Skateboarding, Art and Music are so intertwined. These disciplines were the staple of my youth and still the fabric of my life. If you’ve ever picked up a skateboard magazine there’s a good chance you have seen J. Grant Brittain’s work.

Grant’s photography always pushed the envelope. He has a style of capturing the moment but also a unique way of placing you on location. His skateboard photographs are more than skateboard pictures – they’re fine art. To say that I’m a fan of his work is an understatement.

I asked Grant if he could answer a couple of random questions for my Photographer Interview Series and he graciously accepted. This interview was done via email and re-posted without edits. We discuss his infamous Chris Miller polecam photo, digital photography and workflow plus where he finds inspiration.

How did you get the idea to use the polecam at Upland to shoot Chris Miller? (click here to see the photograph)
Miller told me not too long ago he thought of the pole cam idea, I thought
I did. A surf photog had used one in the water, that’s where the idea came from.

Can you describe the equipment set up? A Nikon FM2 with 16mm fisheye on an adjustable tripod head mounted on a monopod and a squeeze bulb shutter release coiling down the pole.

How do you feel about film vs. digital? That old argument is dead, it’s a non-issue in photography circles.

Was the transition to digital difficult? Switching was easy, it’s just another tool in the paint box. Photoshop is the digi darkroom. I love them both, however you can’t do a magazine in 2010 without digital, you’d go out of business both as a magazine and as a photog.

Can you describe your digital workflow? I just put everything in folders. I use Bridge a bit.

If you had to give a beginning photographer one tip to last his whole career - what would that be? Perseverance, just stick with it. If you love it, keep doing it. The money or fame will follow.

What photographers inspire you? The Masters, Richard Avedon, Irving Penn, Walker Evans, Ralph Gibson, Keith Carter, Henri Cartier-Bresson, Robert Frank, Diane Arbus, etc. The skatephotogs of the 70s that came before me, Warren Bolster, Glen Friedman, Jim Goodrich, Ted Terrebonne, Craig Stecyk and James Cassimus. I learned by looking at their photos in the mags. I also get inspired by my peers.

What projects are you currently working on? Just doing The Skateboard Mag with (Dave) Swift, Atiba (Jefferson) and the others, we’re working on our 75th issue. I am the Production Manager and Director of Photography and a co-owner, so I have my fingers in everything running a business. Personally, just shooting the skate photos I really want to, mellow shoots, no cops. I’m also working on a portrait project.

I want to thank Grant for taking the time to do this interview. It’s an honor to have someone that I look up to do the first interview for this series.

Do you have any favorite J. Grant Brittain photographs? Leave a comment with any thoughts about this interview or suggestions for interviews in the future…

(*please note all attached images are © J. Grant Brittain)

In my effort to make this the best photography blog on the web I wanted to share some upcoming topics with everyone. Each month I sit down and develop an editorial calendar and starting in March I will publish what’s on tap for this site at the beginning of the month.

NEW Series – Photographer Interview Series: Each month I email five questions to various photographers. These photographers will be of all different skill level and acclaim – ranging from the published professional photographer to the amateur hobbyist. My questions will differ from person to person but all questions will be photography based. I am happy to announce that this week we will kick the series off with one of my all time favorite photographers – J. Grant Brittain. Grant is one of the most acclaimed skateboard photographers in the world. If you have ever picked up a skateboard magazine chances are Grant’s work has been in the forefront. (He discusses one of my favorite photos – it’s very cool.)

FOCUS Video Series: FOCUS is a web series where photographers are interviewed and given the opportunity to discuss some of their signature photographs. In March’s webisode of FOCUS a photo of Roger Clyne & The Peacemakers from 12/31/09 will be highlighted. This series to open to anyone who would like to be featured regarding a significant piece of work. If you would like to featured on FOCUS please send an email to: grt2@grtaylor2.com (Webisode #1) (Webisode #2)

Concert Photography 101: What it takes to take great concert photos. We discuss camera settings, equipment, lighting, gaining access and everything else related to concert photography. Here is a review of the first three installments (click here)

What else is happening? March is a busy month of music for me. I am scheduled to shoot Mike Watt, Flogging Molly, Hank III and Roger Clyne & The Peacemakers. I will post photos and reviews of each concert. Also, pay attention for a Call For Submissions for music photographs for a very special non-profit project I am working on (I can’t say anything else about it yet since the details are being finalized.)

