I hope you had as great of a time at the Single Speed World Championships as I did. There was much fun to be had and lots of great "photo" moments.
If you had your photo taken in the morning at Buckley Park in front of the black backdrop, you can find them here.
In the same gallery, my friend Brett Woods has posted some killer shots he took of folks riding the ridge line. You might be there as well.
View the photos and buy prints and fun tchotchkes with your face on it here:
SSWC 09 Chris Giles and Brett Woods Shutterfly Photo Galleries
Enjoy!!!!
Thursday, September 24, 2009
Thursday, September 10, 2009
SSWC 09 is coming to town
Durango is about to have thousands of single speeders invading its sleepy little streets. Its the 2009 Single Speed World Championships. It is hosted in a different city every year and has visited several countries over the last few years. This year Passion Productions has been honored the responsibility of hosting the festivities in Durango and they don't take it lightly.
First off is the course itself. It is gonna be a bitch. I've ridden it with gears and its an asskicker. I've already heard people complaining about its severity. It's the WORLD championships, its supposed to be hard!
But really, this isn't about the race, its about the experience. Bailey, Cheeney and all the fine ladies that are Passion Productions never come up short when they entertain. The parties, events, prizes, contests and random chaos that will prevail makes everyone guessing and keeps everybody smiling.
Check out the link. http://sswc09.wordpress.com/
I've had the pleasure of working with these guys behind the camera. Its something I really love. I shoot a lot of architecture, portraits and weddings. A lot of these jobs, as much as I love them, are bound by lots of guidelines and rules from clients and standards. Shooting photos for Passion Productions throws all of that out the window. I get to shoot whatever and however we feel at the moment. If you happen to be coming to Durango for the race, pick up the SSWC mag. I'm happy to say that I have a ton of really fun photos all throughout it, including the cover.
We just finished shooting all of the best SSWC registration pieces. We're making big prints and Doom is making custom frames for all them. They will be on display at Ska Brewing on Saturday night. I just ordered some cool new equipment for a new portrait shoot I want to do on Saturday night during the festivities. It should be very cool and I'll post shots soon after I recover from the weekend. I like shooting mass portrait projects at these events. Figuring out a creative way to capture a lot of unique people who share the same passion is lots of fun. One of my last portrait projects was during the Rally of the Dead, another silly single speed event held by Passion Productions.
I hope you come to our little town to join the fun. Its gonna be a blast and we welcome all. And just remember, when you're getting your ass handed to you on the extended ridge, just look around and enjoy the beauty that surrounds you. Its not that bad.
Cheers
First off is the course itself. It is gonna be a bitch. I've ridden it with gears and its an asskicker. I've already heard people complaining about its severity. It's the WORLD championships, its supposed to be hard!
But really, this isn't about the race, its about the experience. Bailey, Cheeney and all the fine ladies that are Passion Productions never come up short when they entertain. The parties, events, prizes, contests and random chaos that will prevail makes everyone guessing and keeps everybody smiling.
Check out the link. http://sswc09.wordpress.com/
I've had the pleasure of working with these guys behind the camera. Its something I really love. I shoot a lot of architecture, portraits and weddings. A lot of these jobs, as much as I love them, are bound by lots of guidelines and rules from clients and standards. Shooting photos for Passion Productions throws all of that out the window. I get to shoot whatever and however we feel at the moment. If you happen to be coming to Durango for the race, pick up the SSWC mag. I'm happy to say that I have a ton of really fun photos all throughout it, including the cover.
We just finished shooting all of the best SSWC registration pieces. We're making big prints and Doom is making custom frames for all them. They will be on display at Ska Brewing on Saturday night. I just ordered some cool new equipment for a new portrait shoot I want to do on Saturday night during the festivities. It should be very cool and I'll post shots soon after I recover from the weekend. I like shooting mass portrait projects at these events. Figuring out a creative way to capture a lot of unique people who share the same passion is lots of fun. One of my last portrait projects was during the Rally of the Dead, another silly single speed event held by Passion Productions.
I hope you come to our little town to join the fun. Its gonna be a blast and we welcome all. And just remember, when you're getting your ass handed to you on the extended ridge, just look around and enjoy the beauty that surrounds you. Its not that bad.
