8 DIY Smartphone Photography Tips | COOPH

Watch photographer Richard Schabetsberger demonstrate some creative smartphone photography tips & tricks in Salzburg, Austria using an OPPO N3!



Join the Cooperative of Photography: http://www.cooph.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thecooph
Instagram: http://instagram.com/thecooph/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/thecooph/

PHOTOGRAPHER: Richard Schabetsberger
Website: http://www.richard-schabetsberger.com
Facebook: https://www.fb.com/richard.schabetsbe...
Instagram: https://instagram.com/richard_schabet...

CREDITS:
Director: Matthew Rycroft
Models: Andrea Schernthaner
Cinematography & Editing: Andrea Schernthaner

7 Funky Photography Tips

Watch photographers Anastasia Ehlakova & Julia Gebhardt demonstrate some funky photography tips to try out on your next shoot!



Join the Cooperative of Photography: http://www.cooph.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thecooph
Instagram: http://instagram.com/thecooph/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/thecooph/

CREDITS:
Director: Matthew Rycroft
Photographers: Anastasia Ehlakova (http://www.bybrickandmortar.com) & Julia Gebhardt
Cinematography & Editing: Stefan Sietzen (http://www.stefansietzen.at) & Jon Williams (http://www.jon-w.com).

Models: Anfisa P. (http://www.bodyandsoul.at) & Mirjam Klebel
Shoot consultant: Leo Rosas (http://www.leorosasphoto.com)

MUSIC:
"Funky Party": http://audiojungle.net/item/funky-par...

CAMERA GEAR USED:
Nikon D810
Leica T
Canon 550D
Fujifilm Polaroid

WORLD’S LARGEST GRAFFITI PHOTOGRAPHED FROM SPACE

UK graffiti artist INSA is known for his GIF-ITI, the large-scale art technique that combines graffiti with stop-motion animation. Over the years, his GIF-fiti have gotten progressively bigger, including this blinking beauty done in conjunction with Melbourne street artist Rone, and this even bigger pretty lady with MadSteez for Pow! Wow! in Taiwan.

Recently, however, the innovator unveiled the world’s largest graffiti and GIF animation in one: a four-frame clip of his 154,774 square foot mural in Rio de Janeiro.

Dubbed “Space GIF-ITI,” the piece was painted by a team of 20. It took four separate stages, coloring in the sections in a paint-by-numbers fashion. INSA couldn’t see the finished product before he got the shot--from space. Each stage was photographed by satellite (it’s that big), and the photos were strung together to create this larger-than-life animation.

All City Showdown Chicago Premiere | January 10 | Thalia Hall

ACS Chicago Premiere at Thalia Hall is set to go off on January 10th.
Photo show and video premiere all from a single day of skating in Chicago. Be the first to see who got a piece of the $11,000.
21+ grab drink specials from @revbrew.

Tickets available now at @thaliahall ( Follow @consallcityshowdown to keep up on all things All City Showdown in Chicago, New York and Seattle.
‪#‎upriseskateshop‬ ‪#‎consallcityshowdown‬ ‪#‎acsc2014‬

All City Showdown Premiere
January 10th, 2015
Thalia Hall - 1807 S Allport
8pm Photo Show Opens
10pm Video Premiere



All City Showdown is a skateboarding contest where teams of 4 skateboarders attack the streets of Chicago for 8 hours documenting the tricks that go down. Sponsored by Converse and hosted by Uprise, the footage is compiled, reviewed, and edited down to a 45 minute video. The All City Showdown event is where Uprise & Converse reveal the winners of the $10,000 cash prize. The premiere event is first time the footage is seen and launch the marketing coverage that will appear on www.thrashermagazine.com.

This year's contest has 21 teams of 4 skaters battling spots, traffic, pedestrians, security guards, cops and time constraints to get the best footage they can. So what happens when you offer 84 skateboarders a $10,000 incentive and unleash them on Chicago for 8 hours? Be the first to see the results at the All City Showdown Chicago Video Premiere, January 10th, 2015 at Thalia Hall.

There will be a photo show with a 2 dozen 13" x 19" prints to display. Six different photographers, all photos of skateboarding from September 13th, 2014.

