kaohsiung beach, taiwan – a nice place to visit

Alex N — Mon, 16 Aug 2010 04:09:36 +0000

so I flew back to taiwan from hong kong and my cousin’s wedding about a week ago.I flew into kaohsiung

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kaohsiung

to stay for one day before taking a train back to taipei. my super sweet friend J was nice enough to take me around to kaohsiung beach, a locals spot. we started by renting all-day bikes for $3 USD…

then we got on this $1 ferry to take us across the harbor…

ate octopus skewers…

checked out vintage pop culture stuff at the seaside stores…

walked on the beach…

and then headed back…

ya it was really cool. oh, and partying in downtown kaohsiung a couple weeks before me and some of the CityMarx crew (citymarx.com) made skympc’s blog! keeping it classy of course.

he’s a great photographer that covers the Taiwan nightlife scene, what’s up dude! you can check out more of his great photos at: http://www.wretch.cc/album/skympc
lots of babes! == alex n

Interview with photographer, Bryant Digital

sightRIZE — Tue, 10 Aug 2010 17:32:55 +0000

sightRIZE: Tell us a little about yourself for those that may not know.
Bryant: Well Im originally from Chicago, Raised in Detroit Michigan, reside in Lansing Michigan..Wild sneaker collector, fan of sponge bob, Harry potter fanatic. Michigan State University Alum. Currently building a dream.

sightRIZE: When did you get into photography and what made you decide that you wanted to do it?
Bryant: I’ve been a fan of photography all my life. Seeing beautiful scenery captured in a way that makes me feel like I’m in the photo…It wasnt until a friend told me about flickr, that I realized I can take these photos too..and from there its been a growing passion.

sightRIZE: Do you try to strike any particular reactions or emotions with any of your photos? If so what are they?
Bryant: In most of my photos I try to show people things in ways they’ve never seen it before..Like for example, a pen..people see pens all the time and never thought twice of seeing it in an artistic form, With me, when I take a picture of a pen I want people to be like “wow! I never seen a pen presented in such a way” That makes me say “wow”" lol…if that makes any sense

sightRIZE: Are there any tips you’d offer for young photographers trying to develop their eyes?
Bryant: If you’re passionate, just keep shooting, Get a feel for your camera, and dont give up if your pictures look bland and plain at first…its a skill learned over time..use others photos as examples and start to look at things in different ways other then how you see it in front of you..

sightRIZE: How do you feel about some of your photos circulating sites such as tumblr with absolutely no photo credit to you?
Bryant: Its something that I have learned to get over.. Nothing I can pretty much do about it.. It would be nice to have credit, but as long as the people like the pictures, and others arent taking credit for them like they took them, then no harm done.. I guess.. It still irritates me though lol

sightRIZE: How is the journey from when you first started photo to where you are now?
Bryant: It was times where I felt discouraged, that my photos wouldnt spark anyones interest…Then I learned to just take photos of things I like, in ways I like, and stopped caring if others will like them or not. From that point, its been smooth sailing… Its a bonus that now people actually love my photos as much as I do.

sightRIZE: What are some short and long term goals you have for the future?
Bryant: I plan to publish my own photobook, Open my own photography studio, Be known world wide from my work, and hopefully have a gallery dedicated to just my photos.. Like some of the greats out there.

sightRIZE: Although most photographers now days use post processing to their advantage, there are still a handful of people that refuse to believe in post processing. How do you feel about incorporating post processing to your images? And what is your opinion on the other sides argument?
Bryant: Well, I like post processing as long as its not over done…It helps enhance photos , but it wont help turn a bad photo good, and thats what people need to learn..you can process a photo all day, but if its of something boring, and the composition is off and the lighting is horrible, then thats still gonna show…And those that dont like post processing need to get over it..its no different then what photographers did in darkrooms processing negatives..

