DOPPELGANGER I AM

this has been my life, as of late..

2008-07-28T15:36:00.002-04:00

and it couldn't be any better..

inspiration...

2008-05-16T16:20:00.002-04:00

"Dear brothers and sisters!
Dear enemies and friends!

Why are we all so alone here?
All we need is a little more hope, a little more joy.
All we need is a little more light, a little less weight, a little more freedom.
If we were an army, and if we believed that we were an army, and we believed that everyone was scared like little lost children in their grown up clothes and poses.
So we ended up alone here floating through long wasted days, or great tribulations.
While everything felt wrong.
Good words, strong words, words that could've moved mountains!
Words that no one ever said.
We were all waiting to hear those words and no one ever said them... and the tactics never hatched, and the plans were never mapped, and we all learned not to believe, and strange lonesome monsters loafed through the hills wondering why.
And it is best to never ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever wonder why!
So tangle - oh tangle us up in bright red ribbons!
Let's have a parade!
It's been so long since we had a parade, so let's have a parade!
Let's invite all our friends, and all our friends' friends!
Let's promenade down the boulevards with terrific pride and light in our eyes, twelve feet tall and staggering.
Sick with joy with the angels there, and light in our eyes.
Brothers and sisters, hope still waits in the wings like a bitter spinster.
Impatient, lonely and shivering, waiting to build her glorious fires.
It's because of our plans man; our beautiful ridiculous plans.
Let's launch them like careening jetplanes!
Let's crash all our planes in the river!
Let's build strange and radiant machines at this jericho waiting to fall!"

a silver mt. zion - built then burnt (hurrah! hurrah!)

ps. please, can we just be human beings. can we forget the past, can we all tell eachother we are in pain. and everyone is in pain? and pain makes us beautiful, and perfect. can we do that?

March, on the lagoon.

2008-04-04T12:26:00.005-04:00

well we we're successful once more on The Mosquito Lagoon. it seems after two years of dedicated fishing, and countless gallons of gasoline driving to the coast, the fishing gods have been rewarding us lately. i wouldn't go as far as sayin' that we know what we're doin' quite yet, but we're gettin' there.

if there's anyone who knows anything about the lagoon, we caught em on Shotgun Flats.. on the south side of Shotgun Pass (old channel).

bait shop.

me poling.

summer is comin' people! get fresh line on those rods, buy some tackle, and start payin' attention to the weather!

thought this was funny...

2008-04-01T12:06:00.002-04:00

this is the pass I got on a shoot with Joe Lapeyra.

We did a dawn shot of the brand new Florida Hospital Lobby in Altamonte..

i just thought that photo was funny.

no, I didn't quit.

2008-03-06T11:58:00.007-05:00

i'm back... I hopefully will be able to publish more frequently.. 'nuff with the twin peaks posts.. sorry about that. just wanted people to be inspired by words.

Montana!

i know i've been talking about it forever, here it is.

Josh and I we're lucky enough to be invited to shoot in Montana for Ski-Doo.. Us floridians say skEE-Doo... in the west, and I assume everywhere else, they say skIH-Doo. it's funny..

I just have to say, no joke, Montana has been a place i've wanted to go ever since I first went out west. It had this mysticism about it, that i couldn't shake from my brain. I was so excited when we heard it was going to be Montana. We we're initially supposed to go to Logan, UT. But they hadn't gotten any snow for the year since we went early in the season (December), so they we're forced to move it to West Yellowstone, MT.

yea, the town really is that small. you see that small airport? that's Yellowstone's airport.. Ski-Doo rented out that entire airport for the production crews to base camp out of. it was insane.

josh took all these photos.

this photo was taken in the airport. you can see it in the background. ninja brett

we flew into Bozeman airport, which is actually in Belgrade, MT not Bozeman. We had lunch at this amazing place run by a couple hippies, who actually used to live in Orlando, and totally new about Lake Mary, and everything it was weird. They had amazing food, like straight up gourmet food, it was crazy. They didn't belong in Belgrade, MT that's for sure..

upon arrival we we're under the assumption that we would just tag along with some people on snowmobiles, and MAYBE get to drive one. but, no. we get there and they tell us we both, Josh and I, have our own snowmobiles for the week. we we're giddy with excitement, neither of us had ever driven one before. they are insanely fun.

anyway, it's beautiful out there.

here's some of me playing in the snow. snowmobiles are fucking awesome.

it was an amazing time... i didn't really take any photos worth looking at. it was really hectic assisting in the snow, and couldn't shoot.

hopefully we'll have some more adventures soon!

and one last Twin Peaks entry...

