New York photographer Justin Jay and the alchemy of image making…
Justin Jay, you’ve heard of. At least if you swing around these pages. Maybe you saw his work in Stab magazine or Surfer.
Justin’s the 41-year-old photographer from New York City’s Lower East Side who made his name shooting rap superstars Jay-Z, Sean Combs, Outkast and Drake and, then, ’cause he surfs and he sees surfing “through the eyes of a 13-year-old surf fan” has captured some of the game’s most beguiling images.
Remember this one?
When The Strange Rumblings In Shangri La Crew Took The Stage To Accept The Award For Movie Of The Year, Did Their Antics Seem A Little Contrived And Unnecessary? Perhaps. But If They Set Out To Make A Mark On The Evening, Then Mission Accomplished. Perhaps The Most Ironic Consequence Of The Night Was The Assistance That The Boys Gave To The Recent Rebranding Strategy Of The Asp. Noa Deane Caught A Ton Of Shit For His Profanity Laden Quip, But After All, He Did Say &Ldquo;Fuck The Wsl&Rdquo;. Clooney And Nicholson Pounding Gin At The Golden Globes Is Charming, But Apparently Referencing Prescription Meds In Front Of A Surf Crowd Is Strictly Verboten, Dion. Live It. Learn It. Later Backstage, Australia&Rsquo;S Favorite Track-Suited Aerialist Got A Friendly But Firm Talking To From Surfing&Rsquo;S Cool Dad.
And this?
In Most Award Shows, The Main Focus Is The Announcement Of The Final Award. At Surfer Poll However, There Were Two Surfers Who So Unequivocally Occupied The Top Two Places That The Unveiling Of The Number Two Spot Became A De-Facto Crowning Of The Winner As Well. All Eyes Were On John John. Number Two Was Finally Revealed And It Was Kelly. A New King Was Crowned. Not A Single Person In The Room Could Muster A Justification To Argue Against This Year&Rsquo;S Winner. Well Deserved. A Class Act. Period.
And how about this shot of Ali from JJ’s archives?
BeachGrit’s favourite son of Allah, Muhammad Ali! By Justin Jay.
Recently, an interview with Justin featured on Surf SplendorPodcast, the same audio podcast site that jammed with Chas Smith a few weeks back (click here).
Justin talks about his journey from Santa Barbara to New York to Hawaii; from hip-hop to surfing and “how the surf media and WSL has failed to develop compelling narratives and personalities of its stars.”
