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RPM Clothing over in New Zealand has a great looking line of clothing that you should probably take a look through. Give their lookbook video a watch above and then head over to their website to check out the rest of their product… if you like things that look good that is.

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Oh the power of social media. What I thought to be a humorous Instagram & Twitter post, very quickly turned into a viral (that word is horrible I know) celebrity news story. For those of you who don’t pay attention to celebrity gossip… I shot a photo of my friend Lany Morrison with Twilight stars Robert Pattinson & Kristen Stewart since they happened to be hanging out at the same bar I was at with my friends on a Tuesday. Little did I know that photo was going to spread like wildfire across every entertainment media site around the world.

First of all, I have never even seen any of the Twilight movies… and I only recognized “Robsten” because you would have to be living under a rock to at least not know what they look like. With that being said, I definitely don’t pay attention to celebrity gossip. I didn’t know that these two were ever a couple… much less that they had been supposedly broken up and my photo was going to be the first proof in two months that they had even seen eachother in person. Had I known that there was so much media hype built around these two, I probably wouldn’t have even asked them if I could take a picture, with the fear of making them feel uncomfortable and skeptical of my intentions. I almost didn’t even post the image, thinking that it would be corny to blast out a “celebrity sighting”. However, after posting the photo I quickly realized how diehard their fan base is and in turn, how hungry the media was for any dirt on these two. It’s funny that I have been shooting photos for years and now my most publicized one is a blurry pic I took with an iPhone.

Within minutes the photo had been shared thousands of times on twitter, causing the tag “#robsten” to trend worldwide, and “liked” hundreds of times on Instagram. I was bombarded by tweets from fans asking me every little detail of what I saw, and e-mails & phone calls from every media outlet from People, to E!, to Perez Hilton, to US Weekly asking me the same questions. I had to turn all notifications off on my phone because I thought it was going to overheat from vibrating so much. Due to not wanting to cause drama and the Twitter character limit, I was vague in my answers giving responses like, “I just ran into them at a karaoke bar by my house… mellow night. They were just there hanging out with a few friends.” And avoided questions that I knew would just foster rumors like if Kristen was pregnant, or if there was any PDA going on. I responded to those saying that I wasn’t paying close enough attention to give an honest answer… because that was the truth. They were just normal people hanging out at a bar trying to enjoy themselves, I wasn’t going to be all googly-eyed watching their every move. Quickly my words were twisted and assumptions had been made that these two were “officially back together” just because they were posing in a picture together.

I feel weird having caused such a huge uproar in celebrity gossip, so to set the record straight this is exactly what I saw that night. My friend Lany spotted Robert & Kristen with two other friends (one guy one girl) while we were standing outside our small, local karaoke dive bar, Ye Rustic Inn. Lany is a fan so she told me she thought it would be cool to get a photo with them. Being a photographer and used to approaching people for photos, so I walked up to them and asked if I could take a photo of them with Lany using my iPhone. Kristen was enthusiastic about it, putting her arm around Lany and cracking a smile… however Robert wasn’t keen on the idea… jokingly trying to get me to take the photo with his back to the camera. Kristen told him to stop being an asshole and the result is the photo that spread like wildfire. After I shot the photo everyone headed into the bar and their group went straight into a booth in the back so they could have at least some privacy. From then on I mostly minded my own business. Occasionally I would glace over and their crew would be laughing or joking around with the bartender that was bringing drinks to their table… and their guy friend that was with them sang one karaoke song but “Robsten” never got on the mic. Once the bar closed around 2 everyone shuffled out and as I was biking home I saw their crew hanging around a truck talking, ready to leave to wherever they were going next. Yes they seemed to be enjoying eachother’s company, yes Kristen Stewart is capable of smiling, yes they were sitting next to eachother in a booth… but none of which is clear evidence that Robert and Kristen are “officially back together”… even if my friend Lany told press that she had her hand on his back. But who knows, maybe they were never even broken up in the first place and it was just a story the media dreamed up since Robert was out of the country filming for a movie.

