#goldcrate

[goldcratemag]

Photographer Tatum Mangus threw a photo show at Book & Job Gallery in San Francisco last weekend. All art pieces were priced to sell (aka. dirt cheap) in order to support her new life in New York. Here's a short look at some of the folks who came out to the show.

[goldcratemag]

[Interview with barber Shane Nesbitt - Owner of Shane's Barber Shop and San Mateo Zoo]

It's 5pm. I have my camera, some film, and a 6 pack of Asahi special reserves in my pack. As I wait for a cross light to say walk, I notice mini masses of angsty teenagers roll by. Their transportation method is a blend of bicycles, skateboards, and scooters. It's so odd to see kids around. I think to myself how I see far more dogs than children these days, then a small troop of mini people adorning soccer uniforms march by. Like a deer in headlights I stare in awe at the anomaly of adolescence and realize, Holy shit, I'm back in the suburbs. 

Returning to my hometown, San Mateo. My first impression is that the place has changed a lot. Downtown is full of trendy restaurants that would please any foodie snob. After all, this is the town Curry Up opened their first non moving truck business. It did so well that it spawned another on Valencia just 15 minutes north in San Francisco. The small town has also grown in popularity amongst SF skaters. Due, mainly in part to Atlas skate shop. Over the last few years, many small business owners looking for a location to plant their roots have decided on San Mateo over San Francisco due to less competition and the open minded and highly supportive locals. In turn, these "edgy" small businesses have added personality to a town that was once pretty vanilla.

The reason I'm here is for an interview with a long time friend, highly skilled Barber, entrepreneur, and one of those responsible for subtly adding some spice to our hometown, Shane Nesbitt. Shane has known me since I was a kid waiting tables at a Japanese restaurant downtown. Back then I would float him bottles of our best Japanese beer. For old times sake, I purchase a 6 pack of Asahi Special Reserves and walk over to his shop off of 5th. When I turn the corner I see the large words "Shane's Barber Shop" painted on glass. Inside, walls are decorated with skate decks, straight blades, and vinyl from a by gone era. Classic punk blares in the background and Shane, with his fiery red beard, sits on a chair holding a corona.

After over a decade in the business, Shane has recently evolved his 4th business, Headshots, into his 5th, simply titled - Shane's Barber Shop. He's been working for himself since he was only 20 years old. Creating multiple successful Barber shops and being offered to cut hair all over the world. Beyond cuts, he's also crafting a collection of high quality products under his personal brand. After the change from Headshots to Shane's, I thought it would be a great time to stop by, shoot a few photos, have a beer, and learn a little bit about him and what it's like to own a barber shop.

  GC: Hey Shane, can you introduce yourself?

SN: My name is Shane Nesbitt, I'm 35, from San Mateo CA. I'm the owner of Shane's barber shop and the San Mateo Zoo

GC: Where are you from?

SN: I was born in Sacramento and ended up in San Mateo when I was in 2nd grade. 

GC: Did you grow up predominantly in San Mateo?

SN: I grew up predominantly in San Mateo, traveled all over the world and eventually opened a record store [Below the Surface].

GC: When you were traveling, was there ever a place in particular that you stayed in longer than others?

SN: Not really, I was always moving. A few weeks here a few weeks there. I've always worked for myself, so I've been grounded here because of that. I always end up back in San Mateo.

GC: What is it that draws you back here?

SN: Just my businesses, and now I got my family. Everything is here. My heart is here

GC: You have an obvious love of music. I see it everywhere in your shop with all the hung  vinyl. It's also apparent in your online posts. It makes sense that you owned a record shop. How were you drawn to the barber business?

SN: I opened up my record store in 1998 and I closed it in 2004 because my landlord was getting super greedy. The record industry was taking a shit. I was selling records that were hard to find and they were becoming more and more expensive. That made people want to buy less records and I needed something to fall back on. I never had any  aspirations to cut hair or interest in hair, but I woke up one morning and I knew I wanted to be a barber. A week later I was starting at barber college. The following year, I opened up my first barber shop. That was in 2005. 

