He talked about a visit to Merle Haggard’s house where they met for the first time. At that point Merle was already a living legend and one of Sturgill’s heroes. Inside the house was the only Grammy Merle ever won. It was on the ground all banged up and scratched, being used as a door stop. At that point Sturgill knew that nothing mattered but the music and the awards don’t mean shit. Sure, awards bring attention to the music, but they don’t make it any better or worse. A turning point for him.

A long time ago I came to that same conclusion and let go of any desire or need to create images that I thought other people would like. It was the best move I ever made. From that point on there was a major change in my photography and the direction of my career. Those changes can cause a lot of short term stress, but ultimately worth it in order to achieve the long term goals. Working on a project like American Backcourts, which has now been going on for 9 years, you go through many different emotional stages. Along the way everybody wants to tell you what you should be doing. If I had a dollar for every person that said I needed to go to New York City to photograph all the famous courts there! While I appreciate their enthusiasm, we just don’t share the same vision. Much respect to those courts and their history, but that’s not what this project is all about. Besides, there are some guys who have been doing that and doing it damn well. If city hoops are your thing, check out Kevin Couliau and Thai Neave. They both do beautiful work. Ultimately, anyone in my position just wants to find a way to connect with other like minded people who will appreciate their book. So it felt great to have an interview/article on the front of the sports page in Indianapolis, Indiana. The Hoosier state. If ever there was a group of people who could appreciate my style of basketball imagery, it’s the Hoosiers. Dana Benbow did a great job with the article, and people really connected with it. Since the publishing a lot of people reached out saying how much they enjoyed it and my project. What more can you ask for? I’m really thankful for all the books headed to Indiana this week because I know the people who bought them think like me and will get a lot of joy from the content. Long live the personal project!!

Click here to grab a book for yourself or as a gift!

Click here to read the Indy Star article.

IndyStar.jpg

Barbershops of America - Then and Now

Feeling really grateful for the press Barbershops of America has been getting lately. It feels good when people really connect with your personal work. Barber Evo Magazine ran an article and it was on the front page of today’s San Diego Union Tribune, which caused a number of really kind emails from people who read it. One in particular mentioned that the images reminded him of the shop he grew up in. Exactly the kind of emotional reaction I hope people will have when they look at the book.

CLICK HERE TO GRAB A COPY FOR YOURSELF OR AS A GIFT

What to know before publishing a photo book

Publishing Your First Photography Book

Why and How

Seems redundant to say that quarantine has been a trying time for everyone. My commercial business was shut down for 5 months straight. While stressful, it also became something I embraced because really, there’s nothing any of us could have done to change it. Commercial productions just weren’t possible, which isn’t an excuse to sit around and watch Netflix. For me it became a time to learn and soak up as much knowledge as possible, most notably on book publishing. I read a lot of books and blog posts, watched some videos, and attended a multiple online Zoom workshops. One thing that stood out from all of that was the question asking “why do you want to publish a book?” Everyone really seemed to emphasize that line. If you’ve followed what I do for any length of time, you know I’ve published a few books and have another one on the way. Then, why? After a lot of thinking I recognized how important that question and answer are for anyone wanting to publish a book of any kind. And I felt compelled to share exactly what my Why is as well as other thoughts crucial to the process. I’m a photographer, so my answers will be focused on that genre, but they apply to everyone.  What I offer here are just my thoughts. In no way do I have book publishing or the photography world “figured out”. Nobody does or ever will. Like anything, it’s constantly changing, so all we can do is stay on top of it and help each other out along the way.

1) SO, WHY DO YOU WANT TO PUBLISH A BOOK?

