One year ago I attended the annual ASMP (American Society of Media Photographers) summer picnic. Krause Springs is a very beautiful setting and a fun place to get together with fellow photographers from Austin and San Antonio. I'll be out there again tomorrow for the third time and that made me think about these images. The first one above is definitely my favorite. Because it is multiple images blended together I was considering how it actually shows a span time as opposed to a single moment. The guy on the right looks like part of the roots of that grand cypress. The girl under the falling spring water, where the conditions are perfect for a rainbow, stares off towards the action. A kid swinging bravely out over the fresh water and spectators, about to let go. That's why I love making these kinds of panoramas. I get to create and curate a scene without really interfering with it or getting involved. The individual moments are captured and merged into a master scene that is better able to illustrate my vision.
Stan Killian
Stan Killian is an amazing musician who I met while living in NYC. We previously worked together and, needless to say, the job we were doing was not at all in line with our purpose and dreams for a fulfilling life. As is the case with many artists, one has to pay the bills while trying to establish one’s true purpose in life. Admittedly, we are both still doing that to a certain extent, but hopefully to a much lesser degree. Stan is still residing in NY and has since left that job behind with a focus on pursuing his true passions. It’s been quite a while since Stan and I have had an opportunity to catch up, so I was curious to see what he’s been up to over the last several years.
The panorama I took of him last year will be exhibited in a group show at Davis Gallery here in Austin this September. This interview is part of a series getting to know the subjects of those images.
SDG: Tell me where you are in your life , with your career, and what is coming up?
SK: In addition to preparing to record my next jazz album, which will be my most ambitious project to date and will include some very big names, I'm currently involved in a seemingly disparate array of activities.
I'm working as a creative adviser for lettrs.com, a communication platform which deals with creating more meaningful correspondence in the digital age. I've also co-founded a company called Dogolog with my best friend Colin McCabe. It's a fun filled Facebook/Foursquare for dogs.
In terms of music, I'm broadening my scope to include other genres. Specifically Brazilian, hip hop, and classical. My brother Dennis Killian is a fantastic hip hop producer based in San Antonio. I've been working with David Shenton who is one of the most astounding classical virtuosos on violin and piano. I've also been brain storming a new Brazilian project with vocalist Alexia Bomtempo and guitarist Jake Owen. By collaborating with musicians from different genres along with my business partners, I can curate experiential events that showcase the music, with a finely tuned organic and sustainable food offering, as well as a start-up showcase. This all goes under the mantle of Beekman 33.
SDG: If you dream big, what would be the best thing that could happen to you? What would your ideal future look like?
SK: I want to tour internationally with my group. Over the past 5 years, I feel my working band at the 55 Bar has developed to such an extent that it's time to take the show on the road.
SDG: Tell me about that development and how going out on the road supports your progress?
SK: Playing music to different audiences in different places feeds the music. It's a chance to have the music become influenced by the scenes and culture of whatever city you're in. Plus, the energy of different people and places creates a vibe that makes it exciting for everyone involved. I have an inner desire to share my music and make folks happy. I especially learned this when I visited Japan for the first time last year.
SDG: What advice would you give to an up and coming jazz musician or artist?
SK: Listen to your heart and to do what you love. Intention is everything.
SDG: Can you share with us any resources, people, books, daily practices, or coping mechanisms that have helped you the most with your life and career?
SK: Yoga and meditation. Practice over tones and long tones. Try to compose something everyday.
SDG: The panorama that I created of you dancing and playing your sax in the street was taken shortly after your father’s funeral last May. Can you tell me how you remember that day, and how you think your father still influences your life and your music?
SK: I have fond memories of that day. It wasn't a sad affair. It was a day where all of the most important in my life came together to honor him and support my family. My father always is a constant influence because he played music for everyday people, not just jazz aficionados. The more I get deeper into the NYC jazz scene the more valuable that idea becomes. I never want to lose the attention and interest of people who just love a good melody.
SDG: What are some of your other influences right now?