GC: For someone who didn't want to do this, you're doing remarkably well for yourself. You're considered to be highly skilled by everyone's standards.

SN: I'm honored, I feel super grateful for all the support we've had over the years. All the clients we have now. 

SN: Everyday I wanna learn. I think that's what makes the shop survive. Every day I want to learn something. I love cutting hair, I love the barber culture, I love how big it's getting now. Even in 2005, which wasn't too long ago, barbering wasn't any where near where it is now. I'm just glad to be apart of it all.

GC: Speaking of that, there has been a radical evolution in the style of cuts people want these days versus before. Obviously trends move in waves, but it's a huge difference. What do you think inspired the change? Was it a slow burn or did it happen over night?

SN: I could kind of see it when people were resorting to traditional haircuts. Rather than the extreme line ups and things like that. We still do a lot of fades and tapers, but we're doing a lot more scissor cuts. It's come full circle. It's like anything else, everything makes a come back at one time and now it's time for cuts to resort back to the 50's and 60's. A little less maintenance. A little longer on the top. Overall more style, less maintenance.

GC: Your shop has a strong visual identity. From just looking around I can see a massive mixing of cultures and historical artifacts. What's the story behind the aesthetic?

SN: Shane's barber shop is my barber shop, I put my name on it, I put my heart into every haircut I do and everything is based around my childhood. Well actually, based around what I do. Skateboarding, a touch of graffiti, barbering. It's why we have old straight razors on the wall, old vinyl, everything that makes up who i am. Everything that makes up a part of my being. [Sips Beer]  

GC: I believe the shop is definitely more inviting due to that kind of transparency.

SN: Thank you

GC: I want to talk a little bit, not quite about the business aspect, but more about the day to day.

GC: What's the weirdest thing that's happened to you here?

SN: Like one client in particular? Shit…Everyday there's something. Cutting a bunch of different men all day. You hear a bunch of crazy shit. I hear guys ups, their downs. It's non stop. Seriously, everyday there's something. There isn't one thing in particular I can call out.

[Shane is quiet for a second and takes another sip of his beer]

GC: It sounds like you're a psychiatrist. 

SN: Oh everyday! I go home drained every day. I start work at a way different hour than most barbers. I start work at 5am and leave at 5pm. You can only imagine the amount of shit I hear between those hours. A lot of guys tell me… everything. A lot of guys tell me shit I don't ever want to hear. It definitely makes things interesting though. I don't think I ever want to do anything else. There are other things I want to achieve, but I feel I've found my life's calling. But to answer your question. Everyday is something. Everyday there's some crazy shit that happens.

GC: WIthin the same vein. Is there something you'd like to tell people about going to a barber shop? Etiquette, advice?

SN: [Shane let's out a long sigh] I can't stand sweaty heads. If you go to the gym, give your barber a couple hours grace. Cool down first. And don't be fucking late. Those are my two number one things. Don't be a sweaty pig and don't be late.

GC: I went on your site and was reading your bio. It says you've been mentoring people for a long time. What's that like in this world?

SN: I try not to think about it. I just kind of do what I need to do. And help people who want to be helped. If someone approaches me with interest. And I see it in them. I'll definitely be honored to help. I didn't have any help, I had to do it all alone, but I want to help. It's something I feel I need to do. At the end of the day I just can't help but try.

GC: Is there anything in particular, something you see in people that helps you choose who to help?

SN: Not one thing in particular, if someone has enough heart and they want to do this as a career, I can just see it. I can tell whose going to bullshit me. Who is going to waste their time and waste my time. I'm getting better and better at figuring out whose capable of doing it, but most of all who really wants to do it.

[Shane pauses]

GC: Your facial expression shows your'e thinking of people.

SN: Yeah for sure. I can think of a few.

GC: Let's talk about the idea of success and what lead you to where you are today.

