Jay Watson Photography

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.

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UPDATE: Select images from the series “Our Only Summer Swell” won an honorable mention at the 2010 International Photography Awards in the editorial category.

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

Drift Surfing ran a nice editorial piece on surfboard shaper Manuel Caro over here. Manuel’s workspace is located at Moonlight Glassing which is just outside Encinitas, CA.  Andrew Smith did the interview for Drift and the very well rounded Ed Fladung busted out his art direction skills and classy shots of Manuel’s shaping bay. Below are some of my portrait shots and outakes from the shoot.

From Driftsurfing.com

The last image is a before and after set showing my post production work. You can see the difference between a processed RAW file using Adobe Lightroom and compare it to the final retouched version using Adobe PhotoShop. These portraits are also part of a much larger series I am working on. I just need an extra 16 hours to finish the PhotoShop work!

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On February 13, 2010 some of the world’s biggest waves hit Half Moon Bay. I shot well over 1200 images and have narrowed it down to a few dozen selects. A fairly interesting story is nearly finished regarding the day’s events. Without exaggeration, it involves working on 3 hours of sleep, broken egos, monster opportunities, and 6 hours of bobbing for apples in 50 foot swells. I’ll announce where the images will land and/or post all of it here. Teaser image below.

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Tyler Smith in the first heat of the 2010 Mavericks Surf Contest. Half Moon Bay, CA.

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Sinners and Jammers. © Jay Watson Photography

I have been working with art director, designer, artist, and good friend Brian Bounds on a new project. Brian is collaborating with skateboarding pro, artist, builder, and genius Jason Jessee on a massive undertaking that involves me switching into product photographer mode.  We are photographing and cataloging Jason’s art and personal collection of artifacts that represent his lifestyle. Not sure how much info I should put out there about this business, but I am really enjoying it. I always learn something new about skate history with every visit to Jason’s shop. He is true blue, and my favorite thing about Jason is that he is a fan of everyone!

This Sinners jacket above has been photographed in many different magazines, including an image I shot for Garage Magazine a few years back. Ironically it has never been photographed from the back. Until now. “It rules.”

Hulton Archive/Getty Images.

Evel Knievel served in the US army, worked at a copper mine, was a semi pro hockey player, started a successful hunting guide business, competed in ski jumping, pole vaulting, and rodeo events. For a brief period he was a profitable insurance salesman, but quit after not being promoted to Vice President after a few months with the company (which later became part of the multi billion dollar Aon Corporation). Mr. Knievel also owned a motorcycle dealership and offered $100 off to any customer who could beat him at arm wrestling.

All of these things occurred before Robert Craig “Evel” Knievel became the daredevil that we remember him for today. Say what you want about Evel, but what more could we be doing in our own lives? It is a new decade so where do you want to start?

CBS Photo Archive/Getty Images. Promotion for the shark tank jump in 1976.

For more images of Evel Knievel see Life’s gallery and captions here. You can follow Life Magazine on Twitter or on Facebook.

About the Life Magazine archive:

The cataloging of the Life Magazine archives by Google is a highlight of the last decade. This is the strongest collection of editorial magazine photography from American history. So far Google has cataloged every single page of each issue from 1936-1972, and can be viewed or printed for free through (you HAVE to click this link) Google Books online here. However I question how some of Life’s photographers may have lost the rights to their work that is now available for license through the partnership of Time Inc. and Getty images. I assume this was only possible due to poor contracts initially signed by the photographers in deals that now look similar to the blues musicians who lost the rights to their songs to recording studios.

Unfortunately, many photographers have not been properly credited by Time/Life. Google only hosts the archive, so we can’t blame them. If you blog, share, or post any images from the Life archive please use good karma.  Try to at least credit the photographer who shot the images whenever possible. It is the least we can do.

I had the honor of photographing pro surfer, icon, and North Shore legend Buttons Kaluhiokalani at his home break in Oahu, Hawaii. Upon first meeting Mr. Kaluhiokalani he was washing sand off his feet and stowing away a surfboard from his morning session. It was a fitting first impression. There is a tradition in Hawaii when you visit someone’s home that you should bring a gift. Food or drink is always welcome so Jamie and I brought a chocolate haupia cream pie from Ted’s Bakery, a North Shore favorite for both locals and tourists.

