Nothing Stranger Than Truth

Hannah Miller is a singer songwriter originally from Alabama, who currently finds herself in...

joe-gomez — Sat, 28 Jan 2012 18:27:00 -0500

Hannah Miller is a singer songwriter originally from Alabama, who currently finds herself in Nashville. I first saw her perform last year in a writer’s round that my wife has also played in. Comforting melodies paired with her haunting voice floated in my wife and my head for days after. Be sure to check out her music for yourself at www.hannahmillermusic.com.

I got a chance to catch up with her and see where she writes, rehearses, and handles the business end of being a musician. Check out her interview and the photographs from our time below.

***

1. How did you discover/decide that songwriting is what you wanted to do?

I’ve wanted to be a writer/singer since I was about four years old..I wrote my first song at that age, and I guess that’s what started it all…

2. What do you think is different about you as a singer/songwriter from other singer/songwriters?

Well, I’m me, and no one else is. Its hard to be an artist always comparing yourself to others, you will quickly get discouraged and depressed doing that. At some point you have to come to terms with the fact that what makes you special is just the fact that you are the only one of you, and only you can do what you can do…no one else can say what you have to say in the way you have to say it.

3. What are some of your biggest influences?

Simon and Garfunkel, Over the Rhine, Tom Petty, Elton John, Aretha Franklin, U2

4. What are 3 essential “tools of the trade”?

hmmm..for me: a guitar, introspection/observation, and paper (or a mac)

5. If there were a fire in your studio and you could only take what you can carry with you, what do you save?

the guitars and my computer

6. What is your favorite part of songwriting?

probably hearing the words…like after I’ve got a melody going and am just singing nonsense on top of it, and I start to hear real words in the nonsense, and its a fun discovery, like “Oh! that’s what this song is about! cool.”

7. What one piece of advice would you give to someone that wants to do what you do?

keep on going, play live as much as you can, never give up, always keep writing.

Just a reminder that Nothing Stranger Than Truth is currently...

joe-gomez — Fri, 16 Dec 2011 17:40:00 -0500

Just a reminder that Nothing Stranger Than Truth is currently being republished by the great folks over at Proxart Magazine!

Be sure to check out the project on their site as well as the fantastic magazine they put together.

Bradley Spitzer is a incredibly talented portrait and fashion photographer with a gifted eye for...

joe-gomez — Mon, 12 Dec 2011 19:28:56 -0500

Bradley Spitzer is a incredibly talented portrait and fashion photographer with a gifted eye for seeing and capturing beauty currently living in Nashville, TN.

One of my favorite things about him is that he does what he wants the right way. No cutting corners, no fast tracking, no finding a cheaper option. The right camera, the right film, the right setting, and the right moment to capture.

Check out Bradley’s website at www.bradleyspitzer.com and his blog (where he features his most recent work) at www.undertherain.com.

I was lucky enough to accompany him on a shoot recently and get to document him at work. Check out the photographs and interview below…

***

1. How did you discover/decide that photography is what you wanted to do?

Photography is something that I stumbled across a little over five years ago, well after my high school and college years. I have always enjoyed art but never saw photography as my thing. In 2005, my wife and I bought a digital camera and it immediately intrigued me. I started exploring the Midwest and taking photos of everything that caught my eye. I was mortified of turning my lens onto people in the beginning but I slowly came around to it.

Finding and creating images for me boils down to having an excuse to get out of my routine and explore the world. Whether that is a run down hotel in Indiana or asking a stranger for a portrait, I find joy in experiencing new things (places, food, music, people, etc.). Photography just happens to facilitate that for me.

2. What do you think is different about you as a photographer from other photographers?

I’m really interested in getting to know the subject I am collaborating with and helping them enjoy the process of being photographed. I’m interested in making great photos and having fun with them.

3. What are some of your biggest influences?

As generic as it sounds, the internet has been a huge source of inspiration. I remember back in college the internet was just beginning to be an avenue for information and inspiration. But now everything is at our fingertips - who is shooting what and where and how they’re doing it. So many people are creating fantastic work that it’s hard to keep up.

I wouldn’t say that these folks have directly influenced my work but I am absolutely in love with how they capture the world: Dorothy Hong, Bradford Gregory, Cary Norton, Brigitte Sire, and Tim Barber.

