Jay Watson Photography

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Oceanscape. Half Moon Bay, CA

Last week Gadgetwise, a blog by The New York Times wrote a piece titled “Ten Photo Editing Tips From A Pro” using Adobe LightRoom. The internet is a library of tips and tutorials on photography, and I’ve learned a significant amount of info from many of them, but this post by the NYT was almost as predictable as it gets. I guessed 5 of the tips before I read the post, which means 50% of it was not bad, but why is this even on the radar of the NYT? What next “How To Shoot Video By CNN with Anderson Cooper?”

If I had only one tip to share on this subject it would be this: Try to find your own way in this infinite world of processing and adjusting your images and try to avoid making it so obvious.

Your work should be about you and your subjects, not border effects and processing gimmicks. Have I not used some of these effects myself ? Sure I have, and I still play with them. At one time I was obsessed with sloppy borders in the darkroom, I currently use PhotoShop and LightRoom for much of my work, and I am completely blown away by some of the point and click effects from iPhone camera apps. Absolutely amazing! However when are we part of the process instead of these machines?

I do get it. These effects are fun. They take “normal” looking images and make them more interesting. However, if we all used the same automatic one click effects, are we coming back full circle and making these processed images our new “normal?”

So what is not normal? You! That is right. Your tastes are unlike everyone else and nobody is exactly like you. So try to find your own mixture of shooting and processing techniques. Try to avoid the obvious. Work on your own techniques and develop concepts to set yourself apart. Otherwise if we don’t have time for that, we are just pointing and clicking, then clicking again to make it “cool.” Maybe that is all we have time for on some occasions, but if photography is your gig then try to create your own clicks and avoid everyone else’s.

- A friend who wouldn’t let another friend spend money on presets.

The above image was shot in Half Moon Bay, CA with a 15 second exposure while painting with a flashlight and processed with only one tip mentioned in the NYT article.

This week I have been featured in a podcast available for download or direct playback on Lensflare35, an internet talk show by host Dave Warner.

Lensflare35 interviews photographers and filmmakers who are asked to discuss current trends in the industry, tips, and personal inspirations. Dave hit me up with questions which led to a discussion on California culture, surfing, skating, rodeos, editorial work, and the future of the photo biz.

I was a little nervous leading up to the show, but it was definitely fun once we got rolling. Dave has an easy going style, and he and his staff really do their homework. There are a few mentions in the podcast to some of my online publishing friends, but a few were left out due to the nature of recording live. So an extra thanks goes to friends at: Autoculture, Drift Surfing, Liquid Salt, KordoryTV, Lexar Media, and of course to Dave and the crew at Lensflare35!

Hope you enjoy the podcast. Dave puts a lot of work into these shows, so any links are greatly appreciated!

From Lensflare35: “In this episode, Jay talks about his artistic style, tintype portraits, social media, his most challenging project, the perfect assignment, video, and whether he sees the demand for video outpacing static images in the future. We created a multi-media show of his images with an explanation of each one with the full podcast interview and our typical show player and download.”

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Publisher Chris Brown of Refueled Magazine hooked me up with a 12 page spread and interview in the newly released #05 summer issue. See the interview below, or start at the beginning of the issue here.

Refueled Magazine is another example of the endless creative possibilities with online publishing. Future issues will be available for print purchase and hopefully back issues as well. The mag is gathering a wider audience with each release so add these links below to your collection.

Follow Refueled Magazine on Twitter
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Follow Refueled Magazine’s Blog

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Here is an excerpt of images from a project I am working on with Mr. Bounds and Mr. Dirty that will be published by Gingko Press for Double D’s upcoming book. Donny makes T-shirts, shrunken heads, collectibles, toys, posters, pinball machines, and custom painted anythings. You name it. The photography is straight forward and shot on white so it doesn’t take attention away from the objects. Can’t wait to see the finished layouts in the book. It may seem a little different from my normal work, but I hit the product stuff every now and then. Donny also runs a lively blog called Street Walking Cheetah. Check it.

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Below is an editorial portrait of biologist Janine Benyus for Future Magazine, a Swedish publication about engineering. Photographed at the UC Berkeley Botanical Gardens, Janine Benyus is a founder of the Biomimicry Guild which specializes in finding solutions to modern design problems by studying answers that exist in nature. She has worked with the automotive industry by experimenting with paint finishes that perform like a leaf that washes itself with the help of raindrops. In our conversation on the day of the shoot Janine told me about wrapping synthetic fabrics over buildings to improve the efficiency of the building’s heating and insulation. Imagine walking into a building with cloth fabric on the outside! This is very interesting and powerful science. Maybe Janine can find a solution to the BP oil spill in the Gulf. She is a getting a lot of attention for her research and these photos were also published this month by the French science and technology magazine Science & Vie. Big ups to the Euros for sending me some gigs in San Francisco!