I’ve spent countless hours inadvertently thinking about this one and the answer has become really clear - I believe in photography books. Every which way you can think of, I believe in them. There’s a very distinguishable line in my career that I credit all to photo books. It sounds dramatic, but I don’t mind saying that they changed my life. My collection has grown vigorously over the years, and if memory serves, the first one to alter my way of thinking and seeing is probably Uncommon Places by Stephen Shore. From there I went on to William Eggleston, who I’d say is one of my biggest influences. Then there was (in no particular order) William Albert Allard, Andy Anderson, Joel Sternfeld, Lee Friedlander, Joel Meyorwitz, Walker Evans, Robert Frank, Walter Iooss, Fred Herzog, Saul Leiter, Alex Webb, Dan Winters, and the list goes on, almost forever. Each of their books are, in themselves, a master class on photography.  The point is that I didn’t understand what real photography was until spending countless quiet hours with myself and books by the masters. Just starting out, I was ignorant and hot headed, thinking my images were great and that I didn’t need anyone’s help. What an idiot. Studying photo books has taught me so much about what great photographs are and how to create a cohesive body of work. How to tell a story. What’s involved in pagination. How design factors in. There are so many elements that I can’t begin to think of them all, but it wasn’t until I studied the greats that my own photography actually improved at all.  Even beyond education, photography books just give me an enormous amount of joy. I love looking through them. They have an almost meditative quality that allows you to get lost inside the front and back cover. Every time I close a photo book I feel better than before it was opened.  

2) IS IT ABOUT EGO? 

Without question, I’d have to say that in the beginning it is most definitely about ego. As a younger photographer there seemed to be something hanging over my head saying that you’re not a real photographer unless you publish a book. Sorta like an athlete that never wins a ring?!  Looking back, I see what bullshit that was. Nobody but you cares if you’ve published a book or not. So I’d say the first book was at least partially made because of ego. “Here’s the book I published. I’m a real photographer, right!?” After your first book launches you feel validated and your ego is stroked for a few days, but that quickly fades when you realize what a small percentage of the world gives a shit and how much work is needed to actually sell it. Ego aside, I was still really passionate about my barbershop project that became my first book, but the best thing I’ve done is to work on squashing the ego. Ego gets you nowhere. 

3) WHO IS IT FOR AND WHAT ARE YOU TRYING TO SAY? 

The first part sort of ties into the whole ego thing, just in a different way. Who are you making the book for? Take some time to figure that out and answer yourself honestly. If the answer is Your Ego, then the book is doomed from the beginning. If you actually have something to say though, then it has a fighting chance. I never realized how many books are actually out in the world until I started making my own. 8+ years later it still blows my mind how many books are published on a daily basis. So unless you have something to say that’s unique and has an audience, then it’s most certainly about your ego. “I’m an artist. Look at me and what I created”. Before you put forth a boatload of time, energy, and money be sure the book actually has some substance. Think about how and if it’s going to add or advance the world of photography. Think about what it will do for the subject you’ve focused on and that niche part of the world. Has your particular topic been done before? If so, what are you going to do differently and why are people supposed to care? My first book and project that I continue to work on is about traditional barbershops. Something I view as a beautiful but dying piece of American culture. I’ve always loved barbershops. It made me sad to see them vanishing, so I took it upon myself to document them before they were all gone. Almost 9 years later I’m on the 3rd edition of that book because I’ve continued to photograph shops in all 50 states of the USA. And now, looking back, a lot of the barbers in the book have already passed on. That’s sad, but I’m also grateful to have immortalized them in photographs. Wasn’t until about 5 years into the project that I realized the book is in a sense, a historical document. I’m proud of that. 

4) WHAT IS THE CONNECTION? 

What is the focus of your book and why are you focusing on it? How are you connected to it? Unless you have a strong personal connection, it won’t work. If you’re shooting something just for a book in hopes that it will make you famous or cause a steady stream of publicity, then you’re going to be very disappointed. If that’s your reasoning, then whatever small audience you manage to attract, will immediately know your intentions. It shows up in the work. The desire has to come from somewhere deeper than money. It has to be something you can’t not make. People can see the passion in your photos, or not. So make sure you think this through and produce a book that truly means something to you! 

5) WHAT DOES IT SAY ABOUT YOU AS A PHOTOGRAPHER? 