Music by DJ's Johnny Fonseca and Sean Doe

@upriseskateshop www.upriseskateshop.com #acsc2014 #consallcityshowdown

10 Best Music Books of 2014

By: Rolling Stone

From the stage to the page: The year's best biographies, rock crit, photo essays and more

In 2014, the rock star tell-all autobiography train rolled on with Jimmy Page, Joe Perry, Carlos Santana, Mick Fleetwood, George Clinton, Paul Stanley and Billy Idol among others all getting their turn. But some of the years best books were the stories you didn't already know, including a great alternate history from Greil Marcus and a closer look at a post-punk pioneer

10 'The Haight: Love, Rock, and Revolution: The Photography of Jim Marshall,' by Joel Selvin



Jim Marshall, one of rock & roll's greatest photographers, was at counter-culture ground zero in San Francisco in the mid-to-late Sixties. This gorgeous oversized book documents the era through iconic images — the Beatles at Candlestick Park in '66, the Grateful Dead at a mobbed street fair in '68, Hendrix torching his guitar at Monterey Pop. Just as illuminating are verité shots of street life, hippies and straights rubbing wary shoulders as the Age of Aquarius, for a magic moment, dawned over them all. By Will Hermes

9'Special Deluxe: A Memoir of Life & Cars' by Neil Young



Neil Young is a man of obsessions. Over the years he's fixated on everything from toy trains to digital audio quality, but the one constant has been classic automobiles — which meant many fans groaned when they learned his new book would focus on the many cars he's owned over the years. Thankfully, their fears were unfounded. The car angle is merely a clever framing device for Young to tell his life story in a more linear fashion than his scattershot 2013 memoir Waging Heavy Peace. Along the way we learn about the making of After The Goldrush ("I had just purchased a pound of Panama Red"), his regrets over his mistreatment of the members of Crazy Horse and Buffalo Springfield ("I was mostly juvenile and had no patience") and a crazy morning last year when his electric car LinkVolt broke down in Manhattan on his way to film a bit with Bill O'Reilly and Stephen Colbert, almost stalling out in the Lincoln Tunnel ("It was not a good day for us"). People wanting a straight account of Young's life will still be better served by reading Jimmy McDonough's definitive biography Shakey, but Special Deluxe is an enjoyable trip into the singer's endlessly fascinating mind. By Andy Greene

8 'Brothas Be, Yo Like George, Ain't That Funkin' Kinda Hard on You?: A Memoir,' by George Clinton with Ben Greenman



As funk's bravest cosmonaut, George Clinton spent the acid-fried Seventies in a world of Doo Doo Chasers and Thumpasorus Peoples and Psychoalphadiscobetabioaquadooloops. But his look back on the methods to his madness are as clear-headed as a textbook, reading less like a gauntlet of antics (and there are antics — including a donkey taking a "regal shit" on the steps of London's Albert Memorial) and more like a great piece of rock criticism with himself at the center. He's a fan first, with omnivorous taste, and can break down theories with zeal, whether its meetings with fellow boundary pushers ("Listening to Sly Stone was like taking a master class in brilliant nonsense") or talking about how keyboardist Bernie Worrell used Bach-esque counterpoint. By Christopher R. Weingarten

7 'Clothes, Clothes, Clothes. Music, Music, Music. Boys, Boys, Boys.,' by Viv Albertine



If Viv Albertine's memoir had only focused on the broadest outlines of her life — her six years as the guitarist in influential post-punk band the Slits, her return after a decades-long absence — this would have been fascinating enough. But Albertine's approach is far closer, pushing past candor into the uncomfortably honest. Some of this memoir involves talk of romantic liaisons in the heady days of London's late-Seventies punk scene, but there's also a harrowing account of her struggle with cancer and grapplings with suburban isolation decades later. A fully realized portrait of its author. By Tobias Carroll

6 'Songs Only You Know: A Memoir,' by Sean Madigan Hoen



"My bandmates saw me at my most inspired, screaming every pain I had access to," Sean Madigan Hoen writes in his gritty, gripping punk-rock memoir, "though I had told them next to nothing of where I'd come from." Hoen, it turns out, had plenty to scream about — a father addicted to crack, a sister consumed by depression, his own feelings of alienation, helplessness, adolescent angst; if his former band, Detroit art-core self-immolators Thoughts of Ionesco, was his young-adult self's cathartic outlet, Songs Only You Know is his older, wiser reevaluation, no less vein-bulgingly visceral but infinitely more nuanced and poetic. It's funny at times, always brutally honest; a half-healed bruise, tender and multi-colored. Few books convey the fever-pitch intensity of youth with such vividness and so little glamorization, or as deeply explore the heartbreaking complexity of family — both those we're born into and the ones we choose. By Brandon Geist

