Showcase: Are You There, Dad?
Showcase: Life Lessons
Intro
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Phoot Camp
Teaming up with Virb to present Phoot Camp 2010.
“Life is about doing great work with our friends, if we make it happen.” I said it. I meant it.
Before I launched Pictory, I hosted a photo workshop weekend called Phoot Camp. I reached out to 20 talented photographers I’d discovered in my previous life as the editor of JPG Magazine. I asked them to go against their better judgment and join me and a bunch of strangers for a camping trip in the backwoods of Northern California. They brought scuba gear, fog machines, ladders, 30-foot monopods, and other sensible equipment for the photographer-on-the-go. I still don’t understand why the park ranger didn’t kick us out for the incessant “phoot lightning” of flash bulbs rippling up the trees or the “phoot snakes” of extension cords tracing out from the bathroom outlets. Probably because his stern warnings couldn’t hide the fact that he was having fun. We all were. And even better, we’ve stayed in touch. A number of friendships, creative collaborations, professional gigs, and even a few road trips have resulted from that weekend in the woods.
I can’t wait to bring us back together for the second annual Phoot Camp, taking place August 6-8, 2010 in Los Angeles. And back to that “great work with our friends” thing: I get to team up with the Virb crew on making this year’s Phoot Camp bigger, better, and more beautiful. I’ve known the Virb staffers for years, including Ryan Sims who guest designed Pictory’s Life Before Your Eyes showcase a few months ago. I’ve seen sneak peeks of what they’re launching in July — a platform for building simple, elegant websites — and it’s gorgeous. I’m looking forward to showing off the images that come out of this year’s Phoot Camp event in one of their portfolio themes. (Speaking of images: I’ve included a few highlights from last year below, but you can also check out the full Phoot Camp story.)
Does this sound amazing to you? Are you free August 6-8, and able to get yourself to Los Angeles? Good news. I’ve opened up 10 spots for new people, maybe you.
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Ice Breaker ∞
“Photographer Ryan Schude is best known for complex, cinematic images reminiscent of the work of Jeff Wall or Gregory Crewdson. Weeks before Phoot Camp, Ryan sent me this inspiration image from the Big Lebowski and we started planning a big group shot. Everyone brought their favorite pajamas and we passed a bottle of whiskey around to stay warm during the dozens of takes Ryan had us perform. I can’t think of a better way to get acquainted!” —LBM
Photographer: Ryan Schude
Ryan is a freelance photographer living and working out of the Forge Studio in Los Angeles.
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Lions and tigers and… photographers? Don’t worry — these top notch artists weren’t actually scared into the chilly night by snarling predators. This was the first staged scene of the 48-hour photography workshop known as Phoot Camp, an exclusive invite-only camping trip hosted by Laura Brunow Miner, former editor-in-chief of JPG Magazine.”
—San Francisco Magazine, January 2010three
Fireside ∞
“After the group shot, I shared a brief description of each photographer with the group. And then I had the distinct pleasure of introducing three people (an Austrian, South African, and a Brit) to their first ever s’more.” —LBM
Photographer: Chad Nicholson
Chad Nicholson is the official photographer for Improv Everywhere and lives in Brooklyn and Los Angeles.
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Shot in the Dark ∞
“We didn’t tell ghost stories, but we did pass Chad’s super-powered scuba head lamp for this portrait series. Steph coined the term “phoot crickets” for the constant sound of shutters clicking around the campfire. I was so impressed by the way this group never sat still — they were constantly spinning up into new photo experiments.” —LBM
Photographer: Steph Goralnick
Steph Goralnick is a photographer and graphic designer who lives in Brooklyn, NY.
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Oh no, it’s not a typo. It’s P-H-O-O-T camp, like boot camp or unsupported characters, or include a non-local or incorrectly linked interwiki prefix. You may be able to locate the desired page by searching for its name (with interwiki prefix, if any) in the search box.
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Camp.” —Me, oftensix
Making a Run for It ∞
“Daniel Gebhart de Koekkoek, pictured, came the furthest for Phoot Camp — all the way from Vienna. He rented an van and continued photographing California for weeks afterward.” —LBM
Photographer: Dan Busta
Dan Busta’s sport documentary work has brought him around the globe to countries such as Germany, Slovenia, Croatia, Peru, and Serbia. In contrast to his past works, Busta recently has been concentrating on photographing human emotions. Busta works out of his Los Angeles studio, The Forge.
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Geared Up ∞
“One of the assigned challenges of the weekend was to shoot a portrait of the person that had been sitting next to you the first night. Ryan’s portrait of Chad Nicholson conveys the level of enthusiasm and insanity common among the attendees. Chad might have brought the most gear (generator? scuba tank?) but everyone brought too much.” —LBM
Photographer: Ryan Schude
Ryan is a freelance photographer living and working out of the Forge Studio in Los Angeles.
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Forest for the Trees ∞
“I love that Paul incorporated his signature illustration style (which can also be seen in Pictory’s about section and Local Flavor showcase) into his photos from the weekend.” —LBM
Photographer: Paul Octavious
Paul is a photographer and designer in Chicago.
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‘This idea came out of the joy centers of my brain. It was just kind of a goofy lark,’ [Laura Brunow Miner] says. ‘I love to introduce people I know will get along great and maybe make beautiful work together.’”
—Laurence Chen for American Photo Magazine, July 2010ten
The Album Cover ∞
“During the day Saturday, we split up into a few different groups: hikers on a photo scavenger hunt, a team creating a stop-motion in the historic fishing village, etc.” —LBM
Photographer: Steph Goralnick
Steph Goralnick is a photographer and graphic designer who lives in Brooklyn.
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Off the Grid ∞
“To learn more about the diverse group — including architects, scientists, professional pranksters, and art directors as well as the expected professional photographers — check out the attendees page of the Phoot Camp site.” —LBM
Photographer: Dan Busta
Dan Busta’s sport documentary work has brought him around the globe to countries such as Germany, Slovenia, Croatia, Peru, and Serbia. In contrast to his past works, Busta recently has been concentrating on photographing human emotions. Busta works out of his Los Angeles studio, The Forge.
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Funny Face ∞
“Think you’ve got the right stuff for Phoot 2010? Do you love fun and photography equally? Are you inventive and easy-going? How much ridiculous camera gear/props can you fit in a carry-on? Apply below if you’re up to the challenge.” —LBM
Photographer: Jen Giese
Jen is the store manager for Photojojo and lives in San Francisco.
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Want to be part of next month’s Phoot Camp?
If you can get yourself to Los Angeles from August 6 – 8, you may be able to join our houseful of creatives. Ten new photographers will get to attend. To apply, submit a self portrait with a paragraph on why you’re perfect for Phoot Camp by July 7, 2010.
You’ve got a story to tell
The photo stories you see in these showcases come from Pictory contributors all over the world. You can submit your work too. All you need is a great image with a great story. Check out our current themes to get started.