MEET. Stacy Keck


© Stacy Keck

Meet California based photographer, co-founder of @youbelonghereSD and APA member, Stacy Keck.

Who are your top 5 favorites that you’re following on Instagram? 
@danielnjohnson, a portrait photographer in LA. He captures movement and emotion in such a beautiful way.

@jessicavwalsh, a designer/art director in New York. Her #sorryihavenofilterimages series is hilarious.

@brinsonbanks, a husband-wife duo known for their creative portraits of creative
people. They share some great BTS moments in their Instagram stories.

@evanmcginnis, my boyfriend. He has such a good eye for capturing interesting
still-lifes and portraits. He also curates @found_film_photos, where he shares
images scanned from negatives that he’s collected at swap meets. The photos
are timeless and his captions are priceless.

Also, if you haven’t seen @dogs_infood, you’re doing Instagram wrong.

What is your camera of choice?
I shoot work stuff with a Canon 5D Mark IV, and travel/personal stuff with a Sony Alpha 7R.

What do you listen to when you’re shooting?
My musical tastes are pretty eclectic… some might say schizophrenic. My favorite playlist features songs by Wu-Tang and Neil Young, if that gives you an idea.

Who were your biggest influences?
Since I didn’t go to photo school, my influences aren’t necessarily famous historical photographers. I’ve been lucky enough to learn from and be influenced by the community of photographers in San Diego who have supported my interest in photography and helped me learn the ropes along the way. John Durant, scott b. davis, Monica Hoover and Hailley Howard have been there as mentors and friends from the beginning. 

What were you doing before you became a Photographer?
I worked in public relations for several years, most recently in the Public Affairs office for Caltrans. I used to do live TV interviews on KUSI, very early in the mornings, wearing a hard hat and reflective vest. Feels good to be on the other side of the camera now.

What 3 words describe your photography style?
Genuine, intentional, honest

When were you first introduced to Photography?
At a young age, by my grandmother. She wasn’t necessarily the best photographer, but she was always taking photos of me and my family. When she passed away a few years ago, she left behind 18 albums full of photographs, all meticulously organized and labeled with the names of her subjects.

What was the best piece of advice you were given starting out?
“Go out and fail. The magic happens outside of your comfort zone.”

If you weren’t a Photographer, what would you be doing?
I’d like to think that I can be a photographer in addition to being many other things. I’m in the process of starting a new project called You Belong Here, a creative co-working and event space opening this fall. There’s an area carved out for photographers to shoot portraits and small products, and collaborate with other members. Our vision for the space is that it will become a hub for all types of creatives to learn, work together and share ideas that will help small-business owners thrive. Follow along: @youbelonghereSD

What do you do when you get stuck?
Getting stuck is usually a sign that I’m spending too much time thinking about something, instead of feeling it out. My gut always knows what’s best, so typically getting stuck is just a reminder that I need to pay more attention to that feeling.

Do you have a favorite podcast?
A friend recently introduced me to Being Boss, a podcast based on the book of the same title by Kathleen Shannon and Emily Thompson. They talk shop with other creative entrepreneurs, offering guidance on business advice and lessons on self-care and finding balance.

What is your favorite curse word?
F U C K

What is your best marketing advice for your peers?
Work hard, be nice to people. Your work may be great, but there’s no better marketing than positive word-of-mouth.

What advice would you give to yourself if you could go back 10 years? 20 years?
10 years: Relax, things are about to get really good.
20 years: Take it easy on the cheap vodka. 🙂

Check out more work from Stacy Keck!

“And Here We Are – A Nature Story” with Bil Zelman at MOPA

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@ Bil Zelman

Join us for “And Here We Are – A Nature Story” with Bil Zelman at Museum of Photographic Arts on Thursday, September 6, 2018. This is a special one-night event including a photographic talk and presentation in the Joan and Irwin Jacobs Theater.

