Cool before cool was cool

Dug this one out of the family archives - that's my Grandad on the right, crouched down in a trenchcoat, wild cap (pre bike helmets) and a cig hanging from his lips (because they were good for your voice back then...) fixing his mates bike on the roadside sometime in the mid 1930's...a solid 15-20 years before Brando became an icon in The Wild Ones and James Dean created a counter-culture in Rebel Without A Cause.

The reason why I love this shot so much is because my Gran took it (sitting on the back of a bike was probably my Grandads idea of a good date) with a mark I Kodak box brownie, and that's the canvas case slung over his shoulder. That camera, case and all, is now sat on my shelf. I'm planning on pushing a roll of film through it sometime soon, so we'll see what comes out.

I guess at least if I haven't inherited Grandads easy cool or his vintage iron steed, there's a beautiful old camera in my hands waiting to capture a new reality 80 years on.

The beautiful mind of Mr Scott Bryant

Anyone who's ever met Scotty has a story about him, ranging from the sublime to the ridiculous. More often than not the ridiculous.

He's one of the most intensly creative humans I know though, not just through the noise he makes with his various music projects but in pretty much every aspect of his day to day existence; nobody else I know would have a glove stuck over the end of their rear windshield wiper so that when looking in the rear-view mirror it's waving at you.

I just re-read a short essay that he wrote a while ago about Love and Art. How they are inextricably linked, self perpetuating and how each one needs the other to exist and flourish. It's a pretty mind blowing and inspirational piece of writing and fills me with hope.
I'm not going to type it out here or quote it, but maybe just sit back and have a think about it:

Art=Love & Love=Art. Simple.

Every now and then I get him to hold still long enough to make a portrait of him, in this one all wrapped up in a Nepalese blanket/jacket hybrid...and shorts. Only Scott.

Surfing or Photography? The ultimate dilemma.

"So you love to surf. And you love taking photographs. Why don't you just take photos of surfing then?"

It's a phrase I've heard quite a lot. But there's more to it than that. Sitting on the beach shooting your mates enjoying the waves is one of the most frustrating things for a surfer, and normally the territory of the injured guy doing his friends a favour. I've sat out a few times with my camera, but normally I leave my camera gear on the beach or the boat and rattle off a few shots when I come in for sunscreen, water or another run up the point. That's probably why you'll see surprisingly few surf action shots here or on the website; more an overview of all the other things that come with drifting around looking for waves to ride. I'll do my best to post a shot of somebody ripping at regular intervals though.

Top: Unknown surfer, red board re-entry at Boomerangs, central NSW Australia.

Bottom: DVD, dropping his wallet at Burliegh Heads, QLD Australia.

Copen-what-gen?

This is how cold the sea feels in Cornwall at the moment although I know it ain't a patch on Scotland or the North East where big blocks of ice floating through the line-up isn't unusual. Surfing in that is proper commitment.....or just plain crazy.

But this photo also reminded me that the Copenhagen Climate Change Summit finished up a couple of weeks ago, and despite all the media buzz while it was happening, I didn't hear much about the outcomes so I just did some research.

No legally binding deal.
No long term global emissions cuts targets.
No timescale for when the political agreement can be turned into a legally-binding treaty.
Other agreements, such as dealing with deforestation, shelved until the next conference.

So will the glacier in this photo continue to recede? It looks like it. Nice one world leaders, we relied on you and you choked.
Which means that it's down to the rest of us to do our own little bit I guess - car share, buy local, insulate your roof space, participate in non-motorised sports, meat-free mondays, anything else you can think of, oh, and spreading the word.

A few moments to inspire...

The photographic result of a two year collaborative project between one of the worlds foremost surf photographers, Dustin Humphrey, and influential surf film maker Taylor Steele, Sipping Jetstreams is just about as inspirational as it can get when it comes to international surf travel. Digging just that little bit deeper to get under the skin of what it is we really expose ourselves to along the way whilst searching out a wave to ride, this give's you a glimpse at the bigger picture.

The photo-geeks amongst you might be interested to know that Humphrey shot each location/section using a different film stock to give each it's own characteristics, even taking the risk of cross processing all the images from one trip to over-saturate the colours.

The sequel, Castles In The Sky is due out anytime soon featuring India, Iceland, Peru and Vietnam to name a few and I can't wait to see it if their first attempt is anything to go by.

Click play but don't hold me responsible if you get the uncontrollable urge to go buy a plane ticket and a few rolls of film as a result.

Kettle on, Feet up

"There is no trouble so great or grave that cannot be much diminished by a nice cup of tea"

Heroux Bernard-Paul

Here here.

The Future

I think it was Rob Machado who said that "The future of surfing will come from the most unlikely of places" as curiosity gets the better of kids who grow up by the ocean and travelling surfers leave behind boards and inspiration.

My friends Ru and Gem moved out to Costa Rica back in 2007 and opened Innocent Surf School, and they quickly flipped the accepted and outdated model of surf coaching on its head, growing into one of the most progressive and in-demand surf coaching centres in the world.
Alongside the surf school they also put aside Sundays to run free lessons for local kids and organised a board donation drive, giving them the chance to be a part of the surfing boom on their beach rather than just spectators - and now some of those kids are the local standouts and absolutely ripping.

This is so important to the world of surfing. One of these kids could turn out to be a world champion one day, but might never have had the chance to stand on a board otherwise.

Not being ones to rest on their laurels however, as of March 2010 they are opening Innocent Surf Camp to offer high end packages to every level of surfer at one of the most consistent and progression friendly surf spots on the planet. I can't see them doing anything other than their usual 10 out of 10 effort, and revolutionising the surf camp market.

Check 'em out, your surfing will thank you for it.