5 'Dancing With Myself' by Billy Idol



In his self-penned memoir, Billy Idol fleshes out his charmed life with an even mix of thrilling tales of sex, drugs and rock & roll. The singer is refreshingly candid about his heavy heroin addiction in the Eighties, a regrettable Rolling Stone cover story interview when he got too drunk and yelled at the writer, an unrequited threesome that landed him in court on sexual deviancy charges and the harrowing motorcycle accident that stymied his acting career (he says he'd tried out for the T-1000 in Terminator 2 but lost the role due to a limp). He also recounts some of the weird stories behind some of his greatest hits — "Dancing With Myself" was inspired by a Tokyo disco where people stared at themselves in mirrors and "Rebel Yell" was named after a whiskey he drank once with the Rolling Stones. He also writes about his post-drugs fallout in such a heartfelt way that he almost makes a case for reconsidering Cyberpunk. By Kory Grow

4 'Glow: The Autobiography of Rick James,' by Rick James with David Ritz



Those looking simply for stories of sexual and pharmaceutical excess can re-read Mötley Crüe's The Dirt. In Glow, Rick James' posthumously published autobiography with author David Ritz, the funk pioneer surprisingly eschews repetitive freaky tales for a deeper look at an insane life. Sure, there are unflinching looks at the singer's crack binges and violent behavior — an already unbridled id made worse by the death of James' mother — but it's the lesser-known adventures that make this essential reading for those only familiar with James' dark side. A mob-connected dancer mom who smuggled James into the club as a child to see Miles Davis; a chance encounter with future members of the Band, who saved a teenage James from getting his ass kicked; a headache that prevented the musician from hanging out with people who would be murdered by the Manson Family that night. Any hack can make a lost weekend enthralling, James and Ritz can make the history of "Super Freak"'s four-note descending bass line as intriguing as a pipe-filled motel-room breakdown. By Jason Newman

3 'Respect: The Life of Aretha Franklin,' by David Ritz



Back in 1999, David Ritz helped Aretha Franklin write her memoirs, sanitized enough to be allowed into an operating room. This year, he issued Respect, his uncensored 520-page biography of the Queen of Soul, and it's clearly the book he's been preparing to write his whole life. It's stuffed full with revealing interviews from Franklin's family, her musical collaborators and subjects of Ritz's other books, from Smokey Robinson to B.B. King. MVP interview: the saucy Etta James. ("Who wants to admit that you're praising the Lord at the 8 p.m. service and servicing some drop-dead gorgeous hunk of a singer an hour later?") Knowing the details of Franklin's complicated, sometimes painful life — starting with the two sons she had at ages 12 and 14 — helps deepen an appreciation of the pain and passion that fueled her music. By Gavin Edwards

2'Jerry Lee Lewis: His Own Story,' By Rick Bragg



"He did not need a song to make him inappropriate. Jerry Lee Lewis had always been inappropriate, and being a little bit famous did not change it; you can paint a barn white a thousand times, but that won't make it a house." In this gripping biography, Pulitzer winner Rick Bragg tells the story of rock legend Jerry Lee Lewis with the full force of history, poetry and two years of exclusive interviews with the Killer himself. Bragg grounds his story in the texture and tradition of the South, but when he tells the epic tale of the creation of "Whole Lotta Shakin' Goin' On," he captures Lewis's divine madness. Reading the saga of rock's piano pioneer, you will likely agree: "It was like any life, really, but with the dull parts taken out." G.E.

