“Out of Step: Faces of Straight Edge” Now Available as eBook
Four years after my book “Out of Step: Faces of Straight Edge” was published it is now available as an eBook for your iPhone and iPad. The book has been optimized and reformatted for the devices but the material remains 100% true to the first edition. Check it out here and please write a review! Thanks. -Ray
Digital promos available upon request.
Best of Pictures 2011
The holidays are approaching and 2011 is coming to a close. This is the time of year I look back on all the pictures I made throughout the year and ask myself are any of them worth entering in a contest. I’m never satisfied with my work and am often frustrated that I didn’t do more. I tried to keep my selection this year to ten images but I couldn’t get past 11. So here are my favorite pictures of 2011. These are in a visual arrangement not chronological.
Starting off with a bang, the birth of our second child. Our boy Hudson a.k.a. Sonny was born on July 25. I documented the whole pregnancy and labor with a fifty-five year old Nikon S2 rangefinder. In this image my wife Jennifer labors in the jacuzzi tub of our room at the birthing center at St. Luke’s Roosevelt Hospital in Manhattan.
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Earth Crisis in ATL
My friends Chris and Jimmy are filling in on guitar and bass for a month-long tour with the seminal hardcore band Earth Crisis. I was really looking forward to not only seeing EC again but seeing two of my friends play in the band. EC’s original show in ATL fell through but thanks to some locals they were able to quickly put together a show with three local bands that turned out to be a very fun night reminiscent of the good ol’ hardcore shows I grew up going to in North Carolina. Here are some pics from the night.
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Oscar Pistorius for The New York Times
A few weeks ago I had the pleasure of photographing Oscar Pistorius, a South African sprinter and model of the new advertising campaign for Thierry Mugler A★Men fragrance for the Styles section of The New York Times. On the track Oscar is known as Blade Runner, “the fastest man on no legs.” A double amputee, he runs on J-shaped prosthetics made of carbon fiber. As you may recall I recently finished a longer documentary story on another double amputee athlete named Damian Lopez Alfonso. Oscar was a very amiable man, very easy going and so fun to work with. Here are a few flicks from the shoot.
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Pretty Faces on a Dirty Brooklyn Street
On a recent hot and humid Saturday afternoon I invited my two friends Laura Wilson and Colin Tanner out for a little modeling session. This is my favorite way to shoot portraits; pick a spot and use the environment and subjects to get variety instead of fooling with changing lighting set ups and ratios. And it always helps to have a beautiful subject. Stay cool out there.
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RayMJones.com v3.0 is Live
Version 3.0 of my portfolio website raymjones.com is finally live and what a refreshing update it is. For the past three years I worked with two friends who designed and built my portfolio site. Everything was custom flash and making any updates involved editing the XML which, needless to say, can be tedious. Recently both of those friends have become very busy professionally and personally. So after much deliberation I decided it was finally time for a complete redesign.
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Self Promo Redesign: Part One
With a huge career move on the horizon so comes a to do list a mile long. At the top of my list is a complete redesign from top to bottom; portfolio, website, blog, promo material, logo. Everything must be fresh. I approached my friend, the designer Callum Preston about working with me on the branding. Callum is an Aussie who moved to the states recently and lives in Seattle. Very very talented. We also share common roots in our punk/hardcore youth which for both of us, I think, to some degree informs our design sensibilities. More on that to come.
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Graceful Bodies
I recently spent the morning photographing two very talented dancers Heather Seagraves and Matthew Cichon for a photographic study in form that I was doing. Here are a few of my favorites from the shoot.
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“Love Endures Even Cancer” on the New York Times
The first time I met Gavin he was sitting on a hospital bed at NYU with a titanium halo screwed into his skull in four places. He was preparing for a procedure called gamma knife in which gamma rays are very precisely targeted at cancerous tumors. Gavin had two metastases in his brain and many more throughout his lungs, liver, pancreas and bones. But even with all this weighing on him Gavin never stopped smiling, never stopped joking and never stopped living.
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Branding and Redesign, Phase One
Several weeks ago I approached my mate Callum Preston, a very talented designer in Seattle, about working with me on a branding campaign for my photography. The first element is done and I wanted to share a picture.
