Greece Monkey

About 2.5 weeks ago I got back from a 2 week trip to Greece. I've posted all my photos to Flickr to share with the group that went on the trip with me, but I have selected a few that I particularly like to post here. I took about 1000 photos, so choosing favorites was not an easy task.

Click to continue on to photos

Courage: And Why You Shouldn't Dis It

Sometimes the speed at which you receive information via the internet isn't fast enough. Then there are times it is too fast.

A few weeks ago I started to scour my past photographs. Not looking for certain people or a certain period in which I took them, just looking at them to see if I could see the image in a different way. I have been drawing more cartoons than I used to and I wanted to imagine what I could draw into my photos to make them funnier, or a little more touching, frankly any other emotion than just "oh yeah I remember that place".

Close-up photo of my computer screen I posted to Instagram

I loved the idea and began to draw on my photos using Illustrator. Though, as the 2014 holidays approached, I had to wrap up my drawings and ship out to California to be with my family. I was away from my work and away from my tools. I don't even have a decent example of my work to show you because it's all in Seattle!

In this time away from my computer, the work of Lucas Levitan went slightly viral. What Levitan did, in a series he calls Photo Invasion, was take strangers photos from Instagram and rehash them with his characters doing funny things.... and he nailed it. All of them are hilarious, drawn well and extremely clever.

(More photos after the jump)

So now what?


Do I give up? Do I say, "well he did it so well, no one will be interested in mine?" Honestly my first reaction was, "Shit, there goes that idea." It wasn't the idea of drawing on photos that I felt was executed so perfectly by Levitan, but the humor and thought process that goes into thinking of a whole new situation when given a photo that wasn't taken with the intention of being drawn on.

The more I sat and thought about how excited I was to return home and continue working on these, the more I felt like it was absolutely mandatory that I did. That is art. Art isn't an invention, or a single idea; art is an era, an emotion someone is conveying to the public. Just because we both like humor/photography/cartoons doesn't mean we can't both enjoy this art sandwich. We like the same sandwich, and quite frankly, when we are put in our own kitchens the sandwich will be made slightly different.

I'm not saying Lucas is the first person to try this method, we all watched Bob Hoskins bop Roger Rabbit on the head a few times, or Brad Pitt run around town with Holli Would. Not to mention the rise in popularity of people buying thrift store art and adding their own flair to it over the past couple years.

“Throat Shark Is Just Looking For A Good Time” by Chris McMahon

My main point I am trying to convey(poorly), is that you can't beat yourself up for having a similar idea to someone. They say great minds think alike and with over 7 billion people on Earth, sometimes it's hard not to.

As an artist it is so easy to get discouraged when you see someone doing that thing you wish you did back then and with help from the internet, we're finding these things out over night. Although, in a positive light, it does help us to see that this is something the public will enjoy if done well.

So keep an open mind, know that you are unique and never back down on your ideas, even if it means feeling like a hack for a couple of days.

....and happy 2015, by the way.

Real Life Desktop Wallpaper

View from my desk

Hell Yeah!

Check out the zine I am involved in. Get your copy now! Only 100 in existence.


http://www.hellyeahzine.com

Saturday 99

view full image

"How do you beat the traffic? Work on the weekend"
(taken at 99)

Odd Oldie

Not long ago I started noticing more and more photos of, and by, Terry Richardson showing up on the blogs I follow. I didn't know who he was or why his photos were so popular. I figured I'd let his Warhol-mimicry slide and let him do his thing. Although, when I saw Odd Futures recent video for "Oldie" I knew I didn't like Mr. Richardson.

Odd Future is a rap group that is the oposite of predictable. They are strange party animals who do what they want and when they want to. They are Odd. So for Terry Richardson to have them scheduled for a shoot, and for him to expect them to stand and behave like models or dogs in a pet chow ad, seems a little odd in the first place. Either Terry didn't do his research, or he only wants everything his way. Watch his little tantrum in the beginning of the video to which he stops shooting anything.

What he doesn't realize is that this video is a different look at a band performing their song. Completely unedited and completely out of the blue. Instead of taking photos of the group performing the most unique DIY music video ever made, he just complains and gives up on the group. It isn't until the end of the song that he comes to and sees what a dildo he was being.

If you need to learn something today, learn that the world isn't set on a schedule and perhaps the most unplanned events are the greatest.

Also, if you're a fan of Odd Future, Jackass and Tim&Eric, then go watch Loiter Squad, Odd Future's new show on Adult Swim.

Three-Seventy

What happened last night?