2008-01-22T09:28:00.000-05:00

"Once upon a time there was a place of great goodness, called The White Lodge. Gentle fawns dappled there amongst happy laughing spirits. The sounds of innocence and joy filled the air. And when it rained, it rained sweet nectar that infused one's heart with the desire to live life in truth and beauty. Generally speaking, a ghastly place.. reeking of virtue's sour smell, engorged with the whispered prayers of kneeling mothers, drooling newborns, and fools! Young and old, compelled to do good without reason. But, i'm happy to point out, our story does not end in this wretched place of sacchar, in excess. For there is another place, its opposite, a place of almost unimaginable power, chock full of dark forces and vicious secrets. No prayers dare enter this frightful maw. Spirits there care not for good deeds or priestly implications, theirs' like to rip the flesh from your bone as greet you with a happy good-day! These spirits in this hidden land of unmuffled screams and broken hearts, will offer up a power so vast that its bearer may reorder the Earth itself to his liking. Now this place I speak of, is known as The Black Lodge, and I intend to find it." - Wyndom Earle

and some more twin peaks...

2008-01-12T21:19:00.000-05:00

found this tonight while bored and looking online for a good resource of easy to find twin peaks quote and dialogue.

while i realize these quotes most likely don't mean anything to anyone who doesn't know anything about the series, i still like to share.

to the countless droves of people reading this blog... :/

http://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Twin_Peaks

one of the best ones on there, i had forgotten about.

"Shut your eyes and you'll burst into flames." - The Log Lady

it has been a while..

2008-01-03T22:52:00.000-05:00

i've been slacking on the blog... i need to post the montana stuff. i didn't have the time to shoot much, we we're busy, and a little on edge about shooting in knee-deep snow on the side of a mountain.

and i'm broke and couldn't afford film.

but regardless there will be some, probably mostly some of josh's photos of me. proof that i was there.

so, look out.. some stuff is coming.

until then, a conversation i particularly enjoy from Twin Peaks.

transcribed, screen-play style by me.

Bobby Briggs enters the diner.. sits down, and finishes a cigarette. he hears:

"Son?", from Major Briggs, his father.

he turns around to find his father enjoying some pie and coffee at a booth:

Major Briggs: "Would you, care to join me?"
Bobby: [sighs] "Sure"

Bobby puts his cigarette out sarcastically, saunters over, and slimps into the booth with his father.

Major Briggs: "How was school today?"
Bobby: "School? School was good. How was work?"
Major Briggs: "Work was good."
Bobby: "Dad.."
Major Briggs: "Yes son?"
Bobby: "What is it... exactly, that you do?"
Major Briggs: [still contently enjoying his pie] "That's classified."

having heard this his whole life, Bobby rolls his eyes and arrogantly starts entertaining himself with the table's contents and his zippo

Major Briggs: "Bobby, would you care for a piece of pie? The huckleberries are particularly delicious today."
Bobby: No, thanks Dad."
Major Briggs: "Particularly fresh, and delicious."

Major Briggs finishes his pie, wipes his mouth neatly, and puts his napkin on the table.

Major Briggs: "Bobby, may I share something with you?"
Bobby: [nervously] "Ok"
Major Briggs: "A vision, I had in my sleep last night. As distinguished from a dream, which is a mere sorting and cataloguing of the days events by the subconscious; a vision fresh and clear as a mountain stream, the mind revealing itself to itself."

Bobby seems sufficiently confused and bored..The Major continues..

