May 23 Update
Richard gives a written and visual life update from May 23.
Hello friends,
[For everyone:] How are you doing? [For the San Diego locals:] Is the cold June weather freaking you out? [For your parents:] Can you believe half the year has passed by already? [For my woke friends:] Did you have a good Juneteenth? [For Brad:] Did Jeff ever give you the fifty bucks back that you lent him back in January?
I realize I’m VERY late to getting to my blog/newsletter/slideshow this month which is annoying and I do apologize because I’m really trying to establish good habits and consistency with these posts BUT at the same time I’m also I have to hide behind my first-time-foster-parent card again because we had some unexpected events and ended up having to write up lengthy incident reports while we’re supposed to be on vacation. I’ve learned in foster life things don’t always go as expected and I just have to play the ball as it lays. Things with fostering/Wolfy are looking pretty grim as Erin, Wolfy, and myself are continually reminded just how broken the system is. To put it plainly: it’s sickening how harmful the system is to the kids in it. A common thread we’ve found is a lot of people working in the system have shortages in the spine department and therefore kids are needlessly put in harm’s way. —aaaaanyway I have to change gears otherwise I’ll go on a diatribe/write myself into the fetal position so…
Photographically May (and I guess most of June too) has been a great time for me. I linked up with a musician’s jam based around the same crew I ran into at the skate park a few months back and I made it out to shoot with them a couple times now and I plan to shoot with them more throughout the summer. Such a talented group and so fun rockin’ with them. Also been continuing work on my captivity project though I didn’t have it reviewed yet as I’d hoped for but I think I might have time to make that happen pretty soon so I’m not sweating it too much. All that and I’ve been making my appearances at a lot of artist talks, I’ve gone on a couple photo walks with the SD Walkabouts crew met some new like minded friends, I also met up with some of my new friends from Medium Photo for an informal coffee and catch up event, and I just went to the MCASD (La Jolla) with my family this weekend for Father’s Day. Needless to say my art cup is quite full at the moment which is nice.
In addition to shooting a lot this month and filling my art cup I’ve also got a lot of shows on the horizon which is pretty exciting to look forward to. I’ll be doing a one day show with ArtWalk at Liberty Station on 7/7/23 (Friday) for their Summer Series and then in August I have my first Walk In Art event in Hillcrest on 8/3. The Walk In Art events take place the first Thursday of each month and I’ve committed to doing August, September, and October so far. Right after my first Walk in Art I have the ArtWalk @ Liberty Station which is on 8/5-8/6 BUT this year they’re adding a Preview pARTy which is a ticketed event on the Friday before 8/4 so it’s a little more exclusive but also very exciting. If you’re interested in attending I have a few comped tickets so DM me or shoot me an email.
Then right after that four-day run of working my booth (8/3 - 8/6) I’m off to Boston and NJ for two weeks with Erin and hopefully Wolfy. We’re even doing a quick 2 day stop in NY on the tail end which is really exciting as I’ve never been and you know, street photography Mecca and what not.
For the record: The pictures/slideshow are only from May so even though this blog covers may and most of June. For June photos you’ll just have to wait until next month’s slideshow in a couple weeks.
Alright, that is it. I love you all. Thanks to everyone who supports me. If you are interested in buying prints or postcards you can do it here, and if you want to send me some love you can do it in the comments or at richard@ricpics.me.
Be well,
Richard :)
There’s something in the water at The Template on Mondays (and it sounds a lot like GREAT FUCKING LIVE MUSIC)
Richard shares his experience shooting a professional musicians’ jam at The Template in Ocean Beach, CA.
Hello friends,
You might recall that back in March I wrote about a time where I briefly stumbled across an epic jam/drum battle while out on a walk with Erin. As I was writing that blog I made initial contact with @john_mdrums a.k.a. John Martinez drummer extraordinaire on insta who was the reason the jam was put together (1). As things go, I kept up with John because I knew how impactful the 10 minutes I shared with his crew was to me personally and he was my connection to that scene. So I kept my ears to the street for an opportunity to spend more time together and the opportunity soon came.
About a month ago I saw John post about a jam that he was putting together at The Template, this insane art café (2) in OB that I absolutely love. I mentioned that I’d love to come by and shoot photos sometime which John seemed receptive to but this wouldn’t be able to materialize until a month later (3) so I don’t think he put much stock into my threat. As luck would have it, the jams kept on and last Monday (4) I reached out to John to confirm as much.
“Yo man you guys jamming tonight?”
“Yes”
“Template?”
“Yes”
“Rad. I’ll see you there man.”
Now in hindsight I realize that I am a crazy person for thinking John would remember me saying I wanted to come take pictures of his jam a month ago but I showed up with my camera ready to shoot anyway. My month old intel had a 6pm start time and I strolled up at 6:15pm thinking I was late but as it turned out the jam was scheduled to start at 6:30pm and in reality it didn’t really get started until closer to 7pm. This was fine because it gave me time to meet some of the musicians that were hanging out waiting for things to get going.
I awkwardly wedge myself into some conversations and chatted up anyone who would have me which led to some great conversations and some …well pretty uncomfortable “Welp. See you later” moments. Luckily for me I’m able to see the humor in these situations and not take it as a slight against me. And for the record, there were only a couple of these hilariously awkward moments and most everyone I chatted with was super nice and welcoming even though I did show up as a complete outsider —with a camera no less.
After 30 minutes of schmoozing and occasionally flailing socially I sense things are getting close to starting so I start shooting a little. The musicians waste no time. After a collaborative effort to throw a massive rug over a support beam to help with the acoustics from the drum kit, they’re ready too. Their sound checks are not your typical snare hit, snare hit, snare hit, …symbol crash, symbol crash… No these guys just start playing —and fucking well. Really fucking well. I recognize some of them from the jam at the skatepark and I am immediately in that feeling again. The talent oozes from these players. It’s intoxicating. Surreal.
