Next/Best with Danny Garcia

This is the words I wrote for the Next/Best column/article for Color Magazine:

The only thing I knew about him was that he one of the skateboarders I enjoyed watching and had one hell of a switch flip, yet, naturally I was unsure how this meet and greet would go.

Following the hello and handshake plus a quick tour of his condo, Danny Garcia and I sat in the dual couches wedged in the corner of his knickknacky living room. Instinctually he grabbed his guitar and just lightly strummed random chords. I small talked him about how come he had such a baby TV and his response was that he put it in here for Raymond (Molinar) who was couching it and that he doesn't watch much TV. We chatted briefly about skateboarding and girlfriends but once we started our conversation about personal tastes in music, it rapidly progressed into a high energy banter back and fourth about how songs were created, what influences the musician had for each song had and what effect it had on us. I'm no musical expert, by any means, but it was safe to say that Danny was hands down a music connoisseur. Unknowing to me, at about an hour or so, he said to me, "Hey maybe we should shoot this photo thing." Oh yeah, thats why I'm here, I thought.

Asking me what I had planned, and me not really aware of what I was looking for in a photo, Danny sprang up and sat at this piano and just tapped away and some familiar tunes. I'm not very embarrassed at singing aloud, and apparently neither was he, because before I knew it, we were singing in unison to quirky Beatles classic, which if you heard it, you'd sing it too. Time passed and the conversation continued from vintage instruments in his closest to his hilarious obsession with chocolate cake. Hahha, I know it sounds weird, but it felt like we had been friends for years, but it had only been a couple of hours. - Mikendo

Louie Barletta graces The Photo Issue of Skateboarder

I don't remember if I blogged this (blogging seems to be my pathetic way of scheduling my life) but Louie Barletta, Derek Fukuhara and I went to Portugal a month or so back. It was a rad 10 day trip, with not very much drinking, or partying, just more skating, chilling and hanging out with friends.. It was rather nice change. We were taken to this awesome huge metal sculpture which was the town center for this little port for sailors or something. Had a beautiful view of the refinery with millions and millions of boats floating on the water.

How this photo came around, was we were shown the spot on night before, where it was too dark to skate, but I was able to shoot some cool sunset photos of the spot. Then the next day, we just came back about an hour earlier, about dusk, and the guys just messed around a bit, and we shot some cool silhouette/sunset photos. This photo I really enjoyed shooting, maybe it's even... artsy? Haha.

Hendrik shot one from the other side of the structure, that ended up to become a cover for a German Magazine called Monster.

Thanks Louie and Skateboarder for the hookup! I will end this post on his quote that is in the magazine:

"This spot was in Portugal and the run was was right in front of this really old blue collar bar. After every attempt, I would have the entire bar heckling me. I tried to explain that their jeers were falling on deaf ears because I couldn't understand Portuguese. Well as luck would have it, I landed my trick and one of the guys from the bar, with concrete all over his well-worn overalls, came over to me and said in perfect English, "That was nice but I'd much rather have seen a hardflip." - Louie Barletta, No Comply.

Here was the original file which was much more saturated and digitally well.. digital.

Cooper Wilt in Thrasher Spread

Cooper Wilt was kind enough to call me to shoot a trick one day. When I finally go on the road, it took me a while to drive up to this spot in the valley, and I was pretty harshly late. When I showed up he was already way involved in the trick and stomping it nicely.

Chris Haslam was shooting the sequence with a digicam that he owns, and as soon as I set up he puts his down and within about 10 tries Cooper stomps one and rolls away. Haslam looks right at me with open eyes and says very sarcastically, "Damn dude, you just roll up all easy and just snap the shot, eh? 5 mins and its done, what a rough day at work!"

I shrug my shoulders, give a little aloof smile and proof/save the sequence. Cooper gives a couple more to try and land a crispier one but our session is cut short due to the police which end up doing the whole "Everyone sitdown and listen to us talk for about 2 hours" speech.


He scrolls around the crowd and asks each kid how old they are. He then proceeds and pauses on Haslam (with the full on entire face beard) and says, "Who's your kid?" Or maybe it was "Why you here?" naturally assuming he doesn't skate. The look on Haslam's face is super funny, and his reply is "Uhh, dude I'm from Canada, and I skate.. But I just didn't bring my board."

I think the cop gives him a look like, "Suuuurrrreeeee" and moved on to the next kid. Hahah, long but randomly entertaining day.

Spitfire X Canada Collab

I got an email from the DLX guys kinda randomly one day. They were looking for a mellow tricks of Antoine Asselin for a Spitfire X Canada web ad.

They said they would send me a couple wheels for the pic, which was totally cool. Click here see the original post of both Antoine and Decenzo together.

It's awesome how things work sometimes, thanks to the DLX guys for hitting me up and using this photo! Hyped. Thanks guys for the wheels and shirts too!

Mikada Clothing Shoot

Well, I guess their is a first time for everything, and this was my offical first time for fashion photography.
Amy Frederick from Mikada Clothing and I have spoken many times just about random artwork, work crap, ya know. At one point she was looking for a fashion photographer, and I offered to take a crack at it. Being my first try, I was pretty nervous, because I wanted it to be the best I could do, but not having any experience, I was scared. After a couple spot locations and some rental equip, things seemed to be turing out pretty decent. Anyone can be their own worst critic, so if the owners are hyped, then that's a good start.