4. What are 3 essential “tools of the trade”?

Some form of caffeine, a subject to photograph and a camera bag outfitted with a couple cameras and way too much film.

5. If there were a fire in your workspace and you could only take what you can carry with you, what do you save?

As many hard drives and negatives that my hands can carry.

6. What is your favorite part of photography?

Meeting new people and capturing them in a single or series of photos.

7. What one piece of advice would you give to someone that wants to do what you do?

Don’t give up. Don’t give up when you’re out of ideas, when you can’t find someone to photograph, when someone says no to your request to photograph them. Don’t give up just because you don’t know your destination or how bumpy the journey is going to be. Don’t give up when your work doesn’t live up to your high standards. Look for progress in your own work every 6 months and you’ll see it. Be open to experimenting with different gear to see how it influences your process and the final work. Get to know other photographers and support/encourage them in the work they are pursuing. And try, try, try to photograph your very own, self assignment at least once a week.

***
Check out Bradley’s website at www.bradleyspitzer.com and his blog (where he features his most recent work) at www.undertherain.com.

Hannah Schmitt is a graphic designer here in Nashville. Armed with a love of art, travel, and the...

joe-gomez — Fri, 28 Oct 2011 16:51:00 -0400

Hannah Schmitt is a graphic designer here in Nashville. Armed with a love of art, travel, and the people around her, she has quickly become one of my favorite people to follow on instagram and pinterest.

After a couple years of crossing paths and even working together on a project, we finally met and talked about her path and vision as an artist, puppies, LOST, the neighborhoods of Nashville, and our mutual love for the work of Michael Giacchino (we talked a lot about LOST).

Hannah will be launching her online portfolio in the next couple of weeks and I will be sure to update this post with a link to it as soon as she does.

***

1. How did you discover/decide that design is what you wanted to do?

I initially started out exploring photojournalism. After a few years of teaching myself the basics, I decided to study it more thoroughly in college. It was about a year into my time in the darkroom that I started to wonder if I’d possibly misinterpreted my own passion a little. My photojournalism professors insisted that every photo be organic… a simple capture of an untouched moment as it was happening. I struggled constantly to not step into those moments and shift the characters 4 or 5 inches into good light, or move an unattractive bottle or a trash bag out of the frame. I wanted to capture moments, but I also wanted to stage them ahead of time so that they looked their best. Photography was something I really enjoyed, but from a more artistic approach (as opposed to journalistic). Unfortunately, that wasn’t a direction my college offered.

With time, I started to explore other options and ended up in a design class with a professor that changed everything for me. We’d spend full semesters designing concert posters and album artwork for local musicians or events on campus. He encouraged total creativity, even if it sometimes meant sacrificing the average eye’s understanding. He wanted us to be able to create with our hands what we saw in our heads, and taught us how to get from one to the other. I took to it instantly. It was the first time I started to realize that I could work full-time for the rest of my life doing something that didn’t feel like work. And that’s the point, right?

2. What do you think is different about you as a designer from other designers?

I’m a girl? Kidding. (Though it often feels like I work in a male-dominated industry). I really like to stretch myself in a lot of different style directions. It allows me to be flexible for my clients’ various needs, and it teaches me how to design in new ways. Many designers would say this means I’m not dedicated or not working on building my brand with one specific style anyone would recognize me for. But to me, one style over and over again is boring.. and safe. If you’re good at one style and you do it repeatedly, what’s making you fresh? What’s challenging you? And what happens when a huge, potentially-amazing project drops in your lap… and they’re looking for something other than your “style”?

I’ve found that it’s good to be flexible. It allows you to be continually growing as a designer, and opens you up to other opportunities that your “trademark” style may not work for.

3. What are some of your biggest influences?

Gosh. Everything? Concert posters. Well-designed packaging on a box of cookies. Movie credits. Window displays at Anthropologie. A good car commercial. Ads in fashion magazines. A well-designed house. The smallest thing can trigger my inspiration (or is it my ADD?). One of my favorite parts of design is typography. I love spending hours hunting down exactly the right fonts for my projects. It can take awhile, but it is worth it. Every time. Because of my interest, a lot of my inspiration comes from type-based design. Or the opening credits on a TV-show. Or a menu at a new restaurant. See? Everything.