1 'The History of Rock 'n' Roll in Ten Songs,' by Greil Marcus



Greil Marcus carved his stern visage into rock criticism's Mount Rushmore decades ago, but he won't rest on his laurels — and he won't let rock & roll either. And so he kicks off this ferociously cerebral and warmly empathetic super-listicle with a monster sentence that reels off lots of critically acclaimed musicians — it takes, like, five pages — and by the time you've gotten from the beginning (Chuck Berry) to the end (Jay Z), his intent is clear: Forget all of this. Rest assured the 10 songs he picks from there will surprise, and/or amuse, and/or enrage and undoubtedly challenge you: They span from Joy Division (as filtered through that goofy Ian Curtis biopic) to Phil Spector (as filtered through Amy Winehouse) to Etta James (as insufficiently filtered through Beyoncé) and beyond. Whether he's talking Buddy Holly or Cyndi Lauper, Robert Johnson or the Flamin' Groovies, Marcus writes with a philosopher's zeal and a superfan's joy, drawing connections between artists and eras and solar systems you'd never even imagined. It's revisionist history of the best and most necessary kind. By Rob Harvilla

Behind The Scenes Of Chicago's Footwork Renaissanc | FADER

By ALEXANDER IADAROLA/FADER



Photographer Wills Glasspiegel shares his candid shots of the figures at the heart of Chicago's footwork community

Footwork, the bracing 160bpm dance music which grew out of Chicago house and juke music, has progressed from a long-established local scene into a worldwide movement over the past three or four years. Its rise is in part due to seminal releases by European labels such as Planet Mu and Hyperdub, the latter notably releasing the breakthrough LP Double Cup by the late DJ Rashad in 2013, and through tireless promotion of the sound by Lit City Trax here in New York.

Since getting his first taste of it five years ago, Chicago-born photographer Wills Glasspiegel has become tightly embedded in the scene: earlier this year he participated as a founding advisor in the creation of dance crew The Era, led by preeminent dancer Litebulb; he's worked with the Teklife family in documenting their musical history for a forthcoming film; and the photos he's taken over the past five years capture the figures at the heart of footwork's genesis.

This selection of pictures, published for the first time today, capture moments both prosaic and career-changing. There's Traxman, DJ Manny and Rashad blowing up NYC at one of J-Cush's Lit City Rave (pictured above), DJ Earl and Frost collaborating on a track in Earl's living room, and dancers Weezy and Murda Moma in the heat of the moment at Chicago's famed footwork dancing spot Battlegroundz. Below, Glasspiegel shares his story of being in the right place, at the right time, for one of the most important eras in dance music's history.


DJ Earl and footwork dancer Dre at Battlegroundz with the championship belt (2013).

WILLS GLASSPIEGEL: "The first I time I heard footwork was in 2010 from my friend Jamie, who goes by J-Cush and has a label called Lit City Trax. It was love at first listen. I was heading back home to Chicago for Thanksgiving and I had the opportunity to do a piece focused on footwork for NPR Music, which eventually turned into something for All Things Considered. That was the tip of the iceberg for me.WILLS GLASSPIEGEL: "The first I time I heard footwork was in 2010 from my friend Jamie, who goes by J-Cush and has a label called Lit City Trax. It was love at first listen. I was heading back home to Chicago for Thanksgiving and I had the opportunity to do a piece focused on footwork for NPR Music, which eventually turned into something for All Things Considered. That was the tip of the iceberg for me.

Footwork has definitely changed a lot. It's gone from a local thing to a global movement—a history that wasn't on the map in any way, shape, or form outside of this culture is beginning to be understood by people from all over the world. But at the same time, if you go to Battlegroundz on 87th Street in Chicago on any Sunday night, you're gonna feel some of that same energy that I felt originally upon becoming a part of the scene in 2010.


Murda Mommy, one of Chicago fiercest footworkers, in the circle at Battlegroundz (2014).


Japanese producer and dancer Weezy visiting Chicago and footworking for his first time to crowd approval at Battlgroundz (2014).


DJ Spinn and Lil JaBBA at Lit City Rave, 285 Kent (2012).

When Rashad passed, it was almost destined that we start The Era because it seemed like there was a real need for a dance wing to support what Teklife had been doing. Rashad had such a history with these guys—he'd known Litebulb for fifteen years—and they'd all grew together for so long. Something deep was there in terms of the role that we had to play as a crew, and I was just helping with organizing, with press, doing everything I could around that stage.


DJ Rashad and DJ Manny, one of Rashad’s key proteges, after a Teklife meeting on the west side (2012).

