Rubin Recommends

(Part of The Weekly Check In series)

(photo by Meryl Slay)

When I first moved to Boston for photography school, I knew a kid who said he was friends with this photographer Bryan Sheffield and that he knew my photography website. So months went by and I tried to find him. I finally did. He was having a photo show at the Middle East with photos of Jon Cheese (who I later met) and I went up to him and was like “Hi, cool photos.”

I kept trying to get him to meet up, made him finally meet me at Burrito Max (RIP) and begged (I don’t know what I was thinking) to be an intern at Doghouse Records. He said I could. And that was the beginning of our friendship.

Bryan gave me a real job at Doghouse pretty much the day I graduated photography school. We moved out to Los Angeles together and have been here just around 1 month shy of 5 years. He is the reason I get to do what I am doing today and have learned what I’ve learned so far being out here.

So in closing, I thought it was appropriate to do a weekly check in with him for the last check in I’ll be doing while I live in Los Angeles, since he is the person who brought me here.

You can view his photography at http://bryansheffield.com

RR: What are you currently working on or just finished that you’re excited about?

Sheffield: The things that stand out are: I recently finished about 35 photos for the new The Subways album packaging. Documented them recording with Butch Vig. The record is coming out this Summer. Great band, fun photos.

I also just shot Katy Perry for Blender. That shoot was a ton of fun.

RR: Where have you traveled so far this month?

Sheffield: This month I have been to Simi Valley about 1/2 dozen times. I am sitting at a table in the shade there now. Green Day is playing on a speaker somewhere nearby. It is hot here. I am going to Portland, Minneapolis, San Francisco, and a weekend in Santa Barbara in the next few weeks. I was in Boulder/Denver last month, but I have mostly been circling around LA this June.

Jon Cheese and I have been planning an Alaska trip for a long while. It is the only state the two of us have not been to yet, and is the only place I am dying to go see. Soon.

RR: What’s your favorite music right now?

Sheffield: Foals. MGMT. Crystal Castles. The Byrds. The Whip. Pavement. Neil Young.

RR: Best food you’ve had in your neighborhood lately or while you were traveling?

Sheffield: Hmm. I eat a lot of cookies and soy milk. I like The Vegan Spot on Sunset. New place my best friend forever Meryl and I went to twice in 14 hours. Flore and Real Food Daily are amazing and frequented too.

RR: Anything Else You Want To Mention?

Sheffield: I will miss Matt Rubin a ton when he moves to San Fran next week. I am going to hug his sweaty man body til he pushes me off of him.

(Part of The Weekly Check In series)

I found Aaron because I wanted to publish a photo book in high school and his photos were submitted to it through Travis at Buddyhead. I liked his work immediately and began talking to him.

He’ll never forget that I took him to Hooters the one time he came to Kansas. The 2nd night he was there it rained really hard and we talked about photography for a really long time.

Aaron continues to impress me with his photography. Almost every new picture I see of his reminds me of how much he inspired me when I saw his photos for the first time, all over again.

http://aaronfarley.com

RR: What are you currently working on or just finished that you’re excited about?

Farley: First things first, Michelle and I have a baby on the way, which is insane, in a good way.  How do you be a Dad?

Other than that I shot The Melvins last month for the new issue of Alarm magazine, which was amazing.  I’m a big fan.  And I shot Tommy Chong for Swindle, so now I’ve shot Cheech and Chong.  The new Sabertooth Tiger record is coming along,  and I just shot some very weird field hockey photos yesterday.

Also I’ve been working on a new website for awhile, actually Neal at iDesign has been building it, and it’s finally super close.  I’m putting together a group of photos that I will eventually start pitching for a show, which I’ve never really done before.  And of course I’m working on building a sweet “Man Room” in our garage equipped with sound proof music room and comfy chairs to sit and drink in, I don’t have the chairs yet.  And GTFURadio is still kickin’.  And I’ve started writing some other songs and recording them with some peeps under the name of moonsunmoon.

RR: Where have you traveled so far this month?

Farley: Since February I’ve been to Kuwait (see photo on my blog here.), San Francisco, Chicago, Georgia, Montana, Baltimore, and up the street to the Liquor store.  All for work, except for the Liquor store, and Georgia, which was strictly to eat all the Southern Food I’ve never tried, Fried green tomatoes, mashed yams, collard greens, baby back ribs, peppered fried chicken, and black eyed peas, all in one sitting.  Oh and to see Radiohead for the first time.  Which was kiiiiiiillllllerrrrrrr.  See them on this tour if you can.

RR: What’s your favorite music right now?

Farley: Radiohead a lot, Thom York, the new No Age record is growing on me, like a sweet weed, Ride the Lightning, Qui, The Melvins, Triclops and the new Sabertooth Tiger demos, which are slowly getting finished.. hmm what else?  The new NIN is good.. never a big fan, but the new record was free, maybe thats why I like it?  Really though, I mostly listen to political Talk Radio.  Basically I have nothing new for you.  Search the Jools Holland show on Youtube.. tons of great stuff. Oh and I heard the Johnny Cash covers record again last night for the first time in awhile and I’ll be listening to that more.

RR: Best food you’ve had in your neighborhood lately or while you were traveling?

Farley: See above, plus Michaelangelos in Silver Lake, who is moving right across the street from our house, Boo Yah!

RR: Anything Else You Want To Mention?

Farley: I just ate a great spinach wrap from Whole Foods..