In terms of designers, I get pumped about a lot of different styles of design. There’s a guy named Scott Hansen who designs in a retro style that I can’t get enough of. Ty Mattson, who won extra points with me for doing an entire set of both Lost-themed and Dexter-themed posters. There’s a Knoxville-based shop called designsensory that designs really clean, fresh branding that I’m envious of. Also a company out of Atlanta called Green Olive Media really has my attention right now. And this kid doing amazing, typography-based posters out of classic song lyrics: http://www.musicphilosophy.co.uk/

Basically, if it has killer typography, a touch of a retro or vintage feel, and doesn’t look like anything I’ve seen before, I’m a fan.

4. What are 3 essential “tools of the trade”?

The ability to accept constructive (and sometimes non-constructive) criticism. A killer pair of headphones. A good Mac. (Not being an Apple fanboy, just sayin!)

5. If there were a fire in your office and you could only take what you can carry with you, what do you save?

Oh man. Easy. I’ve got a hard drive that has every design project I’ve ever touched on it, tens of thousands of photos/videos from the last 10 years of my life, and the music collection I’ve been building since high school. I have pretty awful long-term memory, so losing all of that would be… devastating. Now that I mention it, mayyyybe I should back that thing up and put it in a vault somewhere.

6. What is your favorite part of designing?

I love the reaction. Revealing that first glimpse to the client. When I’ve been able to really capture an individual or company’s personality into a design, it’s always exciting to show them the result for the first time. Nine times out of ten, they had said to me at some point in the process: “I don’t really know what I want it to look like, but I’ll know it when I see it.” This can be very daunting as a designer (you could also replace “daunting” with “frustrating”), but proves to be extremely rewarding when they finally do see it and say: “This is it. This is what I was looking for.” When you can gain someone’s trust without showing them anything yet, delivering on that promise is a killer feeling. Makes me feel like I maaaay actually know what I’m doing. Sometimes.

7. What one piece of advice would you give to someone that wants to do what you do?

Someone told me this four or five years ago and it’s really stuck with me: “Some of you do for art, and others you do for commerce”. It’s true. That’s not meant to be an excuse for lazy or poor design, but I’ve met plenty of designers that will waste weeks of time of trying to make an award-winning project without the room to do so. When you’re given the world’s ugliest logo, told that it cannot be changed, and asked to build a beautiful website around it, you work with what you’ve been given and do the best you can with the circumstances. Then move on.

There are occasionally going to be designs you produce that don’t change the world, but if you want to keep the lights on at your house, you do them anyway. You do the best with what you’ve been handed. If you want to thrive (and pay the bills) as a designer, don’t be afraid to compromise every now and then. You need to be able to work with your client’s expectations and aesthetic preferences—even if they don’t line up with yours. These situations will be rare, but handling them well is important and will determine how people recommend you to others.

At the end of the day, I’ve found that adopting the “Art vs. Commerce” mantra allows a lot more time to spend working on the projects that WILL change the world.. and you’ll be able to pay for the endless shots of espresso you’ll need in order to do so.

Jason Jones is an incredible graphic designer here in Nashville. I met him at a party thrown by a...

joe-gomez — Tue, 18 Oct 2011 19:01:00 -0400

Jason Jones is an incredible graphic designer here in Nashville. I met him at a party thrown by a mutual friend for the premiere of the final season of LOST. If you’re going to meet a person who you are sure to get a long with, it’ll be at a LOST party.

Not only is he a fantastic guy, but I am willing to bet that you’d be hard pressed to find a person that he didn’t get along with right away and then bend over backwards to try and help them having just met them.

You can check out Jason’s work at www.otterball.com. He is not only the man behind Otterball, but helps run Musician’s Corner (a beloved Nashville event bringing free concerts to Centennial Park) and is a partner at the e-commerce development firm Tyemill in Seattle, WA.

Earlier in October, Jason invited me over to his office to talk about and photograph what he does, how he does it, and why he loves it.

***

1. How did you discover/decide that design is what you wanted to do?

Part of the discovery came honestly and part was by accident. My dad is a fine artist (williamcareyjones.com) so I grew up surrounded by art. While other kids were going hunting and fishing, I was visiting art galleries and building sculptures out of junk in the garage. I resisted my artistic leanings as I entered adulthood, for fear of becoming another “starving artist”. I went to school for Mass Media / Speech Communications and got into Sales / Business Development shortly out of college for a start-up interactive firm. While working for that company, a friend of mine and I ramped up a small web design firm called Otterball as a way to work on fun, low budget side-projects. One day it dawned on me that I enjoyed, as was fulfilled by the tiny Otterball projects exponentially more than my sales-oriented day job. So when the opportunity presented itself, I took the plunge and started to do the design thing full-time.

