Archive for the ‘Art/Film’ Category

An Interview With Phil Borges

sohlson posted this Wednesday, April 25th, 2012

courtesy of Phil Borges

As a sponsor of Mountainfilm in Telluride (May 25-28), we’re excited to be a part of an eclectic roster of guests, films and programs that encompass adventure and environmental, cultural and social issues.

Photographer Phil Borges will exhibit his work and share his experiences at this year’s festival. By photographing people in indigenous cultures, the artist aims to heighten awareness of the issues faced by citizens in the developing world. He has a particularly close and long-standing relationship with Tibet and its people, and his latest book, Tibet: Culture on the Edge, reflects this beautifully.

This conversation with Phil and the stunning photographs he’s generously shared with us offer a glimpse into a weekend of good things to come at this year’s Mountainfilm in Telluride:

courtesy of Phil Borges

 

Your work strives to heighten people’s understanding of the many issues faced by those in the developing world. There are so many. How do you decide where to aim your lens?

It’s been a process of discovery for me. At first, my main interest was documenting indigenous cultures. As I became aware of the external pressures these people were dealing with, I began narrowing my focus on the human rights issues they faced (e.g. China’s occupation of Tibet and oil spills in the Ecuadorian Amazon). Over time, I became aware that the one human rights violation that affects almost every culture is the discrimination and oppression of women and girls. Since women’s empowerment has proven to be one of the best strategies to address poverty, build peace and environmental sustainability in communities and countries, I started to focus on this. In fact, I had returned to Tibet in 2009 to document a program that was addressing the extremely high rate of maternal mortality within the nomadic community when I became aware that climate change was creating such devastating consequences on the Tibetan plateau.

 

You were an orthodontist until you were 45. What prompted your dramatic career shift?

I fell in love with photography, and it swept me away.

 

When you show up in a community, how do you initiate relationships that lead to capturing such intimate images?

It just depends on the circumstances. If I’m making films for NGOs, as I have been lately, the introductions are made by the organization working in the community. When I was showing up in tribal communities unannounced, I just started taking Polaroids of the kids. It wasn’t long before everyone wanted a photo of themselves.

 

courtesy of Phil Borges

How many shots do you usually take before you get one that you know will work?

When I was making portraits with film I usually shot about 10 to 15 frames. With digital I can see when I’ve got what I want, so I’m tending to shoot less. Even when I was shooting film I was noticing that I usually got it in the first 5 frames.

courtesy of Phil Borges

You seem to have a special bond with the Tibetan people. Is that an accurate assessment, and if so, how would you explain it?

I love the Tibetan culture. Having a population that addresses “self cherishing” and “self grasping” from cradle to grave on a daily basis creates compassionate people and a nurturing social environment. Not that there aren’t other cultures that work at building compassion, it’s just that such a large percentage of the Tibetan population does it and they do it every day!

 

You founded Bridges to Understanding, an organization that connects students in Seattle, Washington with other students around the world. Through this program, you hope to build global citizenship. What have been some of the most rewarding results?

I could talk about this for hours. What I intended to happen in the beginning was a lot harder to do than I thought. We would pair up 14 photographers and writers (mostly from the U.S.) with 14 middle- or high-school students in small communities in Africa, Asia and Central/South America. Together in a workshop environment, we created a multimedia piece that addressed a social or environmental concern that the students had. In the process of creating the story, the students engaged in their community in a way that they never had before. They interviewed their community leaders and researched the issue —pollution of their rivers, teen pregnancy, etc. — then at the end of the workshop they showed the film to their community. I could share so many anecdotes demonstrating how this empowered the students.

We did the same digital storytelling training in Seattle classrooms and encouraged the Seattle students to share their stories online with the students in the developing world. We were hoping that this would lead to deep exchanges that would go on over time. Unfortunately, it was almost impossible to keep the students communicating online across cultures. I started the program in 2000 when the Internet was hardly functional in the developing world and before Facebook and Google Translate. With these new tools it might be possible. The most powerful exchanges occurred face to face in the two-week long workshops. I learned that giving young people a voice around substantial issues in their communities was transforming for them and built their community engagement/citizenship. The online global piece was just a lot harder to do.

Learn more about Mountainfilm in Telluride and check out this year’s lineup of visionary guests such as Phil Borges here.

 

Sweepstakes Winner No. 1

sohlson posted this Friday, March 30th, 2012

Today we chose the first winner of our What’s in Your Bag? contest.  Emily Fette (check out her blog) did a great job of curating inspiring travel images that really capture the spirit of the sweepstakes – and for that she gets a new Horny Toad travel wardrobe!  You can see her Pinterest board here and find out how to enter the contest here.