sightRIZE: Viewing your flickr, it is evident that you are somewhat of a sneakerhead. What are some of your favorite shoes?
Bryant: Though In my case, I prefer the term “Sneaker Collector” ..the term “sneakerhead” is wildly over used and misused. But my Grails would be the 05′ Nike SB Dunk “Unkles” , True blue Jordan 3s, Flint Jordan 13s, Space Jam 11′s, Nike dunk SB “Pee wee Hermans”.. Just to name a few.

sightRIZE: Is there something in particular we should be on the lookout for regarding your photography?
Bryant: A few Photobooks…One of my street photography, one of my sneaker photography, and possibly one of portraits.

sightRIZE: Anything you’d like to end with?
Bryant: For aspiring photographers out there, never stop shooting…. for growing sneaker collectors, buy what you like, don’t buy the hype..
Check www.flickr.com/bryantdigital for more of Bryant’s work!

Interview with founder of Chainsaws&Jelly, Sheena She.

sightRIZE — Wed, 04 Aug 2010 20:04:14 +0000

I’ve been checking out Chainsaws and Jelly for just over a year now, the unique perspective of the posts on the website keep me and other loyal followers coming back to see whats new for the day. I got the opportunity to ask the founder, Sheena She a few questions about the site to learn more about the roots of the site.

sightRIZE: Tell us a little bit about yourself and Chainsaws and Jelly?

Sheena: Chainsaws and Jelly is a site dedicated to all the movers and shakers! It has a lot of focus on art, music, inspiration, culture, NJ and some randomness. I’m Sheena She, from Newark, NJ, and I enjoy the simple and obscure thangs in life.

sightRIZE: How did Chainsaws and Jelly originate?
Sheena: The site originated in February 2007. It started off as a place to display all the pretty awesome stuff I’d find on the internet. Then it grew to something bigger, something brighter but it still has my personality!

sightRIZE: What’s the reason behind the name Chainsaws and Jelly?
Sheena: The name came from a verse by an emcee, Daniel Joseph (High Water Music/ Bully Mouth/ Division East). I’m not sure what the name of the track was and I can’t find it anymore. The verse went along the lines of , “Chainsaws and Jelly, oh what the helly.” Boom, birth of Chainsaws and Jelly

sightRIZE: When you had first started the site, did you expect it to hit off as big as it has?
Sheena: No, I didn’t really expect it. I don’t really have promotions or anything like that. I don’t even have a business card printed up yet. I have to thank word of mouth and people stumbling upon it.

sightRIZE: Your current favorite artist, music artist and clothing brand?
Sheena: Current favorite artist: That’s hard! I can tell you who are my faves: Kukula and Miss Van
Current music artist: Best Coast
Current clothing brand: I don’t really shop for a certain brand or brands overall.

sightRIZE: Would you say being based out of New Jersey influences your work ethic and creativity?
Sheena: Definitely does. I’m surrounded in a circle of emcees, producers, to graff artists. Just a mixture of different creativities. It feels great when NJ comes together. I have something to talk about on the site and the feeling is awesome. There’s so much in NJ that not your average person might know about. We are overshadowed by NYC but if you actually keep your ears and eyes open, you’ll definitely see a different world.

sightRIZE: Are there any albums that you are looking forward to this year?
Sheena: King of Hearts – Camu Tao, Weareallgoingtoburninhellmegamixxx3 – El-P

sightRIZE: How did the affiliation between you and Evolved Athletic occur?
Sheena: Evolved Athletic was a sponsor of one of our events back in April 2009 called Red Velvet. They printed these awesome Evolved Athletic x Chainsaws and Jelly tees. We kicked it off from then. Recently they printed up our first batch of stickers, which was exciting. They are awesome and always down for the cause!

sightRIZE: What are some of your short and long term goals for Chainsaws and Jelly?
Sheena: I have more long term goals for C&J. Eventually the site template will be changing. I’ve been attending more events from art to music just to network even more as well as outside from the internet world. I also want to start having sponsors and ad space on the page. If you know anyone that needs ad space, send them my way. I can give them my media kit to look over.