2. What do you think is different about you as a designer from other designers?

I hope that my business / sales background allows me to not only design for merely design’s sake, but also provides a intitioniality that directly impacts my clients. The purpose of interactive design, in which I spend most of my time producing, is ultimately to engage the end user or customer. My hope is that I can provide stunning graphical experiences while maintaining a clear understanding of the client’s overall goals.

3. What are some of your biggest influences?

Fellow Designers - the Nashville community is rich with talent, and I try to stay as connected as possible in hopes that some of that talent will rub off on me.

Various Mentors - Throughout my career I have had a few business leaders in my life… all non-designers… that have helped me along the way. I have always found that inspiration, technique and relevancy will come, but the sound logical foundation that mentors bring are the foundation for all of it.

My Wife, Rebecca - I know, cheesy… but she is a constant reminder of what I am working for.

4. What are 3 essential “tools of the trade”?

My Herman Miller Desk Chair - Proven: If your back hurts your work will suck.

My Bose QC3 Headphones - Underneath those I am in my own little design world.

Dribbble - Seeing other designer’s work in real-time is a game-changer for me.

5. If there were a fire in your office and you could only take what you can carry with you, what do you save?

My Charles Schultz signed drawing of Snoopy

6. What is your favorite part of design?

For me the fun of designing is problem-solving. When a client comes to me or my firm, it is because they feel they do not have the meaningful online presence to accurately represent their brand or product. My job is to take the passion of their work and display that online.

7. What one piece of advice would you give to someone that wants to do what you do?

Never give your work away for free. Many people will tell you that you have to do only pro-bono / low paying work in order to “make a name for yourself” or “build your portfolio”. What you are really telling people by doing that is that your work is not good enough to pay for. Instead find ways to barter with your clients. That way they are still giving you something of value for your hard work. Over the course of my career I have bartered for some amazing things - vacations, luggage, services, dog grooming, etc. For the client’s with modest budgets, bartering with a designer is often a win-win scenario.

Seth Jones is a man of many talents and wears many hats. Being both a songwriter and a producer...

joe-gomez — Sun, 21 Aug 2011 23:25:00 -0400

Seth Jones is a man of many talents and wears many hats. Being both a songwriter and a producer requires him to not only be a skilled musician, but demands him to essentially live and breathe his craft. Whether it’s taking things that inspire him and turning them into melody or soldering endless connections of wires in his studio (which he built himself), he’s up to the challenge.

I had the incredible privilege to be able to photograph him in his studio as we talked what he does, what he loves, and what keeps him challenged and creating.

***

1. How did you discover/decide that songwriting is what you wanted to do?

It was something I discovered over time. I played in a band in college, and when the lead singer and I met we began to write. That evolved into me writing across different genres. I got a later start than most people, but once I began I found that I loved it. At one point I had written a few songs and a friend of mine gave them to her boss at the publishing company where she worked. He called me in for a meeting, and listened to them. At that point I was just writing because I loved it, but he told me that I had what it took to be a writer in the commercial, professional sense. It was very encouraging because it was the first time that I really thought about writing in those terms.

2. What do you think is different about you as a songwriter from other songwriters?

Well I think every songwriter has their own fingerprint. It comes through melodically, musically, and lyrically. I’ve heard songs on the radio for the first time and been able to guess the writer! For me, I have a certain tone and vibe attached to my voice which leads me to write in a certain melodic direction. The fact that I’m a producer and play a couple different instruments has helped me a lot. I can hear something in my head and go there immediately. When I write country music I’m able to come from a pop angle musically and melodically, and when I write pop, I’m able to come from a deep and colorful angle lyrically. It can be a challenge for me to jump between genres, but sometimes it works in a cool way.

3. What are some of your biggest influences?

This is a hard question. Since you didn’t limit me to “musical” influences I’ll give you a little broader answer. In a general sense I would say my biggest influence and inspiration is emotion. The times in my life that have the deepest emotions are the times I’m most naturally stirred to create a song. Many times it’s relationship based—heartache, loss, happiness—other times it’s something about the human condition, big questions or contemplating our place in the world.