"In my vision I was on the verandah of vast estate, a palazzo of some fantastic proportion. There seemed to emanate from it, a light from within this gleaming, radiant marble. I had known this place. I had, in fact, been born and raised there and this was my first return, a reunion with the deepest well-springs of my being. As I wondered about I noticed happily that the house has been immaculately maintained and there had been added to it a number of additional rooms, but in a way that blended so seamlessly with its original construction that one would not detect any difference. Returning to the house's grand foyer, there came a knock on the door. I opened it, and my son was standing there. He was happy and carefree, clearly living a life of deep harmony and joy. We embraced, a warm and loving embrace, nothing withheld. We we're, in this moment, one. My vision ended, and I awoke with an overwhelming feeling of optimism and confidence in you, and your future. That was my vision Bobby, it was you."

Bobby is left touched, in spite of himself.

Major Briggs: "I'm so glad to have had this opportunity to share it with you."

Major Briggs stands and extends his hand.

Major Briggs: "I wish you nothing but the very best in all things."

Bobby: [holding back tears] "Thanks, Dad."

my yearly NY trip..

2007-11-19T21:46:00.000-05:00

so it seems that ever since my sister moved to new york, i've been going at least once a year.

i relish the opportunity to escape from my life for at least a few days and get lost in a different world.

i only really like one of the photos i took while i was there. can you guess which one?

i didn't mean it to be, but this looks exactly like one of josh's photos..

we walked down to battery park to see the statue of liberty and ellis island and the water.
i disagree with the second photo.

i have to say, the highlight of our trip was some time spent in central park.
we just laid around and the weather was beautiful, and we even threw the frisbee for a little bit.

i love birds.

and finally...

i have to say, in all fairness, i'm a huge apple products fanatic. but, whoever wrote this on the wall of some lower east-side building, has a point.

fuck you steve jobs.

til' next time new york.

and... Brett has a new truck..

2007-11-01T11:08:00.000-04:00

that is not me, but that is my new truck. i finally, am a human being. i have a 4x4 truck. glllleeeeeeee.....

here's some more from iowa.

2007-10-30T12:54:00.000-04:00

finally got the rest of my film back from dr5.

i was really excited to look at these, because.. every photographer has to, at some point, photograph a corn field.

i kind of fell in love with the corn fields, they do something to ya.

and here are some others. in the middle of the day one day, everyone was napping. i took a little stroll to hopefully find some photographs.

out.

into the heart of america...

2007-10-12T13:47:00.000-04:00

recently was fortunate enough to spend some time in iowa for a red bull shoot called, Blackout.

i'm pretty sure everyone knows by now red bull's insane reputation of doing the most ridiculous, off-the-wall type shit.. well this was no exception.

so off we we're to Okoboji, Iowa to shoot this thing. it's in the "great lakes of iowa", i didn't even know those existed until i went there.

this is iowa.

the idea was to shoot at night. basically. ok, simple enough. most people would wait for a full moon or a well-lit area, or use hand-held spotlights or something. well, red bull isn't most people.

here's a grocery list of shit they planned:

----they hired a serious filmmaker, Ronn Siedenglanz to film it, along with another operator from LA, named Brooks. really cool guy..Ronn is an amazing dude, and old-school shooter. Shoots primarily all 16mm film.

----two helicopters, one branded with red bull to shoot from, another to shoot the helicopter (branded of course) shooting the action.

----a HUGE house for everyone to stay in right on the lake in IOWA. equipped with a pool table, foosball table, red bull fridges everywhere, nice big couches to sleep on.

----an entire building crew of like 5 or 6 people to build rails and help with logistics.

----EMT, Department of Natural Resources, Divers, and Police Presence in case something was to happen, and to make shit legit.

----the standerd
came to observe (me, josh, and joey meddock) .

