LAustin's Blog

Out of Order

2010-06-27T12:52:00.000-07:00

As you may have noticed, with so many different things I have going on, I don't really update this blog much anymore. I really need to remake my entire site. But anyway, if you want to stay updated on things I have going on check out the links below.

SNOWBOARDERmag.com
I recently started my job as Online Editor over at SNOWBOARDER Magazine. Check up on this site for any snowboard related content.

Rad Collector
I still have my Rad Collector column going. I treat this more as my personal blog for the random stuff that I get a kick out of and what not.

Shot and Shared
This is a summer photo project I have going on with about 35 different photographers.... a majority of them snowboard related. Keep your eye on this for photos from our summer experiences.

Buoloco: Web vs Print

2010-05-19T00:09:00.000-07:00

A few weeks ago I did another interview with Ed over at Buoloco about how the shift in focus from print to web is affecting people. This was a 3 part interview and in this first chapter I specifically talked about how it is affecting photography. I’m not sure how many of you want to listen to me ramble for 9 minutes, but if this is of interest to you then check it out haha.

LA Night: Corey Smith

2010-05-17T00:02:00.000-07:00

A few weeks ago I made a stop at Corey Smith's house up in LA. His living room is a photographer's dream come true, a built in seamless. So we spent the night messing around shooting photos. To see more shots go to my Rad Collector column.

Check out some of Corey's photos from the night on his photo blog.

How To: Origami Hat

2010-05-10T08:47:00.000-07:00

When I was up in Portland not too long ago I swung through a Japanese Garden. It happened to be "kids day" or something like that there, and one of the activities was to make an origami hat out of newspaper. I had to get in on it. A friend happened to document the entire process so now I am sharing it with you.

Whoever can successfully make one of these newspaper hats and send me a picture of you wearing it to, laura@laustindesign.com. I will make a post using your pictures, and send you a surprise in the mail.

Check out the steps on my column.

cityLife: Interview

2010-04-30T15:58:00.000-07:00

Canada based fashion/lifestyle blog cityLife recently asked me to do a quick interview with them for their site. They asked me about things like Crocs... projects I'm currently working on.. and some California based brands that I am into. I told them they could pull whatever picture of me that they wanted off my Facebook page.... of course they choose the most unflattering shot that I have. Awesome.

Check out the interview here.

Photo Shoot: Col d’ Lizard

2010-04-19T13:51:00.000-07:00

So my mom has this company, Col d' Lizard (pronounced in some fancy French way... but I just call it Cold Lizard). It's an outdoor apparel company...things for biking, hiking, and all that other outdoorsy stuff. Instead of "Made in China" it is made in my garage, well barn rather..... she makes all the stuff herself back home in Vermont. If you click on the link above... her site obviously needs some work. So I agreed to come out to Vermont and do a shoot for her and help redesign her whole website.

Check out some more of the shots on my Rad Collector Column.

You Have Got to be Kidding: Bikini Jeans

2010-04-19T13:46:00.000-07:00

Tired of trying to find the pant with the perfect sag so you can show off your g-string and lower back tattoo?! Well the search is OVER! The high class folks over at Sanna's Brazil Fashion, have built the thong right into the jean! Making a perfect accessory to your belly shirt and high heels.

Check out more shots of these amazing jeans on my Rad Collector Column.

Utah Mission

2010-04-09T08:15:00.000-07:00

Mikey and Andy....happy to be riding powder.

Some of the worst choices I've made in life have been impulsive...ordering a philly cheese steak sandwich at a sushi joint, dying my hair pink before a family gathering, getting behind the wheel when I knew I was too tired... the list goes on. But buying a ticket to Salt Lake City, Utah the day before I flew out was one of the better decisions I have made. Mikey LeBlanc hit me up the day before he was leaving for Utah telling me that it just dumped out there and that I should definitely come out. Seeing as I've never ridden Utah, hadn't been able to ride powder yet this season, and well...it was an opportunity to ride with Mikey, Andy Wright, and friends....I couldn't pass it up.

Last run of the day we took a hike to the top to take some untracked turns. Best powder I think I have ever ridden,

Brighton was the mountain of choice... less crowds, more fun.

Mikey at the top

Awesome to see Andy Wright on the mountain.

MolcaSalsa... if you have been, then you know. If you have not, you're missing out.

Random trip to the thrift store

Mikey found these glasses

Flattering?... not so much. Amazing?.... definitely.

Gertrude, a little old lady I found shopping around

Bowling with some of the Videograss crew

Louif and Bilocq

Mikey and his dog Ruby

Andy has one big cat.

Drive to Mammoth

2010-04-08T12:11:00.000-07:00

A week or two ago I made my way up through the hills, deserts, and mountains to catch the Roxy Chicken Jam and Quiksilver Cluck off up in Mammoth. Everyone I talked to said the six hour drive from Southern California to Mammoth Lakes sucked, but the wide open landscapes made it pretty interesting, for me at least. When I finally made it up to Mammoth, I was greeted by my friends decked out in sombreros, ran to the mountain, grabbed my credentials for the weekend, found the biggest hot dogs I have ever seen, cooked them, and went with some friends to skate the Volcom Brother’s Skatepark that was mostly covered in snow.

Go to my Rad Collector Column for the rest of to shots.
All the landscapes were shot while driving 80mph....

decent exposure: AARON BLATT

2010-04-05T12:28:00.000-07:00

The latest installment of my photographer interview series, Decent Exposure, was with up-and-comer Aaron Blatt. Check out what Blatt has to say on my Rad Collector column.

If you missed the previous interviews you can find them here-
Mike Basher
Brendan McInerney
Oli Gagnon
Ben Birk

Flying Hotdogs: Mascot Superpipe Comp

2010-03-31T12:26:00.000-07:00

Personally, I think costumes can make any situation more interesting…. even halfpipe competitions where most of the riders can barely get above the lip. And on Saturday in Mammoth at the Roxy Chicken Jam, that is exactly what went down. For the past three years, as part of the Chicken Jam, Roxy has had this open competition where anyone, and I mean anyone can compete for a first place prize of $3k. It was entertaining to say the least. Since a lot of the riders were barely even airing out of the pipe I decided to take a different approach to how I shot it. Without boring you with too much detail, I shot most of them so the snow is very over exposed, creating almost a completely white background for the costume wearing creatures to stand out against. I wanted to do a series of shots that all looked pretty similar just showing the riders costumes… and then there are also some action shots at the end. To see the whole series check out the post on my Rad Collector Column.