I don’t waste my time either (5). I jump in and start getting a feel for the various players and the space. After 10 minutes or so of this it is fully on!
Throughout the night there were a handful of drummers, a couple percussionists and bass players, a few key players, a flautist, a few horn players (two sax, one trumpet), one beatboxer, one singer who popped up near the end, and naturally a metric shit ton of guitarists. It is a “professional musician’s jam” and as such everyone absolutely rips it.
The house band leads the jam with John popping out from behind his kit to MC between songs. They play for two and a half hours straight taking only short breaks (6) between songs to occasionally shout out the players, and after a few songs to start cycling in other musicians who have been patiently waiting in the audience for their turn to shred. As much as I love music I’ve never been classically trained and therefore I’m not able to speak very intelligently about the genre of music being played, if any (7) but I’d say the music this night lived somewhere in the contemporary upbeat Jazz (8), funk, adult alternative, and rock world with plenty of room for anything and everything. To put it more simply you could classify it as great live music, with real life and soul.
To think that this is a FREE SHOW is almost unfathomable as it was truly one of the best live music experiences of my life, and not to suck my own dick here but I’ve been to a ton of incredible concerts, festivals, and shows but something about this jam... I mean the sheer talent, the improvised nature of it all, and the experimental vibe of The Template itself, it really just makes for something truly special. If you’re in San Diego or close by and you want to see some of the most talented musicians in the city put the plane together midflight as they rocket off the proverbial cliff, come through to The Template on Mondays 6:30pm – 9:30pm, get your face melted, and throw a $20 in the tip jar (9). If you are a LIVE music or jam band fan, this is for you.
(1) It was a birthday shed! (sung in the style of the Monster Mash “it was a graveyard smash” refrain)
(2) Picture Burning Man if it was a coffee shop.
(3) As a parent it’s not always easy for me to get out on a weeknight and last month I was already pretty tapped out attending many events of a multi-week photo festival, and prepping and participating in my favorite art fair of the year —Look I was busy OK?!
(4) March 8, 2023
(5) I came to shoot music, maaaaaan.
(6) We’re talking maybe 30 seconds to a minute max.
(7) DON’T LIKE TRY TO PUT ME IN A BOX, MAAAAN!
(8) I’m just typing words. I have no idea what I’m talking about, but it feels right if that means anything.
(9) Or more!
April 23 Update
Richard gives a written and visual life update from April 23.
Hello my friends,
Man what a month it has been. For the regulars it might seem like I’d only just wrote a journal entry, and THAT is because well… I really just did. But I’m trying to get back on my more timely schedule but we’ll see how this goes. I still have to do my photos and slideshow as I’m writing this but there’s no grant application or photo festival in my way this time so we’ll see.
Anywho, personal life has been in a bit of a tough patch with everything going on with our foster kiddo (court and other related stress), funny that my photography from winter lined up so nicely with my self diagnosed circumstantial depression/funk that I have been in. Synchronicities man… take em however you like [or not]. This month has been more of the same although I am putting more effort into my self-care —which TBH is already pretty strong so don’t cry for me [Argentina].
Last month was a bit of a grind in photo related activities, the Medium Photo Festival which is primarily lectures and artistic talks and what not, writing a grant application, and just this past weekend I had an ArtWalk event (art fair) in Little Italy so the last couple of weeks have been a lot of framing and prepping for that show. So busy busy busy but admittedly not a ton of shooting itself in April which was unfortunate as shooting is one of my main forms of self-care. So that is what excites me about this month. Nothing on the calendar other than me and the camera(s) getting some steps, getting some hours, and getting to work.
As far as the ArtWalk event this past weekend, man I’m at a loss for words. It was another successful show on so many levels that it caught me right in the feels (again). It must be something about the Little Italy shows. To everyone who came out and bought prints or postcards and helped put fuel in the tank: THANK YOU! To everyone who came through to chat about my work, or photography, or gave any kind of positive energy, hot tips, and exhibition opportunities: THANK YOU! To my family that came through and my friend Kern, I love you all. THANK YOU! To ArtWalk for putting on a great event: THANK YOU! And to everyone else who helped make this weekend a success: THANK YOU!
Those show weekends are always all the things, nerve racking (am I going to make sales?), exhilarating (any time I make a sale), reassuring (anytime someone gives me a compliment or makes a comment to let me know they get me), hilarious (all the awkward encounters with fair attendees that visit my booth but aren’t interested AT ALL in my work, or the people who also don’t give a shit about my work but want to talk my ear off about whatever (usually their dog or something)), unexpected (meeting fellow artists, art lovers, and rad people I never know what to expect but I’m always pleasantly surprised), exhausting (prep, setup, being “on” for 8 hours straight 2 days in a row, then break down). Overall I feel that they are overall very positive for me, but still, they are A LOT.
After visiting my chiropractor and getting in some good naps on Monday and Tuesday I’m finally coming down from this weekend and it’s freeing me up to think about what I want to work on this month. I’ve had a captivity/zoo/aquarium animal project that I’ve been working on. Some of the shots have been making their way into my recent newsletters, blog posts, and Instagram feed. Anyway, I put together a rough cut of the project for a friend who wrote me a letter of recommendation for my grant application, but I think it would be helpful to get some feedback on that project from a trusted reviewer and I have someone in mind so hopefully I can get that in the works for this month.
Nothing else really of note. I have started reading Keith Harring’s Journals and I love it. It’s incredible how knowledgeable he was at such a young age. Sometimes when I read his thoughts it makes me feel like an idiot for being 37 and just starting to develop that type of an understanding of the world but mostly it just makes me feel like I’m on the right path. Like “oh he had that shit figured out right before he was blowing up. Yup gotta stay true to myself and keep moving forward. Things are gonna happen for me. I’m Joe Dirt!”