----JD Webb, Adam Errington, Brian Grubb, Reed Watson, and Colin Harrington all we're invited to come and ride for it.

it was seriously, a spectacle.

these shots are from the tow-boat, i was manning that big-ass strobe you see hanging. we rigged it up on the tower of the boat with a magic-arm. it was the first time we had ever done that and it worked out really well. i just put it on bulb and panned, and hoped for the best. got a couple crazy ones out of it.

some other random action shots, that are marginally worth looking at.

and finally, some shots from the periphery.

we we're shooting in this farm that some guy was generous enough to let us use for a winch spot, and all of a sudden i looked around me, and saw this short, stalky, shrub that was everywhere... i came close, and it looked exactly like weed... so i picked off a bud, and smelled it. sure as shit, weed. growing wild, all over the place. i showed this dude that lives in iowa and said:

"dude, check this out."

he said, "welcome to iowa man, that shit grows everywhere. don't try and smoke it though, it'll tear ya up."

ditch-weed, they call it.

i've still got some more film at a lab, i'm waiting to get back. i'll prolly put some more of this trip up in a bit.

i'll have more coming...

2007-10-02T14:31:00.001-04:00

soon...

another perfect day on the flats...

2007-09-20T15:31:00.001-04:00

well we did even better this time...

multiple double hookups, probably two straight hours of throwing baits to schools and them fighting eachother for offerings.

we ended the day with 12 reds, bunches of small trout, with one keeper as well.

the fall mullet run is on, get out there now!

i really like...

2007-09-10T12:50:00.000-04:00

this color:

we live..

2007-09-04T11:14:00.001-04:00

in a beautiful world.

FINALLY!

2007-09-03T12:41:00.001-04:00

a big red on the flats! my roommate Justin and I hit the flats a while back and we're finally very successful!

he had loads of fun bringing this big girl to the boat. probably about 15 pounds on light tackle... she was a beauty.

we plucked her from this school. all those ripples, for those who have never been on the flats, are BIG reds... it was a huge school. beautiful conditions, and we got one. it was perfect.

this is me, in all my glory.

hopefully we'll be able to have a couple more successful trips before the summer conditions deteriorate.

jason bethea, off to NYC.

2007-09-03T12:33:00.000-04:00

had the privilege of seeing jason's last show before he shipped himself back north to NYC. he played at the Viking Lounge (awesome place!) in Mt. Dora... it turned out to be his best show yet. he was amazing, and everyone had a great time.

we drove into the most insane storms on the way. storms that only central florida can produce. it looked like something out of Twister or something.

it was a great night. keep your ears perked up for jason, he'll be doing things in NYC.

the compound is here to stay...

2007-09-03T11:58:00.000-04:00

josh after our first time out there.

anyone who is close to me or my family knows that we call our little space on west crystal lake The Compound.

well it's officially the secret spot now. invite only. flat rail, and plenty of glassy water to cut around.

reed, danny, and I built a little flat rail. it's totally awesome.

some shots of these guys hitting it.

danny hampson.

i don't know why, but i like this photo of him eating some water.

mark this day. you heard it here first. you'll be seeing more of this place.

finally. brazil!

2007-08-21T11:56:00.001-04:00

so i'm finally getting these brazil photos into something people can view. if anyone's close to me, they know it was an insane trip that was a life-changing experience.

so oakley is making a movie with acclaimed/badass filmaker Justin Stephens, called Push Process. josh actually came up with the name. its a HUGE undertaking that they're almost done with actually. Matty Swanson, the Oakley wake/snow team manager/cheerleader, is the mastermind of the entire thing. so they invited josh along for this brazil adventure, and lucky me got to go with him. Oakley went completely over the top with this thing. we had a yacht we we're travelling the Rio Negro River on (fittingly called the Freedom), a boat crew that took care of EVERYTHING, cooks, 2 wake boats and a sea-doo in tow, air-conditioned rooms, showers, everything. it was insane.

the players.

amber wing. (wakeboarder/aussie star)

me. (second photographer/assistant)

josh. (photographer/visionary)

matty swanson. (mastermind/team dad)

marc shonka. (filmer/big teddy bear/self-defecator)

jack blodgett. (filmer/wakeboarder/prankster)

danny hampson. (wakeskater/fountain of optimism/friend)

it started out with 40 total hours of travelling, for what should have been about 8-10. six airports.

not included are the actual travel times for we did not document them and i cannot remember.

orlando to miami.

miami to sao paulo, brazil.

sao paulo to brasilia.

brasilia to manaus.

that totalled 40 hours... ugh. a flight from miami to manaus, brazil is only 8 hours!