I will be doing more posts from my weekend in Mammoth soon. But to check out general coverage/photo galleries. Check out the Quiksilver Blog.

US Open 2010 Photos

2010-03-24T16:50:00.001-07:00

Last week I made my way back to Vermont for the 28th Burton US Open. Temperatures reaching the 60s, good friends, and great riding made for an incredible week. It wasn't all fun and games for me though, I spent a majority of my time there hiking through the wet snow shooting photos... which I definitely can't complain about. I picked out some of my favorite shots for the post I did on my Rad Collector column... check it out here.

Shoot With Shem: Jake Burton

2010-03-12T11:53:00.000-08:00

Last fall photographer Shem Roose got ahold of me about assisting him in a shoot with Jake Burton... the creator of this company. Canadian action sports magazine, SBC, was doing an interview with Jake at his house in Vermont so they asked Shem to get some shots of Jake around his property. I was honored that Shem asked me to come along to help out, Shem is an OG in the game, and it is always cool to see how other people work. He definitely came away with some great shots that day. For more details on the shoot check out Shem's blog. More of his photos from the day below.

decent exposure: MIKE BASHER

2010-03-09T09:59:00.000-08:00

The latest installment of my photographer interview series, "decent exposure", was with ex editor of Snowboard Mag, Mike Basher. This was a pretty in depth interview where we talked about everything from why he left his position at the magazine, to why he thinks Colorado sucks, the dilemma with photo pricing, and what his plans are for the future. You don't have to be a photographer to enjoy this interview. Check it out here on my Rad Collector Column.

In case you missed the previous interviews here they are:
Brendan McInerney
Oli Gagnon
Ben Birk

Blotto Photto

2010-03-01T21:27:00.000-08:00

Back in 2008 my friend Blotto asked me to shoot this photo of him for an interview with European based Snowboard Magazine, Onboard. I'm not going to lie, being asked to shoot a photo of a photographer as established and someone I look up to as much as Blotto was a bit intimidating. I'm pretty sure that leading up to shooting this I was worried something would go terribly wrong... Did I double check my battery was charged? What if I left my memory card at home? But things went smooth, rolled up to Burlington airport (BTV), set up, shot a few photos, and that was that. Anyway, I bring it up now because he used it again in an interview with PetaPixel. Make sure you check the interview out here. And if you aren't already following Blotto's blog, you should. He keeps it updated constantly with high quality/interesting content.

The photo as it was used in the spread in Onboard Magazine

decent exposure: BRENDAN MCINERNEY

2010-03-01T10:11:00.000-08:00

I did my third installment of my photographer interview series, "decent exposure", with a friend of mine, Brendan McInerney. Check it out on my Rad Collector column here.

Also, here are the previous interviews if you missed those.
Oli Gagnon
Ben Birk

Gravis x Thomas Campbell | On the Road to Ummmm

2010-02-28T23:44:00.000-08:00

Rad Collector recently posted this video from Gravis of the road to Thomas Campbell's artshow titled "Ummmm" in Copenhagen. I started watching it and got sucked into watching the whole thing.... maybe you will too.

Snowboarder Mag: March 2010

2010-02-24T23:09:00.000-08:00

If you have the March 2010 issue of Snowboarder Magazine open it up to the masthead page and check under the contributing photographers section. I'm not gonna call out which photo is mine since it isn't that big of a deal... but it feels good to be included in a list with some amazing photographers. Thanks Bridges for hitting me up for the shot.

Updates

2010-02-06T00:56:00.000-08:00

Updates in the photography section of my site under the "people" and "other" categories.

King of the Park

2010-02-03T23:49:00.000-08:00

Poster I designed for Quiksilver's King of the Park competition. The photo is mine as well. If you happen to be in Ontario any of those dates go check it out.

decent exposure: OLI GAGNON

2010-02-03T09:43:00.000-08:00

I recently did my second installment of my photographer interview series, "decent exposure", with Canadian lensmen Oli Gagnon. Check it out on my Rad Collector column here.

Also if you missed the first interview with Ben Birk... you can take a look at it here.

How To Draw A Duck..

2010-02-02T13:08:00.001-08:00

Todd Richards x3

2010-02-01T23:04:00.000-08:00

As part of my job at Quiksilver I was responsible for creating the imagery in their booth for SIA. Among the things I made were these life-size cardboard cutouts of Todd Richards for people to take pictures with or whatever..... but I didn't expect them to be this big of a hit. Click on the image above to watch the video on Yobeat.

From Scratch

2010-01-24T21:42:00.000-08:00

From Scratch from Leland McNamara on Vimeo.

Last winter I spent about a month in Tahoe, CA riding and shooting photos. While I was out there my friend Andy invited to come shoot with the crew in this movie.... Jason Robinson, Aaron Robinson, Nicki Weiss, and filmer Leland McNamara. It was my first time in really in the back country. So thanks to those guys for bringing me out with them. Above is the video the Leland put together of their whole season. Definitely worth watching... thanks Leland for throwing me in the credits :). And below are some photos I took while I was with these guys. Enjoy.

Nicki Weiss

Jason Robinson

Aaron Robinson

Worth Checking Out: Modern Collective

2010-01-20T00:52:00.000-08:00

Some of the guys that I work with were watching this movie, Modern Collective, at lunch today, so I decided to sit back and take a look for myself. I'm not going to lie, I don't know much about surfing, and I normally wouldn't just sit down and watch a surf video. But I loved it, it was extremely well filmed and put together.... especially as far as titles, filler shots, and creative direction. It is available on itunes, and if you are into filming, editing, or surfing I suggest you take a look... It is definitely worth checking out.

I Like...

2010-01-01T23:04:00.000-08:00

I was looking around on youtube at stuff by band Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros... and I stumbled across this video that someone put together of their roadtrip, using the song "40 Day Dream". I liked the video a lot... maybe you will too. Also, below is an actual music video of one of my other favorite songs by Edward Sharpe & the Magnetic Zeros, "Home".