Cheers
Monday, June 1, 2009
Its sustainable, but is it comfortable?
Recently, I began a new business idea with my girlfriend Barbara and friend Sanders. I won't go into the whole idea because we think its a good one and we want to do it before somebody else does. But it basically looks at the sustainability of buildings. How they are designed, how they are built, what materials they use and don't use, and how that's better for the people who use them. We've had some preliminary meetings and are putting together more solid plan for what we want to achieve. We have our pilot project, a local library that is on track to achieve a LEED gold certification. If you asked me two weeks ago, I would have had said that we had our product and we were ready to start moving forward with it.
Then, last week Barbara and I toured the library with the director and she pointed out all of the LEED elements as well as other innovative components of the library. Afterwards, we had a conference call where Barbara and I briefed Sanders on the tour and what we felt we should highlight. After talking for about 45 minutes, Sanders finally chimed in and said, "I thought that our focus was to highlight the sustainability of the facility and most of the things you guys are talking about are community involvement, fun design for the children's section and art." It then dawned on me that he was totally right, but at the same time he did not understand the whole picture. He hadn't had the opportunity to experience the space, so he had yet to be affected by the space.
When Barbara and I came away from the tour, we weren't excited about the nightly flushing of cool air into the ventilation system to reduce the need to cool the air or even localized task lighting that reduced the need for big overhead room lighting which requires more energy to light a given space. We came out talking about the mini dual flush toilet designed for children(one of the few times I called a toilet cute), the reading room that overlooked the Animas river surrounded by windows which let all the warm morning sun in and the very cool conveyor belt/sorting mechanism for books that come in from the night drop. We realized that our focus wasn't only to show how energy efficient a building could be, but how did the overall design, mechanics and structure improve the experiences of the people who visited the library, worked in the library, rode their bikes past the library.
An architect can design a structure that is built with the most sustainable, recycled goods, has the highest possible energy efficiency, produces no waste into the environment and so on, but if it isn't a comfortable space to exist in then you've lost all of your sustainability. The value of the space has been compromised by the intent to maximize its "sustainability". If nobody uses that space then it becomes a waste of the land it was built upon, a waste of energy to heat and light an empty space as well as all of the resources it took to build it. If the usage and enjoyment of a space is maximized then it increases the sustainable value, simply because it is being used.
The combination of the elements that we don't want to see, smell, hear, ingest along with functional design, creative lines, proportional spaces and comforting colors creates a space that we yearn to comeback to over and over again. Its those spaces that makes us feel mentally, physically and emotionally healthy. That combination creates sustainability. We are going to continue to build structures to live in, work in, recreate in, and govern in. That will never really change. What we can change though, is improving them with more intelligent design. And that smarter design improves our overall experience with them, thus not needing to tear them down and replace them with new structures. That's sustainability.
Our business idea has a new focus.
Then, last week Barbara and I toured the library with the director and she pointed out all of the LEED elements as well as other innovative components of the library. Afterwards, we had a conference call where Barbara and I briefed Sanders on the tour and what we felt we should highlight. After talking for about 45 minutes, Sanders finally chimed in and said, "I thought that our focus was to highlight the sustainability of the facility and most of the things you guys are talking about are community involvement, fun design for the children's section and art." It then dawned on me that he was totally right, but at the same time he did not understand the whole picture. He hadn't had the opportunity to experience the space, so he had yet to be affected by the space.
When Barbara and I came away from the tour, we weren't excited about the nightly flushing of cool air into the ventilation system to reduce the need to cool the air or even localized task lighting that reduced the need for big overhead room lighting which requires more energy to light a given space. We came out talking about the mini dual flush toilet designed for children(one of the few times I called a toilet cute), the reading room that overlooked the Animas river surrounded by windows which let all the warm morning sun in and the very cool conveyor belt/sorting mechanism for books that come in from the night drop. We realized that our focus wasn't only to show how energy efficient a building could be, but how did the overall design, mechanics and structure improve the experiences of the people who visited the library, worked in the library, rode their bikes past the library.