Lastly, I appreciate everyone reading. February was a record month for www.grtaylor2.com and I want to thank everyone who commented, tweeted, re-tweeted posts and recommended this blog to anyone. If there are specific topics you want to discuss please leave a comment and I will address the topic soon there after. Keep shooting photos everyone…

Here is a recap of my Concert Photography 101 series and links to older posts. Music and photography are my two biggest passions – no wonder I am so passionate about music photography.

Getting Started taking Concert Photos: The equipment needed to produce quality live music photos (click for post)
Basic Camera Settings for Concert Photos: I discuss my baseline camera settings for concerts. Also, discussed is ISO and various lenses. (click for post)
Photo Credentials: This was no doubt the most anticipated part of the Concert Photography Series. What is needed before you request photo credentials. (click for post)

What am I missing? Please let me know what else you want to know about taking Concert Photos. I am willing to post and share whatever knowledge I have – so please post a comment with questions or suggestions.

As previously posted I am committed to a Photo 365 project (link to past video post.) Many people have been posting their photos daily, so I thought it’s time I posted how my project is going.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Photo 365 Obeservations

- I am really uncomfortable in front of the camera and I am trying to make myself relax
- Most photos are taken at the same time every day – early morning. I think it’s funny I am not wearing a wider variety of clothes
- I have a good side. One of my eyes reacts strangely to light and is photographed as being lazy
- I need to shave and get haircuts more often

Other Photo 365 Notes

- Daily self portraits are not as easy as I thought it would be. There are times when I just don’t feel like taking my photograph
- I had marks in a closet for my tripod but I have since abandoned the tripod method. I needed the tripod for a landscape photo shoot and it’s easier just holding the camera in front of me
- I was planning on sharing this project at the end of the year but I changed my mind and decided to post the photos monthly

Photo 365 Resources

Photo 365
Photo 365 Tutorial

How is your Photo 365 going? Have you experienced any unforeseen difficulties? Please take a moment and share with a link to your project – (This is a good time to show off your work!)

In the first two parts of my Concert Photography 101 Series (Getting Started & Basic Camera Settings) we discussed the basics of Concert Photography. I have received numerous emails asking how do you get your equipment into the venue.

[In my opinion concert venues have a skewed idea of the professional camera. Locally, venues define a professional camera as a camera with detachable lenses. Ridiculous, but that's another post for another day.]

There are many photo friendly venues here in the Phoenix area. Before you attempt to take photos from the photo pit start at the bar / nightclub level. Talk to the band and get their permission and then fire away.  Hone your chops and get really good at taking music photographs. It will save you a lot of frustration, headache and disappointment.

Once you feel confident about you photography skills I would try to align myself with a local publication (either print or online.) If you are successful at aligning yourself with the press – you will have no problems getting photo passes and most of the time you will not even have to make the request. Make sure you honor any commitments you make regarding deadlines – if you lose credibility with the photo editor you will not be sent out to cover an event again.

Freelancing is a little different. Before you contact a band’s publicist (HINT HINT – who to contact for credentials) make sure you have a professional portfolio. A professional presence will increase, but not guarantee your chances of gaining access to the photo pit. I spent a lot of time developing my website (through Photoshelter) to the have necessary online portfolio presence. (www.grtaylor2photo.com)

If all else fails – ask someone at the venue. Try and go back by the buses and ask to speak to the tour manager. There is a slight chance he may override the venue rules and allow you inside to photograph the show from the crowd. This situation may not be ideal but it’s better than not getting a chance to shoot the show.

Recap of Tips For Photo Credentials

1. Make sure you have the portfolio to back up your request
2. Align yourself with a local publication
3. Get creative – ask the the tour manager the night of the show
4. Honor all deadlines and commitments
5. Have fun – you may have the best seats in the house for at least three songs

Did I leave anything out? Let me know how you have been successful gaining access to photograph concerts?