Also, his journal does make me want to start doing some more intermittent journaling (as opposed to just these monthly posts) because it just feels like a more useful exercise than trying to sum up a whole month in one post. I dunno though, we’ll see. I also don’t want to spread myself too thin because I also took a hit on my work time available since we have Wolfy every day during the week now whereas Tuesdays and Thursdays I used to be able to work until 5-5:30pm I now can only work until 3pm on Tuesdays and 12:30pm on Thursdays without working something out with Erin (I know!). Not complaining but time management is everything and losing 7.5 hours of work per week is significant and I’m trying to get adjusted to this new schedule.
Anyway, I should get back to my computer and work on my pictures/this month’s slideshow because I haven’t gone through any of that yet! (Shhh).
Alright, love you all. Thanks to everyone who supports me. If you are interested in buying prints or postcards you can do it here, and if you want to send me some love you can do it in the comments or here richard@ricpics.me.
Be well,
Richard :)
P.S. Slideshow and Gallery below. Just remember it was a light month so there’s admittedly not many bangers in there. What can you do, ya know?
March 23 Update
Richard gives a life a written and visual life update from March 23.
Hi friends,
If you’re coming from my newsletter, you know the past few weeks put me through a bit of a ringer. If you’re not coming from my newsletter: Welcome. And to catch you up the past few weeks have put me through a bit of a ringer. Boom. All caught up—but also, WHY ARE YOU NOT SUBSCRIBED TO MY NEWSLETTER?! DO YOU NOT LIKE CHANCES TO WIN FREE PRINTS?! DO YOU WANT ME TO BE YELLING AT YOU TO SUBSCRIBE TO MY NEWSLETTER?! HUH?! HUH?! HUH?!?!?
Just Joshin ya. Live your life how you want to, boo. #nohardfeelings
Anywho, like any other month when you’re a first time parent/emerging artist, this past month [and a half] was a busy one but on top of that it felt like it was exceptionally busy for a number of reasons. Erin’s (1) birthday was in March so there were lots of projects and planning that had to go into that. A couple birthday projects were collabs between me and Wolfy (2) which I was very excited about. Also, in March we had a parent teacher conference, one of my niece’s birthdays, and COURT (TWO TIMES!) which is always nerve racking.
We had a small victory during the hearing in early March but by now we’ve learned to really measure our responses because with every step forward something behind the scenes happens and it’s like 10 steps backwards and it can really fuck us up emotionally. This last month and a half has been no different in that regard. As a bonus we had a special court hearing AGAIN this past Monday (#toosoon) and there weren’t many silver linings that time. No matter how much you learn about how broken the foster system is, nothing can fully prepare you for the experience of witnessing its failures first hand and loving someone who it is failing and feeling powerless to help them.
Self care. Grace. Trusting the process. Self care.
Things this past month and a half weren’t all bleak though. I did have a number of distractions in addition to birthdays and family stuff, namely attending many of the Medium Photo Photography Festival events which ran from April 1-16. I participated in a community pop-up sale where I was happy to slang postcards and prints and meet and connect with an awesome group of photographers, artists, creatives, and aficionados. Most of the other events I attended at the festival were artist talks, gallery openings, and seminars on subjects that I’m highly interested in (e.g. book publishing). It was A LOT and it was fucking awesome. I had such a great time connecting with my people (artist/photographers) and as they say in France: I learned a shit ton.
After two weeks of the Medium Photo Festival I was absolutely wiped but the show had to go on and I spent much of last week completing a grant application before I was able to finally take a breather. That leaves me in the present where I am trying to finish getting these posts up (I'm only 20 days behind schedule...) and I'm starting to get prepared for my upcoming ArtWalk event in little italy (April 29-30). If you're a local and you want to come pick up some prints, postcards, or just say what's up and check out the scene I highly recommend it. I'll be in booth 522 on Date St. Come through!
So this is my first public journaling that I am sharing on my website/blog. Previously I had done it on my FB (during the first 100 days or so of COVID), and in my newsletter for the past few months, but this feels like right the place. The goal is to write at least one monthly journaling post where I’ll also include photos taken during that month in both a slideshow format (via YouTube) and in an online gallery format for those who want to take their time with any of the photos as the slideshows will go by pretty quickly.
You can check out this month’s slideshow below or this month’s gallery even more below.
Thanks for reading and I hope you are all taking care of yourselves.
Be well,
Richard :)
P.S. You may notice the pictures I show don't always coincide with the words I write and this is for two reasons. A) The photos I post on these monthly journal entries are essentially a separate visual journal. A window into my life. Some things I can show, others I cant (see note 2 below) but in either case B) I generally believe that the viewer is intelligent enough to make sense of the photos on their own without me spelling it out for them. That said, if there ever are any questions as to what's going on in any of the pictures you can always ask. Preferably in the comments below but also, you can DM me on Insta or shoot me an email.
Notes:
(1) Erin is my better half. The love of my life. My partner. My world.
(2) Wolfy is the name I use to speak about Erin and I's foster child. There are a lot of rules about not sharing info publicly due to her being in the foster system so I use this code name and shy away from details about her and her story (that latter more out of respect to her than the rules of the foster system FWIW). She is the second love of my life, the best fucking kid in the world, and Erin and I are hopeful that she will become a permanent member of our family at some point in the future, hence all the court talk.
The photo that changed my life
A blog post about how a single Martin Parr photograph set me onto my journey as a photographer/artist.