SN: This is my 5th shop.

SN: I had below the surface, I had a clothing store in davis, I had the zoo and I have this shop. As far as a store front this is my last hurrah as far as barbering goes. There are things outside of barbering I want to achieve, but as far as barbering goes, this is the end. That's why I named it Shane's Barber Shop. As cliche as it sounds, this is the cherry on top.

GC: Which, leads me into my next question. You are definitely crafting a brand. You have a few projects coming out soon. Is there anything you're learning from the process of crafting your brand?

SN: Oh absolutely, I learn shit everyday. I learned that everything I have that I have a significant amount of faith in has to have my name on it to make it relevant. Everything I do has to be as close to perfect as possible. I know perfection is damn near unachievable, but if my name is on it, I want to be super proud of it. Everything that we're doing right now, from the hats to the floor mats, to the soap, to the mustache wax. I want everything that I do to have my name on it because it adds pressure and makes me work harder. 

GC: Today, a lot of people put stuff out that they don't really care about. Is it because they can hide behind the anonymity of handles and aliases? 

SN: I've done it. I've put stuff out that was super lackluster. I look back at it now. At the time it was all relative. I look at all the shit I did in the past as just learning. It's like the prepubescent kid that thinks he knows everything. One day he evolves into a man. Goes through all the bullshit that he has to go through to figure out what's going on in life. I did all this shit in the past and to me that was cool, and to some people, it was the best shit ever. But now it's obvious it wasn't. Right now is the biggest shit. It took me over a decade to figure out what I'm doing.

GC: Can you tell me about any current projects?

SN: As always, we're cutting a lot of hair. Sedrick, Travis, and myself. The guys at San Mateo Zoo are killing it. We're coming out with Shane's Barber Aprons. It's a selvedge barber apron made specifically for barbers.  We have our hats, soap line, and other things in the oven cooking. It's just a non stop process. There's always shit that has to be done to stay relevant. I go to sleep at 10 at night and get up at 330am every day trying to get things done.

GC: Let's talk about life outside of business? You have a new addition to the family on the way?

SN: My life outside of my business is my wife, my daughter and my soon to be daughter. Outside of here,  that's all that matters. November we have a new kid coming.

GC: Congratulations! Feeling pretty confident this time around?

SN: I know what to do, but now you gotta work harder. You need more money. We always make it through. 

GC: Last question. What are you listening to right now?

SN: Golden era and mid 90's hip hop always. Mid 70's early 80's punk. A lot of dub and roots. A lot of classic punk shit. Class hip hop shit. 

GC: Can you be more specific?

SN: Pretty consistently Black Flag Damaged. It gets things rolling.

GC: Thank you. I really appreciate your time.

SN: Hell yeah!

[We clink our Bottles together and take our last sips]

Check out his site:

Shane's Barber Shop

and

Follow him on Instagram

Photos + Words by Arthur Alvarez

[goldcratemag]

A conversation with Jen Giese of Photojojo and Phoot Camp

Jen Giese is Photojojo's guru, sage, wizard, longest working, and presumably most blue eyed employee. Not just a talented photographer and vinyl enthusiast, but also Photojojo's Official Store Manager. A deceptively simple title that masks her incredible list of responsibilities. Not only does she work with photographers, writers, and graphic designers, she also acts as a curator of sorts for Photojojo's webstore. This means she and a team cross oceans in order to find the next big thing. From pristine showrooms to the underbelly of the camera world, Jen sees it all. As a humble lady, Jen would likely never admit it, but she has had a tremendous impact on how Photojojo has evolved over her nearly 5 years on the job. Aiding in earning the Photojojo team nods from the likes of The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, Forbes, ABC, Gizmodo, Discovery Channel, and more. I had the opportunity to ask Jen a few questions and snap a few photos of her in and around Photojojo's Valencia street location in San Francisco.

GC: Hey Jen! It’s great to see you again. Can you explain a little bit about what photojojo is?

