BJ Penn

A couple weeks ago I flew to Hilo, Hawaii to shoot a mini-documentary character piece on the MMA UFC Legend BJ “The Prodigy” Penn for RVCA. I really cant express enough how humble, genuine, talented and an overall great guy BJ is. It is often rare to be such a successful public figure and maintain grounded, true to family and friendly values, not be over zealous with money and material things and overall to be respectful to any and everyone you come across. To me, MMA and the UFC in particular have a pretty negative connotation, filled with jock mentality, steroids, bad graphics, and tough ego guys. The practice and discipline of training however, is something I appreciate, and BJ breaks all those stereotypes and more in my book. This was shot a week before his latest fight. BJ has been fighting in MMA and UFC for over 10 years. Thanks BJ for the hospitality in Hilo.

click more for a couple other photos 

dudes without shirts

All aboard, once again, on the annual pilgrimage to Sumatra, Indonesia. This time, the vessel is The Ilike with her hearty crew and the legendary Captain Scuzz from Sumatran Surfariis.

CLICK HERE TO SEE THE WHOLE POST

Below is a 42 minute video I cut of all the surfing and some of the festivities. Might be quite boring if you dont know us or dont surf.

For the rest of the photos… click

Runman

Shot the local Malibu punk band, “Runman” named after the cult classic 80’s surf film series that inspired me to pick up a camera in the first place. We shot these images in Venice Beach at their garage. Click for

SICKY

My great friend John Hildebrand (AKA Sicky) and I were a bit bored one day so we decided to throw a little one man party and mess around.  Music by Zeds Dead “White Satin”

Southern Cross clips

crack n shine

Right now I am in Europe working on a project with Will Robson-Scott, an amazing graffiti action photographer from London. His last book, Crack n Shine, had some amazing photos in it. Right now, we are working on the sequel, that will be featuring his action photos and my films from across the world. We just spent some time in London, and are now in Paris. More coming soon.

OPEN SPACE

This weekend, on January 15th from 8-11, I will have the opening of my first solo photo exhibition at the beautiful Known Gallery on Fairfax in Los Angeles.

I have been working tirelessly on this collection of images and installations, and my friends Brendan Lynch and Sage Vaughn will also be showing work in the Project room. I got a good look at the final prints the other day before they were sent off to the framer and I can’t begin to say how excited I was to see the body of work all together in its final stages. It was a mix of pure joy and excitement as tears almost filled my eyes as we rolled open the images, one by one, my face grinning ear to ear as each passed by. The gallery is beautiful and the installation is going to be amazing. Please come out and hang, have a drink, find me, say hi, and enjoy the night with a bunch of us.

Thanks to EVERYONE for all the support, including everyone who checks this site out. Below are some words describing the motivation for this collection of images.

“The ocean is and always has been the epicenter of my existence on this planet. I am an aquanaut on a thruster in this ever amazing and boundless liquid energy. I have optimized and streamlined my life to ensure maximum time gliding across water. Every choice and relationship, all decisions and waking thoughts (and most dreams) are influenced and infused by the pull of the tides, the whiff of an offshore breeze, and the lucid corduroy lines gracefully stampeding
towards the coast.

I go to the sea to surf, to bond with friends or to be alone, to let out aggression or to find inner peace. The moving ocean is my solid ground. The moment one stands up on a board, propelled by a wave racing across the sea, one is only aware of the present – nothing else. I have never found any other way to achieve that absolutely pure and meditative mindstate.

Open Space is my expression of the state one falls into while floating weightless off shore, looking out to sea, hoping and waiting for the next set. Troubles are isolated far away on the unreality of land, while you are free in the truest reality of water. It is a timeless unspoilable state that cannot be ruined, not even by the angry local that may be slashing your tires and waxing your windows simply because he doesn’t want to share some waves. To a surfer it’s an understandable
act of necessary evil to keep an ungoverned subculture in form, and from it breaking into full bore beachblanket-bingo havoc.

Open Space is a collection of images, collages, and installations that evoke the balance in my life.”
Cheers,Keegan

Click for full invite and Press Release.