SK: I've been listening to a lot of Steely Dan over the past year. David Binney's latest album "Anacapa" as well as various Poncho Sanchez albums. I've been listening to a lot of hip hop and some dub step, artists like Araab Muzik.
SDG: If you could suggest one jazz album to listen to what would it be?
SK: Duke Ellington Live at Newport
SDG: Thank you Stan. I look forward to seeing you again and hearing you play the next time you come to Austin or I’m in New York. Best of luck with all your endeavors. I have no doubt that you can accomplish everything you set out to do.
Have a listen to Stan's most recent album bellow and head to his website for more information about him and his music and where you can see him play live. www.stankillian.com
Maura Grace Ambrose and Folk Fibers
Maura Grace Ambrose of Folk Fibers fame is the subject of my first interview. If you haven't heard about her then start following along because what she does is really unique and beautiful. The panorama I took of her last year will be exhibited in a group show at Davis Gallery here in Austin this September. This interview is part of a series getting to know the subjects of those images.
SDG: We met when I first started working at Johnson’s Backyard Garden as their photographer in 2010. You were the greenhouse manager and I remember you telling me about your dream to get back into textile design and fiber arts, which you had studied in school. You wanted to make quilts with naturally dyed fabrics and hopefully make a living at it. When you left the farm you and your husband Chap traveled around the US in your red VW Bus, and when you came back it seems like you were even more clear and focused on that path. In just a few short years your business has become very successful and popular. You bought a house on a gorgeous piece of land, you have had many amazing adventures, you are leading workshops sharing your knowledge, and now you and Chap just had a baby. Did you imagine in your wildest dreams back in 2010 that things would turn out this way?
MGA: I tend to work towards a few short-term goals at a time, that helps me stay focused. But looking back it seems very organic how everything has worked out. I feel blessed for all my success.
SDG: Just over a year ago you came to me with a desire to start taking more professional photos of what you were making and selling. What led you to that decision and how do you think it changed things for you and your business?
MGA: Because I'm mostly making one-of-a-kind pieces, I realized quickly that once I mail something I'll probably never see it again. It's been really helpful to have my work so well documented, and helps people get a sense of my work from a distance. I also really value having a permanent record of my work as my career develops.
SDG: I am so inspired by your story and what you have accomplished as are many others I know. What drives you or keeps you motivated, inspired, and focused?
MGA: I try to focus on my work and not worry too much about how it's received. It can be hard, but I believe if you're doing something special it's just a matter of time until people find you.
SDG: When you think about what your life and business will be like in the future what do you imagine? What’s next for Folk Fibers?
MGA: The next big project for us is writing a book. I'm really looking forward to sharing my techniques and way of working with more people. I think it will be really special to have this physical object that encapsulates my life and work at this time in our lives.
SDG: Congratulations to you and Chap with your beautiful new baby! What has it been like so far being a Mom?
MGA: Scary and wonderful and peaceful and manic. I'm feeling anxious about getting back to work, but worried I won't be able to balance everything. But I know we'll find a rhythm as a family and I can't wait to use this new little creature to inspire new creations.
SDG: I'm excited to see what you come up with and incredibly happy for you both. Thank you Maura for everything you are doing to preserve your craft and for sharing it. Your success as a smart and dedicated small business owner is a great model for all of us artists and makers. I look forward to meeting your daughter and to see your family and business thrive and prosper. Thanks for your time considering you have your hands full right now.
Folks, don't waste any time heading over to Maura's website to see her latest offerings and definitely follow her on Instagram. She has a huge following for a reason. www.folkfibers.com @folkfibers
Check back next week to read my interview with musician and entrepreneur Stan Killian.
P.S. Here is a great interview and profile of Maura on Martha Stewart's website.