ITALY. Rome. Colosseum. Statues and tourists at the Colosseum. 1993. © Martin Parr/Magnum Photos
I like to imagine that in every artist's life there's a piece of art, in their medium, that they just CONNECT with and it sets them on their journey to become who they are as an artist. I'm certain this is not the case for every artist and it's probably a total oversimplification bordering on an idealistic way at looking at the world, but I guess that's just how my brain works #sorrynotsorry.
I delight in wondering what was the album (or song) that made Thom Yorke want to pursue music. What was the film that made Tarantino want to make movies, what was the painting that made Warhol want to pick up the brush? Would there be satisfying answer for each? I'm certain Tarantino has the film as his work is very referential and he often speaks of how he is paying homage with specific shots, scenes, etc. and he's also very open about his love for cinema so for him I think it's just my laziness that's stopping me from knowing that specific answer(1) but I have no idea if Thom Yorke would have an album that inspired him to become a musician because he seems like he could have just as easily been inspired by an obscure work of art that has nothing to do with music, or a process such as photosynthesis, or even something along the lines of "the overwhelming helplessness associated with people's unconscious and relenting desire to ensure suffering perpetuates." For the record those are not actual Thom Yorke references or inspirations, it's just crude interpretations of things that I could imagine him being inspired by as an artist.
Humourous aside: How funny would it be if I had a chance to ask Thom and he dead ass answered "Whitesnake - Here I go again. Hands down. Brilliant."
<waves of laughter>
Oh we do have fun!
I do get I can be kind of a snob at times (2) when it comes to art and entertainment or anything really but having that awareness of myself and my snobbery doesn't take away from my belief that —at least in my mind —artists like Andy Warhol or Thom Yorke would have to be inspired by something much deeper than something akin to a Whitesnake song, as popular as it might have been (3) and I'm just curious as to what that might have been for them.
For me, I have grown to see myself become a sponge, soaking up my favorite traits, mannerisms, and ways of thinking and doing from everyone who came before me in virtually every aspect of life. I first noticed this with artists who work in mediums that I have practiced in, but eventually learned about the crossover (4) and now basically I take from anyone and everyone. I'm inspired by all kinds of people; musicians, comedians, philosophers, poets, writers, painters, animators, filmmakers, chefs, parents, teachers, scientists, naturalists, conservationists, activists, public servants. I could keep going... health care providers, entrepreneurs, inventors, athletes, philanthropists, care givers, etc. I am inspired by so many different kinds of folks because I subscribe to the personal philosophy of "Always be learning" and I believe that anyone can be a teacher as long as you (me) are always willing to learn. As a practicing life artist and I’ll take valuable lessons from just about anyone, BUUUUUUUT if me/my work had to be distilled down to just one medium right now that'd have to be photography (5)(6)(7). And fortunately, with respect to photography I do have THE picture that… well,,, changed my life really, and I am incredibly thankful for my photography professor and friend Amy Caterina, for first sharing it with me.
The photo I'm thinking of is the Martin Parr photograph shown above (and also found on Page 12 of Mr. Parr’s book Small World) and I’m gonna talk about it for a bit. The photo is a colour photo and filling out most of the frame in the center of the photo shown in soft focus (but not too soft) is a group of around 30-40 retirement aged tourists gazing up at something. Behind them and to the sides you can see some of the ancient architecture that has been preserved around the Colosseum, giving some sense of the place —also in soft focus. Lastly, in the foreground, shown in the bottom of the frame there are a couple dozen souvenir statues of Roman gods and goddesses, Michelangelo's David, etc. in sharp focus giving a humorous juxtaposition against the silver-haired group that stands behind them. That's the basic reading of this photo "oh what a funny comparison, the statue of David, compared to David Longbottom the retired plumber from Liverpool. What a laugh!" and to anyone's credit who sees that interpretation, good on you because I've also seen people miss it completely and it's quite embarrassing. "So it's like a tour group or something???" It's sad really but not surprising that our society isn't taught to critically think or even look, let alone study art. Either that or we’ve grown so accustomed to our fast-paced lifestyles that we don’t allow ourselves the time to make meaningful connections when we’re seeing art. Realistically probably a bit of both. We’re dumb in a hurry! We want stuff to be explained to us so we don't have to think about it. We want shit jammed down our throats while people (also without taste) assure us it’s good. Our consumption of art is basically at crisis level: Jello-shot. It's how this picture came to exist in the first place (8) but I digress...
When I first saw the photo, I immediately got the juxtaposition and the comedian in me (9) really appreciated it because photography, or should I say good photography was still very new to me at the time when I first saw this photo. So seeing humour in a photo was a revelation. Beyond that I saw that there was still more meat on the bone. In fact, I felt it. I saw people as we are, compared to our own idealistic versions of ourselves. We like to imagine ourselves as these fit, godlike, beings, mastering the universe but the reality is we are doughy, prisoners to our own stupidity and greed. Not allowed to thrive when we are in our primes because we have manufactured ourselves to be slaves to capitalism. We are supposed to be exploring, engaging, and experiencing the natural world as we are in our physical peaks like those figures in the statues, yet most working-class folks do not get to have an opportunity to do anything remotely close until they reach the age of 65 if they’re lucky.
I'd never seen anything like this in a photograph —and I’d seen some real as the kids say “bangers” too, but I’d never seen something like a societal critique so damningly portrayed in a single frame like that. A photo that has a meaningful message that doesn't trigger a trauma reaction -AAAAND it's humourous. I didn't know photography could do those things, so short of listening to "The Power of Now" seeing this photo for the first time might have been the most liberating experience of my entire life.