Every photographer goes through slow times whether they admit it or not. Doesn’t matter who you are. This business will be filled with highs and lows. If fact, you’re more likely to be hit with more lows than highs. So if that’s something you can’t handle, then this isn’t the business for you. There was a period where I was getting boat loads of commercial work. Some of it was really fun. The rest of it sucked and made me miserable, but it paid a LOT of bills. If you continue to take those suck jobs, all it will lead to is more jobs that suck. That was happening to me, which gave me a bad attitude and caused me to withdraw quite a bit without even knowing it. So work started to dry up. I mean really dry. During that time I did a lot of reflecting about what I wanted from my career. And just as important, what I didn’t want. That is a whole discussion in itself, but something I strongly encourage every photographer to do at least a couple times a year.  My answer was to focus on commercial work only where “I was a customer before they were a client”. Meaning that the company/brand sells a product that I already use or their message/goals fit directly with my interests/lifestyle. This goes back to your passion showing up in the work. If you’re shooting for a company, brand, or cause that you believe in, then it will show in the images. Otherwise, I decided the money just isn’t worth the headaches and drama of high maintenance clients. Life is too short. That’s not to say I have my pick of any shoot I want. Definitely not the case at all, but I also just don’t care that much about money. What does this have to do with books? Well, what do you do with your slow/free time? Commercial collaborations can be fun, but what does it all say about you as a photographer? Fast forward 10, 20, 50 years and think about what that commercial work will mean? Do you just want to be a hired gun or actually create something of your own? Ever hear older musicians talk about “owning their masters” or “buying back their masters”? If you’re not familiar, it means they, as opposed to the record company, own the music. It’s theirs forever to make money from. Which is a funny thing to think about. They made the music. Of course they should own it, right? Not if the labels get their way. Same goes for the photography industry. A photographer’s personal projects are far more important (in my opinion) than their commercial work. Enjoy the commercial work and do a great job for your clients, but you have to go farther than that. Create something that is a direct reflection of you and your life and that passion will organically attract other like minded people. Which in turn will organically attract commercial clients. Next thing you know, you’re getting hired to shoot something you love and would do for free. 

6) IS IT ABOUT THE MONEY?

Anyone who has ever been through the process of publishing a book will tell you it can’t be about the money. Unless you’re wildly famous, making tons of money on advances and sales isn’t a thing. I’d like to go on for days about the +/- of publishing vs. self-publishing, but that will need to be a whole other rant on it’s own. Have experience with both and will share those thoughts another time. For now though, forget the money. If that’s your motivation then think now about another way. Make the book because you have to, and trust that it will lead to other things. This is all an add on to what I said in #4. Making a book on barbershops in all 50 states of the USA isn’t something any sane person would do, let alone expect to make money from. Still though, I had to make it. And what came of it? Yes, the books sold and continue to sell, but those margins are insultingly low. It’s what comes from the book that’s truly rewarding, both personally and financially. The book connected me with a massive group of good people all over the globe. That for me is reward in itself, but it also led to other things. As the circle grew, with it came commercial assignments and image licensing. And the best part, there is no selling involved. I don’t have to convince the client that I’m the right person for the job because they can see and feel my passion for the subject. If I was independently wealthy, I’d still be doing the same thing. I’d still work on the Barbershop project, The Hoops project, and all the others that are in the hopper. That’s how you should think about it. Make a book about something you’re totally passionate about and would do even if you knew it would never make you a dime. 

FUN?

Your book should give something to the viewers, but it also needs to boil down to fun. If you’re not having fun, then what’s the point?


Hopefully this will help you answer a few of the questions floating around in your head? Now you just have to figure out how the hell to actually sell your book….