JG: Photojojo is a Photography Store and Newsletter. We started out just as a newsletter when point and shoot cameras were getting really popular. Everyone was taking photos all of a sudden because these cameras made it so accessible. Similar to what’s happening now with iPhone photography and Instagram. Problem is no one knew what to do with all the photos they were taking -- so we came up with DIY crafts and stuff to help them out. A few years after that we launched the online store and it just kept going from there.

GC: What do you do there?

JG: I’ve been the Store Manager for almost four years. For a bit it was just me and Amit (Photojojo’s founder) working in the SF office. So I was doing buying, photography, copywriting and hiring for the store all at the same time. Now we’ve got a team of six in the office so things are more big picture/management focused for me.

  GC: So you’ve been with Photojojo for about as long as I can remember. What were you doing before this and how did you find yourself at photojojo?

JG: I kind of fell into the photo world on accident. When I left college I wanted to work for a magazine - so I started an internship at JPG Magazine. I met some great people there and when the magazine went under in 2008 (like a lot of things did) it led to a job at Photojojo as the Store Manager.

GC:The photojojo store is always filled with the quirkiest photography toys that most of us photo nerds didn’t know we even wanted. Other than your amazing taste, how do you and the team decide on what gets put into the store? 

JG: Ha! Well, it has less to do with what I think is awesome and more to do with what I think our audience will like. Well, it’s a mix of both. I wouldn’t carry something in the shop that I didn’t believe in or think was cool, but every decision goes back to 1, is it awesome 2, is it unique? 3, will it make taking photos more fun, easy, enjoyable, or creative

  GC: You shoot some amazing photos all on film. Lomography, UO, and photojojo are all reputable companies that continue to help generate interest in film. Is everybody at photojojo still pushing for film to live or are you the only one?

JG: I’d say we’re half and half. Like a lot of people my age, I started shooting digital. I inherited a Canon 20D from an ex-boyfriend and then moved to film. There’s a generational thing happening with the resurgence of film that’s really interesting. I’d say a lot of my co workers fall into that boat. 

JG: One thing we all do is take photos with our phones. It’s true I shoot mostly film, but I’m not opposed to digital either. There’s something magical happening with iPhone or Android photography right now that I’m 100% behind. It’s getting more people to take photos, and that’s a fantastic thing no matter how you look at it. 

  GC: Just for our readers to get to know you a little better, what’s your favorite song right now?

JG: I’m in the midst of a Wire re-obsession, so I’m going to go with a classic Wire jam like Lion Tamer off of Pink Flag

  GC: And a favorite bar from your hometown? 

JG: Red Fox Room!! It’s this old steak restaurant on El Cajon Blvd in North Park-ish area. Red leather booths, dark wood paneling, full of senior citizens drinking white wine and so-cal rockabilly kids drinking cheap manhattans. There’s always a “band” this Grandpa with a muted trumpet playing Sinatra. If you know any tunes you can go up and sing along, open mic.

JG: I’m looking for an equivalent in SF but haven’t found it yet. I may need to move back some day just for Red Fox.

  GC: To finish, You always seem to be involved in some sort of photography event. You mentioned earlier that you went to some sort of photocamp? What was that like and do you have anything planned for the near future? You know trips, vacations, etc.?

JG: I went to the first two Phoot Camps. It’s this really amazing creative retreat for photographers started by Laura Brunow Miner of Pictory, which you should also check out at http://www.pictorymag.com. I know Laura from JPG, she actually referred me to the gig at Photojojo (thanks Laura!) 

JG:Phoot is way bigger than when I started, and full of far more amazing talented photographers than myself. Everyone check it out! http://phootcamp.com and http://phootcamp.tumblr.com/

GC: Thanks for your time!

JG: for sure!

Check out the wonderful Photojojo to see what we're talking about and also observe some of Jen's awesome photos via her flickr.

