Photography Songwriting Drumming Skateboarding
I first heard Ric Ocasek of The Cars in 1979 over a console stereo in La Palma California. I was a 15-year-old drummer. And jamming with a young guitar player. In fact, either Mike Stevens or Luis Oliver was there too. Eventually, I bought The Cars record. Their music taught me about rock n roll. I still listen to the Cars. Their songs never got old to me. RIP, Ric Ocasek.
I like film again. And I want to share my analog exploration with you. In fact, I used to (40 years ago) work in photography during the days of analog. And eventually (like everyone else) began shooting digital.
A few years back I took some photo classes. And this process brought me back to analog. Working with analog photography helped changed my entire photographic approach.
First I was reluctant to get back in the darkroom. And for a few years, I asked experts if they thought it was worth doing. In fact all of the experts agreed. Analog was an important component of all photography.
Of course, this took quite some time to happen. After rolls of film I began to see results. And not just 35mm, also 120mm and 4×5. As you may already know path is not cheap.
If you would like to see how the analog process affected my photography check out my skateboarding account on Instagram.
So if you are looking to improve your photos. Or maybe you have writer’s block? Then
Does Disneyland Star Wars Land go to the Darkside? Well, it did not do it for me or my 12-year-old son. In anticipation of visiting the new Star Wars land, I was hoping to have that Pirates of the Caribbean feeling. You know, when you emerge from the cave and see the pirate ship battling the fort? I’m sorry to say it didn’t happen for Apollo (my son) or me.
So what do I remember from my first visit to
Why did Star Wars Land not appeal to me? It did not contain the spirit of Star Wars. And It seemed more geared for the parents than the kids. Finally it was so obviously not made by Walt Disney.
Would I visit Galaxy’s Edge again? Maybe to take pictures. And to give it a second chance. After all I was raised on Disneyland and Star Wars.
Skateboard photographer Ray Zimmerman is a misleading title, because Ray is photographer. In the first place he has made his living as a photographer his entire life. In the second place just have a look at his photography.
I first met Ray Zimmerman at Punkers pool ( a boutique made for skateboarding backyard pool) in Huntington Beach. I was shooting an
I had a long chat with Ray at the last Girls Combi Contest. And I asked him to do a podcast with me. I hope you get something out of our photography conversation that you can use in your own photography.
Skateboard Photographer Ray Zimmerman podcast
If you like skateboarding you might also check out my podcasts with
Joey Grijalva and I wrote the song “Home” in 1992. The song lived on the album also named “Home” by our band Shoot The Moon. In fact Joey Grijalva and I wrote the entire Home album in a single evening.
If you owned a home studio in 1992 you could make a recording like this.
The musicians on Home are as follows, Joey Grijalva on guitars and vocals, Ken Hada, drums, keyboards, and backing vocals, John Horne Bass, and Julie Van Duren on backing vocals.
Joey Grijalva used a Carvin DC 135 through a Korg A3 for most of the rhythm guitar parts
John Horne used a Tobias Killer B bass plugged directly into the Studiomaster.
Ken Hada (me) used a Slingerland Maple drumset, with a DW wood snare drum. Ken hada used an assortment of Zildjian and Paiste cymbals.
For more information about how Shoot The Moon recorded their songs check out the Moon Studio section of this website.
The Lizzie Armanto podcast was a time machine for me. I first met Lizzie for a photo shoot back in 2012. And soon after our first shoot we began to shoot a lot. As a matter of fact there was a time when we might go shoot skateboarding pictures 3 times a week. And as some of you might know Lizzie Armanto became a very famous skateboarder.
There is a interesting story that happened before I met lizzie for that first session. At the time I was the kind of photographer who would plop my gear bag in my trunk for sessions. But not the type who always had his camera in the car.
And so one morning I decided to browse a local thrift shop. And for some reason I decided to put my camera rig in the car. Even more confusing I did not know why I put it in there. I mean I had no plans to shoot anyone. Well previously I had contacted Lizzie asking her to do a shoot. I had not heard from her so I thought there was no interest.
While in the thrift store my phone rings and displayed “Julie Van Duren” (a singer friend of mine). An so I picked up the phone and said “hi Julie”. There was long pause and a voice that said “this is not Julie it Lizzie”.
So Lizzie decided to shoot with me. And since I had my camera in the car we were off able to shoot that same day. And did it mean anything that I decided to put my gear in the car that day? Beats me but It makes a good story.
And I have a lot of stories about shooting Lizzie as well as Julie Kindstrand. But that is for another time. Maybe Ill write a book someday about my experience with this new wave of woman transition skateboarders?
For now check out this conversation with Lizzie Armanto.
All you Feel was not in my mind before a few days ago. In the first place John Terby posted a clip of my old band playing this song at a live show. Then Blake Rehling responded with some kind words about the song. Later on Blake text me and asked for both additional info and a mp3 of All You Feel. And this request set me off on a quest for this song.
I eventually found a digital multitrack of the original recording. Previously I had transferred the audio from its original cassette tape four track machine. Next I remixed the song in Logic Pro. And created both Blake’s MP3 and a AIFF. I then created a Lyric Video in Davinci Resolve. It was during this process that I realized the impact of the words from this song. And that thought led me to the subject of songwriting.
All you Feel is a song that I wrote with Joey Grijalva. When we played together in our band Shoot The Moon. And Im sure this song started with some chords from Joey. And some words and melody from me. Now that formula changed as our writing evolved. But right or wrong that’s how I remember this songs creation.
Songwriting is something I did because I thought it might one day pay off. And it was fun to do since I had zero training in the process. In fact most times I was just trying to finish songs so we could put out a tape or play a gig. Deadlines are such good things for artists.
The meaning of the song is in the opinion of the listener. Therefore I don’t like to define songs that I have written. So when I wrote the words for All You Feel, at that moment they came out of thin air. In other words I did not feel at the time that these words were important. Or that these lyrics pertained to me. Although I will say that I must have needed some of the advice this song gives. Or maybe it was advice for the future me?
