At ROXY the creative team and I have been launching SP12. We did some cool stuff to our creative which involved us submerging our images in water. In retail applications we used water lights to mimic the water treatment where applicable. For print applications (like above) we printed the images and shot them through water. It took us a bit to get it down but we are pleased with how it turned out. I'm sure some mega-photoshop wiz could of created a similar effect but it's nice to roll up the sleeves and do things the old fashioned way. For more on SP12 check out roxy.com. Also launched a new blog along with some other web goodies. Enjoy and thanks for rolling through.

We just began dropping our (Roxy) Winter 11 creative which I'm really excited about. The concept and execution was a great exercise in collaboration. Creative outputs can only happen when every one is fired up about a project and really enjoys working with each other. Above is just a sample of the spreads found in the Roxy Winter Catalog. There are many more parts to this creative launch (web, in store, special products) but I felt this selection really sums up the vibe. Reviewing all the creative that is hitting the public now really makes me appreciate the team I have to work with at Roxy. Designer Shout outs: Devin Dailey, Rebecca Kudela and everyone else who added their creativity to this launch. Thanks!

(photos: Christa Renee and Ryan Miller. FIlm: Todd Saunders and Wyatt Seaverns)

photo: Dan Severson rider: Craig Metzger

photo: Craig Metzger rider: Dan Severson

photo: Craig Metzger rider: Dan Severson

photo: Dan Severson rider: Craig Metzger

photo: Dan Severson rider: Craig Metzger

photo: Craig Metzger rider: Dan Severson

photo: Craig Metzger rider: Dan Severson

Lately, Dan Severson and I have been heading out and shooting photos of our pedal stomping in the hills of Southern California. Dan shoots the majority of the photos but once in a while I get behind the camera to catch Dan shredding it up. I've been cycling for a very long time but I never managed to get any pics of my early days mashing pedals. I have plenty of skateboard photos but most are so embarrassing it's painfully funny. I thought I'd share a few photos from some of our shred-flick sessions.  A sneak-peek into one of my passions (riding downhill bikes). I also have video but I'll spare you that exposure.

"In 2012, 50 percent of consumer spending is going to be influenced by or transacted through the Internet, according to Forrester Research." - aaron shapiro

Photos: Craig Metzger / Canon G11

When I lived n NY I use to take way more photos. I attribute it to being so close too so many film developing houses. I would drop off a roll of film in the morning and have a contact sheet by noon the same day. I'd make my selects and get a few copies. These photos would then end up in a zine or a box hidden away in a closet. Digital photography never really has worked for me but I decided to take my wife's G11 out to try and stoke the photo flicking fire I once had. Above are a few flicks from a previous trip. Enjoy and thanks for swinging by.

Photos: Jeff Hornbaker

When ever editing photos for a big company that has many moving parts you have to make sure you are filling the needs of various departments. There's sales, retail, your own retail outlets, online and targeted campaigns. It's very hard to always please everyone in one giant swoop but you figure out ways to keep the natives happy. After going through rounds and rounds of discussions and making sure everyone is given the proper materials to succeed there exists, what I like to call, the personal edit. These are images that I like to think are free from trying to please a specific product or marketing push. Above are just a small sample of some of my favorites. I keep a small folder of images that I like that might not serve anyones purpose except for being interesting. Some times these images make it into the gauntlet of sales directors, retail and marketing executives and with a proper sales pitch become catalog covers and campaign images.

6 months in the making. Out this June.

We almost burned down a studio with our last catalog shoot.The photographer got super pumped on the shoot and kept it going well past the comfort zone . The models in the studio next to us started to complain about the smoke and the other photoflickr's in the studio were concerned about the sprinklers damaging their $25,000 digi-set ups. Exciting to say the least. Definitely pulled all the magic and other photo wizardry out for the Ipath Fall 2011 catalog. "Watch Out, you might get what you're after..."

Inspired by a nature documentary, I had this vision of depicting a lion being attacked by a group of hyenas. The lion was fighting back even though the odds were not in his favor. In order to show the lion was about to turn the tables I saw the lion biting down on the throat of one of the attackers (gruesome, I know). The symbolism I wanted to convey was that even with the odds stacked against the lion he would rise victorious.

When I thought of this idea there was only one person I thought of who could do the subject matter justice and that was Ben Horton. His ink style really brings a sense of intensity to the illustration. I was honored to work with him on this image which would become the cover of the Spring2011 Ipath Catalog.

Randy Laybourne invited me to be a part of the Art Blender column in Concrete Skateboarding Magazine out of Canada. I ended up digging through a lot my archives and selected a few things that stood out to me. I decided to keep it skate heavy cause it is a skate mag afterall. I chose the Instant Winner Sleeper Board Series that Nathan Fox and I came up with. I loved that series cause it had so many hidden little nods to NY and IW. Nathan is one of the illest artists I know. We came up with the idea over beers as I was thumbing through his sketch book he had all these drawings of people sleeping on the subway. While riding on the subway he would sketch the sleeping subjects. We made up the 4 characters and he had the idea of using the siamese twins joined at the hip for Rohan. If you look carefully one of them is dressed up like a ninja (which Billy Rohan did often) and she/he is holding his first pro model with IW from the 3D battle series. Besides IW I tossed in some of the t's I did with Spitfire. I really enjoyed working with the crew over at DLX and if things were different I probably would of moved to SF to continue working but my life sprouted roots and it's hard to move them. I think if you click on the image it will display the big version. Ok, enough rambling and self promoting, enjoy.