We developed two logos; a small one and a big one. The large logo is based on the tattoo I have on my chest that Adam Barton designed in 2003. The other is a smaller logo which we incorporated my initials in to.
I had these made into stamps that came in today. Next up we have a round of business cards that we’re letter pressing on Crane Lettra paper by my good friend Ben Sap in North Carolina. After that a brilliant take on the traditional promo package. Stay tuned for more.
Thomas Giles, Braveyoung and Stephen Brodsky in NYC
My good friends from North Carolina in Thomas Giles (featuring guys from BTBAM, Prayer for Cleansing and Hopesfall) and Braveyoung played at Santos Party House in New York on April 2nd with Stephen Brodsky. I went with my pal Chris Walker and the night turned into quite the North Carolina expat reunion with no fewer than a dozen former North Carolinians in attendance. A great combination of good music, old friends and a fun night. You can see more pictures at Flickr.
Documenting a Pregnancy
As I mentioned before, I bought a new-old camera as part of my grand scheme-pregnancy project part two. For our first pregnancy, my wife Jenn and I produced a DIY documentary about our pregnancy experience. I shot pictures the entire time using my Canon 5D. Then several months after the birth we interviewed each other and recalled our experiences. This was the result.
This time around, for the second pregnancy, we are doing something a little different. I shoot with a digital camera everyday and I’ve been eager for a chance to get back to basics. So I bought a Nikon S2, a fully mechanical rangefinder, no LCD, no light meter, made in 1955. And fitted with a 50mm f/2 and Provia film I will again take pictures the entire time. The ever present goal being to, obviously, tell the story in pictures.
Why choose a 56-year-old camera? Why shoot film? Why make it harder on myself? I often find myself asking this question along the way during various projects. I guess the answer is, unless it’s challenging I get bored. And if I get bored I loose interest and my work will show that I have done so. A characteristic I have come to recognize.
Through this process of documenting the birth of my second child with this camera, this seemingly replaceable mechanical object will embody something more. It will be forever kept and remembered as the camera that I documented the pregnancy and birth of my second child with. And I will pass it down to my child when he/she is old enough and it will be something he/she can keep forever and hand down to his/her child.
I guess that is why I chose to buy a beat up 56-year-old camera to use on this project. Digital files come and go, are created and corrupted, burned and lost. New models of digital cameras are released everyday. The cameras of the early to mid 20th century witnessed the “golden age” of photojournalism, street photography, conflict photography. I guess that’s why I find worth in these objects. When the tools you use are with you every step of the way through a life changing experience they become more than just tools. They become cherished pieces of your own history.
Here are pictures from the first roll of film I ran through the camera as a test.
Photographing Coney Island in the Dead of Winter
There’s no denying Coney Island has a special place in American history. It has a long reputation for being a day-trip getaway for New Yorkers where one can do anything from ride Deno’s Wonder Wheel to see a side show act or just sit on the beach. But it seems like every year we hear new stories of the classic attractions at Coney Island being threatened by aggressive developers. For now though, the boardwalk is still intact and the Mermaid Parade is still happening.
On a recent family trip to the New York Aquarium on Coney Island with my beautiful wife and two-year-old son, I took a few minutes to walk the boardwalk and take a few pictures. It was a cold and snowy day, a perfect chance to see the dormant side of Coney Island.
What Happens to your Poo in Brooklyn?
Funny you ask. It goes to a place called the Newtown Creek Wastewater Treatment Plant in Greenpoint, Brooklyn. If you haven’t heard of the name there’s a better chance that you are familiar with the unique architectural design of the plant including the iconic digester eggs.
All wastewater in Brooklyn and Queens comes to the plant for “cleaning,” a complicated and scientific process of treating the water before it is released back to nature by way of the East River. Sludge and methane gas are two of the natural bi-products of this process. The sludge can eventually be used as fertilizer and the methane gas is a source of renewable energy.
I visited the plant this week to shoot pictures for a NYT story on how the city plans to convert methane gas released from the sludge to energy. I could have spent a whole day at the plant wandering around but unfortunately my time was limited. But here are a few favorites.