My pie-hole would have to wait for that chocolate haupia cream (on our second trip back to Ted’s later that day). We sat for 30 minutes talking with Buttons in his living room and getting acquainted. I was warmly referred to over the phone and now in person as “Brotha Jay.” The entire shoot only lasted 2 hours, but he treated us like we had known him for years. How cool was that? As cool as getting to photograph a portrait of one of my favorite surfers in front of his home break. The images below are of Buttons at a spot known as “Backyards.”

Buttons Kaluhiokalani • North Shore Oahu, Hawaii.  © Jay Watson Photography

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Surfer Magazine listed Buttons as one of the 50 greatest surfers of all time. Jeff Divine writes “There were no real top turns the way you see them today. But Buttons showed up and started spinning 360s, putting his board on an edge, breaking the fin free and trying airs. He’d busted the performance door down before the Aussies ever showed up.” At age 51, Buttons now runs a surf school, and shares the stoke once a month by taking mentally and physically challenged kids surfing with Access Surf. He has also recently started tow-in surfing for when the waves are exceptionally big. An icon, and still at it.

Interesting surf info: I asked Buttons who was the first person he saw ride switch foot and he answered “Jock Sutherland.”

Mahalo to Glen Sakamoto of Liquid Salt for helping out with the shoot.

Last Christmas, photographer friend Joe Reifer created a great list of holiday gift ideas for photographers. He followed up again this year with a list of recommended books. This got me thinking about some cool cheap stuff that is photo related. Photography can be so expensive that it can put a beat down on your wallet, yet it is the little things that can make it fun, creative, or in some cases more comfortable. Any of these items below would be a nice gift for any photographer in your crew, but you may want to add some of these items to your own bag of gear. If you have anything to add to the list I would love to hear your suggestions. Here are just a few.

Nikon 35mm 1.8G AF-S DX lens $199
This is an incredibly super deal for a quality piece of glass. Even though it has received terrific reviews, I would still say this is an underrated lens. It is lighter than your cell phone, and has better manual focus than your Pentax K-1000 from high school. In fact, it is the best Nikon lens I have used for manual focus on a DSLR.

Nikon 50mm 1.8D AF lens $125
Okay so you hate DX lenses and prefer FX. Then go with the 50mm f1.8D for only $125. If you still use the 18-55mm plastic kit lens that came with your Nikon, either of these lenses will smoke that kit lens in terms of image quality.

REI Trail Stool $19.50
I can go all day on the adrenaline from photography, but it is nice to grab a seat when shooting from bucket height when there is no bucket. The REI Trail Stool fits in your tripod bag, and clips to your belt when shooting rodeos.

Diana F lens adapter for Nikon or Canon $12.00 + 38mm lens $40.00
This is kind of Lomo, but toys are not just for kids. If you enjoy playing with iPhone camera apps, but would rather use a real camera (I know, so elitist) then try putting a toy lens on your workhorse. Save your phone for uhhh…making calls (I know, so pedestrian).

BENRO TRA169 Travel Angel Tripod $170
This is hard to resist for a travel size tripod. If you have another budget suggestion please let me know. Benro is a Chinese company that makes knock offs from the well respected Gitzo tripod product line. They even jacked Gitzo’s logo! The price is right and surprisingly Benros have received decent reviews. The 169 is only 15″ when folded, weights 3.3 lbs, supports 8.8 lbs, and comes with an Arca swiss compatible ball head. Everyone feels guilty about this except the budget consumer.

