General

14February

Welcome to the new RipWilliams.com

"Don't call it a comeback. I been here for years..." - LL Cool J

Rip Williams photography portfolio

So... the ol' website was getting a little long in the teeth. Twice already in 2014 this site has been attacked by hackers and script kiddies. It's time for a facelift inside and out! Welcome to the new RipWilliams.com. Stay tuned for a slew of upgrades, new content, regular blogging and general butt kickery.

Posted in General, Tags business, photography

19March

Committing Photography (from the archives)

(reprinted with permission from albuquerqueARTS Magazine, July 2007 issue.)

On one of the first sunny days this year, I find myself with no appointments, no studio session, no deadlines and nothing to do for hours. It is early afternoon on a weekday. Aha! Perhaps a photographic downtown walkabout is in order. I can test (play with) a new wide-angle lens, get a cup of coffee and later drift in somewhere for an early happy hour. Exquisite!

While walking around Downtown soaking in the sun and taking architectural shots, I capture several wide shots (10mm) of the intersection of 5th and Gold St. Suddenly, a black suburban screeches to a halt next to me. The armed, black-t-shirted man who jumps out flashes me an FBI badge, questions me and “takes me in.” The complete ordeal is amusing but far too long to convey here. If you are interested, check out ripwilliams.net. Essentially, I was detained for a couple of hours, taken into a federal building, placed under armed guard, questioned, lectured and then released. The officer who ran my ID to make sure I wasn’t on any terrorist lists plainly said that I had not done anything illegal. He also mentioned that I must get written permission from the adjacent federal office in order to do the non-illegal thing again. I still made happy hour.

Posted in General, Tags architecture, business, legal, photography

06January

In the trenches with Vertigo Venus

Nikon D7000 vs. Canon 5d Mk2: Video Shootout! (Yeah, I said it.)

So, one night I'm hosting Guerrilla Photo Group at the studio.  It's the usual amalgamation of wacky artist types.  It's packed.  There are cocktails, cameras and scantily-clad models running and flashing in all directions.  Wait.  The cameras are flashing, not the models.  Anyway, as it happens, mad-scientist-whiz-producer (and friend) Brian Botkiller is in the crowd.  On this night, apparently, he's got an agenda in mind for me.  Botkiller is an interesting fellow... multifaceted, witty, sharp-minded, techno-saavy, an excellent musician and good lookin' to boot.  Imagine if Siouxsie Sioux went three-way with Scottie from Star Trek and a male model.  The lovechild, if it were possible, would be Botkiller.  His approach to me is subtle, delicate.  He walks straight over to me and pipes up: "Hey,, I want you to work on a video project with my band."  I retort, in astonishment "What?!? You're in a band?  What do you play?"...

I jest.  In fact, I am well aware of "the band" that he's in.  Botkiller, along with Jeff Cannon, Chris Cannon, Jess Crockett and Kenneth Cornell are synthpunk media-darlings Vertigo Venus.  They are, basically, "like putting The Dead Kennedys, New Order, and Twisted Sister into a blender and hitting 'Awesome.'”  I like 'em... the band AND the individuals.

Posted in General, Tags canon, gear, music, nikon, photography, video, Warehouse 508

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