Recent Images from the Streets of NYC
I’ve never spent a great deal of time doing street photography but occasionally I will go out with one camera and one lens and see what unfolds. For me that’s the most thrilling and enjoyable part of street photography. You set out with a clear head; no shot list, no specific direction, just wander. And when you come across something special, in broad daylight, that screams at you while everyone else is rushing by without a notice, it’s magical.
Street photography was an early inspiration for me as a young photographer. I studied the work of photographers like Henri Cartier-Bresson, André Kertész and Trent Parke to name a few. Their vision, style and ability to capture the moment influenced me greatly.
I recently set out on a much less grandiose street photography adventure for a column in The New York Times called Metropolitan Diary. Here is what I found while wandering a small area of Manhattan.
Most Precious Blood in Brooklyn
Most Precious Blood, a great contemporary hardcore band with ex-members of legendary Indecision, One King Down, etc., played Sunday night at Public Assembly in Brooklyn. It was MPB’s album release show for Do Not Resuscitate on Bullet Tooth Records. It was great seeing my good friend Matt Miller from ATL and Mr. Brannan who lives out in Bay Ridge. My pregnant wife even made a night of it as well as fellow Empirer Chris Walker. Great old school-feeling show. Be sure to check out the Indecision/Unbroken/Jesuit epic show on April 9. It’s sold out but if you can find a way in, make it happen.
A Snow Day with Tattoos and Beards
After the blizzard of Xmas here in NYC finally began to become a little less stupid I wanted to get out and take advantage of the snow still around and set up some kind of a shoot. I called my friend Colby Smith who works at NewYork Adorned and asked if he’d be interested in “modeling.” Modeling for one of my shoots usually means just running around having fun and trying to pretend like I’m not there. Being the solid dude Colby is, he was of course down and he brought along Steve French of The End Records. The day shaped up beautifully with temperatures in the forties and a thick fog that rolled into the field at Prospect Park right as we began shooting. Steve did launch a snowball directly into the lens of my Hasselblad right off the bat but after that we got some great stuff. Check it out.
See more pictures at TheBrightLives.com
Take Me to the Deep South
The first trip of the year for The Joneses was to Atlanta, a place that holds a special place in our heart. We were married there in 2007 and moved to NYC from there shortly after our wedding. We still have many friends there and do not get back nearly as much as we would like. On this trip we of course ate plenty of great vegan cuisine, were inspired by the city’s ambition with the new Beltline project and were reminded why not having a car can actually be a privilege. Our Southern blood still flows strong.
The night before we were set to fly back to NYC, my good friend Matt Miller (MPB, Five Mile Grace) and I made the drive up to Lawrenceville, Ga. where we met our fellow hardcore straight edge compadré Tony Price for the Foundation, Naysayer, Come Back Kid show. Matt was shooting the show for Foundation’s upcoming debut release on Bridge Nine Records. I couldn’t help but shoot some pictures as well. Other pictures from the trip are on FB.
Best of 2010. . .
“Best of” is not completely accurate; favorites would be more like it. I didn’t shoot nearly as much as I would have liked in 2010. I don’t mean just taking pictures, I mean investing energy in projects that I am passionate about. And that is my number one resolution for 2011, to completely release my creative side and go all out.
Some of my favorite shoots from this year were the Banker horses on the Outer Banks, the New York City Marathon and a story in progress about a person struggling with gender.
More on nytimes.com: Around the Grill and Barbecues, High and Low
Here’s to 2011 and another wonderful year. Love you family, thanks for the support.
Digital Cellular Pictures
Below is a picture I made while waiting for my train yesterday evening. The subject was far away and my camera was disassembled in my backpack. Luckily the Camera+ iPhone app allows zooming, though as you can tell not very well. The body language of the subject and the atmosphere still make it a memorable picture for me. I’ve also updated the series on my website called “Digital Cellular” which contains pictures shot with my iPhone.
New York City Marathon, Round Three
This is my third year going to the New York City Marathon, which took place this past weekend. The race is in it’s 41st year and draws thousands (45,344 this year) of athletes from around the world. Among road races, the NYC race is well known for its unique atmosphere and energy. The runners start on Staten Island at the Verrazano-Narrows Bridge, the temperature usually hovers around 40 degrees. During the 26.2 miles of the race runners make their way through countless neighborhoods in the remaining four boroughs. The race ends in Central Park, this year on the west side near 67th Street.