Nikita Videos

2009-12-29T16:10:00.000-08:00

Last fall I made a trip out to Berlin, Germany with Nikita as the North American winner of their photoshoot contest. This was my first time to Europe, and it was an incredible trip, with an awesome group of people. We bounced around to interesting spots throughout Berlin doing photoshoots. Between shoots the incredible Ben Fee shot some videos..... here are a few from the trip.

Copper Crowds

2009-12-28T23:47:00.000-08:00

I'm in Colorado right now for the holidays, so I had to get some riding in. The day after Christmas I rode Breckenridge, expecting it to be incredibly crowded seeing as it was the weekend after a holiday. But it was actually pretty mellow, hardly had to wait in the lift lines. On Monday I decided to ride Copper, expecting the crowds to be pretty tame.... but apparently everyone had the same idea. At times I had to wait around a half hour, in the singles line no doubt. But I guess I can't complain, it was good to get some riding in.

Since I was running the singles line to try to cut down wait time I had to ride up the lift with randoms each time. I decided I wanted to take pictures of each group I rode up the lift with. Unfortunately I only managed to take two shots. Some of the people looked like they might try to break my camera if I asked to take their picture, so I decided against it. But these two groups were stoked to have their picture taken..... "Are we going to be on the internet?!"

decent exposure: BEN BIRK

2009-12-27T18:08:00.000-08:00

I started doing a series of interviews with photographers for my column on Rad Collector. I kicked things off with Ben Birk. Take a look at the interview here.

Merry Christmas

2009-12-25T10:21:00.000-08:00

California Traffic

2009-12-11T19:25:00.000-08:00

LA Metro: Promoting Mass Transit from EMBARQ Network on Vimeo.

Traffic is a part of every day life for a commuter in Southern California. Moving here from Vermont, it's something I am not used to at all. I live about 45 minutes away from work but around 9 in the morning or 5 at night on a weekday that drive can take 2 hours in a slow crawl. There are 5 lanes! How does that happen?! Here is a little video from some people with the right idea.

Nantucket Part 2

2009-12-06T09:14:00.000-08:00

Here is the second batch of photos from my trip to Nantucket a while back. These ones were all taken with a Canon 5D.

Deja Vu

2009-11-30T19:25:00.000-08:00

Making the drive from Vermont to Southern California, again. I'm taking a full time design job over at Quiksilver.... so I had to pack myself up and do the drive across the country for the 3rd time in the last few months. I doubt I'll be making another movie of my trip, but I'll definitely be taking pictures along the way. It should take me two days to get to Colorado where I will stop and ride for a day. Then another day to get from Colorado to California. Here is my video from my last trip out there.

VT to CA Roadtrip from Laura Austin on Vimeo.

Nantucket Part 1

2009-11-23T21:06:00.000-08:00

About a month or so ago I went down to Nantucket with some family.... it was my first time to this island off the coast of Massachusetts. This was an interesting time to be there because fall is an off season for the island... so it was dead. Which to be honest, was pretty cool to experience. I loved the colors there this time of year, everything was so dull, so I spent a lot of my time taking pictures while I was there. Enough to have to separate this post into two parts. This post consists of my Canon G9 pictures... I will put some of the shots I took with my 5D in the next one.

Took a 15 minute flight in a little puddle jumper over to the island.

Some of the strongest winds I have ever experienced. My friend Toohey was literately leaning up against the wind.

House on stilts.

The flight back...this shows how small the plane really was... I was sitting in the very back.

Hide and Seek

2009-11-20T08:33:00.000-08:00

Sorry about the lack of posts recently, no I'm not hiding... just been incredibly busy with work and trying to get ready to move out to California. Hopefully I'll have time to put up more stuff soon.

essa catalog

2009-11-03T04:53:00.001-08:00

A little over a year ago I was asked to design eesa's 08-09 consumer catalog... I have yet to put the thing up on my site, but here is a digital version if you haven't seen it already. View it in fullscreen mode... it will look a lot better, or go here.

GWAR

2009-10-28T11:06:00.000-07:00

My skin is stained multiple colors, I have bruises and cuts on my hands and arms, a few jammed fingers, and my contacts are dyed red....you would think I would be bummed, but it was one of the best shows I have ever been to. I can't lie, I don't listen to Gwar's music, but I went to the show for the experience. Guys dressed in ridiculous costumes, playing metal, spraying what I think was food coloring all over the crowd, with a crazy mosh pit..... sounded like something I didn't want to miss. Here are some shots from the show.

Before & Afters

Ripping out his guts.... spraying stuff everywhere...

Obama came out for a second, but then they killed him... and yes, sprayed his "blood" everywhere

I got in there too...

This lady... a true Gwar fan

Welding

2009-10-26T20:23:00.000-07:00

I randomly shot some photo's of my mom's fiance doing some welding. A few turned out pretty cool.....

Skeet Shooting

2009-10-25T14:49:00.000-07:00

Went skeet shooting in my backyard today. I felt like I had to dress the part.... But maybe I got carried away.

Burton's Fall Bash

2009-10-14T14:28:00.000-07:00

Snowboard Mag just posted my coverage from Burton's annual Fall Bash. Take a peek here.

Photo of the Week- Haircut

2009-10-13T13:11:00.000-07:00

So a while back my friends (Gus and Keenan Cawley) wanted to shave their heads. In order to do so, they asked me to cut their hair short so it was easier to shave. It is hard to say no when someone is willingly putting their head of hair in your hands. We went through a series of styles, this is a shot of Gus at the "dutch helmet" stage. The brothers ended up liking the cuts I gave them so much that they backed out of shaving their heads. Maybe if this whole photography/graphic design thing doesn't work out for me I'll have a future in cutting hair.

Good Ol' Vermont

2009-10-11T20:01:00.000-07:00

The lineup of tractors before they started the parade

I was informed that the 11th Annual Charlotte Tractor Parade was happening about two miles down the road from where I live in Vermont.... yeah, a tractor parade. This was something I could not miss. I didn't expect it too be a big ordeal, I thought it would be a few tractors going down the road with some of the people in town coming to check it out. Well I was very wrong, apparently tractors are a big deal in this neck of the woods. A rather large crowd gathered for the event. There was face painting, a petting zoo, apple cider, and of course tractors... lots of tractors. The procession went for about a quarter-mile but lasted quite a while, tractors don't move very fast. Things like this make me realize how awesome Vermont really is.