For me this photo was a call to action. The wakeup call I needed. The cautionary tale. I could follow my dreams, become the photographer behind the lens, and see the world NOW; or I could continue on the path I was on as a CPA, gaming the system doing taxes for the rich and become one of the faceless people in photo. Trapped working against my own interests until I'm too old to do anything outside the supervision of a tour guide, unaware of the potential that I'd let slip between my fingers like the grains of the hour glass. Fortunately, I have answered the call and have decided to "Get busy living, or get busy dying." (10)
At this point in my career I'm what's commonly referred to as "poor as fuck,” (11) I'm virtually unknown, BUT I'm also the happiest I've ever been. It's the first time in my life that I can honestly say I'm living with any kind of intention. This is in contrast to the past when I'd always felt like my life was on some kind of autopilot. My life now feels like a new level of vibrance (12) and it's a feeling that I don't know I'd ever felt before. Maybe as a kid but even then, I'm not sure. It's a lightness, like I'm on shrooms constantly (13). It's crazy. And to think for me that all started with seeing THIS one photo.
Again major thanks to Amy Caterina for giving me the red pill and showing me this photo #YouMyMorpheus, and of course to Mr. Parr if he were ever to see this: my abilities both with the pen and behind the lens are far too inadequate to fully articulate how much this photo/your work has meant to me but I am hopeful that this post is a start to me expressing that gratitude and it is my greatest hope that one day my work can inspire a generation behind me in the way that yours has (and still does) for me. Thank you.
If you enjoyed my writing or my photos below (inspired by Martin Parr) and would like to read/see more the best way to do so is by subscribing to my newsletter (if you’re nasty). In my newsletter you’ll get regular updates on projects, shows, life updates, recent photos, etc. and of course more of my hilarious, thought-provoking, and definitely not meandering writing.
Also, feel free to noodle around on my site, look through my projects, blog, and print store if you’d like to purchase a limited-edition print or even a postcard. Anything helps (I’m broke AF!!!) and if you want to reach me, shoot me a DM on insta.
(1) Although if I'm being honest I sometimes like not knowing. You can find this in some of my work even. Not knowing makes for better mental stimulation. It's why I like Radiohead.
(2) This on account of I'm a GIIIINORMOUS snob.
(3) Whitesnake's "Here I go again" reached #1 on the US Billboard Hot 100 list at its peak position in 1987 and was #7 on the year-end chart for 1987.
(4) I’ve found that it is important for me as an artist to seek out and really take in work outside of photography. It can be just as important as being immersed in photography itself.
(5) Something about me and photography just "clicked."
(6) When I was given the opportunity to follow my dreams and become a photographer I knew I had to give it a "shot."
(7) Honestly, I couldn't "picture" doing anything else with my life.
(8) Our inability to think for ourselves is exactly why tour groups exist. We travel in ways where we want to be shepherded around and shown what to look at and told what to enjoy and since the creation of Mr. Parr’s book, Small Wonder, mindless tourism/consumerism has only gotten worse.
(9) I'm sure you tell from my hilarious writing that I've bombed multiple hundreds of times on stage as an open mic comedian. I think it shows. It shows right? Hello?!
(10) Those of you cinephiles who love the talkies as much as I do will know the quote.
(11) This is mostly for humourous effect I'm ok.
(12) I’m talking +15 levels of vibrance here, people!
(13) I mean this in the best way.
Some of my more Martin Parr-ish photos:
Stuart Todd Whitworth: The Music Project Strikes Back
My extremely talented singer-songwriter friend, Stuart Todd Whitworth and I collaborate on a multimedia project.
I’d written before about my chance encounter with the incomparable Stuart Todd Whitworth briefly as an aside in another story regarding my music photography/project but as a refresher for us all I'll go into more detail (in case anyone is interested).
I’d first run across Stuart while I was filming some person-on-the-street interviews for a yet to be released video project. I had been bouncing all around San Diego County over the summer and fall during 2020 looking for places with people around and on this day I happened to post up in La Jolla. I had gotten some decent b-roll, a handful of participants recorded, and had been about at the end of my day. It was about the end of the day’s day as well as the sun had already set by this time, but something about Stuart’s… I dunno… aura (?) when he approached me made it feel like I NEEDED to shoot this one last interview.
Stuart gave a great interview and afterwards we started talking and he told me he was a musician and blah blah blah. I remember being pretty cooked by this time and therefore I didn’t think too much about Stuart or the fact that he was a musician. We traded information as Stuart had mentioned that he was always looking for someone to help with photo/video stuff but at the time, music work was not really something that I thought about pursuing in any degree.
Fast forward 6 months and I’d been inspired by a local jazz band that had been rehearsing near my girlfriend’s old place. I decided that there’s tons of great local musicians and I’d like to try and collaborate with them, if they’ll have me. So I’m at the Subaru dealership waiting for my car to be serviced when I get a random call from Stuart asking if I’d be interested in filming a show for him the upcoming weekend. I had plans already so it didn’t work out but I mentioned to him that I would be interested in collaborating on a photoshoot or some other project if Stuart would be interested.
He was.
Over the course of a couple months we’d catch up on the phone and meet up in person to brainstorm. Stuart told me all about his impending album release and his unorthodox process of completing the album, we listened to some of his music, and we tossed some pasta at the wall. Eventually we had a project idea that stuck and we both felt it would fit our style and artist voices. We decided on a photoshoot and interview to be smashed into a self-narrated slideshow and that is exactly what we came out with and I’m beyond excited to be able to say that it is available for everyone to watch RIGHT NOW!
I’m very proud of how this video came out so thank you for watching. If you enjoyed the video, you should definitely check out more of Stuart’s music. You can find all of his music videos on his website, or you can follow him on social to keep up with him. You can find all of his socials here. And lastly, but certainly not leastly, if you really want to support my man, Stuart, you can show love by buying his album which not only comes with a disc and download code, but also a really cool book with amazing artwork renditions of the cover art from multiple artists across multiple mediums. Like the man and the music behind it all, the album presentation is unique and beautiful.