PhotoJojo

PhotoJojo Blog

Jen's Flickr

[goldcratemag]

[Full Frame Collective "What A Day" Zine Release at Book & Job Gallery]

Last night, Book & Job Gallery was host to Full Frame Collective's "What A Day" Zine release. More high quality photo book than simple atypical zine, "What A Day" is a 60+ page, full color, quality page turner.

Besides the book release, there was also a photo show. Over 10 large prints from the book were hung on the wall and for sale. However, with so many people in attendance, it was actually kind of difficult to see them in their entirety. Thankfully then, for a measly $20 I was able to call one of the FFC books my own.

Nicely wrapped in plastic and accompanied by a myriad of FFC stickers and surprise prints; "What A Day" is equal part greatest hits and world premieres. I was extremely impressed with the array of content and would happily give "What A Day" a permanent home on my coffee table.

For a little history on the book, you kind of have to know what Full Frame Collective is. A photo website run by a small 6 person, mostly San Francisco based unit of friends who all are talented photographers (friendographers?). I'd say about ninety-nine percent of what they post on their site is shot on analogue film and every one of them has completely different photographic styles and interests. This lends itself exquisitely to one of FFC's best traits; its remarkable variety. Photographs range from historical snapshots of parties long past, to epic sojourns through Alaska and beyond. 

I believe any viewer can visit the site and find something for them.

Go check out FullFrameCollective and buy "What A Day" at Book & Job Gallery or for those out of state, in their online store

AND

here are a few portraits of attendees at the show. Recognize anyone?  

[ahsah]

GOLDCRATE

Hey everyone. If you're following me. Please also follow my other site GoldCrate.net 

It's a San Francisco art and culture zine that I've recently taken online. You'll find a variety of interviews and articles on inspiring people. Thanks a ton!

[goldcratemag]

[INTERVIEW] With Portrait / Lifestyle Photographer Tatum Mangus

  Tatum Mangus is a photographer based out of San Francisco, CA. She specializes in capturing the cool, enigmatic, and often calm nature of her subjects. By emphasizing the direction of light and using subtle clues from her environment, she crafts images that flatter without excessive post production. She’s done work for Daughters of Simone and Rebel 8. She also contributes to FullFrameCollective along with helping out at one of the last remaining photo labs in San Francisco still processing slide film; Lightwaves. Even more, her boyfriend is an avid shooter and videographer as well. With a lifestyle so deeply rooted in picture making, one would be hard pressed to overlook Tatum’s work. After contacting her, she was very graciously willing to share some of her work with GoldCrate and provide us with a sneak peek into her thought process.

GC: Hey Tatum. I really enjoyed your Rebel 8 Summer lookbook up on their official site. I really liked how natural the set looked. It might be because I know a few of those guys, but your photos made me want to buy an outfit and go run amok with some friends. Can you tell us a little bit more about the inspiration and concept of the shoot?

TM: Hi Arthur! Thanks for all the kind words and thanks for having me! Mainly, the theme for the Rebel 8 lookbook, in my mind, was SUMMER. Warm tones and lots of sunshine (luckily, it was an unusual 75 degrees in the city that day) combined with a bunch of guys hanging out in tank tops with skateboards, to me, fit the bill. My goal was to make the lookbook less like a catalogue and more like a regular summer day with a bunch of dudes that just happen to be wearing Rebel 8. I wanted to make sure I was portraying the brand in a way that spoke to the people that actually buy their clothes, and hopefully make that appealing to people who have never bought Rebel 8.

GC:: So what’s your basic setup? How do you go about a typical shoot from start to finish?