American Backcourts

Beyond excited to finally be sharing the forthcoming (November 15th-ish) book with everyone!! I could probably go on talking about this project for days, but the world doesn’t have an attention span for that, so I’ll try and keep it quick. Also know that I’ll be posting more about this in the coming weeks as the book comes closer to release. Even now sitting down to write this I’m not sure how to keep it short. The video itself probably best describes how I feel about basketball and this series that I’ve been shooting for the past 8+ years. Like most of my projects, I believe it was a “thing” even before realizing it. If you’ve followed “The Basketball Hoops Project” for any amount of time, you know this this was all inspired by a picture of Larry Bird’s childhood hoop. As a kid, he was my hero, and I just couldn’t understand how one of the greatest of all time could have grown up playing on a rusty old rim hanging on a dilapidated old barn in the middle of Indiana. I was certain that all the greats came from the inner cities and were afforded the finest facilities. That image of Bird’s hoop and the story it told never left my head as I got older and began traveling as a photographer. During those cross country road trips (with my dog Mojo) I would encounter hoops just like Bird’s and couldn’t help but stop to photography them, always wondering what stories they would tell. After taking the photos I didn’t give them much thought, as my main focus was on a different subject (Barbershops of America) altogether. Then time went on and people started responding to the Hoops images I would post on various social media channels, and I realized that a body of work had really developed. At some point, Hoops became the new focus and things started to snowball. Now, almost 9 years later, I’m just as obsessed with the project as I was then.

A few weeks ago I received the unbound proofing copy of the book, and couldn’t help but feel as though this is the most complete body of work I’ve every put out. And a lot of that has to do with the collaborations I entered into after understanding how important it is to hand over to control of the things you aren’t good at. Being honest about what you don’t know is an important trait in life. Is it pertains to this, the best thing I did was to work with an editor. A professional who understands the importance of giving it to you straight. Someone who isn’t emotionally connected to the project and will edit the images in a way that’s best for the project as a whole. Which often times, means saying bye to your favorites! This is a huge lesson for me, and one that I’m infinitely thankful to have learned. I also worked with a designer on this book to give it the visual attention it deserved. Again, knowing what I don’t know. I’m not a designer and can’t expect to make a book look good on my own. Trust in the professionals! There is no situation in life where it isn’t important to surround yourself with people who are smarter or better than yourself! It only raises you up to their level. I’m quite confident in my abilities as a photographer, but when it comes to editing and design, I’m very much an amateur.

There is a whole lot more to say about this project, but for now I hope you enjoy this teaser video. I think it says a whole lot about the game of basketball, and sums up why I continue to love this project. Stay tuned for more info about the book’s release.

**The book you see is a digital mock up as I have not yet received the hard copies. The text on the real thing looks slightly different.

American Photography

American Photography

Colorado - Utah

Whenever possible I make it a point to take new routes even when the destination might be a place (like Denver) I’ve been a hundred times. That way it’s easier to be inspired by new sights. Occasionally though, when you don’t have a ton of extra time, you find yourself on a familiar highway just motoring from A to B. At this point I’d be confident in my ability to drive from San Diego to Denver with a blindfold on. Still though, it’s a world class stretch of road that should never be taken for granted. Keeping this in mind, I returned to places along the way that I’ve photographed before, while remaining open to things that might have been missed before. Happy with the outcome.

Click here to see more from the AMERICA series.

Gun Dog Magazine

Duck Hunting Photography

Zach Benson - Duck Decoy Carver

Seems like personal projects are a constant topic here, but it doesn’t matter because it’s something I’m very passionate about and want people to hear. For photographers, there is nothing more valuable than the personal project. Nothing. I love shooting for certain commercial clients, but put just as much if not more time into personal projects. What you see here is a piece I’m honored to post because it involves time spent with people I care about. I’ve known Zach Benson since elementary school where we were close friends. He’s an extremely skilled hunter and an even better artist. Nick Yetto is my cousin, but also happens to be a brilliant writer. The three of us grew up in the same town and went to the same schools. Then life, as it tends to do, sent us all in different directions. Fast forward to last year around this time, I was fortunate to spend 4 amazing days with Zach documenting his hunts, the creation of his beautiful decoys, ate lots of good food, had lots of laughs, and drank plenty of booze. Then I teamed up with Nick to write a piece that would tell Zach’s story along with my images. To be clear, my intention first and foremost, was to hang out with Zach while also having fun with the camera. Being in these situations I find it impossible not to document what’s happening. I also appreciate his lifestyle and enormous talent as an artist. A person that others with shared interests should know about. And I feel a responsibility as a photographer to help others learn about him.