Cuisinart 4-Cup Coffeemaker w/ Stainless-Steel Carafe $24.00
Black & Decker Brew ‘n Go $29.99
What does this have to do with photography? Recently I was traveling on a shoot and stayed at a very nice hotel that did not have a coffee maker inside my room! Morning coffee in the lobby was gas station quality. The place should have been roped off as a crime scene! When I traveled as an assistant with photographer Burgess Blevins, I would bubble wrap a full size coffee maker and put it in the stand bags. We always had hot fresh coffee that was dark enough to not see the sides of the cup. Treat yourself right while on the road. The Cuisinart has a mini stainless steel carafe, make 4 cups, and will easily fit in your stand bag. The Brew n’ Go only makes 15 oz so it is great for a one man army with an early call time. Call me a kook. I don’t care.

Manfrotto 337 Hot Shoe Bubble Level $33.50
Some bubble levels are only single axis, but the Manfrotto is a double level with twice the versatility. Why do you need this? If your horizons are at an angle, you have to fix this by cropping in post production which tosses those precious pixels. We have enough pixels already, but sometimes those minor crops will eliminate an interesting detail in the corners.

Soft Box with grid #30-$100
Go to Ebay and do a search for “soft box grid.” You’ll find hundreds of results for soft boxes that are less than $100. They will not last a lifetime, but they could provide a unique look to your lighting until this thing falls apart.

Mic for iphone $3.08
Yes that is the correct price! Ever use the Voice Memo app on your iphone? It doesn’t work so well due to the iphone’s poor microphone. On a recent shoot I was using the iPhone’s Notepad to take notes on the people I had just photographed. Then it hit me. A mini mic for the iPhone would allow me to record the interviews right into my phone. If you only need info and not Dolby sound quality this would be a nice solution. I know what you are thinking, it’s too expensive.

20×200 $20 –>
Start collecting original art or start giving original art. Jen Beckman has put together a fine group of images together from her list of artists here and also offers gift certificates. Prices start at only $20 for prints by established and emerging artists.

Borrowlenses.com Gift Certificate $10 –>
I have used Borrowlenses to rent gear several times this past year. This is an online camera rental company that ships anywhere in the US and has a few drop off/pick up locations in the San Francisco Bay area. They rent everything! Lenses, lighting equipment, tripods, camera bodies, bags, and even filters. If you have been shooting with the same 2 or 3 lenses all year, it is time to mix it up on your next shoot.

Harinezumi $170
The Harinezumi strives to imitate the super 8mm home movie look, yet it records digitally to SD cards. Philip Bloom wrote a nice review of the Harinezumi and posted an edited video here. It looks like a refreshing way to build some supplemental video content, but I wonder if its charm will wear off after one project. It’s the video cam equivalent to gadgets on Lomo & JoJo. Oh the internet!

GoPro HD HERO Camera: Slow Motion Clip from GoPro on Vimeo.

Go Pro HD $270
If everybody is doing it, I guess that means a lot of people are doing it. HD video that is. DSLRs, Flip, and even point and shoot camera makers are now putting HD specs into their gear. If you want to expand your vision why not change your point of view as well? The Go Pro Hero HD can be mounted to anything. Surfboards, helmets, bikes, skateboards, or dogs. It even shoots stills and allows interval shooting for time lapse photography. The best part is video footage is fairly clean for this little POV HD busy bee.

Update: Exactly within minutes of posting this entry, Philip Bloom posted his review of the GoPro HD Hero here. Oh the internet!

The November issue of Inked Magazine features a multi page piece I shot of Oakland tattoo artist Freddy Corbin (not without incident, see below) for the “Icons” section. This may not be the most timeliest piece of news but hey, it was a fairly busy month. An interview of Mr. Corbin is featured at Inked online here. He also makes an appearance in the season finale of Sons Of Anarchy which airs this week on FX. SOA is a decent soap opera filled with guns, snitches, politics, and thugs. Freddy is too nice for any of those parlor games so I look forward to seeing his cameo.

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Freddy Corbin, Oakland, CA • Inked Magazine. © Jay Watson Photography

Outtake: Freddy Corbin, Oakland, CA • Inked Magazine. © Jay Watson Photography

On a side note, Freddy “collects” tattoos from his friends who are not tattoo artists. Would you do that for friendship? Inked also listed me as a contributor in the November issue which is still on the shelves until December 15th.