but storms in miami, turned 8 into 40.

but it was worth it.

airport art:

we finally got there.

so we stayed in this insane hotel. which turned out to be the wrong one. we we're supposed to stay in the business tropical hotel. and went to the tropical hotel. it was like something out of a hitchcock movie... ooolllddd place, musty. no ac. we strolled in at like 3 or 4 am. and there was this huge family just finishing up dinner and many, many drinks. it was crazy. literally fell into a wet bed. if i hadn't been so exhausted i don't know if i would have been able to sleep in that bed. sleeping in the beds felt like sleeping on a wet paper towel.

the next day we boarderd our vessel.

our main focus, obviously was wakeboarding. here are some of my images. i just sort of tagged along, assisting josh obviously. but Matty wanted me to shoot a crap-load too to get a lot of complimentary images.

the travel/documentary/product stuff first.

and now some of the action.

keep an eye out for the movie. it premieres in november... should be amazing!

-brett

just finished...

2007-08-20T12:31:00.000-04:00

for the fourth time. the entire series..

i really wish people could fully understand and grasp how amazing that show was. there's never been anything like it on television since. i don't think there ever will be.

sure, in the latter part of the second season it got kind of lame at times. one can only imagine if david lynch would have had the opportunity to complete it his way.

i will have some photos coming soon i hope.

-brett

and things go on...

2007-08-15T12:02:00.000-04:00

weekend was great. visited the local watering holes in my hometown. got chased away by old high-school faces we didn't want to have to engage.

monday night said goodbye to an ex-girlfriend whom has become a wonderful family friend. late night at nice-n-easy (our local bar). goodbye estelle. i know you'll be fine out there in so-cal. don't fall into the race. it only ends in a fiery crash.

tuesday morning, woke up far too early. felt like i was going to die. i seriously don't know how i made it. went out to clermont to hang with some friends and get some shots. we had a plan to try the Hasselblad H1 with the Phase One Back (25 Megapixels!) for some wakeboarding. it syncs up 800th of a second. so we wanted to try some strobe stuff with Aaron Reed on this little rail. turned out pretty good. Aaron asked me to get a sequence of it, i picked up the digi and this what I got.

somehow i managed to get the strobe firing. its really weird because josh was using the strobe, and i was just sequencing the action without the strobe. somehow it picked it up. what are the odds.

it was a good time had by all.

here are some more singles from a different angle.

more soon.

-brett

i'm starting a blog.

2007-08-13T10:20:00.000-04:00

because i need to do something with these images i am producing. because no one is buying them. and i care about them. well, some of them.

first order of business: the tour.

the plan was simple. we (my sister and I) we're to fly to phoenix. pick up jason. pack up a 2004, er so, dodge dakota to the fucking brim. and start driving east. we packled all kinds of camping stuff, and the plan was to camp along the way the nights that we did not stay in hotels. needless to say, things didn't exactly go as planned. they never do, however. i'm not going to do a play-by-play of the tour because my much more talented sister documented the entire thing via a Royal typewriter. we're oh-so bohemian. look out cause the ferguson's are producing. this story will get out. give it time. meanwhile go check out jason.

jason bethea: http://www.myspace.com/jasonbethea

time frame: june 16th to july 4th, 2007.

here are the photos. they are in chronological order.

plane to phoenix.

open country via dodge dakota.

self portrait: jason.

mountain gas station/indian casino.

desert sunset.

on the way to austin, tx we took a detour to salem cemetary. following a whim/rusty sign.

we saw some local color. texas longhorn.

into austin. great bars. first show. carousel lounge. interesting place to say the least.

drove through the bayous.

camped to the orchestration of cicadas and crickets in louisiana. HOT.

we drank. a lot.

and then... the big easy.

jason played at a really amazing coffeeshop called Neutral Grounds. it was really great.

then we had to leave. :(

and we we're onto savannah.

there's a lot more. this should give a little idea of the adventure.

i left the tour on july 4th. flew home. got up the next day and went right back to the airport and embarked on my next journey to brazil.

that proved to be much more of an adventure.

keep an eye out for oakley's movie push process. drops november. i may have a few cameo's.

-brett