Back to the personal project. It’s important as photographers that we don’t feel as though we need permission to do what we love. We don’t need to sit around waiting or begging for a dream client to hire us. That’s nonsense. Photographers should go out on their own and create exactly what it is they feel drawn to. Worry about everything else later. Just go out and have fun with the camera. Then, if it turns out the way it’s supposed to, the work will find a home. But you can’t worry about the home in the beginning. Just shoot for yourself and you’ll find that the images will turn out better. I’m really honored toothat the good times had with Zach and Nick wound up in Gun Dog Magazine because his story will be read by those that appreciate him the most. It also feels good to do these things with people I care about in our own way and on our own terms. Nobody hired me to do this or told me how to do it. This collaboration is something that continues between Nick and I. Something I’m also grateful for because it brings me closer to my cousin, who I’ve been apart from for so long. We currently have another piece (unrelated to duck hunting) due to come out at the beginning of 2021, and he also wrote the intro for my soon to be released Hoops book.

You can follow Zach on Instagram @benson_decoys

Click here to check out Nick Yetto’s novel Sommelier of Deformity

ROAD TRIP

After 5+ months of Stay at Home it seems like I’m more than making up for the downtime with plenty of miles on the road. Very thankful for it. After last months trip up to Wyoming, I just completed a ride out Colorado - a place very special to me where I hope to one day have a second home. If the route you see on the map looks weird, that’s because it is. As usual, I started in Southern California and went up to Mammoth for a couple of days camping with Emily and Mojo. Then drove back down to LA for a two day commercial shoot with GNC, and left directly from there for Colorado. Most of the time there was spend in the Steamboat area for some backpacking and fly fishing. More from all this to come.

Click here to see images from previous road trips.

CREMO

Haven’t shaved my face in years, but on occasion I’ll take a straight razor to the dome. A while back I picked up some CREMO shaving cream at CVS and thought it was really great stuff. Very impressed. Fast forward 6 months or a year or whatever the hell it was, and we wind up collaborating together on a shoot. Said this before and won’t ever stop, it’s imperative to collaborate with clients that you have a natural connection with. Otherwise, what’s the point? A paycheck? Not worth it. If you’re shooting something strictly for the money, it will show in the images. A while back I came to this realization, that paychecks aren’t worth much. There has to be more. A connection. A relationship. So much of my focus the past couple years has been connecting with clients that I’m a fan of. Companies whose products I would use anyway. Products that fit directly into my lifestyle. Can’t say that I’m a huge groomer, but I dig what CREMO is doing. Not just with their products either. They gutted a 1948 Spartan Trailer, made it into a mobile barbershop, and have been busy driving it all over the country delivering haircuts along the way!! Talk about a natural connection. Our shoot day was really fun. We took the trailer up and down Highway 1 in San Diego to get some images that would show the Southern California vibe (they are based in Laguna Beach). And I think we accomplished just that. CLICK HERE to see more of the images and read the write up they did about our shoot as well as my book “Barbershops of America - Then and Now”. And go get yourself some CREMO products. FYI: I’ll also vouch for their bath soaps.


American Photographs

American Photography - Nevada - Utah - Idaho

Finally getting caught up from last months road trip. These images are from the portion I did solo before Emily and Mojo met me in San Francisco after a commercial shoot. This section was fun, as all road trips are, but fu*#!ng hot. The first day driving up the western border of Nevada my trucks thermometer read 117 degrees. That’s just not the kind of weather humans are supposed to live in. And quite frankly, it takes all the damn fun out of being there. You know it’s bad when the heat smacks you in the face the second you turn the air condition off. Like the AC is just doing it’s best to hold the heat at bay, but it’s a losing battle. Aside from all that, I really enjoyed seeing new parts of Nevada. It’s a very interesting state, that most take for granted as one enormous desert that holds Las Vegas in it somewhere. Would like to spend more time there once the temperature drops, otherwise it’s just not feasible to shoot outdoors for more than a few minutes. Maybe that’s just me? Suppose other people can handle it better than I can??!! Getting up into Idaho it was more like 100-108, which felt like a vacation from 117. Then on into Wyoming where the weather was just right up in the Tetons. Met some friends there are did some fly fishing/backpacking. More on that later.

