Standerd Slides

Subject: Chris O’Shea
Photo: Joey Meddock

Location: Book 1.2, Critique Section, Page 99

Australian Chris O’Shea has been killing it lately. Young, skilled, full of style, and underexposed, he has the potential to be one of the next big names in our sport.

Lake Hiawassee however, is old, boring, overexposed and is slowly drying up. It’s ironic they get along so nicely in this photo. Ying and Yang agreeing on the double up.

- MEDDOCK

Subject: Leaves at sunset
Photo: Zak Stone

TSQ Location: Book 1.2, Peripheral Vision section, page 85

Living in Oregon you get to experience all four seasons. I lived in Florida for three years and the only seasons I had there were Warm, Hot, Lighting and Sun with Cold. (that’s winter). After moving back to my homeland, I saw some of the beauty I missed most, Fall. The changing color of the leaves and the sky’s radiant glow is so beautiful. I carry my camera with me whereever I go, just in case I find or see that moment, that we don’t wanna ever forget. Sunsets have always been my favorite time of the day and favorite thing to shoot. For a brief moment during the day the world changes from light to dark, and in that moment, it feels like we live somewhere else.

I was in my front yard one Fall day and the sun was setting with a nice cloud cover. The leaves on the trees were showing that they had nothing else to hang onto and soon would be floating to the ground. I used my flash on this picture to help brighten and pop the colors in the tree, and let the sky’s glowing color be the backdrop.

I have hundreds of sunset photos and this is one of my Top 20. Maybe next time you are out and the sun is setting you can take the time to watch the amazing color painting in the sky. I like to think of it as God’s painting.

-Zak

Subject: George Daniels
Photo: Joey Meddock

Location: Book 1.2, Critique Section, Page 105

George Daniels is a talented young wakeskater. Byerly has kind of taken him under his wing and taught him the ins and outs of the sport. While shooting some shots of Byerly for the 1.1 Profile, George got a set in as well on this cold winter morning.

For some reason, I was feeling motivated for a different-looking angle so I sucked it up and put on the full suit and floated in the water. Bringing new, fresh ideas and angles to our sport not only keeps me thinking, it makes it fun… something I wish more photographers would make an effort to do.

He did a few passes to warm up as I sat there like a freezing bobber. It didn’t take long until he was loose and comfortable. Once he was in the zone, he popped this huge benihanna right in my face. I knew we had the potential for something badass, so we made it a short set, called it a day and headed for warmth.

- MEDDOCK

Subject: Ace
Photo: Bryan Soderlind

TSQ Location: Book 1.2, YOU page, page 117

Ace is a construction worker downtown and was pumped to be in a shot. He asked me every time he saw me if he could see the pictures. I kept telling him to wait till the magazine comes out and come to think of it, I need to go show him his shot. It is pretty cool that Ace, like most of you, has a Standerd!

-Bear

Subject: Silas Thurman
Photo: Silas Thurman

TSQ Location: Bok 1.2, Chronicle section, page 22

This photo was taken in Sayulita, Mexico in March of ‘07. Monster is the bartender at El Tigre and Ron Cordell (Ronster) is one of those guys you can always count on to give you a good hang over. I really liked this shot becuase I just got the Holga as a Valentine’s present while I was in Mexico. I didn’t know how any of the shots were turning out. This was one of the shots that turned out pretty good. Sometimes you just get lucky.

-Silas

Subject: Parks Bonifay
Photo: Joey Meddock

Location: Book 1.2, Critique Section, Page 89

After a gnarly knee injury Parks suffered during the ‘06 riding season, it’s great to see his power back on the water again. This photo nearly left him temporarily sidelined once again.

Have you ever seen a photo of somebody carving where the nose of the board is beginning to point in the opposite direction? I didn’t think so. I challenge you to try and dig a carve deeper than this. PB ended his set after this photo was taken wincing in pain. I was afraid to mention it at the time, nor did it matter, but I thought to myself I may have gotten an unreal shot.

It’s evident that his rail caught the slightest bit of air, causing him to unexpectedly squat. If you take a hard look at the pic, you can see the scoop in the water where his butt sank in the wake. There is a slight hiccup in the spray of the water coming off his board. His right knee is being torqued into pain while he’s being forced into a lower body position.

The vein popping out of his neck and sheer strength in his right arm, on top of the gnarliest carve ever, makes this one of my all time favorite carve shots.

- MEDDOCK

Subject: Matt Manzari
Photo: Bryan Soderlind

TSQ Location: Book 1.2, Critique section, page 91

Scott Byerly asked me to shoot some photos of Matt for a Volume Wakeskate Video cover. It was one of my first times shooting with my Pentax 67 and the photos came out pretty overexposed. Wasn’t too happy about it but that is all I have to say about that.

-Bear

Subject: Golden Hour Sunset
Photo: Joey Meddock

Location: Book 1.2, Critique Section, page 96.

Ahhhh, the good ‘ol Golden Hour as we photogs like to call it. The last hour of sunlight in the day when the badass light shines through.

With rain being a common factor in Florida, these thick clouds full of moisture move in with it. Sometimes the clouds clear up and give you some awesome light. Other times they stick around until dark, pinching us out of any type of good light and making it a late night for dinner.

This was taken out at Byerly’s lake, Lake Georgia. He lives a bit closer to the coast of Florida than I do, so the storms move in quick…and they move out quick. We got lucky this night shooting some action shots. I remember playing Russian Roulette with the lightning bolts that evening. As we headed into the dock to call it a night, the sun peeked out one more time illuminating the clouds and casting a yellow reflection across the sky. Patience pays.

- MEDDOCK

Subject: Shaun Murray
Photo: Joey Meddock

TSQ Location: Book 1.2, Profile section, page 46

I called up Murray to get an opening shot done for his profile section. We shot two different ideas that evening but this one took the cake.

Near my house in Orlando, FL, I kept driving past this old beat up building that had an unusually black square block painted on the wall. I drove past it numerous times before actually getting the opportunity to shoot somebody standing in front of it. The green vine that has grown over the black box made for a perfect photo op.

I used a few flashes, had Murray stand there for a few shots, and began snappin away. Now, each time I pass by the building I can’t help but take a quick glance where we took the shot. Now, the only difference is, that overly grown green vine has been removed. I guess somebody just ripped it down realizing it was taking over the side of the building. Perfect for The Standerd, in the sense that Murray’s profile will be the only place to find such a photo. Getting that vine to grow back will take years. Boooyaaa!

-MEDDOCK

Subject: Stefan Harvey’s birthday pool party
Photo: Nicholas Schrunk

TSQ Location: Book 1.2, Chronicle section, page 36

21st birthdays are bad news enough. Usually celebrated by excessive drinking, huge bar tabs, and hilarious memories (or lack there of). It’s a little bit different when it’s Stefan Harvey, one of the leaders from the local wake community and throw that into the mix. The end result is something along the lines of winching ponds and keg stands with little kids on mini bikes circling the event and horses running free.

For these particular pictures it could be described as before and after. On the left we have a homemade winching setup complete with two ponds, an “A” frame slider, “Gramps” water truck from the farm and inflatable animal floats. Sometime the next morning I wandered outside to grab the same shot from my fisheye one last time, lucky for me Mr. Sandvig (pictured next to the keg) was there to give some explanation to the night before.

I really enjoy both of these shots for the simple reason is it sums up what we do out here in Iowa. We don’t have big wakeboard events with other things going on, we have a circus and wakeboarding happens to be in one of the center rings. Happy birthday Stefan.

-Schrunk