This guy was probably my favorite

The band in the parade marched right up to these people and gave them their own little show

Smokin his pipe

This dog wouldn't stop looking at me

So I was trying to be sneaky and take their picture, but when I went back through my photos I realized that pretty much all of them were looking directly at me. So much for being sneaky.

I had a hard time narrowing down my favorties.... there are a bunch more on here.

Photo of the Week

2009-10-08T21:10:00.000-07:00

I have decided that at least once a week I'm going to pick out a photo from the archives to put up.

This first one is a shot I found going through tons of old family photos a while back. It is my dad... short shorts, high socks, shirtless, mustache, and a camera around his neck. (Dad- if you see this, please don't hate me). I'm not really sure what year this is from, but I'm pretty sure it was before I was born. I couldn't resist.

Matt & Kim in Burlington

2009-10-07T21:16:00.000-07:00

Last night Matt & Kim put on an amazing show at Higher Ground in Burlington, VT. If you haven't heard of them, check them out. There is a video of one of my favorite songs by them at the end of the post. It is a two man show with Matt on the keyboard and vocals and Kim on the drums. They are Brooklyn based, but Matt grew up in Vermont and he definitely seemed to be happy to be in his home state. These two had enough energy to get a retirement home riled up, I don't think they stopped smiling the entire show. After they were done playing, Matt jumped into the audience, and of course was bombarded by tons of girls trying to get a hug. Both Matt and Kim stayed around to talk and sign autographs, a pleasant surprise you don't see too often. If they happen to be playing at a venue around you, I highly recommend going. Here are a few random shots from the night.

Matt giving out some hugs.

Tom with his screen printed poster

Lauren still dancing even after the show ended.

Kim signing some autographs.

Matt signing someone's Metro Card

The music video for their song "Daylight"

Blog Revamp

2009-10-05T16:02:00.000-07:00

So I have come to the conclusion that my blog has become pretty bland....I mean, I don't even know if I would follow it. Sure, every now and then I post some pictures, with a little write up, and some captions pointing out the obvious. What would make you want to look at my site rather than the millions of other blogs out there?

To do this I have to consider some of the top reasons people even use the internet.

Reason 1- Porn

Ok, yeah, I said it.... you know you are guilty. Well I am not about to go posting racy pictures of myself up on the internet. So I guess here is the next best thing...cleanly shaved....

Or for those of you who like them hairy....

Still not satisfied?... maybe this Diesel commercial will do it for you.

Reason 2- YouTube

You can find anything on youtube these days. From Leprechauns in Alabama , to a cat playing a keyboard, or miniture dancing people.

Let's be honest here, I don't have pets with amazing talents, mythical creatures running around that I can document, or mini people that can dance.... so I guess I can't really compete with youtube.

Reason 3- Stalking People

Twitter...I can't lie, I have a twitter account, but I guess I haven't really caught on. I can see the appeal to companies and whatnot, it is a good marketing tool. But I don't really need to know that snuggling is your favorite activity, or that you had a tuna fish sandwich for lunch today. Maybe I am missing something, but I if you really want to know what I had for lunch, just ask me.

So a lot of people like nudity, watching people do stupid stuff, and knowing everything about everyone's life. Well, I can't really promise you all of those things.... but we'll see what happens from here on out. Maybe things are fine just the way they are.

Tobin Yelland @ JDK

2009-10-05T11:30:00.000-07:00

On Oct. 2nd JDK hosted a show of artist Tobin Yelland. The show featured, some of his photography, some Antihero skate decks, a video, as well as a few Antihero ads. Definitely great to see some work from one of the legends of skateboard photography. Downstairs JDK's mini ramp was packed with skaters and the night ended with an awesome performance by the band Rough Francis. To see more of my shots from the show check out BNQT.

Rough Francis

Bess checking out some of Tobin's work

Antihero Skate Decks

JDK's mini ramp downstairs

Rough Francis

Rough Francis

The crowd got pretty into it, a mini mosh pit eventually started going.

The Trip Back To VT

2009-10-01T07:25:00.000-07:00

A while ago I made my trek back to Vermont from California. I had finished up my job and it was time to head back home, relax a bit, and figure out the next steps. I had my friend Shawn fly out to California to make the drive back with me this time. Didn't really feel like doing it alone. It was nice to have some company and someone to share the driving with. The drive took 4 days this time, instead of the 3 it took on the way out. We made a pit stop at my Dad's house in Breckenridge, CO but besides that we pretty much trucked right along, sleeping at rest areas. No video this time, just pictures with my Canon G9.

Vegas...

Some of the views in Utah are nuts. It was probably my favorite state to drive though.

Pointing out the obvious

Yeah, I was scared too when I turned to the side and saw this out my window.

Shawn woke me up and told me to take a picture of the truck coming up on the right.

It was driving around Denver promoting The Office.... amazing.

Stretching out the legs a bit

Hitler on Reverse Camber

2009-10-01T07:14:00.000-07:00

I'm not normally one to post on "propaganda" but this is just too funny. I gotta give it to these guys, it is well put together. Take a look for yourself.

California Bike Ride

2009-09-29T07:01:00.000-07:00

I did quite a bit of biking around in California... easiest form of transportation around Newport. Parking in most beach towns is a nightmare. This night I decided to take a cruise to catch the sunset. I brought my G9 along to shoot some pictures but once I realized I missed the sunset I ended up just shooting the bike ride. And yes I am on a Crest bike... no I did not win it from a tube of toothpaste.

Last Day in CA

2009-09-23T10:32:00.000-07:00

A little over a week ago I left California to come back to the east coast. I flew my friend Shawn out to make the long drive back with me. Driving across country by myself once was enough for me. Here are some shots from the final day in CA. Pictures from the drive back will be up soon.

All photos shot with a Canon G9.

Watching some surfers from the pier. (Newport Beach)

Newport Beach

This bird happened to swoop in just in time for the picture.

Shawn

An old man trying to catch some fish.

Went for a little bike ride.

One of the most amazing beaches I have ever been to. But it's a secret.

The sunset was incredible

VT to CA Roadtrip

2009-09-15T12:17:00.000-07:00

I just got back to Vermont from working at Quiksilver/Roxy for a little over 3 months in Southern California. If I wanted to have a car while I was out there I had to drive out. Sure this might sound fun, but when you have to do the drive in three days by yourself... it can be a bit crazy. On average I drove about 15 hours a day. To keep myself occupied I filmed my entire drive out there. I took the middle route so that I could hit Colorado and see some family. I finally got the chance to put together the footage of my trip.... here it is. Everything was filmed on my Canon G9. Let it load for a bit.