Support the artists you love so they can keep making the art you love.
Stop the presses! I was on a Podcast!
I was on a podcast and the world needs to know about it!
Hi Friends,
Just wanted to give a quick update in case you aren't following me on insta —wait! YOU AREN’T FOLLOWING ME ON INSTA?!
Ok never mind that, but if you’d like to check me out it’s @ricpics.me on “the gram.”
Sorry that made me cringe too.
me when I use slang:
…aaaaaaanyway, I just wanted to give y’all an update and say that I was recently featured on my fellow comedian, podcaster, and good friend Dan Bublitz Jr’s new podcast, Submerged with Dan Bublitz Jr.
It’s a show where Dan interviews guests about their obsessions/passions and since he had me on we talked all about street photography!
I had a great time doing the show so please give the episode a listen if you’d like to hear more about my take on street photography, and just learn a little more about me. 🙂 If you like the show please give Dan a subscribe and check out the other episodes!
You can listen to my episode using the embedded player below, clicking THIS LINK or by searching for “Submerged with Dan Bublitz” on your preferred podcast app (itunes, spotify, etc.).
Ok just wanted to share the good news and that’s pretty much it for now.
Be well,
Richard
Comedy, I’m hooooooome!
A long and arduous post about my return to comedy after some time away.
For those of you that don’t know me, allow myself to reintroduce …myself. That’s a character I do called Austin Power-Z. It’s pronounced “Austin Powers” but just with a “Z.” …and the hyphen is to emphasize the Jay-Z reference…
Hi. I’m dumb!
Ok now that that’s settled let me explain. So for the better half of the past decade I’ve considered myself somewhat of an aspiring comedian. For a good consecutive 4 years I was doing stand up, hitting open mics, doing improv, attempting to write/film sketches, doing regular hosting gigs at mics and monthly shows. All this while managing a serious romantic relationship. Between all that, and a full time job (THAT I HATED) I eventually fizzled out.
It was back then during my comedy hay day that I picked up a camera (other than my iPhone) with any intent on being creative or artistic. —not that you can’t do that on an iPhone! —but let’s be serious: you can’t do a lot of stuff with an iPhone that you can do with a camera that can shoot on full manual. If you really wanted to compare, it’d be like a white woman, you simply just can’t even.
For any photography nuts/artists reading this and losing their shit, I get it, you actually can do a lot on a phone and they have great cameras blah blah fucking blah… yes. I know. But also, you know what I’m talking about too. Ehhhh?! <raises eyebrows>
I mean come on buddy. You know what I’m talking bout. Right?! <more eyebrows>
Ok I’m done caring about that.
So there I was about a year or so into standup and maybe 6 months into improv when I hilariously and I unironically thought “man I need to film my sets!” And from that point on I did film my sets. ALL OF THEM.
Every. Single. One.
At first it was with a point and shoot Olympus that I had bought a few years prior to take to Hawaii because it was a waterproof camera. Awesome for shooting underwater pictures but not great for video in dimly lit clubs where the audio is hugely important. The quality was very much 2009ish and this was 2015. Might not seem like a big deal but think about a 6 year technology gap now and it really puts it into perspective. It’d be like having an iPhone 7 now. Gross!
Anyway, it was time to upgrade and my older brother, who is an awesome photographer himself, recommended a DSLR as opposed to a camcorder which I was very familiar with from my skateboarding days a decade and a half earlier. —I’m 35 if you’re curious.
I took his advice went to Best Buy, told the dude “I need a camera and I have ≈$1,000 budget, what should I get?” He said he’d put me in a Sony a6000 with two lenses, a bag, and even offered to tie it to the roof for me. I was sold.
At the time I had no idea what the difference was between a mirrorless or DSLR. I didn’t care I was just excited to have a new camera that I could use for my comedy.
I drove home happy and did what I’d always done when I got a new camera. Immediately take uninspired pictures of stupid shit around the immediate spot where I had just unboxed the camera including and very much limited to the camera box and bag, and my living room. Shooting on full auto mode thinking to myself “yeah this feels like it’s got some good… ummmm… power? —yeah power!”
Eventually I’d show my brother the camera and he’d tell me “That’s awesome man. Here read this,” and handed me a really simplified book/pamphlet explaining the basic principles of the exposure triangle (camera stuff). It was completely liberating.
For decades I had been very intimidated by a full manual camera but after quickly going through the pamphlet and getting a grasp on some of the basics it started making sense and became way less intimidating. Shortly after, my GF at the time and my mom both got me a few books as part of my Christmas gifts and from that point on I was hooked. I read dozens of photography instructional books, started buying/subscribing to online courses, taking classes at a JC close by. I was hooked on learning. …and gear just a lil bit if I’m being honest.
So all the while, I was using the camera for the intended purpose of filming my sets, but also I was doing way more with it. I was learning how to take photos and I was shooting often. Like ALL THE TIME often. I would annoy the shit out of all the other comics but that was kinda just part of my persona and they eventually grew to accept it. Despite the acceptance like the heart of the ocean, the ridicule would go on. Sometimes they’d take a break from ball busting and even pose for me though so that was nice. I’d fuck up the pictures a lot though especially early on when I was still learning the basics. Eventually I’d get pretty ok and other comics would ask me to shoot shows. At the time I didn’t take the time to process and think about what I wanted to do photographically because I didn’t see myself as a photographer but I did know that I liked the “candid” shots of the comics the best.
I carried on like this for years and then when I finally realized how unhappy I was at my work I realized I needed to get out of my soul sucking industry (tax accounting) much sooner than my comedy/writing “career” would allow for. So I shelved comedy to focus (pun intended!) on getting a photography business going.