Mikada produced a great look book of their newest gear - Download it here. (it's 10mbs) Thanks to Mikada and Amy for taking a chance. Hope you enjoy!

Super Decenzo Bros in Color Magazine

Color Magazine came out with this awesome Super Decenzo Bros interview, featuring the amazing talents of Ryan and Scott Decenzo, who are on a insane skateboarding killing spree. This interview (at least the photos I shot) were done in basically a 2 week period, with the exception of the heelflip shove in London.

I was soo lucky that Color wanted me to shoot them for this interview, plus as many featured lifestyle photos as possible. Thanks to Color and the Decenzo's for all their time!

Osiris Ad with Lee Yankou

On the same day of this wallie shove, we headed over to this rail which has been soo typically shredded often, but Mr. Yankou found a way to skate it a different way.
While shooting this photo, I asked him if he was going to fakie or straight. He replied quickly, "Dude... straight!" Arguably, I commented "But, I think fakie might be easier, since your body is already going that way," considering the trick was super knarly. He finished our conversation with a hype'd smile, "Naw, man.. Straight is way sicker." Obviously I didn't have much to say after that.

What was funny is rumor has it, that this was supposedly going to be a cover for Concrete Magazine. Another rumor was this cover was at the press, when we all saw Andrew Brophy photo in his Skateboarder interview. Quickly withdrawn and replaced nicely with a Jamie Tancowny cover. Thanks to Osiris Canada for the quick pickup of this photo and Concrete for even a chance of a possible cover, plus Lee for ripping man!

Zach Wagner slashed.

Zach Wagner and I were skating a bunch for a short stint. He'd pop his head down to my area and we'd go shred around, lerk around South Bay spots (which is always nice). Here is a hurricane he ripped into then back to straight. Just a little quick skate pic for the day, enjoy.

Thats Right with Jereme Rogers

Jereme Rogers and FTK's Thats Right! I think it was some "London Calling" with this photo, shot in London with the Red Bull Lerks.

Thanks to FTK for running this now almost 7 issues straight "Thats Right" column and Jereme for barely, but still coming through with this interview. Wordemup son.

Another Day in T-Town

For those of you who have to drive 40 mins to the nearest skatepark, or local ledge spot, I am right there with you. As you know LA, is probably the hugest damn city on the planet, and it takes forever to drive anywhere.

But isnt it great if you could just walk out your door, drive down the street a bit and just start shredding. Well, whenever the homie's come to Torrance to shred, thats what happens, I get to just roll out of bed, office or couch, hop into my crap mobile and within about 10 mins, I'm doing curb stalls watching rippers who are actually trying hard tricks. Today was a serious session and we went all out!

Crew patrons were AmirGT and friends, Issey Yumbia and Vince (Martinez) Duran (crooks, below), plus this new dude Cheeto (fsnose, above)! How awesome is this kids name. Check out the rail sesh photos!

Joey Brezinski and his poop

This was a voicemail of Joey's that I had laughed at. Recorded & edited. Now a part of the online video world.

Randy Ploesser in FTK

This is Randy Ploesser (pronounced - "Placer") and his FTK interview in the same issue as the Escape from New York article. Pretty hyped on this one, a lot of these photos were taken when Randy was staying at my skatehostel, and we just lerked around LA and shredded. Actually tho, the first wallride was shot in the wonderful city of Nashville, TN, on our Ezekiel HOTSPOTality Tour. Thanks TENNSKATE!

View the interview after the hit!

Long Lost Film, where are thou.

I know this is probably the most typical photo blog posts, but it's because really true, and I think one of the more special things about using film. The break down is: I went on this Red Bull Trip to London, and I brought the following insane amount of camera's. Some Minolta 35mm, that I had thrift stored on the Ezekiel Northwest Tour for $10.00, Panny HVX, the standard digital skate kit, and my little point and shoot digital camera. Kinda nuts, I know.

Anywho, I had no idea if this Minolta bargin camera could even shoot, because I was still on my first roll since the Northwest Tour. Then almost 6 - 8 months later, I find a couple rolls in my bag and Viola! Blast from the emulsion past! Read and check out most of the photos here.

Lee Yankou with a Wallie Shove in Concrete

As any typical Canadian would, Lee Yankou skated this spot, like it was the best spot ever. He kinda discribes it best in this Concrete article, stating that yes, its kinda rough, and your wheels would get caught in the bark, but basically, wallie shove was something he was hyped on. He cranked it out.. twice. Then we went on to skate more and shoot this gnarly ad that will be posted, as soon as it gets printed. Kid's good.

Thanks to Concrete and Lee for doing all the legwork. I kinda just pushed the button.

Hotel California in Concrete Magazine

Hyped!! They did a article on my skate hostel.. I mean house!

So here is the story, for years my house was the skate hostel of many sorts. Had everyone staying here, passing through, staying and living from Europe, Australia and of course Canada. I pitched an article idea to Concrete about all these canadians who come and stay at my house, such as Magnus Hanson, Ryan and Scooter Decenzo, Brad Sheppard just to name a few. They were hyped on the idea and we started formulating. It was awesome, and after a couple months it finally surfaced.

Thanks to Rich Odam and Frank Daniello for helping me out kinda fill in the holes beautifully and help me with my shitty writing, respectively. Also thanks to the skaters who shredded and the guys at Concrete for hooking it up! VIVA LA HOTEL CALIFORNIA. (click here for the article)