Face Value group exhibition at Davis Gallery
Here is some really exciting news after a long silence on my blog. This fall I will be exhibiting panoramic portraits of Austin artists, in a group show at Davis Gallery. It is one of the oldest galleries in town and I am really happy that they want to show this work which has never been exhibited before. The chosen images were created as a part of my Panorama365 project which came to an end last year. My original goal was to post a panorama every day. After eight months of working on them 2-3 hours a day I decided to mostly stop. I had been photographing all kinds of people and places around Austin, but the thing that stuck and has continued, are portraits of artists working and creating in their studio spaces. It has been incredibly rewarding because of all the wonderful relationships that developed from me simply asking to take someone's portrait. I would like to continue that practice, elaborate on it, and get to know everyone a little bit better.
In support of that goal and this upcoming show, and really because I think it will be fun and rewarding, I plan to interview each subject from the chosen images and post them on my blog between now and the opening. It would also be great to photograph and interview the other three artists who are exhibiting their work and get to know them better. This will no doubt be a really amazing show and I can thank Susannah Morgan at Davis for inviting me to be a part of it and for putting it all together. Stay tuned for weekly posts leading up to the opening on September 6th.
Tiny (Lie) Musical
Earlier this year I met Eva Claycomb when I started doing photography for Shuford Alexander Cases. She was doing great work reupholstering vintage suitcases for Chad the owner, and I liked her Immediately. I knew she had studied theater and she was often very funny and wacky around the shop, but I had no idea how awesome she was until I found out she had written a musical. The piece was co-produced with the Rude Mechanicals as a part of their Rude Fusion series. Pretty much anything the Rude Mechs do is amazing to me so I knew if Eva was associated with them it would be great. I asked Eva is she wanted the show photographed and she jumped at the chance saying that she had never had professional photos taken of her work. Theater is a passion of mine so its a no-brainer for me to photograph it when ever I can. The description of the show stated that it was "A pretty good time!!" It was!! Thanks Eva for making it happen and for playing your ukelele so beautifully even though you cut your finger on the way to the show that night. Such a bad-ass. The musical must go on.
SDG: How long have you been working on the show and where did it all start?
EVA: I started messing around with this project two summers ago in Connecticut. I wrote it really fast and then I didn't think about it for a long time... This last may I decided it was time to dust it off and show it to my friends, some of whom (the rude mechanicals) asked me if I wanted to put it up in the yard at the off center.
SDG: Do you have anything else in the works?
EVA: I'd really like to do a series of tiny musicals, hopefully about large subjects (like liars). I want to see how hard it might be to boil big stuff down really small without essentializing anything. Also, I like writing musicals. Other than that, I have some little music projects in the works, but they are too baby-stages to talk about!
SDG: Is everything you are telling me a lie, big or small?
EVA: Scott, literally everything I have ever told you is a lie.
SDG: Wow! Thank you for your honesty.
Night Drive Tour Final Photos
Here are what I think are the best photos from the recent tour road trip I took with Austin band Night Drive. We drove from LA to Austin, stopping for shows in El Paso and Dallas. I photographed their gigs of course but we also stopped along the way at interesting locations for some fun band photos. To learn more about the trip take a look at the previous five blog posts from the road. Gold Fields and Rush Midnight were also on the tour so the galleries below also contain photos from their performances.
Gold Fields and Rush Midnight in El Paso and Dallas
Dallas at Club Dada
The drive from El Paso to Dallas was a long one! Ten hours and not nearly as scenic as Arizona and New Mexico. We arrived at Club Dada around 7:15pm, just in time for the sound check. Elm street, where the club is located, is an eclectic group of clubs, restaurants, and people.
It was a really fun night and I had to chance to get to know the guys from Rush Midnight and Gold Fields a bit better. Rush Midnight, Russ Manning and his drummer Aaron Steele, are from NYC. It was nice to talk with someone who lives there because I do miss it sometimes. I lived there for almost 5 years, and moved back to Austin in 2010. They both tour quite a bit and are only half way through their stint with Gold Fields which started in August and ends in October. Russ's music is smooth and it really makes me move. Check it out here on his Soundcloud.