Photographer Bil Zelman’s evocative monograph “And Here We Are – A Nature Story” examines the current condition of our rapidly changing landscape, the punishing impacts of non-native and invasive species and the fragile places where man and nature collide.

Zelman has traveled extensively from the Amazon River to the Hudson, across the Sonoran Desert, the Mississippi Delta and up through the mountains of British Columbia documenting the beginnings of the Holocene Extinction and the impacts when species are juggled on a global scale. “Each photograph in this series presents its own protagonist in a distinct environment and while every image tells its own cautionary tale, the entire collection of photographs depicts the larger story of humanity’s often overlooked impacts.”

About Bil Zelman:

Photographer Bil Zelman has been on assignment in over 30 countries, shot journalism overseas for VICE and photographed and directed dozens of international fashion and advertising campaigns for well-known brands such as Frye Boots, Coca-Cola, Guinness, and Harley Davidson. His work has been featured in a variety of publications including Rolling Stone and GQ and he’s been selected for Archives Top 200 Photographers Worldwide ten years in a row.

Thursday, September 6th, 2018
Doors open at 6:00 PM, Event starts at 6:30 PM

APA and MOPA Members: $5
Students and OTL: $5
Affiliates: $15
Non-members: $20
Reserve your seat now

Thank you to our sponsors:

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Making the Move to Motion

APA_motion_eventbriteHave you made the move to making movies?
Now’s your chance to show off your directorial dexterity at the upcoming screening roundtable discussion ‘Making The Move To Motion.’ Send us your 5-minute (max) motion project (on any topic) and join us on Thursday, August 30th with your popcorn bowl for APA San Diego’s silver screen event.

The most interesting and accomplished pieces will be selected and shown large, so compress to impress. All levels of photographers and cinematographers are encouraged to join the night’s discussions.

To submit, please send a link to director@apasd.org by August 15th. We will screen as many submissions as possible.

WHEN: Thursday, August 30, 2018
Doors open at 6:30 PM, Event starts at 7 PM

WHERE: Riverdale Studios
6314 Riverdale St., San Diego, CA 92120 | 619-280-9900

SPECS: 1080p HD | Limit 2 submissions per person | Max 5 minutes long, including credits

We are professionals and license our photos, so be sure to license any music, etc., in your video

COST: APA | SD Members: Free
Students & Affiliates: $5.00
Non-members: $10.00

Reserve your seat now

Photo credit: Gary Allard

Special Thanks to:

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An Evening with J. Grant Brittain

Thank you to everyone who attended and supported An Evening with J. Grant Brittain at Museum of Photographic Arts. It was great to have so many students, photographers and supporters in attendance. Grant’s presentation explored the history of our local skate culture and community, while sharing some great stories of his path to becoming a professional photographer.

A special thank you to J. Grant Brittain for being a long-time supporter of the creative community and taking the time to talk with students before the event.

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Photos © Stacy Keck

Thank you for your generosity!sponsors-brittain

MEET. Travis Burke


© Travis Burke

Meet Outdoor Adventure Photographer and  APASD member, Travis Burke.

Who are you following on Instagram? 
@redbull, @jimmy_chin, @metroskateboarding, @kookslams, @handsomerobinson

What is your camera of choice?
I just got the Sony A7riii. It’s just an all-around powerhouse for the diversity of things that I shoot.

What do you listen to when you’re shooting?
I’m shooting in nature most of the time, so I want to be present in the moment and just absorb the sounds around me instead of listening to music.

Who were your biggest influencers? 
My parents and my grandmother, who inspired me to be creative and to do something that I was passionate about. I even named my adventure mobile after my grandmother Betty.  

What were you doing before you became a Photographer?
I had a number of different jobs, everything from scraping grease out of restaurant vents late at night to professionally editing photos.

What 3 words describe your photography style?
Nature, vibrancy, inspiration.

When were you first introduced to Photography? 
10 years ago while planning my first road trip to Yosemite.

