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The Diamond Interview
06/19/2007
I recently had a chance to sit down with Buywake.com art department head and photographer extrodinaire Diamond. Yes, he goes by one name, and you will like it.
ATLwake: Do you live to ride, or do you ride to live?........it took me all
day to come up with that.
Diamond: haha
Diamond: WOW
Diamond: great question....Live to Ride.
ATLwake: haha, thanks
ATLwake: i am a professional question asker you know
Diamond: yes this is true
ATLwake: what do you do at BuyWake.com aside from deal with my barrage of
IMs all day?
Diamond: 80% of the photography for all three and ALL data implementation
for all sites
Diamond: and your IM's
ATLwake: and design ads and what not right.
Diamond: Yeah it typically starts off with a image of mine and Paul Ellis
Puts some funk on it and....BAM!
ATLwake: How did you get hooked up with BW
ATLwake: Did you work at Bush first?
Diamond: My long time friend Kearns has worked for Ambush for some time and
I was doing photos in the ATL(Hip-Hop) and one year @ the Masters 41st I
took like 10 rolls of film and gave them all to Chuck and really it was just
for him and the shop...wasn't trying to get a job I was just stoked on the
whole wakeboard scene they had down there.
Diamond: Shane Bonifey Won that year it was his first win(I think)...as a
pro he was like 14....him and Danny(1080) were so short now look at them.
Yeah I worked at the New Ambush for 30+ days or so then came over to
Buywake.
ATLwake: How did you get into taking pretty pictures of stuff ...and people?
Diamond: When I was 13 I bought a camera with money I had saved from odd
jobs and starting with birds,flowers, girls...even at a young
age...(laughs). Plus my stepfather's Dad was a photographer for Chicago
Tribune and I was given a bunch of his lenses and a few cameras and just
went wild with wondering what each one did and how each lens could give
different perspectives.
ATLwake: so give me a rundown of your equipment now.... still have those old
lenses?
Diamond: geez...Yeah I have an OG F1 with the crazy appature "rod" that
changes the F-stop on the lens...I have 35mm/2(50mm)/85mm/105mm/old fixed
200mm(I think)...Also N90s(Body) F100(Body) FM2a(Body w/45mm..My fav) D2hs
and new 20mm/50mm/80-200mm and access to a 300mm f2.8 and 400mm
f2.8....sounds like alot but I would love the new D2Xs...it's my next
purchase.
ATLwake: yeah, it sounds like you need more equipment, definitely.
Diamond: The old stuff is sick but I only use it on special occasions..
ATLwake: is there any particular piece that you prefer....asked another way,
if you were on a deserted island with one camera body and lens, what would
it be?
Diamond: FM2a and the 45mm...you don't need batteries but proccessing film
would be a bitch.
ATLwake: which raises the question, film or digital and why?
Diamond: WOW...the classic question. Film for personal projects prints that
I do and then DIGI for the job or quick shoots that need a fast turn
around...DIGI is cost effective for me and Chuck...haha.
ATLwake: Yes, I imagine taking a few thousand shots would add up on film.
ATLwake: so, any tips for aspiring wake photographers?
Diamond: 36 exposures 30 rolls=1080.
ATLwake: I am betting that as everyone gets older and loses a few ligiments
(like me) they will just start taking pictures of the younger guys, instead
of killing themselves.....like me.....or in my case, the younger girls, (but
not too young).
Diamond: Classic...Joey Meddock has a interview in one of the wakeskate
Volume series and he says just that. Once he was a rider then got injured so
instead of doing nothing on the boat He started taking pictures...look at
him now.
Diamond: not me
Diamond: I was never really into this sport I seemed to mold my style of
portrature and lifestyle/photo jurnalism and made it my own.
ATLwake: so how did you end up at the Masters if you werent into
wakeboarding? I myself am in it for the boats, beers, and boobs....riding is
just something i do in between.
Diamond: Kearns and I kinda grew up together and he asked me to go that
year...It was crazy! We partied that night with all these "Pros" I didn't
know anyone but it was fun as hell -I mean girls, booze, mini bikes shit I
thought this was where it's at. Next day I'm kickin it on the starting dock
taking all these shots of pros and girls and pros then more girls and I was
taken back from it all because I didn't know these people I just partied
with them the night before...
ATLwake: ah yes, the comraderie of wakeboarders is something I find unique
to the sport.
Diamond: Yeah and I was like "Who names their son Parks...really"
ATLwake: yeah, that is kind of odd
ATLwake: family name i hope
Diamond: He was so cool that night...way nicer then people would think
Diamond: I mean Danny Harf and Shane were 14
ATLwake: thats hilarious; are you serious
Diamond: these kids grew up partying with the ability to get up and
shred..Unlike some.
ATLwake: ok, so what else do we need to cover
ATLwake: future?
ATLwake: whats in the works?
ATLwake: photo full time maybe?
Diamond: I'm really glad to be working for Eric Elliot let alone the
Company. I would not change a thing...As for Photography in the industry I
like to take it easy..it has worked out well so far..I get articles with pix
for Alliance which too me is the ONLY wake magazine to buy. E-Bev hooked me
up on the Catalouge for Hyperlite last year(Pg. 15) with Danny and his son
Zach. My job first and formost is being responsible for all our sites being
accurate and up to date with...It's a lot of responsibilty but that's what I
like most...being behind the scenes let alone the lens.
ATLwake: so you are like the puppet master
Diamond: I don't know how to reply to that
ATLwake: me either
Diamond: haha
Diamond: How about future
ATLwake: being behind the scenes
ATLwake: you are the man behind the man
Diamond: yeah...I guess so
Diamond: More like the Man behind the Man's Man
ATLwake: ahhh, i see, exactly
Diamond: It's my Career...I don't want to do anything else for some time
that's for sure
ATLwake: It sounds like a sweet gig, plus you get to talk to me all day
Diamond: Yes this is a bonus...
Diamond: haha
Diamond: One parting comment
Diamond: My girlfriend has a girlfriend...!!
ATLwake: hahah
ATLwake: on that note, we are going to the Clairmont tonight if you care to
join me
Diamond: ahh...tip Blonde for me and one round of PBRs on me!
Diamond: First my Moms for putting up with me...She's the Best. Chuck and
Eric for molding me into a machine and for always understanding-you guys
ROCK. Kearns for being my DAWG from day one...Jon Turnbull for telling it
like it is and teaching me to never back down. E-bev for giving me the
opprotunity to shine. Bill@alliance for all the issues that I have been
in..Thanks soo much. The one and only Viper for the good ol' days
@buywake...the BEST. JC with Crunk...YEEEAAAHHH!!! Sam Baker with OAKLEY
for being my friend above HDO. Desmal Purcell for helping me to be the
Photographer that I am and his Pops Vern "BIG Vern"... "When the Bell rings
Answer it"-Life lesson.
-by ODB
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