We gotta be real about it: because I come from the North Side of Chicago and a relatively well-to-do family, and I'm not black, I have access to a network and resources that these guys just don't have access to. Being honest about what people call privilege and trying to share that as much as possible, that's been a part of the dialogue. I try to offer as many resources as I have to offer when I'm working in the footwork scene, so sometimes that just means being a friend when you came to be a photographer.


Dancer Frost Da Boss and DJ Earl practicing in Earl’s basement (2013).


The Era dancers Chief Manny, Litebulb and P-Top practicing at Litebulb’s apartment in South Chicago (2014).


Footwork music and dance have long played a central role at the massive, summertime Bud Billiken Parade. Here's DJ Earl pictured on the decks on the float (2013).

We do a lot of things together. It's hard to classify what I do in terms of one role, or what any of those guys do in terms of one role. One memory is being at Earl's house, on the couch, somebody's making tracks, somebody's dancing, I'm taking photographs, and the night's going really well. That's always been what keeps me going: just chilling in somebody's basement, everybody's doing something creative, maybe somebody's doing animation or drawing. It's a real creative group of guys, and we keep it that way.


Teklife DJs and dancers outside DJ Earl's house in Roseland, South Chicago. From left: DJ Tre, DJ Earl, Frost and DJ Taye (2014).


DJ Clent and his daughter by the building where Clent grew up and produced number of iconic footwork mixtapes (2014).


Footwork originator RP Boo at home in Chicago, Sears Tower in the background (2013).

This idea that being a photographer allows you to see the world through other people's eyes—and see things that you would not have a chance to see, that's a major inspiration for my practice. Once you start picking up a camera and start seeing things through that perspective, and sharing that perspective with others, that can launch a beautiful life. I'm just following in the footsteps of my pictures."


Teklife business meeting with DJ Phil, DJ Rashad, DJ Manny and DJ Earl. (2013)


Traxman on stage at a Lit City party at 285 Kent. (2013)


TMO throws up an L, the Teklife hand gesture, at the iconic Anish Kapoor bean in downtown Chicago (2012).

Ed Templeton On His New Book and Life After Skateboarding

Vice| by Chris Nieratko


Fuck Laws Kid, Portland

Ed Templeton drew the graphic for his first pro model skateboard in 1990. Since then, he has been a regular tour de force in both the skateboard industry and the art world. While almost everyone who rides a skateboard considers themselves an "artist," very few have been able to make a successful leap into the fine art world. Templeton is one of those few. His work has been shown in some of the most respected museums around the globe. From his paintings to his board graphics, to his photography, to his skills as a skateboarder: he is, in my opinion, the best and most multifaceted artist that skateboarding has ever produced.

His latest photo book, ​Wayward Cog​nitions, is a collection of riveting images taken during his travels abroad and stateside. Shot mostly using a Leica M6 with a 50mm lens on film, printed in his home darkroom, and then scanned and laid out by the artist, this book is 100% Templeton's brainchild. Known as the Eternal Voyeur, it's not uncommon to find Ed lurking around his local suburban sprawl, Huntington Beach Pier, or the backstreets of some European town, snapping away whatever passes before his lens. This book shares those captured moments.

I had the opportunity to catch up with Ed to discuss photography, his company Toy Machine, and the legend's retirement from skateboarding.


​Girl On Swing


Deanna


​Man Walks, Sign Flare, Zurich

VICE: Thematically, Wayward Cognitions is a departure from your previous photo books. Can you talk about the process of picking the images for this book? ​Ed Templeton: I just wanted the freedom of not having a specific theme for once. Most of my books are very specific, to the point where the title of the book pretty much explains the subject matter. Those books have come from having a big archive to mess with. I just have fun searching for words and coming up with groupings. Teenage Kissers was born that way. I searched the word "kiss" in my archive and had so many photos of people kissing that I was able to narrow it down to "teenagers kissing"—although technically not all of the people in the book are teenagers.

​ ​For this book, I had a title in my head before I even started thinking about what would be in the book. I was thinking about how my style of photography produces a lot of stray thoughts. All the photos that I shoot that are not shot for any reason or theme—which is most of them—are just stray dogs with no place to go. I just walk around shooting people, and most of it does not fall into the category of something that I will use for a future project. So that was the spawn of the title, Wayward Cognitions, which is a more poetic way of saying stray thoughts.