VT to CA Roadtrip from Laura Austin on Vimeo.

G9 Moment

2009-09-15T10:53:00.001-07:00

Sometimes the perfect photo opportunities come out of the blue.... I guess some call is a "Kodak Moment". Well this was one of those moments.... but I'll call it a "G9 moment". I bring my little Canon G9 everywhere with me, just in case.

Click on the picture to see a larger version.

Design Update

2009-08-28T10:00:00.000-07:00

The design section of my website has been neglected for a little while. I can't remember the last time I updated. I felt obligated to do something about that. It still doesn't contain all of my most recent work, but it is a start. Take a look around here.

If you have visited my site before you might want to clear out that cache or the updates might not show up. Not sure what a cache is? Google can help you out with that one.

Here are a few of the new additions to the design section.

Drawing I did on a plane

Front of a business card

Goggle Design for Anon... I still need to get actual product shots.

Logo design for Frontside Foundation

Personal Piece

Beautiful/Decay

2009-08-26T19:15:00.000-07:00

Beautiful/Decay Magazine did a cool little write up of me on their website. Check it out here.

"Well rounded photographer Laura Austin is starting to make an impact in the extreme sports world. Originally from Vermont, Laura is now living in Newport, California, where she has been working on a few fun projects. This girl is rad. She is always willing to go the next mile to get the shot. Whether she is freezing in a tree in the middle of the backcountry or banged up on the front row fence at a concert, Laura will roll home with some pretty awesome photos."

If you haven't heard of Beautiful/Decay before definitely take a look at their website and even subscribe to their magazine. One of the better art/design based magazines out there.

The Good Ol' Boys

2009-08-20T23:06:00.000-07:00

A few weeks ago I was asked to come shoot a concert of Bob Dylan, Willie Nelson, and John Mellencamp at Diamond Stadium in Lake Elsinore, CA. Something that I obviously wouldn't miss, free ticket into a great show and the opportunity for some good pictures. It was definitely amazing to see some of the legends preform live and still killing it. Here are a few shots from the show.

To see more go here.

Mellencamp

Dylan

Dylan's stage setup

I walked past this man and I had to go back and ask to take his picture.

I saw this woman walking around before the show with this sign. Then I found her waiting by the tour buses after the show trying to catch a glimpse of Bob Dylan. I don't think she even had a ticket to the concert... she was probably waiting outside the entire time. When I asked her if I could take her picture it was hard for her to pull herself away from the search for Dylan. But after taking one more glance around to see if he was coming she turned to me for a slit second and this was what I got.

California

2009-08-12T00:03:00.000-07:00

My entire life I have been minutes away from a mountain, now for the first time I'm steps away from the beach. Pretty big change of pace for me, which isn't exactly a bad thing. Going for a bike ride along the beach almost everyday and constant blue skies isn't exactly something to complain about. Here are a few shots of the scenery I enjoy from day to day down here in Southern California.

Huge crowd watching the 20ft + swells at The Wedge

Hey buddy, the waves and the crazy body surfers are the other way.

One of the most amazing sunsets I have seen

Sand boat I found

Self portrait... couldn't resist.

X Games Day 3

2009-08-03T21:40:00.000-07:00

Yet another day shooting X Games 15. Saturday was just as hot as the past two days... except it was packed. Getting from one event from the other meant squeezing through massive crowds, but it was cool to see that many people come out. I guess I shouldn't have expected anything less, it's the X Games. Here are a few shots from BMX Park, Skate Street, Moto X, and BMX Vert.

To see event info, results, and more of my photos check out these BNQT links.
BMX Park
Skate Street

X Games Day 2

2009-08-03T01:00:00.000-07:00

Here are a few shots from Friday at the X Games. I had to shoot AM Skateboard Vert, BMX Street, and a bit of Moto Best Trick. It was another hot day in the sun running around with a backpack the weight of a small child.

To see results, info, and more of my photos check out the posts on BNQT.
Am Vert
BMX Street
Moto Best Trick

View from the top.... where I ate lunch everyday.

X Games Day 1

2009-08-02T19:11:00.000-07:00

Sorry I haven't posted anything in a little while.... been a bit busy lately. The last four days I shot X Games 15 in Los Angeles for BNQT. Fun, but a lot more work than you think. Got to make use of a new lens I bought (Canon 70-200mm f/2.8). I'm it love with it. Anyway, over the next few days I'm going to be posting a few photos from each day. Here are some from Thursday. I shot Women's Vert and Street as well as a bit of moto step-up.

To see info, results, and some more of my photos check out these BNQT links.
Women's Street
Women's Vert
Moto Step Up

Maloof Money Cup

2009-07-20T23:06:00.000-07:00

Got the opportunity to shoot Maloof last weekend... here are a few shots but check out more at these links.

Semis- Rad Collector
Finals- BNQT

I Miss You

2009-07-07T20:42:00.000-07:00

I made this for one person in particular. But it definitely applies to more people than just one. I made the type and all other elements. It's been a while since I put a design together, felt good to do. Click on the image to view it at a larger size.

Video of the Week- "The Can"

2009-07-06T22:02:00.000-07:00

Stuart Langfield's short film for Red Bull. I've had a thing for humanized (yes that is a word) food ever since I was little, so I fell in love with this short. Click on the image to see the movie. To see more of Stuart's work check out his site.

Road Trip- found photo

2009-07-02T20:26:00.000-07:00

So I forgot about some photos I took with my 5D during my roadtrip. The whole time I shot with my little Canon G9 but there was one spot where I decided to take out my nicer camera. These canyons in Utah were amazing. I'm working on the video of my trip. Should be done soon.

Video of the Week

2009-06-29T23:31:00.001-07:00

Thought this was well done...

Road Trip- Day 3

2009-06-24T22:07:00.000-07:00

The last day of the road trip. Denver, CO to Newport Beach, CA= 1,027 miles. I left my grandmother's house in Denver around 7:30 and made it to Newport around 11.

These were in the room I had to sleep in. Freaky.

Family.

There was literately a town called, "No Name"

This part of the drive was much for interesting than driving through the flat Mid West.