Click here to see more from my AMERICA series.


Kobe Bryant

Today Kobe Bryant would have turned 42. What an incredible loss he was, not just to the basketball community, but the world at large. An icon that raised the bar for everything he did. Kobe was one of those people that expect to live forever. People like him don’t die??!! I feel very fortunate to have shot with him twice in my life, during a time that I was shooting a lot of professional athletes. This one was back in 2013. It’s impossible to every put your finger on your “favorite” shoot, but this one certainly will never be forgotten.

Click here to see more of athlete images.

American Backcourts

This most recent road trip was very productive. More so in America and fly fishing departments, but nonetheless, I was still able to sniff out a hoop or two that I’m happy with. If there is anything difficult about this project, it’s that the bar continues to rise. Making it harder and harder to find unique scenarios that I’ve not seen before. This shot below has a “feel” to it. Without seeing any of the surroundings, you’re able to get an idea of where it was made. Nevada, as it were. A state I’m becoming quite fond of. Although, this time of year it’s hell on earth. I’ve been quietly putting in a lot of time on the Hoops Project. If COVID has produced anything positive, it’s the free time to look more closely at what’s important. And for me, personal projects are right at the top of the list. This one has been going on for 8+ years now. So a book is well overdue….

Click here to purchase a fine art print from this series.

American Motels

American Motels - Road Trip Photography

Apparently my fascination with small town motels continues? Not sure what that is. Perhaps it’s because I’ve stayed in so many during all my time on the road, but they fit nicely into my America series either way.

Click here to see more from the America series.

Street Photography - San Francisco

San Francisco Photo Gallery

After college my mother lived in San Francisco for a few years and she still talks about her time there with a lot of fondness. Maybe that’s where my original fascination for the city came from? Don’t know. Although it’s really not a hard sell. Consider myself lucky to have spent some time there with my mother as well as numerous other trips over the years. And with each subsequent visit, my opinion strengthens that it’s one of the great cities of the world. Not just in the USA, but the world. These images certainly aren’t meant to sum up San Francisco as a city. Was more just stating my feelings. A few weeks ago I was up there for a commercial shoot, which was really great, but I always try to make time for personal shooting as well. It’s a fun and relaxing way to learn more about the place you’re in.

Click here to see more of my street photography.

Road Trip

Another one in the books, and what a trip it was. This was the time that I planned to be heading east for our annual family trip to Cape Cod, but that was canceled due to COVID. That was a real bummer. Still though, I wasn’t going to let it stop me from being on the road. As you can see from the route, this trip was quite different from the rest. Then again, every trip is quite different from the last. Was very happy to see parts of the country not previously seen, most notably in Nevada. Overall this trip was filled with fly fishing, backpacking, camping, commercial shooting, personal shooting, old friends, new friends, good times, and as always lots of food.

After leaving Southern California, I headed out toward Nevada and went up the western border of almost the whole state. It was 117 degrees out there, so not a lot of productive shooting got done. Loved what I saw though. And northern Nevada is almost an entirely different state altogether. Very mountainous. From there I clipped a portion of Oregon, then into Idaho where I met up with a couple old friends and met up with a photographer that I greatly admire. Next it was on to Wyoming for some fly fishing and back packing with friends in the Wind River Range. More on that later. When that was done I made my way back to San Fransisco for a 3 day commercial shoot, which was also a hell of a lot of fun. Then Emily and Mojo met me there and we started a week+ long drive up the coast. Completing the 101 was never an intention, but it worked out that way. And I have to say, it was really special. That route has a great reputation for a reason. Almost sounds dumb saying it out loud, but the coast of California, Oregon, and Washington are world class places. We ended the meat of the trip up on the Olympic Peninsula, which could be a whole trip in itself. The amount of shellfish we harvested alone was worth the drive. Every day we were eating fresh oysters, clams, mussels, and crabs. Once we started heading south, my truck decided to act up, causing a detour and semi brief stay at the RAM dealership. Not a huge deal though. After that happened, it seemed like the universe was telling me it was time to head home. So, with some fresh clams in the YETI, I did just that.

