Just Added This Shot of Lance Mountain To My Online Store

Shot this of Lance Mountain at Pipeline Skatepark in mid 80s and it is now available on my online store.
Photo: Grant Brittain

New unpublished Rodney Mullen photo

Just added this photo of Rodney Mullen that I shot late one night in February of 2012. It has never been published it in any of the skate mags. I have finally posted it in my online store where it is available for purchase. Photo: Brittain

I was watching Tony Hawk yesterday at the Clash at Clairemont skating for hours on a bum knee and wondering how he just keeps giving to Skateboarding and to kids all over the world? He could just retire from it all and kick back and relax, but he doesn't. Thanks Tony for all that you have given. Photos: Brittain

The Story Behind My 20X24 Polaroid Project

The 20X24 Polaroid Project I did in 2003 stemmed from an earlier workshop I did in 2001 with Tracy Storer at the Santa Fe Photographic Workshops in New Mexico. The story starts earlier than that however, it starts with a show at MOPA in San Diego that I saw way back in the early 80s featuring various artists and photographers and their work with the massive 20X24 Polaroid camera. There were only I think six of these cameras in the world at this time and to a photographer and especially to a student as myself this camera was like the Holy Grail. In a room off of the main gallery room I could see some people working with the dishwasher sized camera and setting up a shot, I was intrigued and envious of them for being able to create with that behemoth device. I vowed that I would someday work with that beautiful box.

Like I said, the camera is the size of a dishwasher and sits on top of a wheeled trolley and consists of a lens, lens board, a bellows and a ground glass for focusing, it is a large view camera, we're talking BIG! Once you focus the subject, you swing the film back onto the rear of the camera, the film back houses two rolls of Polaroid film, one roll is positive and the other is negative. A chemical pod that looks similar to an Otter Pop is also inserted at the bottom. From this point, it's pretty much like shooting any camera or Polaroid, except BIGGER! You set your lens and click the shutter and pull the film out the bottom where the pod of chemicals squeezes onto the paper and cut the paper to the proper length. There is a wait to allow the image to develop and then you peel the negative and the positive apart like you would with a regular Polaroid except it is Bigger. The first time you do this, it is a total mindblower! Shooting smaller Polaroids after that pale in comparison to the 20X24 format. I have told a pretty abridged and simplified and novice version of this process, sorry to Tracy Storer and John Reuter. So, back to this project I was working on in 2003. I was collaborating with Josh W Higgins on my AIGA photo exhibition in San Diego and my friend, Mike Farber offered to be my patron and fund a trip to San Francisco and work with the 20X24 Polaroid that Tracy Storer operated there. I started contacting some SF professional skaters that I knew weeks in advance and gave them a date for shooting and they all showed up during the day and we made some great photos. I also made some Polaroid transfers the day before with some of my art photography, but that's another story. My 20 year long dream of working with that giant camera came true on those trips to Santa Fe and San Francisco, I consider myself very fortunate. Thanks to the skaters, Tracy Storer, Mike Farber and Josh Higgins for the opportunity. Check out the link to see the photos. Check out the link to see the Polaroids.

Oceanside, California has a rich skateboarding history and I was able to document a bit of it with my camera through the 80s and 90s. Join me next Monday night, April 22nd at The Privateer from 6 to 9pm for "The O'side Skate Connection". The Privateer is located at 1706 South PCH(101) in South Oceanside. GSD at Shell Bowl in 1985. Photo: Brittain

This Saturday, April 13th, push yourself over to the PUSH photo show in Encinitas and get an eyeful of some hot skate photos from some of the best skate photographers in the world. Click photo for details. Photo of Tod Swank by Grant Brittain.

This photo of Christian Hosoi pulling a Rocket Air at Skilly's Ramp in the mid 80s is available in my online store if you are magnetically drawn to it.

Got some nice Viewage on The World's Best Ever site and the Nothing Major site. Do they cancel each other out? Lance Mountain, Sweden, 1985. Photo: Brittain

Arkitip presents Grant Brittain at As Issued Bookstore April 2nd in Costa Mesa. Beer. Be there, I will be. 

Natas and Gonz 80s Portrait

I shot this portrait of Natas and Gonz in the 80s after a full morning of Thrifting. It is now available in my online shop. Photo: Brittain

My prints are available for purchase in my online shop at jgrantbrittainphotos.com 

Thanks to everyone for your support.

Arkitip has just published my limited edition zine and ESPN just featured it.

Tod Swank "Push" BW print available for purchase online

I shot this cover of Tod Swank pushing along in Del Mar, CA and it ran as the TWS June 1987 cover and has become pretty iconic through the years. The black and white print is available in my online shop at jgrantbrittainphotos.com

Still have limited edition signed posters from my FTC show in SF at http://jgrantbrittainphotos.com

Triples in Street? Left to right, Doug Smith, Mark Gonzales and Steve Caballero at Louisville, Kentucky NSA Contest in mid-80s. Photo: Brittain Print is available for purchase.                                                                          

You may view and purchase my photos at jgrantbrittainphotos.comThis photo is of Steve Caballero at Fish Banks in San Jose in 1986. Photo: Brittain

Back in the day when skaters were hoisting "Lead Sleds" into the skies. Tony Hawk crossbones a lien in the Keyhole at Del Mar Skate Ranch, 1986. Photo: Brittain

Like All Good Things...

Salton Sea Pool in the 80s before the graffiti and the destruction. It is no more, like all good things, it came to an end. Photo: Grant Brittain

Rocco styling

Steve Rocco laid out in some sort fakie Bertlemann slide at Gerebic/School W. 1987 Photo: Brittain

Directions: Walk up large hill, set up lights, lie down on ground shooting with fisheye and have Mike Vallely do a backside tailslide inches from your head, snap photo and don't get hit. Photo shot in June, 2012 and published in The Skateboard Mag. Photo: Grant Brittain