I've never seen ATVs stacked on the back of a truck like this. How the hell do they get them up there?

Yes there was also a town called, "Beaver".

The last place I would want to live.

Road Trip- Day 2

2009-06-23T23:05:00.000-07:00

The first night I pulled into a rest stop, slept in my car for 2 hours, and started driving again around 3 in the morning. My destination was my grandmother's house in Denver, CO.... 1,080 miles away. Most of my day was spent driving through Iowa and Nebraska, incredibly boring and flat states to drive through. I would drive for hours and it looked like I hadn't gone anywhere. I made it into Denver around 7:30 PM. Here are some shot from day two.

A lot of the towns through Iowa had these towers.

Harley

The coolest part about Iowa.. these Danish windmills. They were HUGE

There were fields full of them as far back as you could see.

Road Trip- Day 1

2009-06-23T11:03:00.000-07:00

On June 19th I started my trip from Vermont to California. Driving across the country by myself wasn't exactly at the top of my list of things I wanted to do... but I didn't have much of a choice. I planned out my trip so that I would leave Friday morning and make it to California Sunday night, meaning I would have to drive 16 hours a day for three straight days. The first day I made it to South Bend, Indiana. A total of 837 miles. It's not that easy to take pictures while driving... but here are a few from the first day....

I picked this guy up at a rest stop in New York... I needed something to keep me company on the drive.

Just in case I got tired.

Someone actually had this painted on the back of their RV. Amazing.

Tractors, bulldozers, and trucks in a storm

GPS on my phone... I wouldn't have made it without this thing

Dinner...

Trip Across the Country

2009-06-18T13:00:00.000-07:00

Bright and early tomorrow morning I play on leaving Stowe, VT and starting the trek to Huntington Beach, CA to work for Quiksilver. Hopefully it will take me around 3 days to get there with a pit stop in Colorado to see some family. I plan on documenting the trip so check back for updates.

Video of the Week- Who Needs a Movie?

2009-06-17T01:00:00.000-07:00

I'm definitely going to hire these two when I need a movie made.

David Lynch- Interview Project

2009-06-16T01:00:00.000-07:00

This is a must see. David Lynch set up "Interview Project" to travel across the country and interview people about their regrets, death, what they're most proud out, ect. You have to watch these videos... new episodes come out every few days or so. Here is the trailer for the project, David Lynch is a pretty odd guy, but watch it until the end to get a taste of the interviews. To watch some of the episodes that have come out so far go HERE.

David Lynch - Interview Project from Materialiste on Vimeo.

Old Orchard Beach

2009-06-15T01:00:00.000-07:00

I was looking through files on my computer the other day and stumbled upon these pictures I took at Old Orchard Beach, Maine a couple years ago. Glad I found them, there were a few gems in the bunch....

To see the pictures on a larger scale go here.

DO Play With Your Food

2009-06-12T15:14:00.000-07:00

The other day I got pretty bored and was in the mood to make something. For some reason I decided I wanted to make words out of food I could find around my kitchen and then took pictures of it. Here is the first series... I like the way it turned out so I will probably end up doing more. View the images at a larger scale here.

Graham Crackers... Yes I know there should be a "B".
I didn't have enough crackers.

Carrots

Bacon

Whipped Cream

Oats

Vermont

2009-06-11T07:28:00.000-07:00

One Saturday Shawn and I didn't really have much to do. So we decided to drive around Northern Vermont to take pictures of all the interesting things we could find. Among those things were crying babies in what seemed to be an abandoned house, yards covered in so much junk you couldn't even see the ground, redneck BBQs, bowling ball statues, you know.... the things you would expect to see in Vermont. Well here are some of the photos from our day of driving around. To see the shots on a larger scale go here.

Shawn made me stop and ask this kid if I could take his picture... glad he did

Shawn

Sign in someone's yard

So I took this picture because of the cat sitting in from of the
"Beware of Dog" sign but failed to notice the butcher knife sticking in the post next to it.

A bowling ball statue in someone's yard. Amazing.

Video of The Week

2009-06-08T07:48:00.000-07:00

Squirrel melts....Really? Common now. Well if that sounds appetizing to you, listen to what the redneck Martha Stewart has to say.

Interview With Josh Mills on ESPN

2009-06-02T17:02:00.000-07:00

A little while ago I did an interview with snowboarder Josh Mills for ESPN's snowboard blog. Well they put it up so go check it out here.

Josh

A picture I shot of Mills out in the desert.

Artist Series for Akinz

2009-06-01T13:08:00.000-07:00

The good people at Akinz recently asked me to design a guys and a girls shirt for an artist series. Scoop one up on their site. They are limited edition so you better do it fast. Also check out the support from BNQT.com .

Guys Shirt

My Mark

Girls Shirt

Rad Collector

2009-05-28T16:38:00.000-07:00

My buddy Tim recently asked me to be a contributor to High Snobiety's Rad Collector section. Rad Collector is an action sports based blog keeping you up to date on product, athletes, and brands. I did a little post on Rome's Postermania coming out next season. Check out the post here. Wow.... I'm blogging about a blog. How lame am I?

The topsheets for Rome's upcoming Postermania. Designed by Shawn Dumont.

Human Interface, Hi

2009-05-27T14:40:00.000-07:00

Hi from Multitouch Barcelona on Vimeo.

An interesting little video I found on Vimeo. Created by Multitouch Barcelona.

bACk eASt

2009-05-20T13:16:00.000-07:00

A while ago a friend of mine asked me to go on a mission with him while he put up street art around Burlington, VT. He wanted me to document the whole process. It was a risky situation, but I figured I would do it anyway. The cops ended up catching up with us at the end of the night. He had to pay some fines but he got a good lawyer. And the cool part was that most of the business owners of the building he painted on were fine with his work, they didn't want to take it down. I guess he must be doing something right. Here are some photos from that night. Check out some more of his stuff on his site.

Drinking Games

2009-04-30T13:46:00.000-07:00

So a group of friends came up with a new drinking game. Here is a video I put together of the craziness. Just watch, Ebo will do all the explaining.

The Greatest Drinking Game from Laura Austin on Vimeo.