Emily Fette and her husband Rusty, in Chicago

If you missed out this week don’t despair! We’re picking another travel wardrobe winner this Friday, April 5th, and everyone who enters the What’s in Your Bag? contest is eligible for the grand prize (picked lottery-style): a weekend trip for two to Santa Barbara.  Now get pinning!

 

Our Models Are Real People, Part 1

sohlson posted this Thursday, March 8th, 2012

Jim, Bigsby and the motorcycle

If this guy looks familiar it’s probably because you’ve seen him on our website many times over the years. We’ve been lucky enough to work with Jim on several photo shoots and couldn’t ask for a better Horny Toad ambassador. Not only does he wear our clothes well, he’s adventurous, kind and a genuinely stellar human being.

Case in point: this bike belongs to Jim’s father who retired it to the corner of the garage when Jim and his siblings were born. Recently Jim refurbished the bike on the sly as a gift to his dad. Now that he’s all grown up, Jim and his dad ride their motorcycles together. How great is that?

Without further ado, please enjoy our interview with the man behind the motorbike.

 

HT:  Who are you?

I’m Jim. I’m pretty much a normal guy, with slightly more body hair. I consider myself pretty laid back and easy going, but I like a healthy dose of adventure daily.

 

HT:  Congratulations on deciding to become a firefighter. What’s the most challenging part of the process?

The most challenging thing about becoming a firefighter is actually BECOMING a firefighter. I’m still waiting to start academy after a 2+ year application process. It’s been crazy taking all of the tests. Physically, you have to be in the best shape of your life. This took me about a year, working out ’til you pass out/throw up. Then more running (with weights!) than is recommended for healthy living. Psychologically, you have to not be crazy and be able to prove it. You have to be smart enough to pass the multiple written tests, and not have any background issues, like a record or even bad credit. Finally, you have to shave your beard and explain to multiple panels why you are the person for the job. In the end you must have a passion to help people and be willing to put anyone in your community before yourself.

 

HT:  Is there any correlation between the Horny Toad photo where you’re drinking a beer while pouring lighter fluid on the barbecue and your desire to become a fireman?

Ha… Good one. That was a fun shoot for sure. I’ve always been amazed by fire, really the only difference now is that I have to wait until the fire is out before cracking a cold one.

 

 

HT:  When did you start jumping out of airplanes… and why?

I made my first skydive when I was 18 because it was as early as I could do it.  I was hooked immediately and soon started packing parachutes as a college job.  I worked my way through jump school and now here I am with 600+ jumps and coaching first time jumpers. It is truly an amazing sport! Every jump gets better.

 

HT:  What’s the craziest thing you’ve ever seen anyone do while they were skydiving?

Wow, really good question, and I’m not sure I can legally answer that.  Let’s just say I’ve seen it all. I am on a skydiving team called the “Electric Toasters,” and we do what’s called freeflying. It’s basically freestyle skydiving, so we go head down or in a stand or sit position.

I did a stunt once for commercial. I had to leave the plane doing flips while carrying a big duffel bag. I lost my goggles and had to still hang on to this bag while spinning out of control because I couldn’t use my hands. It was nuts but turned out well on film. I’ve also had to use my reserve parachute before, which is another crazy story. Basically, most days skydiving involve some sort of crazy stuff… especially with the Electric Toasters!

 

HT:  What makes you laugh?

I am a contagious laugher, so I really like to make other people laugh and then I get going with them. I like situational comedy, like when someone trips down the stairs and makes a spectacle while doing it. I used to do this in college a lot at the library. They finally told me to stop tripping down the stairs. Also, streaking makes me laugh. I wish I would see more people running naked in my daily life, but it seems like I am always the one with my clothes off…which is actually pretty hilarious!

 

HT:  Ideal vacation. Describe it.

I love vacations! Next up on my list is Patagonia, Argentina! I would do a New Zealand trip though if it came up first. I love to hike and see new things, so to me those places are ideal. If I can combine a couple of my favorite activities – like snowboarding, skydiving, canoeing, kayaking, mountain biking, fly fishing, surfing, camping, motorcycling or hiking – then it would be ideal!

 

HT:  What’s it like to be on a Horny Toad photo shoot?

It’s a lot like hanging out with my friends. We always do fun stuff. It’s great for me because I’ve become friends with a lot of the Horny Toad family, so it’s like a reunion. We typically go somewhere cool outdoors, get dressed in clothes that look good and feel better and have fun. Everyone is really creative and open-minded so the shoots are always a blast. That’s it. Well, we are getting our pictures taken while hanging out. I would model full time if my nose wasn’t so big.

 

HT:  What are you grateful for?

I have so much to be grateful for. My amazing family, who has always been there for me no matter what. My friends, who become more like family as the years go by. My girlfriend, who has become a real partner and enjoys living life to the fullest. She won’t have it any other way, and I love that about her. And of course, my dog Bigsby. I guess I am more thankful for the people in my life than anything else. I am also grateful for the life I’ve been able to live. I’ve had countless adventures, traveled a lot, loved a lot, laughed a lot and tried not to take life too seriously. I’m grateful that everyday I’m given another opportunity to squeeze as much out of life as I can.

