tearsheet: cover to cover

It's been an epic and busy few months, but I can't think of a better way to wind down the year.

When I got my first assignment for Fader back in late '08, I never dreamed I'd get to shoot a cover feature, much less two in a row! I had the pleasure of running around LA with Zola Jesus (and, for a minute, with the lovely writer/editor Amber Bravo), then back to SF for an impromptu hike in a torrential downpour with Cass McCombs (you should read Daniel Arnold's story here, it's beautiful. Honestly.). Every shoot is a new adventure, and I'm forever grateful to JFP and the gang for giving me such an epic entrée into segments of the music world I'd never otherwise have thought to explore.

So, in the interest of keeping things short and sweet, here's a couple galleries of some of my favorites from each shoot.

endless summer.

Now that summer is nothing more than a fleeting memory, drowned out by the icy downpour that is winter in the valley, I figured it was time to go through my photos from North Carolina. I'm greeted in the morning by a thick frost on my windshield, and I wistfully remember how just a few short months ago I dreaded sitting in that oven of a car, which lacks a proper air conditioner. The days go by faster and faster.

This past summer was filled with a few big firsts, the best of which was my first trip to North Carolina. It's a place that I've romanticized for years, hearing stories from friends of summers spent at watering holes, diving off boulders, green, lush forests and a mild, humid climate that you never really get in California. Good friend Bryan Derballa rounded up the troops in an effort to share his hometown memories with us. We rented a giant cabin next to a waterfall and spent the days hiking and swimming and the nights cooking together, lighting sparklers and watching the stars.

Here are some pictures from the adventure - really just a glimmer into the epic few days lost in the woods.



Side note: new friend Christine Huang and her man, Dwight, put together the first issue of their labor of love, seasonzine. The summerzine issue features a big photo spread by some of us kids on the trip, including Bryan, Mike Belleme, Danilo Parra, and Alex Welsh. Check it out here, and get a copy! It's a great little zine, and I'm excited to see them take it on throughout the year.

Double side note: Throughout the trip, Matt Jacoby and Danilo Parra (with help from Annelise and the rest of the crew) worked their butts off shooting a music video for Brett 'Sweet Tooth' Nelson. Every day they'd be off shooting something, running through the woods with smoke bombs, covering Brett in fake blood, making him jump off the highest cliff we could find. It was incredible to watch. But even more incredible is the final video they put together. Check it out here, you won't regret it.

2010

Every year since I've become a freelancer, I've tried to make a post with my favorite photos from the last 365 days. I was fortunate enough to travel across the country a few times, to get in a few good road trips, to see old friends and make new ones, to shoot some amazing assignments for talented editors, and perhaps most importantly I learned to step back and remember that sometimes life just needs to be lived and not constantly photographed. Although you probably couldn't tell that by looking at the pictures below. Ha.

Looking through thousands of photos from stories, assignments, and my own life... it's daunting, but it always reminds me that I'm surrounded by incredible people and incredible situations. It helps me remember I'm not alone in this.

So here's a selection of my favorite photos from 2010. Better late than never.

holga

I finally got around to processing and scanning about 8 rolls of random expired film that I shot on my little Holga over the last year or so. Not a whole lot came out, but there were a few fun surprises in the mix. And at least now I know where my camera has light leaks... haha. Enjoy!