You just got back from Mexico right?

Yeah we were on a film trip, we actually drove down to Cabo from L.A. I was only there for the first half. There’s still people there and there’s more people flying in and stuff like that. But that was like the second time we’ve been there this year, just driving around baja. Pretty rad out there for sure.

Were you off roading and shit?

Yeah I mean the highway is pretty sketchy and there’s parts where the highway just turns into a dirt road for a little stretch or something like that, but it’s not too much. But it’s basically like a two-lane road whole way down there.

You weren’t doing skate shit? That was just some other photography job?

No, no that was like a Girl/Chocolate/Lakai filming trip basically. It was sick. I’m definitely a little nervous around cops down there and stuff, but there’s a lot of spots, you can find a lot of shit.

You ever do photo work that’s not skating? Or has skating always been the main thing?

Well I mean I kind of started doing little things here and there in the last couple of years, but up until like two years ago I did nothing except shoot skating, and now I’m starting to try to learn how to do some other things. But it’s like the equivalent of starting to shoot skating again, just you know doing different kinds of stuff and navigating a different world.

Dealing with non-skaters.

Yeah, exactly. It’s like learning how to talk again almost. (laughs) But yeah for the longest time I just shot skating.

So how exactly did you get into photography?

Well, I probably started in high school. My dad was always pretty into photography, so I’m sure he kind of like pushed towards that or whatever. But I started taking classes in high school and that’s probably where I first started learning how to develop film and just taking pictures. And then I went to art school after high school and I went ip there for painting originally, but I changed it up pretty quickly and started focusing on photography.

So you can paint?

Uhh, no not really. I’m terrible actually. I haven’t tried in like probably twenty years or so by no, but I am definitely not that good. It just kind of transitioned into photography and then I got really into it at that point.

What do thing about art school, or just school in general? Do you think it helped you?

I don’t know man, I mean there was definitely positives about it you know, like people I met and teachers I met. I feel like I learned about photo history and a lot of artists that way, but the school I went to was really fine arts based, and I feel like almost all the technical stuff I’ve learned has been through shooting skating. It seems like it’s something where unless you want to be like a “fine-arts person” I don’t know how important it really is. It seems like if you just want to spend your money on equipment and go assist somebody instead, you might be better off. It depends on the person probably. I definitely don’t regret it or anything.

Alright, so whats the most stairs you’ve ever ollied.

Haha! I guess probably like four. Not very many. I was never much of a jumper at all. I like that Quartersnacks shirt, where it says “if you can’t ollie up it, don’t ollie down it.”

And yr out in LA now? How’d that happen?

Well I’ve actually moved here twice. I was living out in Boston and Joey Pepper, who was my roommate at the time, I think he was on Aesthetics at that point and they kind of wanted him to come out. And I was working for Skateboarder, and those guys were kind of like “you need to come out.” And we were just like why not, lets just try it and see how it goes. That was around 2002 and I was out here for like four years that time and then I moved back to New York for like a year and a half, and then I moved back out here again.

What’s the most times you’ve gone to one spot to shoot a trick?

Oh god”¦. that’s a tough one, but it’s gotta be at least six I’d say. I feel like lately that’s been happening for a couple tricks. It could be more, but I think six is a good number. Yeah I mean sometimes it takes ten minutes, and sometimes it takes ten visits. It’s different every time for sure.

You ever have to tell the homie to stop?

Haha, I don’t know if I’ve said anything that specific but there’s times where I’ve definitely been like, you know we can come back”¦ It doesn’t have to happen you know, when someones really losing it in a really long battle. But I don’t think I’ve ever really told anybody that I don’t think they can do it, I don’t know how well that would go over, haha.

Ever had dudes bummed you were taking photos of them?

I think probably when i worked for the magazine there were times when I would just get sent out to go shoot some guy I had never met. and I feel like that’s a little awkward when you don’t even know each other, and same for the skater. So maybe the vibe wasn’t great, but nothing ever serious.

Have you ever been threatened with a weapon?

Honestly the only thing that comes to mind is one time a couple years ago a cop came in really hot at as with his gun drawn and had us all lay face down on the ground…

Just for skating!?

Just for skating, and that was lame, but that was the only time. It was some rookie and we were in a pretty bad neighborhood and I think he was just scared or something. It was pretty gnarly.

Not surprised that the only person that’s pulled a weapon on you is a cop.

It was kind of sketchier to me in some ways, cops are sketchy man. I don’t trust that dude with a gun more than I trust anyone else.

Whats the shittiest job you’ve ever had to work?

Honestly I had a stretch where i was between jobs in Boston and I was just pretty desperate for anything. We were at the mall and I saw that place Sweets Factory, you know that candy store, and I was just like fuck it I’ll go apply or whatever and I really didn’t think I’d get hired or anything, but I ended up working there for a couple months. And that was pretty lame.

Have you ever made zines or anything?

I only made one ever. I made one that Hamburger Eyes put out a couple years ago, but I haven’t done the whole kinkos thing or anything like that. I’m actually trying to make one right now. I have all this stuff from a whole bunch of China trips that I’m trying to do something with. But I haven’t really done too much.

Alright, when’s the last time you bought music?

Like within the last month or so”¦

Do you buy vinyl? mp3’s?

You know I actually have a bunch of records but I haven’t bought anything in a while. I also don’t have a record player currently cause I don’t have a lot of room for a setup in my house right now. But mostly now, if I buy anything I’ll buy it on iTunes. It’s been a while since I actually bought anything at a record store. I do miss that, but I don’t miss it taking up all that space.

So you like LA?

Yeah I mean there’s things I like, there’s things I don’t like about it. I’m definitely used to it at this point, and I definitely like the weather. I’m pretty conditioned to it at this point, it was like 60 something today and I felt like it was freezing.

But besides the weather, what’s cool about LA?

I mean, well a lot of it is tied to weather. But it’s like any other city, good stuff to eat and the beach is right there which is rad, you know and theres a lot of cool nature stuff that’s easily accessible, which is rad. I don’t like the driving part of it, because I’ve spent so much time in my car you know driving to spots and stuff like that. I’ve made a lot of good friends out here, you know it’s just an easy place to live. Other than the driving.

So yo, how long were you straight edge?

Ha! uhhhh, what’s that from? I guess really since a little before I was 21. So not that long, but it felt long then.

So what was one of the last skate photos you saw that you were hyped on?

I guess that Transworld cover, the back tail with the Jon Nyugen dude. It’s like a back tail on a ledge that looks like it’s over waist high. That was pretty rad, Mike O’Meally has shot a bunch of great photos recently, and he’s one of my favorite photographers. He had a photo of Desmond Sage, lip sliding one of those round bike racks. It was shot from behind, right under fdr, that’s one that’s been in my head recently.

So do you want to say anything to kids skating who want to shoot photos that are reading this?

For one thing, shoot a lot. Shoot everything, and that’s the main thing. Just shoot all the time and work on it all the time, then find what photos you like and what you like about them and then try to figure out how you did that. I guess that’s the most important thing. Other than that it’s just luck and shooting people that people want to look at.