An architect can design a structure that is built with the most sustainable, recycled goods, has the highest possible energy efficiency, produces no waste into the environment and so on, but if it isn't a comfortable space to exist in then you've lost all of your sustainability. The value of the space has been compromised by the intent to maximize its "sustainability". If nobody uses that space then it becomes a waste of the land it was built upon, a waste of energy to heat and light an empty space as well as all of the resources it took to build it. If the usage and enjoyment of a space is maximized then it increases the sustainable value, simply because it is being used.
The combination of the elements that we don't want to see, smell, hear, ingest along with functional design, creative lines, proportional spaces and comforting colors creates a space that we yearn to comeback to over and over again. Its those spaces that makes us feel mentally, physically and emotionally healthy. That combination creates sustainability. We are going to continue to build structures to live in, work in, recreate in, and govern in. That will never really change. What we can change though, is improving them with more intelligent design. And that smarter design improves our overall experience with them, thus not needing to tear them down and replace them with new structures. That's sustainability.
Our business idea has a new focus.
Monday, May 4, 2009
Animas slate
I'm out in LA right now assisting on a video project. But before I left Durango, I finally got to start a fun, creative project. Here are some preview photos. I'll be putting up a full gallery soon.
Miki creating...
Brooke
Dylan
Myra
Miki creating...
Brooke
Dylan
Myra
Friday, March 27, 2009
Today, I am giving props to an item that is taken for granted and is greatly unappreciated.
The paper clip.
It is a beautiful thing when an item so small and simple can be used for so many things. Personally, I use it most to affix gels to strobes and softboxes, but its usefulness does not stop there by any means. Here are a couple of other ways that it can be put to work for you.
Clip sheets on a bed to remove wrinkles
Hold a shirt or blouse tight to fit a model
Hold sheets to doors or windows to block light
Use as a bag clip for the potato chips after lunch
Hold slouchy plant stems upright so they look better in photos
Hair clip
Pinch your assistant to wake them up when you are doing a really long boring shoot
Fasten weights to the bottom of a backdrop so it hangs tight
Hang on the bottom of table cloth to remove creases or folds
Hold cords tight on stands or behind furniture to keep them out of sight
Hold pocket wizards on to strobes when the lanyard breaks
Use as a small block to prop up plates for food photos
Clip a hat on a model on a really windy shoot
Fasten the shot list to anything solid on a really windy shoot
Use as a door stop under pesky doors that don't want to stay closed or open
Hold all of your taxes together on a windy, rainy April 15th evening on the way to the post office
There are probably a million more uses for these little guys, but that's all the ones that I've come across in the last few weeks. And the greatest thing in the world is that a package of 50 of these useful little beauties is around $3.50. Its great to cherish such a simple, inexpensive item.
Cheers
The paper clip.
It is a beautiful thing when an item so small and simple can be used for so many things. Personally, I use it most to affix gels to strobes and softboxes, but its usefulness does not stop there by any means. Here are a couple of other ways that it can be put to work for you.
Clip sheets on a bed to remove wrinkles
Hold a shirt or blouse tight to fit a model
Hold sheets to doors or windows to block light
Use as a bag clip for the potato chips after lunch
Hold slouchy plant stems upright so they look better in photos
Hair clip
Pinch your assistant to wake them up when you are doing a really long boring shoot
Fasten weights to the bottom of a backdrop so it hangs tight
Hang on the bottom of table cloth to remove creases or folds
Hold cords tight on stands or behind furniture to keep them out of sight
Hold pocket wizards on to strobes when the lanyard breaks
Use as a small block to prop up plates for food photos
Clip a hat on a model on a really windy shoot
Fasten the shot list to anything solid on a really windy shoot
Use as a door stop under pesky doors that don't want to stay closed or open
Hold all of your taxes together on a windy, rainy April 15th evening on the way to the post office
There are probably a million more uses for these little guys, but that's all the ones that I've come across in the last few weeks. And the greatest thing in the world is that a package of 50 of these useful little beauties is around $3.50. Its great to cherish such a simple, inexpensive item.
