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)