  TM: I head out of the house for a shoot with cameras (usually, my medium formats--Pentax 645 and a Hasselblad 500c/m), plenty of film, a light meter, a reflector, and sometimes a tripod. I keep it pretty simple. For me, location and time of day are key. These two things affect the light in a photograph and that’s what I think makes a great image. Recently, I’ve been trying to incorporate more movement/action in the shots to get away from the centered and very still portraits I have become accustomed to shooting. This is actually a really serious task with a beast like the Hasselblad, which is why I have been shooting a lot more with the Pentax 645. The other thing that I am constantly thinking about during a shoot is, “How can I add variety to this set of images?” Coming in close, backing it up, getting shots without people, using the light differently--I have to keep reminding myself to change it up, to keep it interesting. I don’t normally have concrete, pre-planned shots in my head because so many times, I show up and the shot just doesn’t work out and I waste time trying to achieve it. I think that’s pretty much it. I keep restrictions and limitations to a minimum and just try to stay as creative as possible in the situation and just go with it.

GC: One of the first things people probably notice about your work is how deliberate everything is. You obviously have a very technically sound understanding of photography as an art form and practice. Where did this skill set come from and do you believe there is a whole lot more about photography you would still like to learn?

TM: This is such a flattering question! I can’t tell you how many times I pull out my hair sitting at the computer editing my images because things just are not correctly exposed or in focus. A lot of the technical knowledge I have learned is from formal schooling (I graduated through the BFA program at the Academy of Art a couple years ago), but I do all of my learning now through the wonderful photographers I come in contact with everyday at the lab (Lightwaves) and all of my extremely talented friends.  Terry (co-founder and IT/admin of Full Frame Collective, and also my lover) has no formal photographic background, but he has taught me so much more than any school could have. His dedication, persistence, and constant curiosity combined with serious self-motivated research has pushed me harder than anything else. There are so many things I still need to grasp in photography, I’m not sure where to begin! Terry and the Full Frame gang spend a lot of time setting up lights to shoot action shots and this is something I have no expertise in. Shooting with natural light has always been my way, but striving to be a professional without proper knowledge of strobes is unrealistic. My other weakness is black and white photography. There is a serious art to black and white film photography that I have not even begun to break the surface of, but am very interested to dive into.

GC: Favorite bar from your hometown and why?

  TM: You know, I can’t say I have one! I turned 21 after I moved to SF, so I didn’t spend any time in bars back home (San Antonio, TX), but the other reason I wouldn’t have one is that I’m not really much of a drinker. I’ll have an occasional whiskey on the rocks, but it’s very rare you’ll see this Asian get red in the face. 

GC: What was it about photography that originally hooked you? Why did you decide to pursue a career in taking pictures over anything else?

TM: I actually started out in community college as a graphic design major and was turned off when I took a job at a sign shop and couldn’t stand to create ugly designs for people because it was specifically what they had asked for. Obviously, this isn’t the case when you attain a better job as a designer, but it got me trying new things in school. I then enrolled in painting and printmaking classes and was briefly in love with the idea of becoming a fine artist. Unfortunately, I wasn’t very good at it. I was also very aware of the distinct possibility I would not make it as an artist. All the while, for some reason or another, I took a photography course every single semester. After a couple of years of photo classes and failed attempts at other visual emphasis, I fell in love with the dark room and creating images on film. It’s funny how I’ve lost touch with the black and white photography I was so passionate about four or five years ago. My perception of photography has changed drastically since those days, but my love for creating images on film is still the same. I think it must be the thrill of getting film back and wondering if you got the shot, or finding a surprising result in the negatives. Deciding to pursue a career in the field, however, has been a long road of discouraging truths and a struggle to make money doing what I love. We are a part of a generation that is extremely photographically minded and every other enthusiast owns a “professional” digital camera. There are too many photographers saturating the market and lowering the premium of a professional photographer, making it harder for us to make a living. This is what we’re up against and I guess the persistent, creative networkers are the ones that will make it, but I will stick along for the ride.

GC:  What song are you listening to a lot of right now?

TM: My main jams these days are Biggie and Tribe Called Quest--I think it’d be hard to pick just one song!

GC: Are there any projects you’re working on at the moment or planning to get around to? You know, what’s next for you?

