Two of the main creative forces behind Altamont are Fos and Patrick Odell. Patrick’s point n shoot style photography was a major part of setting up the visual side of the brand from the very beginning when Andrew Reynolds and Justin Regan established what it would be about, how it would feel, and how it would look. On March 8th we’re doing a few things in the store, one of those things being a show of a collection of Patrick’s photos to go along with a painting that Fos will do either in the window or on the wall as you enter the store.
I think Patrick plays a pretty important role in skating. He’s one of these guys that a hater could easily try and write off because of the loose style of his photos, but that’s a pretty shallow way to look at it. When you edit down some of the thousands of pictures he’s taken you realize he has a pretty amazing catalog of an era of skating and the people who surround it. I didn’t know what to think of the point n shoot style at first, now I love it right along with all kinds of other work that has more production involved. Half of photography is being in the right place, or being part of a scene that you can give people a view into, and Patrick was there, with a camera, with film, and because he chose to shoot it, you get to see it. It’s not rocket science, but you still have to make the decision to stick a camera in the face of some of these people that aren’t necessarily the most approachable.
There’s also a much more known side of his work now, and that’s his “Epicly Later’d” show on vice. It’s probably one of best things that happened to skating as far as keeping a record. Magazines are great, but nobody’s ever gathered all that old footage and laid it out to look at alongside modern interviews. I work with guy who never skated in his life, and he watches every damn episode.
Anyway, Patrick’s stuff is good, and I’m glad he makes it, and I’m really glad he’s letting us show his prints in the store. I’m also like that he wants to fly to Des Moines Iowa and party with the crew. Click one the pic below for an interview on Camera Bag TV.
