Vans x Peanuts

October 09, 2017

Words and photographs provided by Marrice Hill

For the second time this year vans has collaborated with the legendary Schulz to bring forth a peanuts themed collection for kids and adults. The two have a partnership dating back to the 80’s but the most recent release came at the beginning of June where they released multiple styles of authentics, old skools, sk8-hi’s and slip ons along with apparel. What really sets vans apart from the rest are their collaborations, so much thought and detail is put into the shoe you almost want to ask yourself if you even want to wear them. Vans doesn’t really put a lot into marketing so if you aren’t paying much attention, a release will blow right past you. I was lucky enough to get a pair from the June 1st release as well as the most recent (October 8th) with both being the only pair in my size. Here is a gallery of the Charlie Brown & Snoopy old skools.

A day with Dave...

August 31, 2017

Words & photographs by who really gives a shit.

Here you'll find photos of Dave doing nothing besides looking badass while making his way around downtown SF, and then into our friend's art display. I always love taking photos of this fool because he, unlike many regular folks, isn't afraid of revealing his soul, nor is he intimidated by the eye of my fat ass camera. This always makes for some cool photographs whenever we meet.

Thinking about having a gallery showcasing only photos of Dave in different places and moods... Have a look!

Dave excited at the start of our journey...

Dave not too excited about riding BART (Bay Area Rides Together).

Dave a little happier about his reefer stick!

Stopped by Pete's and one of Dave's friends happened to be the manager, Bob! Bob gave us some big ass lattes for free.

Dave with his big ass latte, courtesy of Bob the manager from Berkeley.

Dave feeling smooth after a fat ass latte.

Dave and more amigos at the art display...

Dave was finally able to use his reefer sticks...

Ship Show 2017

June 05, 2017

Words & photographs by Sasan Sayyar

Here's how I've been feeling on this subject for a while...

I'm not a photographer. This isn’t to say I can’t play the role of a photographer, because as a matter of fact, I can, and I can do it very well. There are numerous reasons I don’t like being labeled a “photographer” but ultimately I don’t believe I deserve it. I don’t spend the majority of my week shooting photos, I prefer to keep it a hobby of mine. I don’t make my primary income taking portraits or shooting fashion photography for magazines. I hate putting a price on my artistry, however I do paid gigs here & there to supplement my income. I don’t wish to ever make a career from photography, (at least not one which involves working for any person or company as a photographer) but I’d be lying if I said taking paid gigs hasn’t landed me in some super dope settings. Shit I even had an opportunity to spend a few days in Texas last year because of this hobby of mine. I had the privilege of meeting extraordinary people over the last few years because of this too, especially through the peak of Instagram and all. Big shouts out to Meez, John Asuncion, & Joe Lopez, some of the coolest cats I’ve gotten to meet since picking up photography. But back to my main point, I don’t deserve to be labeled a photographer, real photographers are grinding daily with a camera on hand nonstop. That’s not me, you can peep my Instagram page or my portfolio online and get a clue of how my photos look and say I’ve got talent or an eye or whatever, but all that shit is just what I want people to see. Behind the scenes I do a lot of other stuff, I move cars, help my father with accounting work occasionally, sell things, and do all kinds of other random shit for cash. I’m just a young guy with a vision and my tool to express my feelings just so happens to be a camera right now.

This one looked like a movie scene to me...

I got the chance to spend the day at the first ever concert/festival/show held on a ship. The USS Hornet here in the Bay Area (Pier 3, former Alameda naval station) was home to the “Ship Show” festival which took place last weekend and your boy got an all access pass to check it out… I was invited so I figured hey, free show… why not? I’ll go shoot some photos and peep the scene, have a good time. I can’t believe I used to pay big dollars to attend shit like this haha. I won’t deny it, when I skip past the fat ass line without having to wait in it I almost feel like a somebody for a quick second even though I’m nobody. I was being extremely lazy and I didn’t want to take too many photos when I first got on the ship, call it UNinspired by everything. I snapped a rather random array of photos actually…

One of many head hanchos on the USS Hornet

After I ran into my good homie Joe Lopez on the ship, he and I decided that the music being played wasn’t particularly our scene, so we did what any real rebels would do… hit the lower deck and explore what’s normally open for the museum and forget the do not enter signs. Now I don’t know if this shit was just staged beautifully or if the scenes we got to witness were rather perfectly preserved… I think it’s the latter of the two but that’d be a good thing to Google. Either way, we came across everything from the cafeteria where sailors used to cook, to bunk beds and community bathrooms, and even a small store the sailors would visit to purchase things like smokes or razors… Some real vintage products in the showcases there! I saw what looked like the first Gilette razor ever produced, and some classic Lucky Strike matchboxes… Keep in mind there’s still a concert going on directly above us on top of the aircraft carrier.

The man Joseph Lopez himself! Good dude right here.

Not sure how old this photo of sailors in the kitchen was but this was the same place it was taken in (it's hard to tell because of the blur, forgive me please).