Woman and Monkey, Santa Monica


Puddle Woman, London

The bulk of your book seems to be strangers passing in front of your lens, many of whom don't appear to realize you are taking their photo. Have you had people freak out on you? ​I don't use a flash for the most part—only natural light. Also, I have developed a few techniques that make my shooting fluid and essentially unnoticed for the most part. Or even if you did see me, you would have some doubt over whether I was shooting you or something else. There's some acting involved sometimes, other times Deanna [Templeton's wife] helps me by throwing a screen, or talking to me really loudly so we look like we couldn't possibly have been shooting someone else.

​ ​I also feel hyper aware of all the people around me. I'm not only thinking about the person I'm shooting but about the people possibly seeing me shoot them, including their partners. You can't go in with blinders on. That homeless guy passed out might have some buddies across the street watching him, or that girl doing cartwheels in a bikini might have a meathead boyfriend waiting to stomp some ass, so you have to be aware of the whole scene you are a part of. I pick and choose my battles for sure. I have passed on photos to avoid a likely confrontation. It's not worth it, there are other photos down the block. The times where I have just said screw it and went in shooting regardless of my surroundings have mostly turned out OK though. Nobody has freaked out on me.

My in-laws know I write about naughty topics, but we don't ever discuss that side of my work. I've always wondered if it's the same for you. You put images of your lovely wife, Deanna, in various states of undress and even occasionally in the throes of a sexual act. What does her family think about that? ​It's strange. I kept everything from my grandparents, including ​the b​ook Deformer, which is essentially about them and how they were instrumental in shaping me as a human. They would have really enjoyed seeing me published and have some degree of success at what I'm doing, but the nudity in there would be beyond their comprehension. I can't picture my grandfather being OK with photos of my naked wife with my penis in her hand no matter what the explanation. He has since died. My mother and grandmother are still alive, and they don't see any of my books or shows.

​ ​I have not seen my dad since I was eight years old—I have no idea if he knows anything about my artwork and I don't care. My Aunt Margie and Uncle Bob are both super hip and have seen my books. Uncle Bob even came out to my last photo show in LA. But they are the only non-Christians in the family. The rest are certified born-agains. Deanna's brother and his wife would probably be pretty tripped out. I suspect they have googled me and seen some stuff, but they have never brought it up. My niece is 13 and she's on Instagram now, but she's not allowed to follow me. One time she was going to do a report about me for school, but then suddenly she said she couldn't, and that's when I think they Googled me.


Boy Watches Graffiti, Barcelona

I believe you to be one of the best, if not the best, talent scouts in skateboarding's history. Since the inception of Toy Machine you've always had the best guys riding for you. What's your secret? What do you look for in your riders? ​It's sort of a gut feeling. I don't hang out in the streets with the guys and I'm not a hands-on team manager, so I need a rider who doesn't need to be babysat, who is out there doing shit on his own. You have to be able to blend well with the team, too. So talent is only part of it. I'm not going to sponsor the best skater ever if they are an asshole to be around. I would rather have the second best guy who's fun to be in a van with, and then use his own personality to promote him. I like to coax out the character of each rider and not have them be faceless rippers who nobody really cares about. You have to put yourself out there, that's what people connect with. I honestly don't know how I do it, there's no formula. Luck is part of it. Being open to weird shit is part of it. I want the freaks. I think good skaters seek Toy Machine out actually. We are not the big bucks type of company, so if you are riding for us it's because you want to.

In your opinion, what was the gnarliest, most heavy-hitting team in Toy's history? ​At one point we had Jamie Thomas, Chad Muska, and Brian Anderson on the team—all dudes who would be megastars at different points in their careers. So there's a strong case for the Welcome to Hell era, but to tell the truth right now is the best team I've ever had. Leo Romero, Collin Provost, Daniel Lutheran, and Jeremey Leabres? And that's only half of the guys. My main job in the near future is laying this team down on tape, er, pixels.

Have there been any guys you can recall that got away? That you wanted on the team but it didn't happen or work out? ​I passed on Chris Cole. Kerry Getz brought me his sponsor-me tape—I still have it somewhere. Bam Margera left the team right before he blew up into mega-stardom. Muska left before he became a mega-star, too. I was after Spanky before he went to Baker. Alex Olson was on flow but he went for Girl. There's more... I can't remember all of them! All of them probably worked out for the best. I think kicking Muska off was a tough one, and I like Alex, so it would have been cool to have him on. But really things work out how they're supposed to.