This year my colleague Jon Huang and I wanted to build off of our concept from last year, Faces at the Finish. We wanted to take it a step further and capture an even more intimate portrait of the NYC marathoner. After working out our last minute credentials and figuring out a location to set up the “studio” the only thing we had to do was pray for good weather.
I had a well formed vision of what I wanted the pictures to look like. I used my Canon 5D Mark II and Canon 135 1.4. We set up a 5×7 foot white backdrop and two Alien Bees 800W strobes powered by two Vagabond battery packs. We didn’t have access to power and since we were going to be shooting for several hours power management was a top priority. The Alien Bees lights are compact, light and efficient and my first choice for location shooting. We shot at about 1/2 power and the battery packs held up great.
We aimed to photograph at least 100 runners beginning with the Elite Women who started rolling in around noon. We had to wrap shooting at 3 p.m. to break down and head back to the office to start producing in order to get the piece up that evening. Jon waded through the crowd of runners and grabbed people as quickly as he could. Then while I photographed them Jon began entering their info into an Excel spreadsheet. We made it a point to keep everything as organized as possible so our job of producing little would go as smoothly as possible.
Jon worked his magic with the final product and presentation on the website. Again we wanted a fluid and smooth way to deliver the pictures. I think we achieved our goal. But check it out and see what you think.
Secrets of the Centenarians
What’s a centenarian? The dictionary defines it as “pertaining to or having lived 100 years.” Almost 100,000 people in the U.S. today are over the age of 100. That’s a big deal. Even in this age of advanced medicine and extreme technology it’s considered by many a rare achievement to live so long. While many people look to religion or inner spirituality to extend their lives other opt for more superficial solutions to make them appear younger.
I recently spent a day with with a wonderful 100-year-old woman in Charlotte, N.C. named Hazel Miller for a feature in The New York Times called “Secrets of the Centenarians.” Ms. Miller was born in Athens, Ga. in 1910 and moved to Charlotte with her family in 1925 during the depression to look for work.
Today she lives at Atria MerryWood, a senior living center, and spends her time line dancing and china painting among other things. And she still drives herself around. She says the only secret to making it to 100 is just to keep living.
The Joneses Back in the South
The Joneses took a trip to North Carolina recently to visit family and friends. We both grew up there and fell in love there so it’s always a special place to return to. Tattoos were made, love was shared and good times were had. During our short trip we managed to spend time in Charlotte, Greensboro, Trinity, Chapel Hill and Raleigh and see a majority of the Southern Empire Crew. Here are a few memories from our trip.
Wild Banker Horses of the Outer Banks
Earlier this summer escaped New York for a few days to vacation on the Outer Banks of North Carolina in a little town called Corolla. As a kid growing up in Chesapeake, Va. the Outer Banks was a familiar place. I often went on weekend trips with friends and family to places like Ocracoke Island, Nags Head and Kitty Hawk. Ocracoke Island was always my favorite.
The vacation was short but I was able to steal away for a few hours to go horse searching with Wesley Stallings of the Corolla Wild Horse Fund, the herd manager of the 88 wild horses that live in Corolla. The horses are descendants of the original Colonial Spanish Mustangs brought to America by the conquistadors over 500 years ago.
Mr. Stallings is responsible for the general well being of the horses which travel in family groups on the 7500 acres of dunes and beach. Everyday he sets out in his four-wheel drive truck searching for the horses. He records all sightings and makes notes of every detail he can observe from the horses for identification purposes. There are no roads on the land where the horses live only trails.
Mr. Stallings says the biggest threat to the horses is development. The Outer Banks is a fragile ecosystem but it’s remoteness also makes it a desirable place for large rental beach homes. Developers continue to build large homes on the very land the horses have lived on for over 500 years.
Towns like Corolla and Duck exploit the uniqueness of the horses by using their image on promotional fliers and signage yet official protection for the animals is still lacking. Mr. Stallings’ primary goal is to get the horses officially recognized as the state horse and then seek federal protection.