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One of the most rewarding experiences in photography comes from receiving a print order. Here are some recent gems that came in this week. Take a look at the bottom of this post to learn how to hang a frameless photo on a wall without looking like a complete cheapskate.

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The mailman brings goodness.

Who gets what?

10″ X 15″ of Ion Banner goes to a lucky guy in New Jersey, mounted on 3mm sintra.

New Jersey is also getting a 10″ X 15″ piece of San Onofre, CA, mounted on 3mm sintra.

10″ X 15″ of Peter Mel is heading to Maine, mounted on 3mm sintra.

Prints for Habilitat in Oahu

Two 12″ X 18″ prints are being sent to Kaneohe, Hawaii for the 10th Annual Habilitat Luau & Art Benefit. Each year I donate work to Habilitat which is a long term residential drug addiction treatment center on the island of Oahu. This year I asked one of the residents of the program to select an image from my website to be included in the benefit. He excitedly choose this image below of Zach Wormhoudt charging down the face of a wave at Mavericks in Half Moon Bay, CA. This year’s luau will be on May 22nd at Windward Community College. Visit here for more info.

12″ X 18″ of Zach Wormhoudt is going to an art auction in Oahu, mounted on 1/2″ gatorboard.

Habilitat Art Auction in Oahu also gets a 12″ X 18″ print of Capitola, CA, mounted on 1/2″ gatorboard.

Frameless Presentation

A traditional way to hang photography is to mount the prints to a hinged 8-ply window mat board under UV glass with a custom frame. This offers the best protection but it is exceptionally expensive. I have been getting photos dry mounted to Sintra (a 3mm thick material similar to plexiglass) and gatorboard (similar to foam core but much stronger due to the wood pulp fibers).  Dry mounting allows artwork to lay completely flat when framed under glass and is almost always required for pieces 11X14 and larger. It also allows you to experiment with frameless presentations that does not include clothespins, binder clips, or thumb tacks. Your work does not deserve such injustice.

This 10″ X 15″ of Mavericks printed on metallic paper stays here, mounted on 3mm sintra and “floated” off the wall.

How To Go Frameless:

If done correctly frameless photography can look as nice as a framed piece and offer similar protection. You need to do (4) things.

1) Dry mount the photo to a substrate that will not flex. Materials can include: artboard, masonite, metal, plexiglass, and gatorboard, Foam core will not work as it will warp over time. There is also a law of physics that states as soon as you mount a photo to foam core you will drop the photo and dent the corners. Don’t do it!

2) Have the artwork UV coated. This also protects the print from moisture, dust, and the color will not self destruct under normal viewing conditions. UV coatings can be either: clear, luster, gloss, or high gloss. These are extremely thin protective sheets that are completely invisible. Friends don’t let other friends emboss textured coatings like linen or canvas onto their photos. Keep it classy and go clear.

3) Place a self-adhesive hanger on the back of the mounting material. These are very strong due to the large surface area, but for larger pieces go with (2) adhesive hangers and a piece of wire.

4) “Float” the mounting material away from the wall. Many framers and labs mount a smaller piece of 1/2 gatorboard behind the dry mounted photo. The easiest solution is to use these thick self-adhesive rubber bumpers found at Home Depot. Place one at each corner of the print about 4 inches toward the center to hide their appearance.

Place the bumpers 4″ from the outside edge so they are less visible.

Additional info and resources:

Unless you don’t mind doing the whole thing over again in a few years because the color has shifted, don’t skip the UV coating in order to save a few dollars. Most labs and some framers can do this for you. The biggest concern for archival properties is from the heat and adhesives used in the dry mounting process. Shop around and ask questions, or do it yourself. To save a few steps take a look at the self-adhesive boards in a variety of thicknesses and materials at www.artsupply.com. A few recommended online print services that offer color controlled printing (ICC profiles), dry mounting, and UV coating are:

Printroom

White House Custom Color

Get your work outside of the computer and make some prints!

Last fall I was hired by Inked Magazine to photograph Oakland Tattoo artist Freddy Corbin mentioned in an earlier blog post here. Soon after final images were sent to the photo editor, I started manipulating an outtake from the shoot. Below is the retouched outtake that would serve as the starting point for the experiment.

Retouched outtake and starting point.

My goal was to extract Freddy from the original image and apply a graphic treatment while still maintaining the purpose of a portrait. Last year I started converting images into line art and overlaying them on wood. When you convert a photo to line art you have to reconstruct elements of the image that get lost in the process. Below is the result of the cleaned up line art conversion applied to a wood texture source image.

Converted into line art and layered on top of a source image of wood.

The version above was fairly simple due to all the surrounding space which helps maintain the portrait, but it felt a little unfinished. A week later I added opaque white to the subject and a drop shadow which added more dimension.

Opaque white added and a drop shadow to increase dimension.