To view my complete photography portfolio please visit www.grtaylor2photo.com

G. Love & Special Sauce brought their A-Game to The Marquee Theater in Tempe last night. Their set of laid back funky blues with the hip-hop flow kept the crowd dancing all night.

G. looked like he was having a great time and gave a shout out to our Phoenix Suns (the band attended the Suns vs. Blazers game the previous evening) before breaking into “Shooting Hoops”. (Click for a video of G. Love’s “Shooting Hoops” Video)

As a photographer this was not a difficult shoot. During my allotted three song limit G.  stayed seated with some decent lighting. The stage was back light in reds and blues (I hate red stage lights) with a spotlight that shined intermittently on him. For most of the shoot I stayed with the settings of f.2.8 – 4.0 at 1/60 with my ISO set at 800. (See my previous Concert Photography 101 Post for general settings.)

It was another night when as concert photographer you need to expect the unexpected. G. Love’s publicist left me off the guest list and I had to rely on the emails I had on my iPhone to make the tour manager (who was super cool and professional) feel comfortable in giving me the proper credentials.

All in all great show, G. Love’s tour management were extremely professional and the I was stoked to have had the opportunity to photograph the show.

(SIDE Note: If you are standing in the front row at the rail and I am getting ready to shoot photos in the pit, please feel free to ask me any photography related questions BUT I will not give you my camera so you can take a picture of me at the show. I know that I am there and my work will document me being there. Believe it or not I am asked that at every concert I photograph.)

In my last post I touched on my use of Social Media as a tool to get my work out to the public. The next day I read a great blog post by Valeria Maltoni discussing how she participates in Social Media. (Complete article can be found on Valeria’s blog by clicking here) She wrote:

“You cannot be expected to know what my settings are on each network. If I don’t give you a reference point, you will likely use your own settings as context. It’s not fair to you, nor it is to me.”

I wanted to step back a moment and outline the five Social Media Networks that I use and let everyone know what to expect from me. Outline My Rules of Engagement in Social Media.

FACEBOOK: I have two facebook pages. I use one for photography and the other is personal. My Facebook Photography page is an outlet for me to interact with people who have questions or want to know a little more about me. Also like my blog, I try to highlight other artists, photographers and musicians. It’s a quick easy way for me to push out messages or to post a quick link to a photograph I just shot. My personal Facebook page is a place where I do whatever I want to do and the people I know have come to expect that of me.

TWITTER: My username on twitter is @grtaylor2 and it is the place where my messaging is the most inconsistent. I will push out shortlinks to my photos, my blogposts, my friends blogposts or my tweets will be conversational in nature. Sometimes, I will tweet something that I find amusing and sometimes I will tweet about someone who is making me crazy. The main themes for my tweets are: photography, music, marketing topics, current events and issues relevant to my city – Tempe, AZ. I try hard to add value with most of my tweets to my followers but I admit sometimes I do tweet the inane. If you follow me on Twitter please let me know if my tweets ever get too inane and I become “That Guy”.

(TWITTER Update 3/19: I like the #followfriday thing. Over the time I have used twitter I have started to follow many people who were recommended through the #followfriday phenomenon. My #ff policy is to push out only one follow friday tweet per week.  All recommendations will be from one vertical or with like interests. This way I feel like I am adding value to the conversation and to the folks who follow me.)

YOUTUBE: The videos I post on my blog are hosted on YouTube – I use this network mostly as a media library. If you subscribe to my You Tube Channel you should expect music videos, my FOCUS web series and maybe some travel stuff. I tend to not get very personal on YouTube. And of course I do love watching funny videos on YouTube- so if you know of any great one please send me a link. (Here is a link to my favorite)

FLICKR: I post my non contracted photography to Flickr. My photography typically falls in the categories of: Concert Photography, Landscape Photography and Portrait Photography (there is some architectural photography mixed in but that’s not the norm for me.) I brand almost all of my photos and I post them under the creative commons license. If you want to use any of my work for non commercial purposes please feel free to – just properly attribute the photo. I try to foster collaboration as much as possible and for that reason I make all of my EXIF properties public. Please comment with questions etc.