You mentioned Alex Olson. Long before getting on Girl, Alex went on a Toy Machine tour and was in the running to make the team. Why didn't that work out? ​I'm not even 100% sure. I think for a few reasons. He was essentially couch-surfing from a really young age, and I think me being based in HB as opposed to LA played a factor. Also, I cared maybe too much about him and wanted him to get back in school so he could think about life after skating as well. But that may have been too overbearing for him. Like I said, things work out and he is doing all sorts of stuff outside of skating and will be fine without any help from me. There was no bad blood or anything. When he chose Girl I was sad but totally stoked that he was making moves and starting to go for it. Up until then he didn't even seem sure if pro skating was what he wanted to do, having grown up in it with his dad [Steve Olson] and everything. I was always saying, "You're a natural! You have to try and make it!"


Boy Walking and Smoking in White Suit, Antwerp

​
Handstand, Ohio

In the final part of your ​Epicly Later'd ep​isode, Deanna gets very emotional about the thought of you further injuring yourself skateboarding. You had a severe leg break a few years back. How does it feel now? Are you able to skate again? ​​I skate here and there, but for the most part I have retired. I have other things in my life and I don't need to skateboard for money. I feel very lucky that I don't have that pressure to come back and be a pro skater at my age. I started Toy Machine in 1993 for this very moment. Now that I'm useless as a pro skater, I can still be involved with the thing I love and be able to be around skateboarding.

​The leg is as good as it can be. I still feel it when I take a little impact. I'm sorta scared to try anything that will put big stress on it because there are two plates in there and 21 screws, and they take away the natural flexibility of bones, which makes it more likely that the leg will break again right above the plates. I think about skating all the time. I need to make it part of my routine. My routine now is just to get up and work all day and all night.

What's next for you and Toy Machine? ​We want to finally make another full length Toy video. Our last three have been incomplete because riders were working on other videos. We have been waiting for Emerica videos, Vans videos, etc. Now it's time to start making an official video that will be on the level of Welcome to Hell and Good and Evil.

​
Keegan Points, Grand Canyon


​Balloon Girl



Follow Templeton on ​Inst​agram and pre-order Wayard Cognitions from ​Um Yeah Arts.

More stupid can be found at ​Chrisnieratko.com or on ​Twitter.

YouTube Now Supports 60fps Videos

You've never watched YouTube quite like this: today the company began rolling out support for higher video frame rates like 60fps. We've seen movie trailers and other special clips appear with higher fps counts before, but now it works for regular user uploads, too. To see the smoother motion, you'll need to be watching in either 720p or 1080p HD. Both Chrome and Safari 8 worked fine in our tests, but we're seeing mixed results with mobile browsers. Once you hit play, the difference is immediate and hugely noticeable — especially when you're watching video game footage.

There are plenty of situations where faster frame rates can make a huge difference, but it's easy to spot the upgrade with gaming content. For years, YouTube uploads have been capped at around 30fps, which looks perfectly fine when watching most types of video, but falls short with games. When you're playing a PlayStation 4, Xbox One, or Wii U through your television, the frame rate is always much higher than what YouTube's been able to display — until now.

Finally YouTube can show those clips at their native frame rate. Kotaku points to the above Mario Kart 8 as demo footage, and rightly so: it looks amazing. Watch for long enough and you might start wondering why there's not a controller in your hand.

Mario Circuit - 1:44.414 - Kαzυσ (Mario Kart 8 World Record) 60FPS WITH CHROME



Back in June, YouTube promised that it would add 48fps and 60fps playback support for "motion-intense" videos uploaded to the service, but it's kept relatively quiet on the matter since. But now it would appear that smoother frame rates are here. Other videos published today (such as the below Donkey Kong: Tropical Freeze clip) also exhibit 60fps playback.

60fps Test | Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze 3-4 Time Attack (Shiny Gold | 00:52:76)

Slimkid3 & DJ Nu-Mark | Behind The Scenes

Slimkid3 & DJ Nu-Mark - Go behind the scenes of the eagerly awaited collaboration from the former Pharcyde MC and Jurassic 5's DJ/producer.