If you weren’t a Photographer, what would you be doing? 
I would still be doing something creative and artistic—something using my hands.

What do you do when you get stuck? 
I usually try to disconnect and spend some time alone in nature, often on a road trip where I have a lot of time to myself. I always try to disconnect from technology for awhile and be more present in the moment.

Do you have a favorite podcast?
How I Built This with Guy Raz. He interviews highly successful business owners and tells their backstory of how they got to where they are. 

What is your favorite curse word?
I make it a pretty big point to never swear.

What is your best marketing advice for your peers?
To stay true to yourself and to keep things organic. Marketing or advertising is often overdone and becomes really inauthentic.

What advice would you give to yourself if you could go back 10 years? 20 years?
Facing your fears will lead to some of the best experiences of your life.

To read more about Travis visit our website.
To view more of Travis’s work and adventures, you can follow along here.

APA AWARDS | Call for Entries

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2018 APA Awards
We have big prizes, big exposure, big recognition for winners this year. Now is the time to go big and enter your best image(s) in our annual contest.
Non-Member Entry Fee: $50 Per Image
Discounts for members:
Leader: $15 (save $35 per entry)
Professional: $20 (save $30 per entry)
Associate: $25 (save $25 per entry)
Supporter: $25 (save $25 per entry)
Contributor: $30 (save $20 per entry)

CATEGORIES
Adventure/Sports/Action
Animals
Architecture
Beauty/Fashion/Lifestyle
Celebrity/Musician
Conceptual/Altered
Documentary/Editorial
Fine Art/Personal
Portrait
Underwater/Aerial
Still Life/ Food
Travel/Landscape
Emerging/Student

Final deadline is July 12th, 2018

ENTER NOW

Who Do You Think You Are?*

Thank you for joining us for Who Do You Think You Are?*, a Branding and Promotion event for photographers. It was great to have the advise and expertise of veteran creative director Scott Mires who talked about best practices and approaches for your branding. We appreciate the continued support of our members, community and our generous sponsors who make these successful events possible.
Mires_1919Mires_1909Mires_1880Mires_1934Photos courtesy of ©John Durant

An Evening with Grant Brittain

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Join us for a special one-night event with APA photographer J. Grant Brittain at the Museum of Photographic Arts on Thursday, June 14th. Grant will be presenting and speaking on his work spanning decades of skate culture.

About Grant Brittain

Grant is a San Diego based photographer who has been shooting for nearly 40 years, capturing some of skateboarding’s finest athletes since 1979. His career in photography began while working at the Del Mar Skate Ranch, where he decided to pick up a friend’s camera and start shooting. The rest, as they say, is history. In 1983, Brittain helped to found Transworld Skateboarding Magazine, where he worked as the Photo Editor. In 2004, he left TWS to form The Skateboard Mag, which he helped run for over 10 years.

Today, Grant is still shooting daily and enjoying life in North County as a resident of Encinitas with his family, a Labrador retriever named Stella and a cat named Rosie.

Aside from his famous skateboarding photography and personal book project, he’s staying focused on both commercial and personal work, as well as speaking at photo events around the globe. Take a look at Grant’s website here to see more of his work.

When: Thursday, June 14th, 2018, 6:00 PM – 8:00 PM
Where: Museum of Photographic Arts, 1649 El Prado, San Diego, CA 92101 (Balboa Park)
Cost: APA, MOPA members: $10
Students and OTL: $5
Affiliates (ASMP, AIGA, LPW, PPSDC): $15
Non-members: $20
Space is limited, reserve your tickets here.

Thank you to our sponsors:

 

sponsors-brittain

Who Do You Think You Are?*

*And is it what you want to be known for?

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© Scott Mires

Join us for an upcoming event focused on your branding and self-promotion on Thursday, May 24th at 6:30PM with veteran creative director Scott Mires.