I had done some research and some trial by fire stuff and quickly realized I didn’t really want to do family portraits or weddings which are really the main money makers in commercial photography. Especially if you’re just getting started. Eventually I’d find family photojournalism and pursue that hard. It was the least cringy type of commercial photography and you can make great money. To be honest it’s not really cringy at all. It’s a total niche but as far as family photography goes, it’s excellent.
I was all set to completely transition out of accounting and into my commercial photography business full time after the April 2020 tax season. I even had a couple clients lined up for after the deadline. One small hiccup though: a global pandemic happened.
Devastated to lose track of my dream and wake up amid the nightmare that was unraveling all around the world I stayed at my accounting job totally depressed. Luckily after a couple months I was eventually mercy fired by my boss and that was the freedom I needed. I’d spend the summer and my unemployment checks chasing history. I was shooting every BLM event I could find. I was shooting/witnessing history. It was invigorating.
I took a self funded trip up to Portland to witness the federal police riots taking place up there. Then I found my indigenous friends protesting the border wall construction just a little east of my home in SD. Then I’d swing by a trump supporter rally. Then I’d swing by a white nationalist rally/Antifa-counter protest where there were constant skirmishes involving fists, bats, and pepper spray. One of the skinheads even pulled a hunting knife just after being maced and thankfully decided he didn’t want to kill someone that day. But to me it all became too much. Not to mention my attempts at picking up photojournalism work or getting into the newsroom at the local paper had failed.
Either way I had watched the protest scene go from a broad support, peace and love movement, to two small groups bent on violence and as a pacifist it just took too much of a toll on my heart. I had to take a step back.
Meanwhile, since the pandemic started I had put together a support group consisting of some of my best friends that I’d made through comedy and we’d hang out on Zoom every Tuesday night sometimes into the wee hours of Wednesday’s. We’d talk about serious shit if we needed to but mostly we would just fart around and do bits just like in what’s known as “the hang,” which takes place in and around comedy clubs, shows, and open mics. At these places comedians hang out and speak in comedy the way only comedians can. By being funny, sharing jokes, challenging others’ opinions, busting each others’ balls —or clams!, etc.
It was totally therapeutic and exactly what I needed. Especially early on during the lockdown when my mental health was starting to really suffer. It not only helped me with my mental state but it also really started giving me the itch to get back on stage (when it would be safe to do so).
So after a long year of masks and lockdowns when I had finally been vaccinated I knew it was time for me to make my return to stand up and start back from square one. Only this time things would be different. I no longer cared about trying to get on shows. I didn’t care about starting from scratch. I just wanted to do bits and push limits on what I can do onstage. I didn’t give a shit about bombing or not either because I was only doing mics.
One thing I did care about though was documenting everything photographically. By this point I had to embraced the role of photographer and have figured out how I like to shoot and what subjects I like etc. Mainly I shoot people which is great because comedy is filled with people and a lot of them are also great characters (or at least working on becoming one).
For the longest time I saw photography and comedy as two separate parts of my being but it wasn’t until now that I realized there’s a lot of overlap. And actually the photography is actually my main purpose for my going out to the mics. As an added benefit when I’m onstage I don’t feel any pressure to have a good set. It’s been completely freeing and it’s been more fun than it’s ever been.
In the back of my mind I’m putting together an act and a way to tie everything together (comedy and photography), but for now it just feels great to be back and I’m enjoying the ride.
It’s only been a few months since I’ve been back and who knows if we’ll shut down again due to the variants and what not but either way here’s a taste of the work so far. Also, I will definitely be writing more about my experiences and observations being back in the scene, so this is just kind of an intro to my project titled Comedy I Love You.
Welp. Smell ya later! (still working on my blog sign off)
-Richard :)
Rumba Ketumba: the Music Project Begins
A post about the beginning of a documentary photography project centered on music —and there’s other cool stuff too! (Not really though).
I was at the Subaru dealership getting my car a long overdue oil change and servicing. Just sitting on the patio furniture, reading my book (Brandon Stanton's "Humans"), and listening to some music when my phone rang from a number that I didn't recognize.
-A little context: I subscribe to the idea that "things happen for a reason" or in a nutshell, the universe will present you with gifts if you're open, willing, and looking for them. This serves me well in my street photography and in life. Ok back to the story-
When I get a call from an unknown number it's usually pretty hit and miss. This day, I answered.
It was a musician (Stuart) that I had met maybe nine months ago when I was out on filming "man on the street" interviews all around town for a documentary project that I am currently working on. He was calling to see if I could film an upcoming show, but it was too short of notice and it didn't work out for that particular gig.
Unbeknownst to him, I had been contemplating "music" as a personal photo project for a couple months and I was feeling like this could be the universe speaking to me, so I asked if he'd want to set up a photo shoot down the line. To both of our excitement he was interested. So I ended the call feeling really connected with the universe and genuinely stoked about finding a natural starting point for my music project.
As I settled back into my surroundings I look past the coffee table, to the chair cater-corner to mine and see a man, maybe sixty, playing what looked like a green, toy, nylon string, guitar. Only he is not just playing it, he is playing the shit out of it! And singing too!
My headphones were still in but since I just got off a call there was nothing coming through. I listened surreptitiously as he shared a beautiful Latin tune. "What a talent" I thought. And what crazy timing after my "music project" just slapped me in the face out of nowhere!
After he finishes his song, I compliment his playing and singing and we get to talking.
He tells me he's rehearsing some songs for a weekend wedding gig he had a couple hours away in Palm Springs.
He told me how he lived in several Latin countries and how he'd been playing guitar for some time. He told me a great anecdote about how he met some of the Gypsy Kings, and an even more surreal story about how he randomly met Tony Bennett.
