Fashion Photographer Raphael Mazzucco: The Usual Interview

by The Usual and Pete Maiden

Few people can say they’ve traveled the globe for two years photographing amazing butts. There are also few people that can say they’ve landed the cover of Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Edition, three times. Few people, of course, are Raphael Mazzucco, one of the world’s most celebrated fashion photographers and one of the area’s most creative residents. In between adventures—which include a Surf Lodge exhibition and a show in London of resin and paint-layered collages, aptly titled “Montauk”—we tracked Mazzucco down at home to ask a few questions.

Photos by Nick Hudson

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The Usual Issue 5 Out Now

Montauk’s favorite beach read is back. The Usual, a celebration of summer and homage to the east end is launching Issue 5, available at The Surf Lodge, Montauk; Lightning Bolt, LA; and J.Crew stores in New York and the Hamptons. Interviews include 5-time ASP world champion surfer Stephanie Gilmore; art enthusiast Bill Powers; artist Raphael Mazzucco; and musicians Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros. Lightning Bolt’s Jonathan Paskowitz and area local Joe Termini weigh in on whose surfing village is better: Montauk, NY or Venice, CA. And we feature contributions by Forest Woodward, Morgen Maassen, Nick Hudson, Peter Maiden, and of course, our ding repair guy/therapist Jimmy Goldberg who coaches us on love, life and surf etiquette.

Buy the issue HERE.

Read the issue online HERE.

The Usual’s summer issue is out! Party in MTK with us!

Introducing The Watershed

The Watershed is a collaborative newsprint publication between The Usual and Patagonia to celebrate the joy of simple fly fishing, healthy rivers, dam busting, and sustainably sourced food. The Watershed features Patagonia founder Yvon Chouinard, Patagonia fly fishing ambassador April Vokey, DamNation producer Matt Stoecker, director Travis Rummel, 1% for the Planet co-founder Craig Mathews, dam buster Katie Lee. With contributions by Malcolm Johnson, Jeremy Koreski, Paul Greenberg, Jeanine Pesce, Keith Malloy, Trevor Gordon, Stefan Knecht, Jim Mangan, and others. Pick up your  Spring/Summer 2014 copy at select Patagonia stores worldwide.

For more information visit www.patagonia.com/us/sports/fly-fishing.

Scramble Magazine Is Out Now!

We are pleased to announce the inaugural issue of Scramble—an homage to the outdoors. A collaboration between Range and The Usual, this new print edition celebrates adventure, exploration and the natural world through a youthful, irreverent lens. The title “Scramble” is a nod to the practice of climbing quickly using one’s hands and feet; a tribute to the outdoor industry this was created for; and a nod to how we scrambled to quickly complete the project given a rather tight turnaround time. Printed in a run of 3,000, the collectible publication will be available at Outdoor Retailer Winter Market in Salt Lake City, UT. Scramble is packed with infographics, illustrations, interviews with industry insiders, and contributions by revered photographers Jim Mangan, Brian Merriam, and Aaron Durand.

About the collaboration:
Scramble was created by three women, with a love for the outdoors. Jeanine Pesce is a trend expert and founder of RANGE, an agency dedicated to active, sport and lifestyle markets. The Usual is a creative team founded by Emily Anderson and Yasha Wallin specializing in intelligent, playful branded content. We are storytellers, global connectors and enthusiasts, working across a variety of platforms.

Scramble Issue Launch Party – Salt Lake City

We hope you can join us for the launch of Scramble, January 22, 6 – 9 pm at Shilo Inn Bar, Salt Lake City. Beer!

Happy New Year! Here’s Our 2014 Resolutions

Wishing everyone a happy and healthy New Year! Here’s what we’ll be striving for in 2014:

Introducing: The Drift

We’re excited to announce the launch of The Drift, our collaborative newsprint publication with Patagonia to celebrate all things snow. Issue 1 features Patagonia ski and snowboard ambassadors Caroline Gleich, Josh Dirksen, Gerry Lopez, Kye Petersen, Liz Daley, Pep Fujas, Forrest Shearer, Taro Tamai, Alex Yoder, and Aidan Sheahan. Pick up your Winter 2013/14 copy at select Patagonia stores worldwide.

For more information and to read the issue online visit: thedriftmag.tumblr.com and www.patagonia.com/us/sports/snow. For updates follow us @theusualmontauk, @patagonia #pursuitofpowder

Music: Jimi Hendrix Band of Gypsys – Who Knows (suonho raw-dub), thanks to Suonho https://soundcloud.com/suonho

Worn Wear, the Antidote to Black Friday

As an antidote to Black Friday, our friends at Patagonia recently released Worn Wear, a brilliant short film to share the stories of Patagonia customers and their beloved Patagonia gear that has stood the test of time. Worn Wear is an exploration of quality — in the things we own and the lives we live. This short film takes you to an off-the-grid surf camp in Baja, Mexico, a family’s maple syrup harvest in Contoocook, Vermont, an organic farm in Ojai, California and into the lives of a champion skier, a National Geographic photographer, and a legendary alpinist. It also features exclusive interviews with Patagonia founder Yvon Chouinard.

Watch the film: http://wornwear.patagonia.com
Watch the trailer:

#WornWear   #BetterThanNew    #AntiBlackFriday

One Year Later, Remembering Hurricane Sandy

One year ago today, Hurricane Sandy blasted the East Coast, leaving a trail of devastation in its wake. On this anniversary, we look back at our feature “Sandy From Afar’ in The Usual x Patagonia issue 4.

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