Photo in Onboard Magazine

2009-04-22T15:12:00.000-07:00

A while back Blotto asked me to shoot a lifestyle shot of him for his "Year in the Life" story in Onboard Magazine. Of course I was more than willing, it was a privilege actually. So one afternoon we cruised over to Burlington Airport and got the shot. He had it all planned out of course, all I had to do was take the picture. I'm happy with how it turned out and was stoked to see it come out in the December issue of Onboard. It was my first picture published in a major snowboard mag.

The Magazine

The Spread

The Photo

Breck with the Burton Groms

2009-04-20T17:22:00.000-07:00

I was in Colorado for a week around Easter and happened to get invited to tag along for a Burton Grom shoot by Burton photographer, Blotto. I rarely get to see Blotto during the winter so I couldn't pass up an opportunity to hang out with him for a bit. Since he was shooting photos I figured I might as well get some footage of the kids during their photoshoot in the Breckenridge park. A majority time we were rolling around with a very large crew so it was definitely pretty entertaining. The kids killed it. Here is a few photos and a video I put together from the two days I spent with these guys.

Blotto....

A friend's house up in Breck.... Man Camp

The sign on the door of Man Camp

Get the shot?

Burton Groms at Breck from Laura Austin on Vimeo.

Artist Watch

2009-04-14T23:09:00.000-07:00

So the boys at The Stache Life are showing some love. They decided to give me an artist watch on their blog. Check it out here. Big thanks to Mike Hahn for that one. Take a peek at some some of their videos here. They have some pretty funny stuff.... like this one for example.

A Little Road Trip

2009-04-12T23:20:00.000-07:00

So while I was in Tahoe last month I made a quick trip to Salt Lake City. The night before I was supposed to fly out it dumped about four feet in Truckee. After changing my flight to a later time and shoveling out the driveway I was finally able to get out of there. I flew from Reno to Salt Lake to see my friend Josh Mills blew out his knee while in Montana backcountry. He had to make a drive all the way back to California so I figured I would fly out to SLC and keep him some company on his drive back. It was about a 7 and a half hour drive from Salt Lake to Truckee but it went by relatively quickly. Along the way I shot some photos and did a little interview with him for ESPN. Here are pictures and a video I threw together from my trip.

The standard over the wing shot... flying to Salt Lake

Delta doesn't just give you peanuts... they give you party peanuts.

Josh

Road Trip from Laura Austin on Vimeo.

A few lifestyles I took of Josh in the salt flats for an ESPN interview

Tahoe Backcountry

2009-04-12T11:39:00.000-07:00

Last month while living in Tahoe I was fortunate enough to join a crew into the backcountry. My friend and fellow photographer, Andy Quintana, was shooting with a group of riders and invited me to join them for the day. I can't say that I have ever really been in the backcountry so I couldn't pass the oppotunity up. After a 4 AM wake up, a drive down to South Lake, and doubling out on a bunch of sleds we made to where we could get some shooting done. Riders included Jason and Aaron Robinson and Nicki Weiss. Filmer Lelad Mcnarmara was also in the crew. Big thanks to the guys for letting me tag along. Here are some pictures from the day.

Nicki Weiss

Pow slash by Aaron Robinson

Jason Robinson

Jason

Nicki checking out the landing

Aaron

Jason

Aaron taking a breather

Andy getting in my face

Setting sun, time to call it a day

A Day of Shooting

2009-03-18T21:24:00.000-07:00

Here is some footage/shots from a day at Tahoe. Tucker Speer, Keith Bennett, Stuart Speer and I spent the day roaming around Truckee looking for stuff to shoot. We found some random spots... Enjoy.

A Day of Shooting from Laura Austin on Vimeo.

Tucker

Keith

Tucker

Keith

Tucker

Photo Slideshow

2009-03-14T19:45:00.000-07:00

Here is a little slideshow I put together of some of my action sport based photography. Some old stuff.... some new. The song is "Going Nowhere" by Cut Copy.

Photo Slideshow from Laura Austin on Vimeo.

Handball

2009-03-02T09:29:00.000-08:00

Here is a wallride I shot with the guys in Tahoe. With the help of a friend, we found this interesting handball court that would make for an interesting wallride. After a few times reshaping the jump, and a few pretty bad falls they seemed to get it figured out. Check out the shots....

Keith Bennett throwing around some snow

Tucker Speer cooling off

Tucker

Tucker trying to get the shape right.

Chris Hagerty

Tucker

Keith

Tucker

Backyard Session

2009-03-01T01:00:00.000-08:00

So I am living out in Tahoe, CA for about a month to shoot photos, ride, and relax. I'm staying in Truckee with 4 guys from Stowe, VT... Tucker Speer, Stuart Speer, Chris Hagerty, and Keith Bennett. One day we decided Northstar was too crowded to ride at so we headed back home for a BBQ and a little session on the quarterpipe that the boys made in the backyard. It was entertaining to say the least. After a while Banks and Stu decided they just wanted to huck themselves off the thing and see what happened. Check out the footage below. A little something to keep in mind... Banks is a professional skier.

Banks

Stu throwing himself around

Banks isn't crying... he is laughing.

Dew Tour Tahoe

2009-02-28T16:37:00.001-08:00

Here are some shots from the final stop of the Winter Dew Tour at Northstar in Tahoe, California.

Truckee local Chaz Guldemond

The young Tyler Flanagan

Shaun White

Banks wondering what is in his box

A Day in the Pipe at Okemo

2009-02-22T12:00:00.000-08:00

Valentines weekend I made my way down to Southern VT for a little getaway. Little did I know that I would end up shooting an awesome day in the pipe at Okemo. I was riding with friends Matt Beck, Keegan Reed, Tuna, and Ed D'Ottavio and they were killing it in the pipe so I decided to bring my camera out. The blue skies made for amazing conditions to shoot in. Photos shot with Canon G9 and Canon 5D.

Tuna

Keegan Reed

Tuna

Keegan Reed

Tuna... biggest air of the day

Matt Beck

Keegan trying to grab Tuna's board

Matt Beck

Tuna

Mike Lund

SIA

2009-02-21T10:04:00.000-08:00

So this year I decided I had to go to SIA. I was asked to display some of my work in the show so it gave me an excuse to see what all the hype was about. Plus this was the last year it will be in Vegas before it moves to Denver so I couldn't miss it. SIA is one of the larger Snow sport Tradeshows around, and from my experience, one of the craziest. It was almost too much fun. Five days of being on your feet all day and partying can wear you out. At the end of it all most can't wait to leave and claim that they will never want to go back to Vegas again. That's exactly how I felt. I'll let my pictures tell the rest of the story. All photos shot with my Canon G9.

