i had the privilege of meeting up with photographer erik almas in san francisco to collaborate on a new project he is working on. at this point i can’t say too much, but i can say that it is going to be amazing! erik is a fascinating artist and person –  someone i admire. his approach to photography and life are inspiring. i made the portraits above at his home in sf. check out a few of his pictures below.

click here to view more of his work!

the expired film that i’m using is starting to dry out -as you can tell by the top of the frame. yet, i like how it visually suggests the passage of time. as for me, i’m going to keep shooting it until its gone or completely unusable. above is a photograph of surfer, climber, writer, photographer and friend jeff johnson. this picture makes me think and reflect. i’d love to hear your thoughts?

above is an iphone pic of my daughter with my new fuji x100. the camera is unbelievable – simple, quiet and intriguing. what’s even more unbelievable is that the camera was a gift from one of my best friends who is a colleague, mentor, co-conspirator, photographer and all around uber creative guy. he gave me the camera with no strings attached, yet it did include a challenge.

here’s what he said, “create, have fun and… the only thing i ask is that you somehow, at some point use the camera to do good for others.” it is an opened ended challenge and i’ve been trying to think about what could be done. do you have any suggestions? i’m all ears.

this photo was captured of douglas in his home (in the garage) in the hollywood hills (click on the photo for a larger view). douglas is someone who inspires me with his down-to-earth and enthusiastic approach to photography. for this portait, i was using the 5dmii and 85mm lens with natural light. that’s a combo i have been enjoying and using a lot these days. the lenses i’m using most these days are:  85, 50, 35. i’m always curious to hear what others are using for their people photography work. what’s your “go to” set up?

jeff divine is an unreal photographer. click here to see his work.

just got some film back… another photo of ralph clevenger from last week.

i captured the image above at ralph’s home in santa barbara.
if you’re not familiar with ralph, he is an inspiring person and amazing photographer.
be sure to check out his work - click here!

it was a huge privilege to photograph christian beamish last week. he is a surfer, traveler, writer and modern day adventurer in the truest sense of the word. he is a seafaring man with a stout mind and strong character. a deep thinker and good story teller. we met up out at the channel islands and then again in santa barbara. i recorded some of our conversation and will post it when i get the chance. for now enjoy the large format photos above (click on the images for a larger view).

martyn is like a brother to me. his son dylan has keen eyes, a sharp mind and a sensitive soul.  they truly are father and son. guancaste, costa rica.

jeff johnson portrait / hasselblad 503cw / ilford hp5

this week i had opportunity to photograph chris lieto for the cover of the april issue of triathlete magazine. chris is a world class athlete, 3x ironman champion and someone who never gives up. at the ironman world championships in kona hawaii last year chris finished 2nd! he is a force to be reckoned with!

even more, chris is one of my closest friends.  in fact, a number of years ago chris saved my life while we were rock climbing… then later, at another time in life when i had to use a wheel chair for a couple of years and didn’t think i would run, bike, surf again… chris was a brother throughout that time and he played a key role in my recovery and revitalization. needless to say, chris is someone i value, admire and respect very deeply.

the shoot was epic! we had some intense rain but that didn’t stop chris cycling up gibraltar rd (one of lance armstrong’s favorite rides). while chris rode i hung out of the back of a truck snapping pics or sometimes i would jump out and run alongside him to get some shots. the photo above was captured on gibraltar by the photo editor of the magazine nils nilsen,  a top quality photographer and all around cool guy.

we also shot at the beach, up on some rocks, around town and we did some work in the studio (photo below captured by one of my assistants, i’m not sure which… either way thanks a ton mattia, miles and lara!). in sum, we had a ton of fun and i can’t wait to see what photo the editors pick to put on the cover.

in closing, it was unreal to blend many of my passions – friendship, athletics, weather, outdoors and photography. and for me photography has always been about more than the picture. it is about getting more out of life and that is definitely the case anytime i spend time with chris. for more than anyone i know, chris’ words, actions and life remind me of the truth of what he often says, “anyone can accomplish anything if you never give up.”

if you’d like to learn more about chris lieto - click here to view his website or even better click here to watch this recent trek commercial!

on this cold winter day i am sad, quiet and still.
i just got word that photographer, colleague and friend nick dekker passed away.
he was generous, honest and full of life.
time is relentless.