I guess I’m writing this because the 24 hours of dealing with all the fans and media was basically an interesting social experiment to me… I got to sit front row at a circus and watch and be involved in the craziness that ensued. On one hand it was insane to see how obsessed fans were about every single detail on “Robsten”… seemingly living their lives vicariously through a celebrity. But on the other hand it was entertaining to see how the media will take the smallest little thing, basically create a back story off of limited information, and run with it just to stir the pot. Most of which didn’t even contact me for details, just basing the story and quotes around a few tweets I sent out. And in turn I watched all these hyper-fans eat up every little detail the media put out, and even imagine up their own more elaborate story of what happened that night based on the little information the media gave out. This unexpected “experience”, I guess you could call it, has given me a brief glance at what some celebrities have to deal with on a regular basis… and to be honest, it’s a little scary.

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Not too long ago I had the pleasure of dropping by Ed Templeton’s house in Huntington Beach, CA to do an interview and shoot some photos for a feature I was writing for Relapse Magazine’s Art Issue. We sat and talked for over an hour straight about everything from the influence of skateboarding on his creativity, and how he manages to shoot photos of people on the streets without being noticed, and his whole skateboarding girl thing. Afterwards he gave me a tour of his house, studio, and darkroom while I shot off some photos for the piece. It was definitely rad to rap out with someone so prolific and influential in not only skateboarding, but photography as well. Ed is an incredibly humble guy.

See some more photos after the jump then head over to Relapse Magazine’s website where you can read the feature and look at the rest of the issue right there…. or if you are in NYC go pick it up from select newsstands.

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I recently did an interview with rad Peru-based online magazine ETEREA. But since most of you probably don’t speak Spanish I figured I would post the English translation here. However if you happen to be an over-achiever and bilingual you can read the original version here and poke around the rest of the site while you’re at it… they post some cool content on there. -Laura

Read the interview after the jump.

The first time I found some of the work of Laura, I found it difficult to not continue the journey. Not only because of the visual impact at first glance, but the peace it gave our eyes which fed the desire to know more about who was behind there images. Laura Austin has excelled in a number of areas and it is very difficult not to consider her a true artist of our time.

A natural conversation allowed us to meet and explore her world, her anxieties, desires and dreams. She offers an explosion of pop culture, and we can only wait with enthusiasm to see what this girl from the mountains of Colorado has to offer next … great talent. Enjoy this chat with Laura Austin while we drink our coffee. - Hilda Mauro (Eterea Magazine)

First of all tell us, since where you interested in photography?

I first got interested in photography in a class I took in high school.We shot on strictly film and had to develop and print all of our own film and photos. I fell in love with the process of the work you had to put in to get an image, it was rewarding. Granted I only shoot film occasionally now and I’m not developing my own photos, but that was what originally got me interested.

Would you like to describe yourself as a photographer?

Ha… I’ve never been able to figure out what to call myself. Calling myself a photographer would probably be an insult to those who strictly shoot photos. I dabble in photography, writing, graphic design, social media etc… so I guess I could call myself a content creator? But generally when people ask me what I do and I don’t feel like elaborating I just say photographer… it saves some energy.

Some of your shoots are focused on xtreme games as you are wrote for one of the x magazines in the business…was this one goals from the beginnig? Or just an oportunity that came up?

I’m not sure if you are asking if it was my goal to write/shoot the X-Games… or work as a snowboard magazine but they kind of fall under the same category. If you asked me 5 years ago what my dream job would be I would say working at a snowboard magazine covering things like the X-Games. I just didn’t expect to have achieved that when I was 20 years old (the age when I started as the online editor at Snowboarder Magazine). I’m cursed/blessed with the desire to always progress so now that I have that under my belt I am looking to see where else I can push myself next. I could just say the position at the magazine just happened to fall in my lap, but I definitely worked my ass off to get to that point.

Photographs or Photographers that inspire you everyday?

I spend a chunk of time everyday browsing photos on Flickr & Tumblr to post on my photo blog www.inspiredbyme.tumblr.com. If you want to see what type of images & photographers get my wheels spinning then check out that blog.

You recently won the Lomography contest “Win Your Dream Space” how was that?

The whole experience involving that Lomography contest has been pretty surreal. I won their gallery space in Los Angeles for the month of November and I managed to get a group of creatives/friends I have been inspired by in some way to be apart of the photo show I put together. It was incredible to have those people involved, have an opening party with an incredible turnout, and do it under the roof of Lomography. It’s been a really good experience for me.

Tell us more about your setup for this contest?