Larry Nunez at a Flow party stoked on his goody bag.

The Luxor

An Analog sponsored Go Karting session. Out of control.

Craig loves his Patron.

Getting in a limo on the way to one of my craziest nights in Vegas. Tim Brodhagen at my side.

Snowboard Mag x Frank 151

Burton and Darkside crew on the way to the Redman Show

A Dog opening up for Redman

This place was packed for the last party in Vegas.

Redman knows how to entertain

"The Yard" where my work was displayed at the show

WTF?

What I Have Been Up To

2009-02-02T19:11:00.000-08:00

So I realize I haven't updated my news for a while. Things have been a bit hectic lately. So to catch you up to speed I'll show you some photos from what I have been doing. I'll have a post up about SIA soon.

Celebrated this guy's birthday...

By having a couple hour long dance party in a parking lot wearing one piece snow suits

Spent my birthday at the DC house for the Dew Tour in Mt. Snow.

They made sure I had a good birthday.

Won first place in Men's Slopestyle ;)

Celebrated Torstein's win with a good crew.

Took very flattering pictures of my friends eating food.

Taught my mom how to snowboard.

Got myself prepared for this art show

Flew to California before SIA to relax before the mayhem

Dew Tour VT Recap

2009-01-13T13:22:00.000-08:00

This stop of the Dew Tour was a little closer to home. I made the 3 hour drive down to West Dover, VT to shoot the competition at Mt. Snow for ESPN. Weather was a little warmer than the previous stop in Breck, which made shooting much more enjoyable. I will let my shots do the rest of the talking. Check back soon for some behind the scenes photos.

Madison Ellsworth

Jamie Anderson taking first for the ladies

Sam Hulbert

Charles Reid

Madison Ellsworth

Scotty Lago

Danny Davis

Shaun being interviewed after taking first.

Shaun again.

To see more coverage and my photos check out ESPN

Gaper Tuesday

2009-01-06T18:47:00.000-08:00

I didn't know Jiffy Lube made sunglasses. Definitely the next Frogskins.

A Day in the Park with SMS

2009-01-01T08:20:00.000-08:00

Yesterday I was asked to join the Stratton Mountain School crew on a day of riding at Copper, Colorado. Of course I wasn't going to pass it up, it was a bluebird day and I knew that these kids kill it. I got to do some riding in the morning and decided to shoot some photos in the afternoon. I was only shooting for two laps through the park and was able to get a bunch of usable shots... these kids definitely know how to preform.

Sitting way up in a tree to get the shot.

Gaper Tuesday

2008-12-30T20:58:00.001-08:00

Tourists.... they are everywhere at ski resorts. And now they are going to be featured every tuesday on my site. While in Colorado over the holidays I couldn't help but snap pictures of people outrageous outfits. Now I am not one to pick on people... I am just giving them the attention these outfits deserve. If anyone has funny pictures of tourists they would like me to post feel free to e-mail them to laura@laustindesign.com.

This first one was taken at Vail, CO. You are bound to see some ridiculous outfits here. It is full of rich people on vacation. This women was amazing. Yes her pants are ones that would definitely catch your eye, but it was her Louis Vuitton purse that made her picture worthy.

Nike Skateboarding

2008-12-29T17:32:00.000-08:00

I thought these commercials were pretty clever.

Dew Tour Day Three

2008-12-27T07:50:00.000-08:00

Whoever controls the weather must like snowboarding superpipe because on Sunday, the last day of the Dew Tour, the weather was finally sunny and for the most part, warm. It was finals for the men and women and they definitely put on a good show. Top qualifier Hannah Teeter was having a tough day, slipping out on her second run and missing out at a spot on the podium. It became a battle between Gretchen Bleiler and Kelly Clark for that top spot. Kelly had some huge airs in her run, but Bleiler ended up taking first based on technicality with her crippler.

Scotty Lago held it down for the men for a majority of the competition. He was first to drop and had a solid run getting him a score of 90. His score held up for the entire competition until the final two competitors which happened to be Danny Davis and Shaun White. Danny incorporated some creativity into his run, trying stuff he hadn't tried in competition. The judges seemed to like his creativity, giving him a score of 94. But next up was Shaun. He had a solid run, like he normally does. His run was impressive, but it was stock for Shaun.... the judges only gave him a score of 93. After the competition there were mumblings of who should have won. But I was stoked for Danny to see him come out on top at one of the first major competitions of the season after a season of being injured.

Hannah Teeter hiking the pipe

Kelly Clark boosting

Hannah still putting on a show with a wall slash after she slipped out

Elijah Teeter making a switch method look easy.

18-year-old Greg Bretz, the youngest competitor in the finals, after he hit the deck

The Dingo doing a little advertising

Greg Bretz right back in the pipe after his horrible crash

Antti Autti trying to get a rise out of the crowd after his crash.

Danny Davis livin easy, making it into that top spot.

Women's podium: Gretchen Bleiler, Kelly Clark, and Elena Hight

Men's Podium: Danny Davis, Shaun White, and Scotty Lago

For more info on the competition check out EXPN. Don't miss the Danny Davis Interview.

Dew Tour Day Two

2008-12-23T08:38:00.000-08:00

Standing on the side of a halfpipe with a windchill of 22 below was not exactly my idea of a good time. But the crowd of people watching men's and women's superpipe prelims didn't seem to mind. Unlike the spectators, the athletes were actually able to move to stay warm. Shaun and Hannah ended up qualifying first for their divisions. After superpipe there was a little rail jam, however the features weren't so little.

Grenade's TM Kevin Casillo and the Dingo

Hannah qualified first for the ladies

Practice Runs

Unfortunately Mason didn't make it into the finals

Shaun qualified first for the men

The ladies and the men got to ride at the same time in the rail jam.

The ladies killed it, like Leanne Pelosi on this down flat down

The girls talking about the format of the rail jam.

Yale Cousino with the only handplant I saw on the wall ride.

Keir interviewing a local artist on Fuel TV's Dew Underground

Jamie Anderson and Louie Vito signing autographs in the Grenade tent

See more coverage on EXPN