That pretty much covers My Personal Rules of Engagement For Social Media. I want to interact with everyone as much as possible but I wanted to let you know what your getting into. Please know that I will not be offended if at any time you decide to unsubscribe to my blog or stop following me on Twitter. (NOTE: I am an eternal optimist so please don’t expect a lot of Doom & Gloom from me.)

In a nutshell, my use of Social Media focuses on: making connections, helping others make connections, learning and staying informed. How are you using Social Media or maybe more importantly why are you using Social Media? Leave a comment, leave a question – let’s discuss…

Let me clarify…how do you get your photos viewed? Do you care about it?

I take photographs because I like capturing an image or moments. I’ve never been concerned about art for commercial sake but I do like people viewing my work. I’ve never had an exhibit (though I do have one planned) and I’ve never been in any photography shows but I have had my photos seen by the public. How? Through the use of Social Media.

I am a bit of a Social Media nerd…there I said it. Through various Social Media efforts I have had people whom I admire and respect view, critique, hate and/or compliment my work. I post photos to Flickr, tweet about them and I have my Flickr stream automatically update my personal Facebook page. To me as someone who is making a name for myself these are very powerful tools.

I guess I could have taken a more conventional route – I could have called a curator for photo exhibits and submitted my work. But why? The power of social media allows me to interact with people who in many cases I don’t even know their real name – but  value their feedback. Social Media has allowed me to “push” out my photographs to people in my virtual network and have them tell their circles about my work. Real people and many times to people I haven’t even met. The power of Social Media is amazing when put to proper use...

My Question To You…

Is Social Media an important tool for you to get your work seen? Do you care if no one ever sees your work? Is this a topic worth exploring here – Social Media and The Photographer?

To view my complete photography portfolio please visit www.grtaylor2photo.com

Click here to view the embedded video.

Today marks the 51st anniversary of the plane crash that took Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens and JP Richardson (The Big Bopper) from the world – thus taking their future records from everyone. (See video clip for historic facts.)

Would they have gone on to make even greater music? I don’t know. I do know their influence has been heard on tons of records and in lots of bands. (Fact: The Beatles got their name from the Crickets, The Rolling Stones first hit was a cover of Holly’s “Not Fade Away” and I don’t think the Elvis era would have sounded the same had it not been for Holly.)

There’s no hiding my love for music. My love for music and photography evolved into a passion for concert photography and I have been fortunate to photograph some great bands. I can’t help but think – What would the music of the bands I photograph sound like without the many artists that preceded them.

Today may have been dubbed “The Day The Music Died” but the spirit of their music will always live as long as someone is strumming a guitar and belting out vocals.

What music has had the biggest influence on your life? Either as a photographer or any aspect of life. (The Replacements, RCPM, Grateful Dead and Springsteen are just some of the bands that have shaped the soundtrack of my life.)

Here is a list of my 10 favorite bands to photograph and a couple of words in summary…

10. Mickey Avalon: Unpredictable on stage (photo)
9. Crowfield: New band to me & great music (photo)
8. Black Carl: Emma’s vocals (photo)
7. Death By Stereo: Hardcore from the crowd (photo)
6. Rusted Root: Great vibe (photo)
5. Agnostic Front: NYHC Legends (photo)
4. What Laura Says: Great on stage (photo)
3. Cage The Elephant: Next generation punk rockers (photo)
2. Rev. Horton Heat: Perfect lighting (photo)
1. Roger Clyne & The Peacemakers: Always a challenge – Great stage presence (photo)

I am proud of my list’s diversity. Each show was a very different experience which is why they stand out in my mind.

What bands do you like to see live? Have you ever photographed their concerts? As always, we want to hear from you. Leave a comment and if you shot photos of the show add a link to share them.

To view my complete photography portfolio please visit www.grtaylor2photo.com