TM: I currently have my hands pretty full, but Full Frame Collective is always an ongoing project. We’re all working together to create a zine to publish hopefully in the next month or so. There has also been talk of a couple possible shows we might hang this summer, which will be really exciting. Personally, my website is definitely in need of some TLC and I’d really like to make it a point to travel soon. You can’t take photos sitting around your house all day (well, some people can, but I can’t), and nothing is more inspirational and satisfying than taking an epic trip and taking boat loads of photos.

-

Photos Courtesy of Tatum Mangus

View more of Tatum's Work, visit:

Full Frame Collective

Her Blog

Her Website

  *SPECIAL NOTE: TATUM AND FULL FRAME COLLECTIVE ARE RELEASING A BEAUTIFUL 60+ pg. ZINE TODAY (9/13) AT BOOK & JOB GALLERY on GEARY AND HYDE IN SAN FRANCISCO, DON'T MISS IT!*

-Cover+Interview by Arthur Alvarez

[ahsah]

I visited Low Bicycles a while back, took some photos and learned a little bit about how Andrew and his company function. Check it out at GoldCrate.net

[goldcratemag]

STUDIO VISIT: LOW BICYCLES

One man army. A term that popped into my head as Andrew described how he started his business. Practically every skill he employs to his sculptures are self taught. This motivation comes from his own passion and desire to strive for the continuous evolution of himself and his brand.  

That brand being, Low Bicycles. Originally a one man operation, Andrew Low, the founder and CEO, dreamed of crafting high quality hand made aluminum bicycle racing frames. A dream, which came into fruition in 2010. Since then, Low Bicycles has been featured in magazines across the US and now regularly sells overseas in places like the UK and Japan. 

I was excited to check out his workspace and see where these famous bicycle frames were created. Humbly located next door to the San Francisco bicycle co op, Bike Kitchen, sits a door with a large LOW// inscribed neatly on the glass. Behind that door is a microscopic 500 sq. ft space, which Andrew utilizes in a variety of ways. 

A small calendar is used to schedule what the shops purpose will be for which day. For example, Monday and Tuesday could be welding days, while Wednesday and Thursday might be painting days. Every day had something written on it, even days most would reserve for a little r&r.   Like a lego set he breaks down and builds his shop to fit his needs. An arduous task, but done efficiently in order to meet the increasingly difficult to reach demands of his clients. The day I came by happened to be a welding day.  

I admit, I walked into Low Bicycles with fuck all on how exactly one goes about welding a bicycle frame. I imagined it was an incredibly difficult task, but one left to machines. As 90's alternative blared in the background and sparks shot towards my lens, I came to a slow realization. "Building frames” was not the right term for what he does. Instead Low sculpts aluminum metal into works of art that he simply calls, “The right shape”. Judging from his personality, Low is both meticulous and gung ho. When asked when he finds time to experiment, he simply replied “Everyday is an experiment” and smiled.  

Aluminum is not an easy material to work with. It's pros are that it is far lighter, but only marginally less dense than steel. However, the rate of heat transferred through it is almost six times greater; meaning aluminum welds solidify much faster than steel. On top of that, Aluminum has an outer layer that melts at hotter temperatures and must be removed to obtain the high quality results that Andrew gets. All of which, ultimately meaning; mistakes can be costly and irreversible. With every fluid and potentially fatal sway of his welder, Low signatures every frame with a piece of his soul.

This is not to say that his work is inconsistent. Andrew's process requires several stages of passes that I'd call quality assurance. One of which, entails a series of micro welds to smoothen connections and add multiple layer's of foundation and strength. Low exhaustingly aims for perfection every time.

With larger companies spoon feeding the general public mass produced, machine grown merchandise, it’s no wonder why cyclists from around the globe are flocking to Low Bicycles website to order a frame. Behind the name brand, the fancy colors, and the sponsored cyclists, is a man devoted to quality. That quality is unquestionable and the proof is in the boiling hot, aluminum pudding.

To see the finished product and possibly order your own frame visit 

Low Bicycles

  Photos + Writeup: Arthur Alvarez