Do you know your brand? Is it resonating with your potential clients and customers? Did your last promo sound like crickets? We will dive into the world of visual branding and self-promotion to review what works, what doesn’t and why. Award-winning creative director Scott Mires will be critiquing a select number of photography promos and branding submissions and discussing why they are successful – or what they lack.

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© Lou Mora

Meet Scott Mires
Retired: Founder and Creative Director at MiresBall

For over 30 years I spearheaded major initiatives for industry leading brands. Whether for Qualcomm, Ballast Point Brewing, Taylor Guitars, PepsiCo, Nike, Intel or Pebble Beach my role was to guide and amplify the strategy and creative implementation. My goal was to take a project further than either I or my clients thought possible. Over my tenure it was especially gratifying to be featured in Communication Arts, named one of the globes Top 10 Design Firms by Graphis, and twice being inducted into the Library of Congress.

“My favorite quote: “Eddie would go!”, it’s served me well.”

When:
Thursday, May 24, 2018
Doors open at 6:00 PM, Event begins at 6:30 PM

Where:
Marshall Williams & Chris Park Studio, 5343 Banks Street, San Diego, CA 92110

Cost:
APA|SD Members: Free
Students and Affiliates (ASMP, MOPA, LPW): $15
Non-members: $25 ($5 more at the door)

Register Here

To be eligible to have your branded promotions reviewed, please register for the event and email a pdf to director@apasd.org. Please note not all submissions may be selected and you do not need to submit a piece if you are attending the event.

Special thanks to our sponsors:

sponsors-scott

MEET. Myles McGuinness

9MF_8985-2retouch© Myles McGuinness

Meet San Diego based photographer and APASD member, Myles McGuinness.

Who are you following on Instagram?

@almackinnon @dananeibert @stevenlippman @chrisburkard @cole_barash

What type of music do you listen to when you’re shooting? 
It varies a lot depends on the location. Hopefully something with a local vibe. I’m always
discovering new music while traveling and meeting new people. I’m always like who is this? What’s the artist’s name? Then when listen to that song it takes you right back to that place or memory. Like in Aruba it was  “Makeba” by Jain, or Puerto Rico it was Nas & Damien Marley or Tahiti it was random song that I found on Facebook by Maddie Rogers “Alaska.”

Who were your biggest influencers?
My parents were my earliest influencers and certainly lit the fire.  Artistically the following artists have influenced me for various reasons: Mies van der Rohe – less is more. Edward Hopper – for his realism and simplicity. Edward Weston and Ansel Adams for their surreal landscapes. David Carson for unique vision and his never ending quest to break the rules of the game. Finally, Peter Beard’s unique collage-like photography,
diaries and drawing collections.

What were you doing before you became a Photographer?
Living in a bunch of different places with varying cultural, geographic and personal palates inspired my sense of self-exploration, expression and art. This led to majoring in Graphic Design in college, and then a chance introductory photography class. Shortly
after, I decided to double major in both Graphic Design and Photography. Stints as an Art Director at top East- and West Coast advertising agencies followed for the next 15 years. I then decided to do things “my way,” began freelancing full-time and then jumped the fence from art directing photo shoots to shooting, them myself.

When were you first introduced to Photography?
My dad actually worked at the local newspaper as a photographer, and my step dad was a documentary filmmaker and mom also had been pretty crafty behind the lens. So I grew up around cameras and film making from a very young age. My first was a Kodak
Instamatic, which then led to an Olympus OM1, which I still have.

If you weren’t a Photographer, what would you be doing? 
Creative Director or something related to the arts.

What do you do when you get stuck? 
Go surfing.

What is your favorite podcast?
nada

What is your favorite curse word? 
shit

What is your best marketing advice for your peers?
Know your niche

What advice would you give to yourself if you could go back 10 years? 20 years?
Dream bigger. Follow your bliss and trust the path your on is the right one.

Check out more work from Myles McGuinness!