Once the sun dropped below the Earth people started shivering, shouts out to Juleon for wearing nothing but a nylon shirt to the event… Anyways, I know I keep getting sidetracked but I’d like to make one last point before I go. There must’ve been a million and one “photographers” there, all rushing to front stage when Wiz Khalifa came to perform, struggling to get the same exact photo as the next man… The way I see it, I’m standing on the side of the stage negotiating the entire situation, thinkin to myself well damn, that’s a bunch of bodies lookin like sardines jammed in a can and I’m only pushin about 5’7”, should I charge my way through all this to get a photo that’ll look like all the rest? Do I even care about Wiz Khalifa or if anyone likes this photo? I’m not even being paid here, I think I’ll just enjoy my time instead… yeah… that’s another key point to why I’m not a photographer… I’m not interested in looking like the same as anybody because I’m not, but I’m also never doing extra shit to be different either, it just happens to be this way. I feel like an alien, I always have, if I shared my real thoughts with everybody I knew I’d really only have my original Martinez friends, and even that’s questionable. I’m on my way to figuring it out, I might die in the process, but I’ll die moving forward. That’s what it’s all about, advancing… as long as you get up day after day and work your ass off on whatever you’re doing… you’ll make progress, multiply the money, and you’ll be great.

Big Treal on the left & Bay Area legend Dru Down aka "Pimp of the Year" on the right!

I rented a Sigma ART lens for this event, and this is why...

Red Bull Air Race San Diego

April 25, 2017

It was a perfect day in sunny Southern California kicking off an action packed Easter weekend. San Diego hosted the second stop of the 2017 Red Bull Air Race tour on April 15 and 16, which hadn't taken place here since 2009. Beautiful blue skies and 70 degree weather brought spectators out by the thousands on their boats, balconies, and all along the waterfront. The primary hub of the race was set up at the North and South Embarcadero Parks which required ticket purchase for entry but allowed viewers to follow along in the standings and commentary of the competition. Luckily enough, the course was anchored smack-dab in the middle of the San Diego Bay which meant there were numerous areas to view the activity without actually paying an entry fee. I personally chose to watch from Harborview Park on Coronado Island because of the skyline views it offered as a backdrop.

Red Bull Air Race is an international racing event tour where pilots maneuver small front-prop airplanes through inflatable pylons in a time trial fashion. Pilots must keep consistent altitude levels when passing each gate or they are subject to penalties. Clipping the pylons with the wing of the aircraft will slice it apart (as shown) and will also negatively impact their score. Accurately flying the plane at speeds of over 200 mph while cruising less than 100 feet above the water generated plenty of thrill and excitement for everyone involved. If I had to compare it to something I would remark that it's a cross between an air show and NASCAR.

After countless laps flown and a weekend coming to a close, Yoshi Muroya, pictured in the turquoise blue Falken plane took first place to cap off this year's event in San Diego. With it being 8 years since the last Air Race was hosted here, I'm hoping it won't ever be that long without it happening again. Especially now that you've learned all about it I only hope you can experience it yourself next time.

Word and photographs provided by Brandon Van Zanten

H-Town Tale

April 13, 2017 in Travel

HOUSTON - For the culture!

Spring is by far my favorite time of year. Not only because of my birthday but because of the weather, vibrant colors, and just the vibe it brings preparing you for summer. This spring break I wanted to plan a trip with the homies & go somewhere unexpected... Texas here we come. Once the plan was finalized and everything was booked, everyone's response to our trip location was, "Why are you going to Texas...?" Well, that's an easy call, Houston for the culture! Since Houston is located near the Gulf I know the weather fluctuates between hot, humid, and rainy but luckily we were blessed with perfect weather during our 4 day stay. The moment we stepped off the plane it was a little overcast with mild sprinkles but the rest of the trip would be sunny and in the low 80's. Post baggage claim and rental pick up we headed straight to our Airbnb which was located in the West End, just minutes away from Downtown Houston and conveniently located near the I-10, so everything was super accessible.

The South has a reputation for good food and the first stop we made solidified that statement. Gatlin's BBQ was over the top with flavors, the food quality was superb and all of the associates were welcoming once we told them we were visitors from Cali. To be honest, everyone in Houston seemed polite and easy going no matter where we went, true "southern hospitality". The second day was my birthday so I wanted to hit the city and explore before we went out later that night. Our first stop of the day was the Houston Galleria (pictured above). The grandest mall I have ever stepped foot in with hundreds of stores ranging from high fashion to common retailers and even an ice rink; I was blown away by the architectural presentation and shopping variety. It was so inviting we ended up there the next day, I couldn't leave Texas without a new pair of vans.

Since I was the only photographer on the trip I had to make sure spots we visited were user friendly and no longer than a 10 minute trek haha. Buffalo Bayou Park was the perfect location, offering a spectacular view of Houston's cityscape along with trails that led to different art pieces positioned on the land. I feel as if Texas doesn't get enough credit for how beautiful it is because the scenery was full of greenery... but that could just be the spring effect. Overall the trip went well, offering a different culture from what we were used to. I'll end it on this note...If there is fried alligator on the menu try it, the night scene can definitely turn into a rodeo, and everything IS in fact bigger in Texas LOL

Words and photos by: Marrice Hill

See more of Marrice's work on his website - everythingpositive.gallery

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