Cheers
Sunday, March 22, 2009
Hope
An interesting thing happened this morning. I woke up at 5:30 still weary from a long string of 12-15 hr work days. I looked around my place at a pile of dirty laundry, a bunch of bills, wilting plants. I started some coffee and checked the weather forecast...sunny and 70 degrees. I remembered an invitation from Woods to go riding over at Phil's World. It pretty much was shaping up to be a nice relaxing Sunday where I could catch up on my personal life and get stuff in order.
My coffee started perculatin' and I sat down to read the news to find out what was happening in the world. I then remembered that I wanted to watch the Obama interview on the late show from earlier in the week. Kicking back on my couch, Mac Book on lap, coffee in hand, I watched the video clip. 30 minutes later, juiced on caffeine I found myself very inspired to go my studio and get to work.
I will state right off the bat that I am not a lifelong Democrat or bleeding liberal by any means. I'm pretty moderate and ride the fence on a lot of issues. I did vote for Mr. Obama and was very happy to see him elected. Do I think he is going to change the world or is he the savior for our country? No. Sadly, our country and world are way too screwed up in too many ways. No matter how hard Obama works and tries to change things, he ain't going to be making revolutionary changes.
The reason I'm sitting at my desk at 9 am on a gorgeous Sunday morning is that Obama inspired me. It was so cool to watch a man who is intelligent, articulate, compassionate, pragmatic, humble, and charismatic. Here is a guy who has one of the worst jobs in the world. I know I wouldn't want his job. On top of just have a very difficult job, he had enormous problems dropped in his lap. But he wakes up every morning and goes to work with the attitude that he gets the opportunity to tackle the challenges that were given to him. That's why he applied for the job in the first place. He saw a problem that needed to be fixed and he thought that he could contribute to the solution. He'll make mistakes, he'll be criticized, his popularity will undoubtedly fall over time. But kudos for the guy for actually trying.
I think what really got to me was the fact that he operates on common sense principles. Responsibility, sound values, and hard work seem to be his modus operandi. He doesn't expect to make changes overnight. He recognizes that the problem that landed this country where it is, is the get-rich-quick philosophy that we all accept as status quo anymore. That we have to get back to the fundamentals that made this country great. It was very refreshing to listen to him speak after what we've endured over the last 8 years.
Simply put, listening to him speak put a flame under my ass to get to work and tackle my small little pile of challenges. It inspired me to make my small contribution to the overall productivity that will get our economy back in order. Like everyone, I won't be getting rich anytime soon. But if I keep plugging away, I think that very good things lie on the other side of this little quagmire that we've been graced with.
BTW, don't get me wrong, its gonna be 70 degrees today. I WILL be out cranking some miles this afternoon.
Cheers
My coffee started perculatin' and I sat down to read the news to find out what was happening in the world. I then remembered that I wanted to watch the Obama interview on the late show from earlier in the week. Kicking back on my couch, Mac Book on lap, coffee in hand, I watched the video clip. 30 minutes later, juiced on caffeine I found myself very inspired to go my studio and get to work.
I will state right off the bat that I am not a lifelong Democrat or bleeding liberal by any means. I'm pretty moderate and ride the fence on a lot of issues. I did vote for Mr. Obama and was very happy to see him elected. Do I think he is going to change the world or is he the savior for our country? No. Sadly, our country and world are way too screwed up in too many ways. No matter how hard Obama works and tries to change things, he ain't going to be making revolutionary changes.
The reason I'm sitting at my desk at 9 am on a gorgeous Sunday morning is that Obama inspired me. It was so cool to watch a man who is intelligent, articulate, compassionate, pragmatic, humble, and charismatic. Here is a guy who has one of the worst jobs in the world. I know I wouldn't want his job. On top of just have a very difficult job, he had enormous problems dropped in his lap. But he wakes up every morning and goes to work with the attitude that he gets the opportunity to tackle the challenges that were given to him. That's why he applied for the job in the first place. He saw a problem that needed to be fixed and he thought that he could contribute to the solution. He'll make mistakes, he'll be criticized, his popularity will undoubtedly fall over time. But kudos for the guy for actually trying.