—————–

below is one of nick’s platino type prints. the photograph was made in
north dakota near his parent’s home. it is titled “forgotten dreams”

here’s a photo i took with an old hasselblad of jon swift. he’s an interesting guy, deeper thinker and great musician – click here to learn more.

i apologize for the delay in posting…. i’ve been shooting a ton this last week! here are a few quick pics from last night when rob machado and gang came through to play some music and promote rob’s lastest movie the drifter. it was an epic show and film!

jay maisel is an amazing photographer. in fact he’s one of the best.  his photographs are vibrant and alive. he is a living legend. over the last few years i’ve had a handful of opportunities to hang out with jay and i’ve consistently been impressed and inspired. a few weeks back when we crossed paths i asked jay a handful of questions and recorded his response. as always, jay’s words were honest, insightful, entertaining and thought-provoking.

click on the play button below to listen to 10 min of our conversation. before you begin, grab a pencil and a scratch sheet of paper as you may want to jot down some notes. enjoy!

david duchemin is more than a typical photographer and the more i get to know him the more impressed i am.  as a person david is honest, humble, engaged and fully alive. the poet kay ryan once said, “i like to think of all good poetry as providing more oxygen into the atmosphere; it just makes it easier to breathe.” that’s exactly how i think about david’s work (whether photography, teaching, writing or speaking)… in other words, while viewing or experiencing david’s work i’m awestruck and my breath is taken away… yet after a few moments its as if there’s more oxygen in my lungs.  as result i breath and live more fully and wholly.  if you’re not familiar with his work/books/blog/etc. click here.

as a side note, david and i have been talking about putting together a photographic workshop/retreat sometime next year. it would be a chance to dig deep, to be renewed, revived and of course to have a ton of fun. collectively, we would explore how to create a solid vision and in turn discover how to create more compelling photographs. if you’re interested in offering some suggestions of workshops you’d like to see, or if you’d simply like to sign up to be notified of workshops click here.

the last time david and i met up i asked him a few questions and you can listen to our conversation by clicking the play button below – enjoy!

i just received my copy of ralph clevenger’s book, “photographing nature” and i am so excited to finally have the book in my hands (thanks to greg lawler for snapping the photo above and below). the book is phenomenal!!!

as many of you know, ralph is one of my colleagues/on the faculty at brooks, one of my photographic mentors and a great friend. as you can imagine i had high hopes and expectations for the book. i’m incredibly pleased to say the the book exceeds even my extremely high and outlandish expectations!

i’ll post a full review once i’ve read it completely, yet for now you can view
more info about his book by clicking here.

chris jordan’s photography is haunting and thought provoking. he recently released a set of photographs of albatross chicks that were made on midway atoll, a tiny stretch of sand and coral near the middle of the north pacific. the nesting babies are fed bellies-full of plastic by their parents, who soar out over the vast polluted ocean collecting what looks to them like food to bring back to their young. on this diet of human trash, every year tens of thousands of albatross chicks die on midway from starvation, toxicity, and choking.

the images are difficult, yet if you haven’t seen his work click here

lynda weinman (above) is someone i greatly admire. in fact one of my life’s greatest privileges is creating training for her and her husband’s company lynda.com. today i was finishing up some new lightroom 3 beta training and  lynda stopped by to say hello. i seized the moment and snapped a few pics.

if you’re not familiar with lynda.com be sure to click here to check it out

on another note, last night at dinner lynda was showing deke (another author) and myself that the entire lynda.com training library can be accessed and viewed on the iphone – yeeehoo!

yesterday i had the privilege of meeting and photographing one of surfing’s greatest legends – mark richards (click on the photo above for a larger view). mark is a super cool, approachable and down-to-earth guy. if you’re not familiar with mark click here to learn more. mr is the man!

as many of you know jack johnson is one of my all time favorite artists and people. last night at the arlington (pic of the crowd below) was the world premiere of the movie titled “jack johnson en concert.”

the movie was epic. as a surprise jack introduced the film and then afterwards played for about 45min. it was an unreal acoustic show! for more info about the film click here.

channel islands surfboards just posted a few photos and an interview that i did with one of the world’s greatest surfers – tom curren. his style and approach to surfing is unreal. yet even more, tom is a thoughtful, soulful, humble and down-to-earth person who i admire. he is much more than a great surfer.

>> click here to listen to our conversation

joe walking along the goleta pier

tim mantoani has been working on an amazing project titled, ”behind the photographs.” he is a brooks institute grad and was having a show at brooks institute (where i teach). the show is absolutely stunning. if you live anywhere near santa barbara you have to check it out! to the left is a photo that i snapped of tim while he was setting up the show.

click on the link below to listen to a conversation we had while walking through the brooks cota gallery. you will find his words intriguing, enlightening and inspiring – enjoy!

click here to view more of tim’s work