At this point I felt like I was applying effects to an image without building new content. So I sent an email version to Brian Bounds for some advice and he sent back a mock up that took it to a whole new level. A collaboration ensued and after a few emails Brian came up with the image you see below. He added the bleeding heart and hand lettered text that is a combination of Old English and vintage West Coast graffiti lettering. The passage comes from a 1887 book on sea chanteys which services the subject well since sailing plays a role in the history of tattooing. The finished piece was printed one time and mounted on wood. It was sold at the Hell’s Belles Car Club art auction to benefit the Bay Area Women’s And Children’s Center in San Francisco.

Finished collaboration with Brian Bounds who added the bleeding heart and custom hand lettered text.

Drift Surfing published my account of the Mavericks surf contest with my words and 28 full screen size images here. The piece is not a commentary on contests or corporate sponsors. It is about my personal experience of what it was like shooting from the media boat.
“Incoming” now viewable on www.driftsurfing.com

“The entire Mavericks experience was both awesome and horrible at the same time. On the 13th of February 2010, there was no place I would rather have been. Conditions were good. I heard thunder all day long and fans hooted even when waves went unridden. It was also the most physically demanding thing I have ever done with a camera. With all of that power tossing and turning the boat, my body wondered early on, “what did you get yourself into?”

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1AM Still Packing

The Build Up
As epic as the words may sound, it is really only half of the story that surrounded the day. Contestants voted on Wed Feb 10th to compete on Sat and the announcement was made public on Thursday Feb 11. I was shooting assignments on both Thursday and Friday leaving less than 2 hectic filled days to prepare for the waves. This included selecting my lenses, picking up rental gear, packing, researching more info on the surfers, picking up the media pass in Half Moon Bay, and lining up two back-up plans for boat access. I slept less than 3 hours the night before the event and was at the docks early Saturday morning at 6am. There was also the uncertainty I would even get a spot on the media boat the morning of the contest. The waiting list was 5 times longer than available spots, yet I had to prepare as if it was going to happen.

Maybe I was lucky to get a seat on the boat, but I really worked “it” to get there. If I didn’t prepare and was granted a spot, it would have shown in the images. It was better to play it safe than to be sorry for it later. This doesn’t happen everyday and the last contest was 2 years ago.

Queen Of Hearts

Darryl “Flea” Virostko in person.

Western swell with light winds from the south.

Ion Banner robbing trains.

The Aftermath
I was hung over on Valentines day from the shoot. It lasted for 2 weeks, but not from the motion sickness. It was due to late nights processing well over 1200 images, making selections, writing captions, and working on a layout and sequence for the piece. The writing alone included 5 edits in total. Then came the unexpected side of the story.

As I was working, I witnessed numerous journalists, papers, bloggers, and fans post their take on the event. Some of which were very good and similar to my own images. Why was I spending all this time on something already well covered? It was becoming ancient in today’s live status and real time world. Nobody wants to see images of President Obama’s inauguration 1 year later. True. Unless there is a unique perspective.

I can’t complete with news media outlets. They are more efficient and can bust out a story in hours. My goals are different and spending 2 weeks on the Mavs project forced me to choose some less typical images, and tell a less obvious story. Drift’s presentation for an online editorial publication is very original. They create both multi page features and short daily blog entries. As a feature, they ran all 28 of my selections FULL SCREEN which is a refreshing way for Mavs fans to view the waves online. So it was rewarding to read the promoter comment “one of the coolest contest-day perspectives we’ve seen, great stuff.”

That was the intention.

Special thanks to Glen Sakamoto and Joe Conway for the support. You can see the entire post of Mavericks on Drift Surfing. More effort went into it than simply pressing a button on a black box. Hope you enjoy it.

Grant Brittain lives in Encinitas, CA and is the chief photographer and part owner of The Skateboard Mag.  He is an editorial legend, spanning 3 decades of skateboarding history, yet his work is not tied to just the skate genre. Grant shows his work in galleries, guest lectures, shoots landscapes, and is a strong portrait photographer.

I grew up with Grant’s images so naturally he was an influence on my desire to become a photographer. Since he is both an image maker and a publisher, I got in touch with Grant last year to talk about today’s publishing biz with a Q&A here. Recently I was able to visit him at “The Mag” for a portrait shoot outside his office in Encinitas, CA. It was the shortest hour I have ever spent with anyone on a shoot. I was stoked to say the least.

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There is a saying that you are not supposed to meet your heroes. It is sometimes true, but not always.

Liquid Salt Magazine interviewed me last week and posted it here. I have a good working relationship with a few online publications and I support what some of these brave new media pioneers are doing. This is a new frontier for everyone and we are all trying to figure this thing out together. I greatly appreciate their support and interest in the things I am doing. Throw some love back to Liquid Salt and leave a comment on their site. It is good karma all around.

Included in the interview are a few images previously not seen until now, and the lowdown on why a guy from Baltimore ever started surfing.

JW interview on Liquid Salt Mag