sightRIZE: Anything you’d like to end with?
Sheena: Thank you Anshil for this opportunity! I really appreciate it. I want to give a big thank you to all my dedicated readers and followers. Tell a friend to tell their friends so they tell their friends about Chainsaws and Jelly. Also, if you are a creative person in any way and want to get a featured on C&J by all means e-mail us: chainsawsandjelly@gmail.com

Confessions of an Animator – 1

admin — Tue, 27 Jul 2010 12:26:25 +0000

From FabianMolina.com

So I know I havent posted in I bit on the animation side of things. But I definitely want to start getting on top of things and writing more about animation and my feelings about it. As artists we have so much that we want to achieve and so little time to do it all in. Its part of life, theres only 24 hours in a day and only so much that can be done. Thats where this post comes in. I wanted to talk a bit about breaks and answer this question -

Where lies the value in taking breaks?

Read the rest of this inspiring post at: http://www.fabianmolina.com

T.E.S. at Comic-Con!

admin — Sun, 25 Jul 2010 00:51:35 +0000

Hey everyone, it’s been a little while since we’ve posted, but exciting things are happening with The Endangered Species Clothing Co.! Our friend and artist Fabian is at Comic-Con..Here is showing off his artwork, and mad skills..AND that’s right, our shirts! We wish Fabian a great show! Haha! Check out that shameless plug in the background: http://www.fabianmolina.com/ Remember to check out our shirts at our store too!

Hey! Check this cool guy out!

All the best,
K

Girls with Bikes by Fabian Molina

admin — Tue, 13 Jul 2010 07:00:06 +0000

New artwork by Fabian…all we can say is DOPE!

Remember to check out more artwork by Fabian HERE!

- K

Brandon Calilan

sightRIZE — Sat, 10 Jul 2010 07:00:34 +0000

sightRIZE: Tell us a little about yourself.
Brandon: I’m a 23 year old skateboarder from Vallejo. I’ve been skateboarding since 1999 and have loved it from the first day. I’m Filipino so I have a strong sense of family, and when it comes down to it my family and friends are the motivation behind my skateboarding.
sightRIZE: What made you get into skateboarding?
Brandon: Back in middle school, one of my friends, Ryan Atienza, was doing kickflips and frontside boardslides and I thought to myself, “Damn, I wanna do that too!” This was back in 1999, so you could say I’m in it for life.
sightRIZE: How has Vallejo impacted your skate style?
Brandon: These days everybody wants to look good when they are doing what they do. In skateboarding, style matters too. The fact that you can make a normal trick look great is one of the best things about skateboarding, but it comes from repitition and a lot of practice.
sightRIZE: You mentioned you were starting to tour, where are some spots that you are definitely going to film?
Brandon: The Bay Area in general is like a mecca in skateboarding, with people coming from all over the world to skate local spots that we sometimes overlook. There’s really good spots in SF and the East Bay, like Emeryville, Oakland, and Berkeley. Oakland and Richmond have new skateparks that are really good, just make sure you bring the crew!
sightRIZE: What is the worst injury you have sustained while skating?
Brandon: I tore my left ACL last summer in 2009. The shit hurt so bad that I couldn’t skate for 2 months. I still feel it to this day.
sightRIZE: Complete the sentence, skating is…
Brandon: my first love, my passion, and my release.
sightRIZE: If you had to choose a brand to sign with tomorrow, what would it be and why?
Brandon: Nike SB. They have a great skate team and their shoes are the most functional. And their colorways are crazy!
sightRIZE: A day in your life is…
Brandon: Waking up, drinking some coffee or tea to get the blood flowing, hanging out with my dogs for a little bit, going skating with my boys at the Vallejo skatepark, coming home and eating, maybe working out, then going to sleep!

