I’m so sad to just hear about this devastating news about a good friend Ryan Dunn who passed away yesterday morning. I don’t even know how to put my feelings into words right now as i am still in shock about this, I don’t even want to believe it. It just goes to show you how short life can be. My prayers and thoughts go out to Ryan’s family and friends.
In loving memory of Ryan Dunn
All these awkward people are staring at me because of my kutte. While Robyn and I are in the waiting room at the vision center; brittany is doing her eye exam (let’s hope she gets a new pair of glasses, the ones she has had already taken a beating). Hmm
It was one of those times that make you realize
who is in your life and how lucky you are to have
those people around you. And i mean the sinking
right in, wide awake in the middle of the night, cool
breeze over warm skin kind of clarity. Total and
absolute realization. (When you are generally thick
headed, these moments don’t come ’round that often).
In the span of 24 hours, i got to see for all intents and
purposes, a large majority of the people who my
…..my inspirations rise and set with. People that are the most down to earth, humble, beautiful people i have known.
(the rest are in Poland. see you at the mo.)
Being in their presence just hammers home the truth of
this existence. Truly .. providing traction in the rain!
What got you into Photography?
A coach of mine in Highschool who brought his camera to practice and took photos of us then showed us them. He mentored me in photography in the early stages and showed me studio photography.
What kind of Photography do you like best?
Studio lights in non studio environments.
How and why did you get into Photography in the ‘War’?
I was fortunate enough to work for a lot of pilots who offered me rides in planes and choppers when they found out I owned and knew how to operate a camera.
What great had come out of doing Photography out there?
Photo opportunities were so unique out there. Something I would never see again if I didnt take my camera along for the ride. Even as a kid I remembered thinking I would have loved to be there to take some of the photos that were in our history books. When I volunteered to go on both deployments, I tried to hard to be that guy. To get those photos. To prove that we were there. To create evidence of what we did out there.
and what kind of advice do you have for people who wants to go out and to ‘War Photography’?
Talk to your local recruiter. There are a few jobs within the military that allows you to deploy doing such photography. Yes, Combat Photographer is a real job. Public affairs is another one. Even if you don’t want to do it as an actual job, joining any branch and almost any job can give you opportunities to take war photos eventually. Of course, luck has some role in it, but perseverance & resourcefulness will always provide more opportunities.
I hope everybody has a wonderful Christmas and have a happy
new year! I know I will!
Every so often you catch of glimpse of the essence. With so many facets of our culture laid waste by the internet, it becomes increasingly rare to find and be part of something that isnt blown out, fanned out, and done to death. As an entire generation of mind numbed half wits party till they puke, documenting every move at every party, where posting “party pics” has somehow become a way of being a “photographer”, it sure is refreshing to go for a beer with the lads and not have flashes going off everytime someone sips a pint. A quick tip for all the would be hipster paparazzi flooding the internet with digital regurgitations of last nights indulgences … its called an asperical lens.
Not every person that skates need to be sponsored. Not every Johnny Jingleberry that picks up a guitar needs a record contract. Art and photography shouldn’t be a pathway to becoming recognized. There should be an intrinsic value to just the pure act of the discipline. We give awards to a band, while we barely acknowledge nurses who tend to the sick for the better part of their lives. How does it feel to win an award for writing a song or selling a painting for thousands of dollars when our grandfathers worked their entire lives just support a family without so much as a thank you as they expired. Surely we all make our choices and where we spend our money directly affects the affluence of others, yet it begs the question is this where we have all become lost? We seem to value entertainers over an honest wage for an honest days work. Can you honestly look at what you do and justify the compensation you receive? Perhaps where we erred in judgement was when being an entertainer somehow allowed a more comfortable lifestyle than the blue collar workers whose kids lined those very affluent pockets. Is it about the money? No.
Its about the principal.
As skateboarders we have it lucky. Everyday, regardless of school, jobs or other obligations, what do we go do? Skateboard. Now, think back to all the time you’ve spent skating, then take the skateboarders out of picture. This is where I gap out for a minute and finally say, “What the hell else was there to do?” There’s only one thing we could ever see ourselves doing – skateboarding – wich is why we continue to be some of the most fortunate human beings on the planet. We have something we love; something we think about all the time, and something we get in constant trouble for because we refuse to be stoped. When we’re seen skateboarding and acually fufilling our passions, people either view it with love, or hate and envy. Unfortunetley, we run into the hate part a little more.
We have something the rest only wished they had. One love.
Robyn while she was in the hosptial.
robyn is now over one month old, and she is the most beautiful thing i have ever seen. so cute! also a very content baby, which we have it lucky! i will post some pictures soon, a few of them.
at ease
the baby has been in this world for eleven days now and things coulden’t seem any better. robyn ellen elizabeth dustyhorn, she is a very content child; wich is great! i have been updating my flickr a little. once i get things rolling i will get back into photography, go out shooting the shit. keepin’ it real.
a big shout out to mob candy, keepin’ it real since day 1!