Stay tuned for images.

Street Photography - San Diego

Just heard that Gov. Newsom is shutting down the majority of indoor operations for California again, so the strange times continue! Can’t say it’s a surprise. Walking around here feels just like a normal summer with tourists anywhere and everywhere. Just when things felt like they were getting better. I have (as of now) quite a few commercial shoots on the horizon, but who knows how far this will push them back? One thing that hasn’t changed is my street photography. If nothing else, the shutdowns have given me the opportunity to explore neighboring towns with the camera to continue this series. All of the images below were made in Cardiff by the Sea.

Click here to see more from this series.

San Diego Photography

San Carlos, California - Photography

A friend of mine recently bought a house in San Carlos. I went down there a couple weeks ago to help him with some grunt work and planned on a little extra time to do some shooting around the neighborhood - one I had never previously been to. Sure am glad to have found it though. The neighborhoods have a lot of character and color palette that was fun to play with.

Click here to see more of my street photography

Road Trip Photography

California Highway 395

Goes without saying that road trips are one of my favorite things to do on the planet. It’s not often though, that I’m in the passenger seat and able to make images during the ride. Such was the case a few weeks ago on a trip to Bishop/Mammoth for some fly fishing (also a favorite).

There’s a stupid but true thing that people love to say in the mountains - “if you don’t like the weather, wait ten minutes”. Wish they had to dish out a dollar every time they said it. We encountered some typical mountain weather during out couple days there. Really hot during the day, then cold and stormy as hell at night. Not ideal when camping, but great for images. Love the tones in a lot of these shots.

Click here to see some of my ADVENTURE images.

American Motels

Americana Photographs

The last couple months have been weird. Everybody knows. Weird probably isn’t the right word, but I’d like to stay away from the negative. And now that things (knock on wood) feel like they are loosening up a little bit, it’s caused me to look back on what has occupied my time during quarantine. Aside from the dishes, I’ve spent on lots of energy going through my absurdly large Lightroom catalogue that contains images from 2012 on. Specifically focusing on personal work that hasn’t been developed, I’m starting to see themes in the work that was never noticed before. This is very encouraging because I know it’s from all the time that’s also been spent on Zoom workshops about editing your work, creating photo books, how images work together, etc. etc. Didn’t realize it until now, but an education took place in the last 90 days that I’m extremely grateful for. All my time on the road over the past 8+ years has produced a handful of different bodies of work that I never knew how edit. Certainly not saying it’s figured out or will be, but things are adding up. It sounds simple, but one key that that was learned is that a common theme is necessary. “America” which has been a main focus for me, is not a theme. Just because I drive around this country taking pictures of it doesn’t mean all the images work together. Quite the opposite. It’s also quite a gem of power to learn and accept that you’ll frequently have to discard your favorite images from an edit because they simply don’t work for the bigger picture. Can’t stress that enough. Setting the ego aside can be a hard thing, especially for photographers who are so emotionally connected to their work. Has to be done though. And if the image is really that good, it will find it’s way into another body of work somewhere down the line. One theme I noticed popping up again and again over the past couple months is hotels. Apparently I enjoy hotels, and have photographed quite a few over the past 8 years. So expect to see more of them in the future.

Click here to see more from my “America” gallery.



Street Photography

Interesting to see this project start to take shape. Not sure what year it was when I started it, but finally, things are starting to add up. Going through the body of images, pairings are starting to jump out that would sit nicely together in a book. That’s exciting.

Click here to see more from this project.