sightRIZE: Your favorite deck you’ve owned?
Brandon: My favorite has to be the first pro board I ever owned, a Birdhouse Tony Hawk. Signed by Tony Hawk.
sightRIZE: Short and long term goals?
Brandon: I’d like to move out of my parents’ house and keep skateboarding no matter where I’m at. For the long term, I’d like to have my own place but keeping all my friends and definitely still skating.
sightRIZE: What do you feel about todays skate culture? Is it irritating to see the many people that stamp the word “skater” on themselves without actually being able to skate?
Brandon: Today’s skate culture is crazy! Fashion is really coming back to like it was in the 80′s, and style is a big part of it. People want to express themselves, but I think they get confused when they try to be something they’re not. Just go out and be yourself. Nobody likes a poser.

sightRIZE: Anything you’d like to end with?
Brandon: A big shout out to Khang, the man behind TES who was cool enough to put me on. Anshil, the man behind the lens who takes great photos, and everybody for letting me do what I love to do the most: skateboard! TES ALL DAY!

now that’s cold

Alex N — Mon, 05 Jul 2010 09:41:03 +0000

so Usher performed here in Taipei last night and we managed to get good tickets. Man had I known that they allow cameras in the concerts here I would have brought my Panasonic, but I had to settle for the quadcamera app on my iphone for the best shutter speed.

The crowd didn’t know the lyrics to his older songs and so after Usher got the hint when holding out the microphone and no one could sing along he looked sad and said, “those were classics”. Also, he sweats a lot; every time he did a spin move in his dance routines three ounces of sweat would fly from his forehead and hit the dancer next to him. But it was an awesome concert and Usher lives up to the hype from his multi million dollar music videos! He would lift up his shirt just a little and all the cute Taiwanese girls would go AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH

SEASON 2 is ready for PRE-ORDER

admin — Mon, 28 Jun 2010 05:07:05 +0000

Hello everyone,

Season 2 is ready for pre-order! This season revolves around Freebot, a junkyard robot that befriends a young boy. The boy helps him rediscover his humanity, and slowly rebuilds the Freebot into the man he once was. Freebot becomes empowered once again and his choice to become human is depicted throughout the collection.

All our art this season was done by our friend Fabina Molina, and we’re really happy with all the work he’s done! Thanks to everyone for being patient, and we hope you like our shirts!

Keep reading!
-K

Alaska Pt2

sightRIZE — Sun, 27 Jun 2010 07:13:15 +0000

Before I left Seward, I had this Green Chili Burrito.

It was the perfect meal to get me back on the road again.

I tend to get motion sickness on trains when I look outside, so for 8 hours I was looking at this ceiling while people around me looked at me like, “Aren’t you gonna look outside, there’s a Moose!”
But instead, I did this.

Then I got a little bit more daring ran to the back platform of the train, and snapped this pretty shot of the Alaskan rails. Oh and my run to the back of the train resulted in me vomiting off the platform and onto these rails. The rails didn’t look as pretty after that.

I stayed here in Denali. A pretty clean cabin with a small cafe inside, considering Denali is a national park, this was quite impressive.

And since Denali is a forest type environment. All sorts of flying bugs approached me as soon as I left the commercial area. I learned that Cutter makes a damn good insect repellent, it saved me quite a few bug bites.

Got the opportunity to go on a glacier via helicopter, it’s definitely an experience of a lifetime.

That’s water straight from the source. I wanted to drink some, but the pilot strongly advised against it since it could contain snow worms. Thank god we have purifiers.

Fascinated by the helicopter experience, once I got back on land I wanted to see more glaciers. Someone recommended this 9 mile glacier hike that takes you right to the tip of a glacier. I went, and the glacier welcomed me with this.
Alaska is a trip one should take if there is a wish to see the true non-commercial United States. I personally highly recommend everyone pays a visit there, there is something eye catching enough to satisfy everyones interests.
Usually I dislike landing during late nights. My flight back to San Francisco landed around 10, but after not seeing darkness after 8 days due to the fact Alaskan summers are always illuminated by the sun, you can bet I was happy to see that the sun finally went down.