I supplied each of the contributors (Chad Muska, Corey Smith, Jared Eberhardt, Jeremy & Claire Weiss, Natas Kaupas, Ian Ruhter, Danny Zapalac, Jason Lee Parry, and myself) with a Lomography camera of their choice. They then had a month to shoot whatever they wanted to and their 5 favorite photos went on display in the gallery. I held a big opening party for the event and the closing is coming up on the 29th of November.

For the creative process which format you prefer? analog or digital system?

It depends on what I am shooting. For the shoots I am hired to do I prefer to use digital at this point because it is more reassuring when I can instantly look at the photo to make sure I got what I want since there is more pressure with a budget on the line. But lately when I have been shooting for personal purposes I prefer analog, it’s more exciting for me to wait to get the photos developed to see how they turned out.

Live in the house or on the road?

I need to have a balance. When I am stuck at home for too long I get antsy and feel like I need to take a trip… traveling is what sparks my creativity. But if I spend too long on the road then I can get to the point where I miss having a routine. However, at some point I think it would be fun to make my house on the road for a bit… get some sort of RV and just travel for a while. But that’s just me daydreaming.

How do you imagine yourself in 5 years?

As I said before I am cursed/blessed with the desire to constantly progress which has expedited my path a bit faster than I would have expected. If you had asked me this question 5 years ago I would have never imagined I would be where I am at already. So the next 5 years who knows what will happen, but I’ll paint some sort of general picture for you. In 5 years I want to live in/own a house that I am proud to entertain people at, with a man who I can share a passion with (and who knows… maybe even a kid who will grow up to be the most amazing human I know). And be my own boss doing something I love, creating things that not only make me, but other people smile. With a steady enough income where I can afford to take chunks of time to travel to the places I have always dreamed of traveling to… with my man of course who just happens to be the best travel companion in the world. And I want to drive a rad old car with character that could be considered an “adventure mobile” that I will take on everything from trips to the famers market Sunday mornings to collect things for the breakfast I will make when I get home… to the road trips I will take to various national parks throughout North America. If I can make all that happen within the next 5 years I will be one happy camper.

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Want to add a little something extra to that camera you always carry around with you? My good friend Gary Tyler McLeod just launched his new company Great State Strap Co. which features rugged camera straps handmade by leatherworkers in Portland, OR. They come in an assortment of colors and lengths. I have personally been using the Bracelet Strap that just wraps around my wrist for my Contax T2 and I love it. Ditch that ugly plastic thing you have been running with your camera and pick up one of these good looking durable leather straps from Great State Strap Co.

More pictures and a full press release after the jump.

Introducing:
Great State Strap Co.
Exceptional, rugged camera straps designed by photographers, handmade by leatherworkers in Portland, Oregon.

Story:
After searching all the mountains and all the valleys for the camera strap we saw in our dreams, it was settled – we would make it ourselves. Determined to combine utility with poise, we created the Boot Strap: a flagship product of Great State Strap Company. Because no photographer is the same, we then created the Trail Strap, the Tramp Strap, the Frank Strap and the Bracelet Strap. As we never stop dreaming, this list will never stop growing.

Adjustable:
Any photographer will agree, the ability to adjust the length of your camera strap without removing it from your body can be invaluable. Great State offers this option in three models: the Boot Strap, the Trail Strap, the Frank Strap.

Moderate:
Inspried by minimalism and function, our handmade designs and minimal packaging exemplify Great State’s celebration of moderation.

Colors:
Each design is offered in an all natural pine wax blend or a choice of 5 fine hand-dyed colorfast finishes.

Find Us:
Shop online: greatstatestrapco.com
Lookbook: greatstatestrapco.tumblr.com
Facebook: facebook.com/GreatStateStrapCo
e-mail: info@greatstatestrapcompany.com

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Full house at Lomography’s space right on Santa Monica Blvd.

Friday, November 2nd I had the privilege of hosting a group photo show titled “Everyone’s A Photographer” at the Lomography Gallery Store in Los Angeles as the winner of their “Win Your Dream Space” competition. Long story short, Lomography offered up their different gallery stores all over the world to whoever came up with the best idea how to utilize each space for an entire month. And I was lucky enough to win their LA location with this photo show I dreamed up involving a group of California-based friends that I have personally been influenced by creatively.

