Influenced Skate Photography Show

                                       My First Photography Show                                     

by Rex Singleton

   Last year I was approached by my friend Jason Chapman to participate in a skateboard art show he was organizing. Jason wanted a collaboration of artists and photographers that were Influenced by skateboarding. He envisioned a show that had live music, rad art & of course a miniramp in the middle of the gallery! A gallery downtown had accepted his proposal and agreed let the show run for for 1 month. . I was in! I know in California this is common but, for Baltimore? this was the first of it’s kind.

The Pump

I was asked to submit an image to the Baltimore City Paper to advertise opening night. I chose rider Steve Hauck at a local backyard Vert Ramp “Phishlips”, it was a Lein to tail over the channel. I stood on a 6′ ladder to get the shot.

A week later the anxiety set in, what photos would I show? what would people want to see? want to buy? I knew nothing. But I did know I did not care if I sold anything as long as people were interested in what i shot. Six months prior it was Summer 2012 , Dew Tour came to Ocean City, MD & I was covering it for a Ocean City paper. I got a call from my friend Seth Levy that he was providing accommodations for riders and media. It was a house with 2 adjoining apartments that housed 20 riders & media named “The Skate Bungalow”. I know what you are thinking..mmm Dew tour photos? No that’s not where this is going. The house was filled with a mix of Skate legend, young bucks and photogs.  Everyday there was guitar jams, spirited debates and of course lots of skating.

Friday night after the legends competed we had a big party. I set up a make shift studio in the living room and shot portraits of all the guests.

At the end of the night I had a big collection of headshots to remember the week we all were together. The collection can be seen here.   http://www.paparexi.com/Skating/OC-Skate-Bungalow-Portraits/           

I printed all the portraits 4×6 and placed them on a 4’x4′ board.

Gallery 788  g788.org. Bmore MD 

My wall space was 9’W x 10’H.  I chose 15 skate photos that I put in 8×10 frames.

Opposite wall was my friend Billy Mode.

Matt Dove wall

Opening Night. 1-12-13

It was packed 200 deep. RedBull brought a miniramp.

I printed 100 4×6 “your awsome” pics and handed them out.

I created 2 photo collages on decks.

 My family came to opening night.

For several weeks prior to the show, i spent a couple hours a night gathering the photos and deciding what to show. I ended up with 17 pieces and the portraits. It cost me $275 for frames, posterboard, printing, $40 entry fee and misc stuff. I was proud  to show my photography next to my friends Billy Mode, Geoff Graham, Nick Denny, Jason Chapman, Stephan Ways and Matt Dove. This was the first skate art show on this scale in Baltimore and, it was a privilege to be a part of it. After 1 month the show ended. The only draw back to this experience was the fact that a lot of people whipped out their phones,  took pictures and instagram/facebooked them without credit or even aware to the fact that what they were doing was rude.