See, Se Puede

Monkey light

The light was bonkers in ABQ last night. This is out my back window. Imagine what it was like out on the West Mesa. Wow.

Pictures and Parties

I’m happy to announce my first-ever show of photography will go up this September at ACE Barbershop in downtown Albuquerque. We’ll have an opening reception on September 10 @ 7:00 pm.

Gabe, the owner, should be spinning and I promise to have plenty of beer and wine on hand.

If you have any questions in the meantime you can reach me at jakob.schiller@gmail.com or 510.710.4348.

Hope to see you there!

Back in the saddle

I love rodeos. Plain and simple. I could shoot one a week and never get bored.

Fortunately I recently had the chance to “get back in the saddle” after months away. I’ve been writing and shooting for the small, but infamous paper in Santa Rosa,NM (The Communicator) and jumped at the opportunity to cover their county fair earlier this month.

While it was my job to cover the fair in words, I couldn’t resist making a couple snaps along the way.

All in a day’s work

A gang of us went up to my parent’s house in El Valle this past Friday to cut firewood. It was a long, hot day in the sun but we got a lot done.

Thankfully, just as we finished and sat down to drink a beer, we were rewarded with a nice drenching rain that cooled everything off.

Attack in Alligator Alley

My friend Josh, who I know from South Florida, sent me the following story yesterday about a young man who had his hand bitten off by an alligator while swimming in a canal near Naples, FL. The story really hit home because I used to swim in the very same canal while I was shooting a story about the Hutton family. It also hit home because I worry the canal/swimming hole will now be shut down.

You might think I’m crazy for saying the swimming hole should be left open. I might be. But there’s also a back story.

For many people like the Huttons, this canal, lovingly referred to as the “Crystal” because of it’s suprisingly clear water, is one of the few places they can go to cool off during the unsufferable South Florida summers. The Huttons, and others who use the swimming hole, are working class folk who say they don’t feel comfortable at the touristy, and sometimes upitty beaches in nearby Naples. They can’t afford to take their families to any of the local water parks.

Chris Hutton (on the right with his dog in the second picture) told me the Crystal also has political and cultural significance. When he was a kid, swimming holes like the Crystal were everywhere. But with the rapid development of Naples (a  hot spot for snowbird retirees from the mid-west), most of these swimming holes have been paved over. The Crystal represents a sort of last stand against Naples’ physical and economic encroachment on a way of life that is quickly disappearing.

Road Trip: Part 2

Road Trip

Casey and I just spent 10 really nice days on the road. Four states, 4,000 miles of driving, a dozen or so podcasts, two books on tape, some unknown number of wine bottles, and a lot of fun.

More to come soon.

Backcountry skiing

A couple weekends back I went backcountry skiing with my friend Adam Buechley and his dad Larry. The location shall remain undisclosed……..

We hiked most of the way to the lake without running into much snow, then put on our boots and climbed up these chutes. They call that chute on the right “The Shaft” and it’s probably the narrowest and steepest piece of skiing I’ve ever done.

How awesome is it to be skiing this kind of amazing terrain in June?

Here’s to next ski season.

ABQ Pride

Casey and I went to the ABQ Pride parade Saturday. Here is a small iPhone reportage.

El Verano

Summer has started. Went rafting last weekend and backcountry skiing yesterday.

More to come. Now that I’m a student I have 2.5 months to make fun pictures.