Musical influences of mine are diverse. I love great songwriters like Billy Joel, John Mayer, and James Taylor. U2 is also a big favorite of mine. I’m a huge lover of soul/neo-oul/R&B music. I love Stevie Wonder, D’Angelo, Jill Scott, Lauren Hill, Ledisi, Brian McKnight, Tommy Simms and of course Michael Jackson. There will never be another. I love artists with rich musical textures like Jonsi, Sigur Ros, and Dustin O’Halloran. Nineties music is another huge influence. Female music in the 90’s was incredible, Paula Cole, Sarah McLachlan, Lisa Loeb. There were great bands too, Goo Goo Dolls, Third Eye Blind. They were all lucky enough to make music in an industry climate that wasn’t as tense as ours is now. I think it led to greater creative freedom, both as writers and creators, and in the studio. Many times I’m influenced by specific songs. I could list them for days.

4. What are 3 essential “tools of the trade”?

Easy. Guitar. Piano. Pad of paper.

Oh.. and a pencil. Can I have four?

5. If there were a fire in your studio and you could only take what you can carry with you, what do you save?

Ha, this is a good question. One I’ve actually thought a bit about. On a practical side, I’d have to say first my computer and hard drives. There are hours and hours of work saved on them that would be hard to recover if all my drives were lost. Other than that, I’d probably leave every piece of gear in my studio there. It’s easy to replace, and it has little sentimental value. That’s what insurance policies are for. The other things I would reach for first would be my instruments. Those have history, and many of them are impossible to replace exactly. It’s almost like they have souls. You can get a new guitar that might be special in it’s own way, but it won’t ever be the same.

6. What’s your favorite part of songwriting?

My favorite part of songwriting is the connection that you make with a listener. That’s why everyone does it. Songwriters are like the conquistadors of the heart. They venture into these new places that not very many people go so that they can come back and tell others what it’s like. Sometimes the story is just their own journey, their hardships and discoveries. How they wake up and put one foot in front of the other, their little victories. Other times it’s someone else’s story, the way they see it, and the things they observe along the path. Our hearts are vast places, and not everyone can return from it’s depths and be able to tell another person about it in three minutes and thirty seconds. The best songwriters are actually prophets. They call us to action. They wake us up. They mourn. They can identify and delineate our common humanity in ways we all wish we could. It helps us live better lives when we understand ourselves better. They’re able to tap into the mysterious river of creativity that flows over our heads like a jet stream and pull a bit of it down for everyone else.

7. What one piece of advice would you give to someone that wants to do what you do?

Create create create. Practice the discipline of creation. I think every successful songwriter (or creative person in general) overcomes two main obstacles. They learn how to push through the dawn of their craft, meaning that when they first start writing songs they know they’re not good. That can be disappointing because the reason you start writing music is that you love GOOD music. It’s frustrating not being able to create the quality of song that you wish you could. Once I heard someone say that the first hundred songs you write aren’t going to be any good. You just have to get them out. For some people that can represent years of writing. That’s a long time to suffer through the process but it necessary. Be open to critique and put yourself in positions with writers who are better than you.

The second thing is related to the first, but a little different. I’ve seen it paralyze people. When someone gets involved in a creative community (like everyone does who is a creative professional), they fall into the trap of compare and copy. They look around and they see writers and creatives who are much better than they are, and they think one of two things. Either, “It’s no use and I need to stop,” or “I need to try and do what they do.” Both meet the same end: frustration and ultimately quitting what you once loved. I say don’t quit. Keep creating. Everyone struggles with the balance of having their work be a part of their identity and having their work define them. Find a balance that allows you to continue, and above all do not fall into the trap of copy. Everyone has something unique they bring. They have their own fingerprint and it has absolutely nothing to do with their talent. They are mutually exclusive. Some of the greatest songwriters, poets, painters, and authors were laughed at by their contemporaries. Just write songs!

————

Click here to listen to Seth’s solo project debut EP (or check it out on iTunes or Spotify)…and then make sure you email me to thank me for directing you to it. Trust me, you will want to thank me.

Welcome!

joe-gomez — Fri, 19 Aug 2011 00:00:00 -0400

Nothing Stranger Than Truth is an investigation, a documentation, and a witnessing of some exceptional people doing some exceptional work.

By both photographing the person in their environment and and asking 7 questions, I hope to gain a glimpse at who they are and what they do.

Enjoy.