 

HT:  Tell us about Bigsby.

Bigsby the incredible! He’s a six-year-old Jack Russell terrier that loves to do anything fun outdoors that we do. He loves to hike, kayak, canoe, motorcycle and pretty much anything else we can take him along for. He’s like our son – we take him everywhere and he’s a great travel dog. When it comes to his tennis ball he will play fetch until his muscles shut down. We’ve found that a constant six hours of throwing will about do it. Then he needs to take a break for about 10minutes and he’s ready to go again. He reminds me a lot of the Energizer Bunny, with worse breath.

 

HT:  Where do you see yourself in 10 years?

In 10 years I hope to be doing a lot of the things that I am doing now. Having fun with friends and family. I’m not as concerned about how I will be making a living as I am about how I’m living. You can’t put a dollar amount on happiness, so if I’m smiling in 10 years and still having a good time, I will consider myself a success. I used to think “in 10 years I’ll be here or there, or doing this or that,” but now I just think that if I’m happy and healthy and have the people that I love the most around me then I’m ahead of the game.

Telluride AIDS Benefit

sohlson posted this Thursday, March 1st, 2012

Horny Toad influencer, R. Nelson Parrish (accompanied by HT office dog, Grizzly), holding the painting he's donating to the TAB art auction.

We’re stoked to be attending this year’s Telluride AIDS Benefit (TAB), which starts today! Since its inception in 1994, TAB’s Gala Fashion Show has become a Telluride institution and favorite among locals and visitors alike. As of 2011 TAB has donated over $1,500,000 toward HIV/AIDS education, advocacy and NGOs.  We love supporting this great cause for many reasons, not the least of which is that Horny Toad was born in Telluride. 

The past few years we’ve contributed to TAB by donating our latest and greatest styles to their their fashion show.  This year we’re keeping that traditionand we’ve gotten a few of our like-minded friends involved too.  R. Nelson Parrish is an eco-artist and athlete who has generously agreed to donate one of his pieces to TAB’s art auction. Though the pic doesn’t do his masterpiece true justice, the artist’s own description of his work explains that he “translates blurs of movement into brilliantly colored racing stripes with thickly layered, clear and semi-translucent resin, fiberglass and intense bands of pigment onto planks of boldly grained native woods in suspended positions above, adjoining and against one another.”  He’s also part owner at Soul Poles, creators of some of the greenest, most stylish equipment in the snow sports industry

We’ve also been lucky enough to persuade National Geographic photographer David McLain to contribute one of the amazing photos he’s taken for Horny Toad. David’s a true master at bringing to life the real and inspiring aspects of our company.  The magic he creates can be summed up his own modest words:  “Simply put, I tell authentic stories that engage people and inspire them to dream.”

Photo by David McLain for Horny Toad

Thanks David and Nelson for helping us help this great cause.

 

Holiday Giving Week Three

sohlson posted this Monday, December 5th, 2011

Week three of five in the Horny Toad Holiday Giving Program supports NW Documentary which, in turn, supports our friends at Red Reel Video.  Use the promo code DOGOODNWDOC on any hornytoad.com purchase from December 5 – 11 and we’ll give NW Documentary 20% 0f the profit.  Additionally, 2% of all web sales (whether the promo code is used or not) will go to them.  To learn more about NW Documentary visit www.nwdocumentary.org.  To learn more about Red Reel Video visit www.redreelvideo.com.

 

Calm Before the Storm

sohlson posted this Wednesday, November 30th, 2011

What’s sweeter than a moment of rest after a long and arduous journey?  That’s what the week after Thanksgiving is like.  It’s Basecamp One when scaling the peak of  never-ending parties.  It’s a filling station on the long stretch of highway between Family Obligations and Scenes from a Shopping Mall.  If the holiday season were a week, this time would be Sunday morning. So pour some wine, light a fire in the fireplace and hit play on our “Calm Before the Storm” playlist, curated to accompany the specific activity of doing nothing.

nada surf- blonde on blonde
sparklehorse- wish you were here
radical face- welcome home, son
jose gonzalez- tear drop
zero 7- destiny
alexi murdoch- all my days
the weepies- somebody loved
nick drake- pink moon
trevor hall – the lime tree
iron and wine – resurrection fern
sufjan stevens – chicago

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Dia de los Muertos

sohlson posted this Friday, November 4th, 2011

Toad design team member Lindsay volunteers at a really cool local non-profit called Art From Scrap (AFS).