FedEx100

Peace Riot

Amazing photo by Jay L. Clendenin for the LA Times. The image was taken outside a screening of a film, about the Electric Daisy Carnival, that got a little too rowdy. A great photo of a large divide of lifestyles. I see it as the 2011 versions of the famous flower in a gun barrel photo.

It also makes a perfect desktop background. The photo I posted is large enough to use it for just that. enjoy.

Three Years with an iPhone

Friends, family, new faces, old faces, parties, concerts, food, art, you name it.

This is a fast forward of all the photos I have taken with my iPhone from March 2008 until March 2011. Just under 2,000 photos in about 2 minutes. Chances are, if we are friends, you're in here for at least a second.

A Motion Theory Xmas

Merry merry motion

click photo for the entire album

Poison - Ozono

So in 2004 I had the privilege to work with Malin Ackerman, aka Silk Spectre II from Watchmen. I was 16 years old and in a New York Film Camp for music videos. Her band at the time let us shoot them and our setting got to be the abandoned lab from Jurassic Park II on the Universal Studios lot. My teacher was Mike Sloat who, among other things, was really good friends with Chris Milk (see previous post).




I think they changed their name to Petal Stones or something.

Update 10/16/10: I just found out through youtube searches that they used our recorded footage from 2004 for future editing classes to work with. Damn, can we film some footage or what?

The Cabo Wedding

Phew, I finally got all of these photos finished. Touching up some lighting, fixing some blemishes, and they're all done. Enjoy.

Ceremony

I've got a small part of my day-to-day back, which will now be taken over by my second job.... dun dun dunnnnnnnnnnn. FFC

Back to business

Back to real life. The Cabo wedding was a blast and all the pictures turned out really good. Gotta love natural light. I will be making them public soon once I get them all touched up.

In the mean time I've got my next project lined up for me. I started it before I left for Mexico and finished the main part of the skeleton last night.

I felt the Rocketeer was an appropriate choice since everyone that does anything with Pepakura usually does Halo gear. It took me a while to find this Rocketeer file and I had to alter the eyes a little bit but I'll keep posting updates of my progress.

It's also no surprise that I go back to the grind today... literally, it's time to get to work at It's A Grind later today. Such a nice way to come back from a sunny vacation.

Motion Theory

Last night I was the photographer for the 10th anniversary party for Motion Theory (the minds behind such videos as Weezer's "Pork and Beans," Fergie's HP commercial and way more) in Venice Beach.

The night included gambling for charity, a mexican taco stand, a dance show from the alternate Motion Theory from AZ, a raffle for charity with amazing prizes, a live art installation, awesome music via the live DJ and tons and tons of free booze.

Click photo to see more

Seattle: April 7 - 11

Here are my select photos from my lovely spring break in Seattle

Day of Walk pt. 4

Here are my select photos from my day of walking from El Dorado Park to Portfolio coffee house.

Great way to start off my Friday the 13th walk....dead duck

Spring and Woodruff

Sad

Streep sweep ballet

empty

cheaters

I love these things, the guy rides on a tiny unicycle on the back of his mower

truck plus two paramedics following, including sirens

Photo lab? i had no idea

photo: RGK

juice break: poop boost, swine flu immunity boost

toothpicks in olives

2nd street

boat launching crew

Ha

Ocean

Island in the sun

So lonely

aww thanks

museum of WHAT??!

oh.

Honor Vets End War (and suck it?)

half way to hell?

Apparently I was so relieved to make it to portfolio I didn't take any photos once I made it inside. But the bottom line is I DID make it. During my long walk I enjoyed my unique view of the city. The trip wasn't very people oriented since I walked from noon until 4 on a friday, leaving most people at school or their jobs. Next time I'll probably walk on a weekend. Although, walking on a friday let me see where my city is the busiest while most are indoors. The usual group of older men were partaking in a few rounds of El Dorado park disc golf. Street construction continued leisurely. All the moms shopping on bellflower, students walking around CSULB, joggers at the beach, people walking their dogs (and others dogs) down 2nd. Open Sesame was having its lunch rush and two strangers were discussing their ideas at The Market. The day was beautiful and even those less fortunate than most were sitting and enjoying it, holding all of their possessions and appreciating the comfort of a park bench. Some families were having a BBQ at the Bixby Park and their grilled chicken consumed the beach air. Once in Portfolio I noticed the abundance of young people either in good discussions with their friends or knee deep in computer work. As I joined them I shared their satisfaction in sitting and drinking caffeine, but with a little bit more of a feeling of accomplishment.

I'll post some sketches I did of the people I saw later.

Day of Walk part 5