Pre-order link - http://bit.ly/preorderSK3DJNuLP

Video trailer created, shot & edited by:
@djceebrown (thereelchrisbrown.com)



Post-production services provided by:
Hutch Creative Productions

Photography by Ixchel Lara
Darondo Photo by Peter Maxwell / Solid State Los Angeles

Genesis | Church

Genesis is a Vancouver-based musicians and artist. Enjoy!

Michael Salisbury X ESTA X Chicago

A conversation between mediums. From visual to auditory, beat makers are paired w/ photographers to create and explore the power of creative collaboration. Shot in Chicago, US.

Create & Explore 001 - Michael Salisbury X ESTA from Create & Explore on Vimeo.

001 by Michael Salisbury & ESTA.

Follow Michael on Instagram - instagram.com/msalisbu

Follow ESTA on Soundcloud - soundcloud.com/beatsbyesta

Create & Explore on;
Instagram - instagram.com/createexplore
Soundcloud - soundcloud.com/createandexplore

Snippets of Kilo Kish’s Across EP | Via an Instagram

Wispy rapper/singer/artist Kilo Kish just shared snippets from her upcoming Across EP with a pretty sweet dedicated Instagram account. When viewed in grid mode on your phone, the account reveals immersive photography from a cross country road trip, as well as the eight song tracklist and cred to LA-based producer Caleb Stone.

The visual effect is gorgeous, and it’s a fairly deft promotional tactic, but we can’t imagine how grueling it was to upload the nearly 300 pics in one sitting considering the hell we go through trying to choose the right filter on a selfie.



Across drops July 8th.

ACROSS EP AVAILABLE NOW ON ITUNES

Leica’s | Let Us Roam | Film Series

An incredible short film series is coming to life thanks to the production prowess of Helio Collective and iconic camera brand Leica. Called “Let Us Roam,” the series tells the stories of photographers, artist, filmmakers and musicians, all within the subculture of skateboarding.

Four individuals: Ray Barbee, Arto Saari, Greg Hunt, and Atiba Jefferson are the subjects of the short films, each telling their story of how their skateboarding lifestyle was just the beginning of the creative endeavors they soon came into contact with.

Out of the four films to be released, only one has been completed so far. And so below, I’m going to give a quick rundown of all four of the individuals Helio Creative followed around so you know what you have to look forward to.



The first of the four films tells the story of Ray Barbee, a legendary skateboarder, musician, photographer, and above all else, a husband and father. Hailing from San Jose, California, Barbee’s creativity and passion shines through in the film, and his desire for passing those values on to his children shows just how dedicated he is to making an impact by setting an example and doing what he loves.



In addition to the film, Leica has posted an interview with Barbee through which he dives into even more detail about himself, his life and his passions. Well worth reading.



The second film, set to be released on April 15th, goes behind the scenes with professional skateboarder Arto Saari. Originally from Seinajoki, Finland, recent years have found Saari shifting his focus from a successful skate career to a career in photography.

The upcoming film is said to document some of that transition, sharing the process that is turning photography into his profession.



The third film, set to be released April 29th, follows Greg Hunt, a cinematographer and director from LA. He started out shooting photography in the 90s while living in San Francisco, but it was motion-picture that really captured his heart after experiencing a Super-8 camera.

From there, this newfound passion of his lead to him being a cinematographer for Transworld Skateboard Magazine. His short film follows him on his next adventure: shooting a skateboarding video with the Vans skate team.



The last installment in the series, due out May 13th, is that of Atiba Jefferson. A professional photographer from Colorado Springs, Colorado, his passion for photography began in high school. Combining his new-found creative outlet with his love of skateboarding, he began using his photography to show the world how he viewed the lifestyle of skateboarding.

Naturally, his fascination with skateboarding led him to California, where he would really put his skills to the test, eventually becoming a professional photographer. Since then, he’s done everything from covering Lakers games to shooting portraits of world-famous musicians and athletes. His short film share a brief look into his life as he travels the world, shooting and performing as a musician along the way.



Ray Barbee’s short film is nothing short of spectacular, so to say the rest are highly anticipated by myself — and hopefully you — is a bit of an understatement. Also, it appears Leica will be releasing an interview on their blog alongside each new video, as they have with Ray Barbee, so there’s that to look forward to as well.

To keep up with the series, either mark the dates down in your calendar, or go give Let Us Roam a follow on Vimeo.