I think what really got to me was the fact that he operates on common sense principles. Responsibility, sound values, and hard work seem to be his modus operandi. He doesn't expect to make changes overnight. He recognizes that the problem that landed this country where it is, is the get-rich-quick philosophy that we all accept as status quo anymore. That we have to get back to the fundamentals that made this country great. It was very refreshing to listen to him speak after what we've endured over the last 8 years.
Simply put, listening to him speak put a flame under my ass to get to work and tackle my small little pile of challenges. It inspired me to make my small contribution to the overall productivity that will get our economy back in order. Like everyone, I won't be getting rich anytime soon. But if I keep plugging away, I think that very good things lie on the other side of this little quagmire that we've been graced with.
BTW, don't get me wrong, its gonna be 70 degrees today. I WILL be out cranking some miles this afternoon.
Cheers
Tuesday, February 24, 2009
Cowboys stories
Recently, I was hired by Western Horseman magazine to shoot portraits of a saddle maker that lives in southeast, Utah. The magazine was sponsoring a roping competition where the winners won one of three custom made saddles created by 3 different saddle craftsmen. It was my job to photograph Jeff Hanson and his creation.
At the time, I was slammed with work doing several architectural shoots in different towns as well as a bunch of portrait shoots for different clients. Basically, I was shooting, downloading photos, backing them up and running to the next shoot. Jeff was my final one and I was pretty psyched to finish it up. After a morning of catching up on office work, I hopped in the car and made the 2 hour drive over to Monticello. Once I got 20 miles out of town, I finally took a deep breath and relaxed! It was time to plug in the iPod and just enjoy the drive.
When I arrived, Jeff was cleaning up his saddle shop. He invited me in and instead of breaking out the camera and shooting photos right away, we just talked. We talked for a good hour about saddle making, cowboys, life, family, the weather and a host of other things. Then, after we literally ran out of things to talk about, I suggested that we break out the camera and shoot some photos. It was a bit tricky because there was a delectable blend of fluorescent, tungsten and very cold daylight coming in the windows. But, Jeff was at ease and we were very comfortable with each other shooting, so it went smooth.
It was so refreshing to sit down and learn about my subject on a personal level. It then dawned on me that I am very fortunate to have the job I do. It is a conduit to experience places and people that I would not have otherwise ever considered or ever learned about. I was paid to learn about a beautiful craft that I'm never exposed to in my daily life. And then on top of that, I got to blend my craft with his to show off his work. Pretty cool!
Once we wrapped up, I got back in my car and made the 2 hour journey back to Durango. Tunes a crankin, feeling rejuvenated, I immediately started planning my next projects and preparing for countless hours on the computer processing all the photos I had created in the last few weeks.
At the time, I was slammed with work doing several architectural shoots in different towns as well as a bunch of portrait shoots for different clients. Basically, I was shooting, downloading photos, backing them up and running to the next shoot. Jeff was my final one and I was pretty psyched to finish it up. After a morning of catching up on office work, I hopped in the car and made the 2 hour drive over to Monticello. Once I got 20 miles out of town, I finally took a deep breath and relaxed! It was time to plug in the iPod and just enjoy the drive.
When I arrived, Jeff was cleaning up his saddle shop. He invited me in and instead of breaking out the camera and shooting photos right away, we just talked. We talked for a good hour about saddle making, cowboys, life, family, the weather and a host of other things. Then, after we literally ran out of things to talk about, I suggested that we break out the camera and shoot some photos. It was a bit tricky because there was a delectable blend of fluorescent, tungsten and very cold daylight coming in the windows. But, Jeff was at ease and we were very comfortable with each other shooting, so it went smooth.
It was so refreshing to sit down and learn about my subject on a personal level. It then dawned on me that I am very fortunate to have the job I do. It is a conduit to experience places and people that I would not have otherwise ever considered or ever learned about. I was paid to learn about a beautiful craft that I'm never exposed to in my daily life. And then on top of that, I got to blend my craft with his to show off his work. Pretty cool!
Once we wrapped up, I got back in my car and made the 2 hour journey back to Durango. Tunes a crankin, feeling rejuvenated, I immediately started planning my next projects and preparing for countless hours on the computer processing all the photos I had created in the last few weeks.
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