Standerd Slides

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

Subject: Saw
Photo: Joey Meddock
TSQ Location: Book 2.2, Short Story, Page 109

My friend’s dad has been shooting photographs of stationary subjects, then afterwards painting an acrylic replica of the image he shot. The majority of his paintings involve really incredible detail and shadows of wicker baskets, fruits, or vegetables. Basically, he paints the intricacies of still life.

Just before I went and shot some garage photos at Jim Bailey’s place, I was fresh out of a viewing of those acrylic paintings. The details were amazing, the shadow in particular.

I walked into Jim’s garage and quickly took note of the sun beaming through one of the windows which reflected off of this huge table saw. We lost a bit of detail in the printing phase of this photograph, but in the real thing it reminds me of my friend’s painting. The hard line of the shadow and the detail in the dust and shavings made me think of those acrylics that will one day be famous. Check it out: http://krawczykstudio.com/

-Meddock

Subject: Jim Bailey
Photo: Joey Meddock
TSQ Location: Book 2.2, Short Story, Page 103

Jim Bailey has a surplus of vintage tools and memorabilia at his home office/workshop. Stacks upon stacks of paperwork and just “stuff” sits on his desk, and I see this giant magnifying glass. I came into his office and immediatley started tinkering with it wondering if I could use it somehow for a portrait of Jim. As soon as I did so, Jim grabbed the edge of the glass and pulled it closer, consequently breaking it off the wall where it was mounted.

That may have been the last it was used for all I know. It didn’t look like it got much use. As Jim moved it around a bit, he looked at me through the end of the magnifying glass, making his face, eyes and head appear huge! I thought it looked hilarious and might work out for a great headshot. I went and grabbed my tripod and began to set up.

The whole batch of these images turned out great. Jim sat there and peered into the lens making faces and expressions for a solid 20 minutes. It was cool to see a different side of his personality shown in these images.

-Meddock