The guys from Gold Fields are great. Their performance is full of energy and they really work their asses off for the crowd. They are intense at times and you can tell they are having a blast. The band is from Australia so I was asking them a lot of questions about life there and how it compares to here. They have toured the US at least three or four times and have really enjoyed seeing the variety of landscape and different seasons. Apparently organic food and eating healthy is a big deal over there which I can relate to living in Austin and working on an organic farm. Living on the road can be a challenge when it comes to food choices. Being on tour as a band, driving all over the US for months, is a not a
life that anyone could handle. A lot of it is pretty unglamorous but
the pay off, from what I have observed, is the chance to perform and see
how excited and involved the crowd gets with your music. I could see it when Mark the lead singer couldn't help but smile big. You knew all of the hard work it took to get to that stage was worth it. They love to tour but I know they are looking forward to getting home and relaxing. Here is their Soundcloud.
And of course Rodney and Brandon from Night Drive are the best. They have come a long way in a short amount of time and I am very happy for their success. Take a listen to their new album below. I'm really enjoying it and seeing them live has made it even better for me. After the show was over last night we drove back to Austin and got in about 4am. It was nice to sleep in my own bed. I got a small taste of what it is like to be on the road with a band and I thank Night Drive for that opportunity. I'm editing the photos from the trip now and will be sharing them very soon.
El Paso to Dallas
Last nights show in El Paso was fun. When I first found out I was going on tour with Night Drive I checked out the bands they would be playing with. Seeing Rush Midnight and Gold Fields in person definitely surpassed my expectations. I'm looking forward to watching them play again the next two nights in Dallas and Austin.
Taking pictures in a dark club of moving people definitely pushes the limits of the iPhone camera capabilities. To me it's more about capturing the energy of the moment as opposed to a technically perfect photo.
We are half way to Dallas now and just stopped in the town where the first rodeo was held, Pecos.
VLA on the way to El Paso
We are sitting at the Lowbrow Palace in El Paso waiting for the band to do a sound check. It was quite a long drive from Flagstaff but I'm glad we took a few extra hours because the scenery was so incredibly beautiful. So many amazing landscapes, small out of the way towns, and rolling, rocky hills and mountains. I'll never get over the sight of a great expanse blotted with sunlight, wild horses, long abandoned homesteads, and an entire storm pouring down onto a distant local.
We stopped quite a few places to take pictures but my favorite was next to The Very Large Array (VLA) in New Mexico which is a radio astronomy observatory. More pictures to come once I get back to Austin
Flagstaff Alley Shoot
After a very nice dinner and a few drinks at the Hotel Monte Vista Lounge, which was somewhat taken over by loud, singing Scotsmen, we found an alley with really interesting lighting. Rodney and Brandon are fun to work with and can be very spontaneous. I'm really happy with the shots considering I took them with my iPhone. I was kicking myself for not bringing my DSLR.
The images were processed on my phone with CameraBag and Lo-Mob.
Somewhere in the California Desert
Soon after landing in LA I was picked up by Rodney and Brandon (aka Night Drive) and we headed out of town across the desert into Arizona. We decided to spend the night in Flagstaff, which turned out to be a really great little town. Tomorrow we head to El Paso for their next gig, planning to stop anywhere along the way that we can get some interesting shots and maybe shoot some video. Stay tuned.
LA to Austin: On tour with Night Drive
Tomorrow morning I am flying to Los Angeles to join the awesome and upcoming Austin band Night Drive on the second leg of their tour with Tesla Boy and Gold Fields. I am really looking forward to all of the great locations we will find along the way for band photos and getting to see three shows in a row, which I will also photograph. El Paso on the 12th, Dallas on the 13th, and then Austin on the 14th. Taking a road trip right now is exactly what I need. It looks like there is a fair amount of travel in my near future which I welcome.
Here are some of my favorite photos that I took of the guys during their last video shoot for Drones. This is one of my favorite things to do. Just like with shooting stills for theater or film, I get to document a visually exciting world created by someone else. I love the collaboration and all of the great people you get to meet.
Stay tuned for more updates from the road, here on this blog and on Twitter and Instagram.