Standerd Slides

Subject: Ben Horan
Photo: Josh Letchworth
TSQ Location: Book 2.2, Critique section, Page 82

Here is Ben making that walk that I  mentioned in a previous blog.  Everyone knows this sight if you’ve been winching.  I always wonder what they are thinking during that walk.  It’s often times a long one.  So you know they gotta have something going through their heads.  I bet Ben is thinking about chicken tenders from Carter’s right now.

-Josh

Subject: Ben Horan
Photo: Josh Letchworth
TSQ Location: Book 2.2, Critique section, Page 91

This is the winch pond that is adjacent to Ben Horan’s house up in Nahunta, GA.  He has an unspoken agreement with the land owner of the lake that allows him to do his thing.  Ben has got to be one of the most consistent wakeskaters there is.  I would shoot from one angle, get the shot I wanted, and then move to another spot.  I would end with 10 good shots that made it hard to choose from.    It was just him riding this day too, so he hit this rail for two hours straight, even with walking 300 yards back up the lake after each hit.

-Josh

Subject: Ben Horan
Photo: Josh Letchworth
TSQ Location: Book 2.2, Critique section, Page 94

I had the chance to spend a few days up in Ben’s home town with him just doing what he does. That experience really put all the pieces together for me. It was clear to see why Ben is who he is. We made cheeseburgers with his mom, winched a rail on his neighbor’s farm’s lake, skated his satellite dish in the driveway, played with his turtle, “Shredder,” and hung out at the DQ.  He comes from a tight-knit family who all carry a lot respect for each other.  They all seem to have been given the space for full self-expression.  I would say that it has attributed to Ben’s skills and humble personality.   Did I mention that his sister drives the winch for him? Well, she does. That’s pretty cool. 
These beads with the faint peace symbol on them is the first thing you see when you walk up the steps into their home.  I told myself I was not leaving until I shot a photo of Ben in front of it. To me its says everything about Ben, his family and their very warm, welcoming home.
Thanks for the hospitality.  I’ll be back.

-Josh

Subject: Jim Bailey
Photo: Josh Letchworth
TSQ Location: Book 2.2, Photo Essay section, Page 111

The drive down to Jim Bailey’s is a long one from my house.  But, it’s always worthwhile due to the conversations that arise out of the visit.  He could give a history lesson on the ocean within an hour’s visit.  Not to mention, he has enough stories about life in general to walk away with a new perspective.  He was so awesome this day.  Other photographers usually all share the same behavior on the other side of the lens….they don’t like it.   Jim was very comfortable.  He let me set up every portrait idea that I had that day.  This is one of the last ones we did and probably one of favorites.  It was simple with one light and stool against his workshop.  

-Josh

Subject: Midas
Photo: Josh Letchworth
TSQ Location: Book 2.2, Polaroid section, Page 113

Pugs are badass dogs.  They don’t necessarily look like badasses, but they sure seem to have a lot of fun living on this planet.  This is Kevin Henshaw’s pug.  This was out at The Projects for Toe Jam.   Kevin was showing me how his dog’s tongue is too big to fit back into his mouth.  It was hilarious.  He seriously could not fit it back in there.  It had grass and dirt all over it and would just hang out the side of his mouth like an overstuffed bowl.  I love his expression in this photo.

-Josh

Subject: Ryan Doyle
Photo: Josh Letchworth
TSQ Location: Book 2.2, Short Story section, Page 76

Airport to airport.  Sometimes that’s what overseas trips end up being about.  Yeah, I’ve been to Bangkok…..in the airport.  This is Ryan Doyle in Bangkok, on our way to Bali.  To me, this clearly says what traveling is all about.  No one really knows or cares about anyone else around them.  Everyone is on their own journey to somewhere and someone else’s story is really irrelevant.   This photo shows three lives and three stories that are completely unrelated.

-Josh

Subject: CC Roberts
Photo: Josh Letchworth
TSQ Location: Book 2.2, Profile section, Page 54

Some things in life are amazing.  You know that feeling when you watch the Olympics and the 16-year-old girl does a backflip twist and lands perfectly on a 6-inch balance beam?  It all rushes into my brain….the commitment, determination, patience and practice to perfect super-human abilities.   Enter CC Roberts.  He retains all of those characteristics while being constrained to a wheelchair from an accident that happened 11 years ago.  But I think the point here is that none of these athletes ever use the word “constrained” in their vocabulary. Anything and everything is possible.  

CC must have hit this rail at The Projects 50 times. He showed up.  He stared a challenge straight in the eye and gave it everything he had.  I watched him take smacks to the face that would have put me on the shore for the day.  He would sit patiently and then ask to be pulled over the rail again.  Amazing.

-Josh

Subject: Silas Thurman
Photo: Josh Letchworth
TSQ Location: Book 2.2, Chronicle section, Page 20

Have you ever sat, hunched down, in Florida lily pads for a long time?  Well, if you have, then you know that there is something really weird about it.  There is something that comes off of them when you stir them up and it itches like crazy.  You find yourself doing this dance trying to keep it from creeping up your pant legs.  That’s when it really sucks. Does anyone know what that is?  Here I am in the lilies again at Matt Manzari’s while Silas Thurman is having fun, doing his thing, with no idea what I’m going through.

-Josh

Subject: Brian Grubb
Photo: Joey Meddock
TSQ Location: Book 2.2, Juice, Pages 7-8

I think Brian Grubb is the king of the bomb-drop photo. It’s kind of a photo that never gets old. How could it? Drop a ten-foot dock, great photo. Finger flip off a parked bus, great photo. Jump off the wingtip of an Albatross airplane, pretty priceless.

We were in Charlotte, North Carolina when I got in touch with the local Red Bull team rep. We did have some other things in mind to do with the plane, but it got scrubbed at the last minute. Trying to figure out how to get the plane in the shot, Grubb and I talked over the idea of starting from the wing. The wind that day was pushing the plane around like a sail making it difficult to line up the sunlight, much less calm water.

Once the plane was somewhat anchored, we then had to deal with the audience that was flocking to get a closer look. There were boats everywhere. They all wanted to get an up-close look at the plane. I don’t think anybody expected to see Grubb jump off the wing to start his wakeskate run. I cleared everybody off the top of the wing so it wouldn’t look so cluttered with extra people. Both pilots had their heads out the cockpit window to get a glimpse, but you can’t see them with the angle I’m shooting from. One, two, and three successful attempts in a row, we got the shot we were looking for.

-Meddock

Subject: Boards and Boat
Photo: Josh Letchworth
TSQ Location: Book 2.2, Chronicle section, Page 26

As photographers, we’re always trying to find some new perspective to see wakeboarding.   On this shoot, I found myself climbing all over the boat, hanging off the side of the tower to see if I could come up with something.  Sometimes it’s just about seeing how obscure you can get.  I don’t know what it is.  There are times that I sit complacent in the chase boat and other times that no angle is good enough.  This one will work.

-Josh