I told him a little about my past and my complete obsession with photography (The Sickness) and how I always carry a camera with me.
It was a great conversation with such a kind and open soul.
It wasn't too long until my car was ready so we swapped info and he told me he had a gig the following Thursday with a newly formed band.
I looked at his card, John "Juanito" Tidwell, gave the obligatory "nice to meet you" and told him I'd be there.
The gig was at Cafe Sevilla in the Gaslamp Quarter in Downtown San Diego. I'd never been before but the vibe was essentially everything that I imagined it would be. Upscale restaurant with a Latin theme and live Latin music.
I showed up a little too early so I spent a good couple of hours shooting some street photos around the downtown area and wandered back in time to meet Jaunito as he was the first one to arrive and begin setting up.
He tells me that there are three other band members and raves about how great they are. Having spent many days of the last week listening to some of Jaunito's albums from another band he plays with, I was not surprised. The guy is crazy talented and even though he may be one of the nicest people on the planet, I couldn't imagine him playing with bums.
The rest of the band popped in one by one and eventually they get set up and start playing. The first song is a slower one. It sounds great and the crowd seemed to dig it but on the following song they started playing some dance rhythms and you could feel the energy build in the room. It was electric.
Jaunito had told me this was the band's first time playing together and that they hadn't rehearsed at all, but they were clearly all strong enough musicians that it didn't matter at all. Not for a second.
Jaunito's eldest son, a musician himself, even sat in with the band for a song as he belted out the vocals in a very Mars Volta like wail. There's definitely something in the water at Jaunito's house!
All in all it was a great night. From the moment they started playing they were in the groove, having fun, and surfing that wave of energy that filled the room. It was magic.
It was magic, revealed to me by a chance encounter at a car dealership service center.
The universe is speaking to us all, we just have to listen.
If the universe sent YOU here, check out Jaunito's band Rumba Ketumba which are featured in the photos or his other band Malamana who has music on Spotify.
Thanks for reading,
-Richard :)
Hi my name is BLOG
An introduction of sorts.
For those of you that don’t know me too well yet I wanted to introduce this blog in a manner that I felt comfortable with, so this is that.
I would like you to understand that I AM AN ARTIST and I identify as both a photographer AND a comedian. —No this isn't a hackey conservative 'i IdEnTiFy As A _________' type of "joke" <eyeroll> —rather it's a dead-ass, sincere, clarification about who I am and what I am doing here in this blog/website, in my career, in my life.
This is important to me because the comedian side is much more apparent in my writing than it is in my photos and I don't want anything I do to take anyone by surprise or to open myself up to the asinine criticisms of "this is not _________" or "stick to _________."
I'm an artist and I refuse to be put into a box because of someone else's narrow views.
Anyway, to help clarify I have listed both what this blog is all about and what it’s not all about below.
What this blog is all about:
Whatever the fuck I want
What this blog is NOT all about:
Bullshit*
*unless I want to write about bullshit.
Ok. Maybe that was a tad facetious. But it’s coming from a real place.
I have a problem with a lot of "photographers" —and I was one of these for a while —which is that they blog about COMPLETE BULLSHIT. Whether it’s the “top 10 ways to de-stress your wedding day,” “3 tips for getting the best newborn photos,” or “fun ideas for a family photoshoot that everyone will enjoy!” <BARF> IT’S ALL HORSE SHIT! And it's not just the wedding and portrait photographers doing this shit you'll see fine art photographers blog about "the top 5 benefits of having art in your house" or whatever cookie cutter bullshit they're trying to shovel down your throat. It’s all straight marketing to get you to buy into a product or service. While it may be coming from real experience or maybe even a real desire to share information those types posts are ALWAYS meant as avenues to sell the reader something. They’re not real blogs.
In a way you could say I am trying to do exactly what they're doing because I'm trying to sell you on me, but also in so many ways I'm not doing aaaaaaanything link that. And to be fair, I'm actually not trying to sell you on me. My goal is to share all my different sides of my creativity and expression. If you happen find any of that relatable, enjoyable, insightful, helpful, etc. then THAT'S FUCKING AWESOME and I think you'll find a lot of stuff that you like here. And if you don't like my stuff that's ok too, I mean... you may want to start doing some brain exercises or schedule an appointment with a neurologist because it doesn't speak highly of your intellect, but it's still ok! <--[THIS IS AN EXAMPLE OF MY HUMOUR]
So if you do support me in any way whether its appreciating my writing/photos, or buying every print, book, or film project that I produce please know that I am truly thankful to have your support. As someone who didn't come from money I understand that it is important for me to make a living, but I also want to be able to share my work with folks who might not have the means to buy my art. So that's a big reason that I have this blog.
All in all, I created this blog to be a place where I can share photos, maybe with a fun anecdote or some kind of backstory on how they came about AND at the same time I want it to be a place where I can share my thoughts and opinions on anything and everything. From the political turmoil that we are currently suffering through as a nation, to the fact that not enough people know about the Showtime series "Episodes" starring Matt LeBlanc which is one of the funniest shows ever written. Essentially, it's a place for me to share any form of artistic expression that can fit on this 2 dimensional plane that you're currently looking at.
So if you're only here for a certain type of art, there will be plenty of that for you and for the shit you don't like you can scroll on by, but I will say this: IF you’re a fan of at least one of my artistic expressions, there's a good chance you'd probably like the other stuff too. I'm just saying...
In conclusion, I dunno if that was clear AT ALL or if this is useful to anyone other than myself, but that's pretty much what this is and will be. If there's a change to my approach I'll let you know.
Either way thanks for taking the time to read my bullshit.
-Richard :)
P.S. Please enjoy these images from my portfolio at the time this was originally published.