Click more to see the rest of the recap & photos.

The calm before the storm.

I put a Lomography camera of each person’s choice in the hands of Chad Muska, Corey Smith, Jared Eberhardt, Jeremy & Claire Weiss, Natas Kaupas, Ian Ruhter, Danny Zapalac, & Jason Lee Parry and gave them a month to shoot a roll of film and come up with 5 photos to be displayed in the show. After that month of planning, taking photos, scrambling, and promoting, the whole project came to life Friday night with a packed opening party which around 400 people attended.

Muska has a posse.

I think the coolest part of this project is the diverse cross-section of talented people who were willing to be involved. I thought it would be interesting to have a photo show featuring not only photographers, but creatives in general from skate legends, to directors, to painters, etc. The result was an eclectic group of photos that had the ability to appeal to a wider audience, and this was evident by the people from all walks of life in attendance at Friday’s event. Nothing is more rewarding than to dump all your time and energy into making a project happen then be able to sit back and watch other people take it in and enjoy it.

Photo: Amanda Shank

But the project isn’t over yet. The show will be up in the Lomography store throughout the month of November, but the catch is that everyone has a chance to contribute. If you come in, buy a Lomography camera, or use one you already own you can submit your photos to be hung in a contributor space I have set up for the public in the gallery. Your photos will also be in consideration for the book I will be putting together over the course of the month. Don’t live in the LA area? Submit your photos on my Facebook page to be featured in recaps throughout the event. Just remember… all photos need to be shot on a Lomography camera.

Contributors Ian Ruhter & Danny Zapalac and his son Merric.

Huge thanks to Pabst Blue Ribbon, Peligroso Tequila, and O.N.E. Coconut Water for supplying drinks for the event… DJ’s Aaron Castle and Nina Tarr for spinning throughout the night… Morgan Pharoh, Vivianne Lapointe, and Gus Cawley for helping with production… all the photographers involved for getting photos ready despite the crazy deadline… and of course Lomography for giving me the opportunity to use their space to host the event. And if you missed this party, keep your eyes peeled for the closing party on November 29th.

A lot of people were intrigued by Ian Ruhter’s photos he created by converting a Holga to shoot wet plates. Photo: Amanda Shank

Contributor Jason Lee Parry (center) & crew. Photo: Amanda Shank

The lovely Ms. Nina Tarr spun for the second half of the night.

They kept the store on the bottom level of the store open so that people could still check out & purchase the Lomography cameras.

Hanging 45 photos on a limited wall space was not an easy task. Photo: Amanda Shank

Morgan Pharoh (far right) & some fancy friends.

Pictures of pictures of pictures. Photo: Chris Bywater

Douglas Olsen from Transworld Snowboarding, Eddie Wall, & Gio Cianci

Mmmm… Coconut Water. Photo: Amanda Shank

Muska made little stickers of some of his prints to give out at the show. This guy was a lucky recipient of one. Photo: Amanda Shank

Lauren Hastings & Jenny Parry finishing off the show and their beers with this shotgun.

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A little while back I had the privilege of venturing up to the Oregon coast with some of the Burton crew to do a shoot for their Fall lookbook and the relaunch of BurtonGirls.com. Seeing as their new site just went live, I figured I would give you a preview of my day exploring the woods and the shore with team riders Gabi Viteri, Kimmy Fasani, and Hannah Teter. It is always cool working with Burton seeing as they are like family, but it was especially rad to do this shoot with an all girl crew from the talent, to the stylists, filmer, and producers. Be sure to check out the full lookbook here and click around the rest of the site to see what these lovely ladies have in store for you.

More photos and a video from the day after the jump.

Video from the day created by Molly Hawkins at Puget Sound Creative.

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A friend of mine, Justin Parkhurst, recently released the second issue of his photo zine “Punch The Camera“. When you hear the word “zine” you tend to think of a couple black and white xeroxed pages crudely bound by a string of thread. “Punch The Camera” however is more of a soft cover book filled with 104 pages of full color images on nicely bound premium stock paper. And printed on those pages is the work of 8 different photographers including the likes of Peter Sutherland, Jim Mangan, Gary McLeod, and Justin himself. You can buy a copy for yourself here and support a project that many of us think of doing ourselves and rarely follow through on.

More preview images after the jump.

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