This Wednesday Nov. 2, also known as Dia de los Muertos, the AFS Gallery held an art opening featuring a series of mixed media masterpieces born from workshops conducted by local art teachers, artists and educators in public schools and community outreach programs.  Students created art celebrating loved ones who have passed as well as historical figures they’ve learned about in school.

‘As I walked through the exhibit I had to remind myself that the pieces were created by elementary school students!  It’s impressive how creative and intricate the works all are,’ said Lindsay.

The exhibit runs through December 10, 2011 at the AFS gallery, located upstairs at 302 East Cota Street in downtown Santa Barbara. Hours are Tuesday through Saturday from 10:00 am – 2:00 pm and on Thursdays from 10:00 – 6:00 pm. It’s free and open to the public.  For more info call (805) 884-0459.

 

A Visual Conversation

sohlson posted this Tuesday, October 18th, 2011

This is Kimberly, one of the models in our Spring ’12 photo shoot happening in Santa Barbara this week.  She lives in Portland but travels a lot for work… so does her boyfriend.  They came up with a creative way to stay connected, despite not always being together.  Check out their blog, “XYXX – A Visual Conversation Between Two Iphones and Two Lovers.”

They use apps such as Camera+, Photoforge and Myfilm to snap stunning pictures of every day scenes using just their phones.  Some of the images are a singular message, some inspire dialogue.  As our photographer friends know, seeing the world as art makes every moment an adventure.  When each corner becomes an opportunity to create, details become more vivid.  Plus, it’s just a really simple, inexpensive and effective way to find fun!

Horny Toad Fall Reading List

sohlson posted this Wednesday, September 14th, 2011

Looking for something great to read now that the days are cooler and the nights are longer?  Here are some of the books currently on Toad nightstands.

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Kate:  I’m currently reading a very good book – Born to Run by Christopher McDougall.  It’s fascinating and satisfying on many counts – a perfect mash-up of science, entertainment, human nature, history, endurance and great characters. Fundamentally, it’s about the amazing Tarahumara tribe, ultramarathoners who live in the forbidding Copper Canyons of Mexico and the greatest race you’ve never heard of. But it’s so much more. It makes you want to get out and move.

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Courtney:  I just recently finished Submarine. It follows the life and times of charmingly neurotic Oliver Tate, whose obsessions are: the dictionary; saving his parents’ marriage by unearthing and understanding each of their ‘mental disorders’ and losing his virginity… as soon as possible. Hilarious, sweet, and surprisingly thought-provoking. *Note, Submarine was recently made into a film, which Courtney says is not nearly as good as the book.

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Ellen:  When you take a good look around and see how much of our world is covered in concrete it’s pretty easy to get bummed out.  This book is the antidote for that feeling, as it shows just how much of the planet is teeming with life in places we don’t often think about.  The Wild Trees: A Story of Passion and Daring is the story of a handful of renegade climbers who teach themselves how to scale the last remaining giant redwood trees of the Northern California coast.  Within the canopy of this primeval forest is an entire eco-system, full of plants and animals – much like “coral reefs in the air.”

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Brian:  Anthony Bourdain’s Kitchen Confidential.  Show me a person not totally sucked in by this character, his food writing and the culinary-badass vantage point he offers into the underworld of commercial kitchens and I’ll show you a liar. You will never look at restaurants the same way.

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Sarah:  Every couple of years I re-read the novel Light Years by James Salter.  The fun is in the way it’s written.  An entire chapter depicts an interaction between the main character and his tailor – something akin to a sacrament.  Another chapter is devoted to the description of a dinner.  His insights are true and cutting and generous.  Also, the book takes place in the Long Island and Manhattan of the mid-70s – a special place and time depicted most popularly by folks like Wes Anderson and Woody Allen.  What a sweet read.  I envy the people who get to pick this book up for the very first time.

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Family Toad: We’ve been passing Bossypants around the HT office.  The jacket blurb says it best:  “Totally worth it.” — Trees.

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KB:  I’m reading Bridge of Sighs by my favorite author, Richard Russo.  He’s got a way of developing characters so deeply that they become part of your life. When I get close to finishing, I’m always a little sad because I’m never ready to let them go. Most of his stories take place in small, depressed towns in upstate New York or New England whose heyday has passed. Bridge of Sighs is told from the point of view of two different characters, boys who were childhood friends.  One stayed in their hometown and ran the family grocery and one moved abroad to become an artist. It’s so much more than that, but I don’t want to give away any spoilers!

“The Descent”

sohlson posted this Thursday, July 21st, 2011

NPR veteran Alex Chadwick met environmental activist Tim DeChristopher at Mountainfilm 2010 and a great collaboration was born. Check out Alex’s interview with Tim in this Interviews 50 Cents clip in which they discuss some lighter moments of civil disobedience.

Later Alex and Tim came together to create a radio documentary called “The Descent.”  Stream its premier this Friday at 7:30 PST on the radio station KCRW.

You won’t regret it.