THE KUSH PERSPECTIVE: JOHN HILDEBRAND

This is The KUSH Perspective with John Hildebrand.  These are John’s thoughts on Art, Photography, work, and The KUSH Lifestyle.

TKC: What is a KUSH Home?

JH: A KUSH home is something that looks like you’re not trying to live beyond your means.  Like a billionaire who has a 60,000 square foot house yet only uses two of the rooms.  Not over the top.  Just enough to fit your lifestyle.  So many people overbuy just because they want to show off and don’t even use the house!  A KUSH home is a home that totally fits your lifestlye.  Everything you need and nothing you don’t.

TKC:  What is KUSH Art?

JH: Anybody who is doing art because they love it, not because they think its cool.  Anybody who has their own vision and vibe and is doing it because they truly love it.

Especially with art, you can not be afraid to take it to the next level.  Mix medias together and push the envelope, and we get great stuff.  Go big or go home.

TKC:  What is KUSH Music?

JH: Snoop Dogg! Get high as a motherfucker!  Cypress Hill, The Roots, underground stuff.  Not top 40.  Minor Threat, stuff that I grew up on, underground true shit. Like when the Beastie Boys first came out, that was so KUSH and true.  A Tribe Called Quest.  Stuff you don’t hear too much on the radio, that’s pretty KUSH.  Like when DJAM and Travis Barker started doing stuff together…how many people even know that music exists?

TKC:  What is KUSH Style?

JH: KUSH Style is style for the everyday man.  Fits anyone’s lifestyle as long as you’re not a KOOK.  Style that is real to yourself.  Not “LA fake as fuck,” where your clothes are saying “everyone wears Ed Hardy so I do too!” Go find your own style.  Don’t buy something just because your neighbor is wearing it!

TKC:  What are KUSH Toys?

JH: KUSH Toys are little bit of the toys you could never get and wish you had, but all of the things you actually have, too.  KUSH Toys are all the great luxury items we have and take for granted.

Everyone was so stoked to get an Ipod and now everyone takes it for granted.  It was such a huge deal!  You have 50,000 songs on that thing!  KUSH Toys are more “KUSH Lifestlye” than toys.  Toys you can do stuff with, like a Jet Ski.  You might not need a Jet Ski, but its fun as shit and its not outrageously priced.

I’m not gonna lie.  I’m a total nerd. I’m so down with all these point and shoot cameras that like the G9 or G10.  Flip videos!  Those things are so KUSH.  Being able to put a video camera in your back pocket, that is my favorite kind of KUSH Toy.  In my bag I’m always rocking a flip video, an Ipod and my G10.

TKC:  Who or What is KUSH Genius?

JH: The other day I saw this thing on the internet, its totally KUSH and Genius.  It’s a digital magazine (the Fujitsu Roll Up Computer http://blogs.discovery.com/guest_spot/2009/06/roll-up-the-computer.html ). They are going to be making digital sheets, so we’re not going to be cutting down 50 million trees.  When that starts hitting, people are going to be tripping.

TKC:  What Makes Your Work Special?

JH: A lot of people ask me that.  I’d say what makes me different than every other photographer is that I try to relate to my subjects as much as I can.  Instead of giving directions, I’m pretty damn good at getting people to open up in front of me.  This allows me to capture their true movements and emotions…I make people really comfortable in their own skin and that makes my subjects not afraid to show me who they really are.

I try to break the barrier between shooter and subject. So we can both get together and create something we didn’t imagine before.  It’s a dream job.  I try to take it for what it is.  Lets make everybody happy.

TKC:  Who or What Inspires Your Work?

JH: There are a couple artists I always look at, but that’s not really what inspires me.  My inspiration is my surroundings. I try to put myself in good surroundings with people who are stoked on what they are doing.   People who are stoked on their lives give off an energy that is super high.  I feed off that energy,  I feed off those people.

I don’t put a filter over anything.  I don’t worry about the end result.  I don’t worry about how to pay for a photo shoot. I just figure out how to do things.  I put everything available together.

TKC: What Do You Think About When You Work?

JH: When I’m shooting, that’s where my crew comes in.  I have a digital photo assistant.  I have a hair and makeup stylist.  Having a great team lets me worry about my subject instead of lots of other things.  If I can get all that taken care of, it takes the weight off my back and I can just focus on the job.

I try to block everything else out and just think about THAT shot.  If I have to scream and yell or crack jokes, I’m going to do it.  I just want to make my subject come alive.  I can’t worry about anything else.  I have to live in the moment.

TKC:  What is the Reaction You Desire People to Get From Your Work?

JH: I want people to get up and scream because they are so happy. I want people to look at it and say “holy shit that’s fucking sick! “

Every job is so different, from clients to models, nothing for me is better than when my client looks at me and my client doesn’t even say anything, the client just smiles.  When I look over and my client is just stoked!  It makes it so good!  I hope with art and photos that people can just escape from the crazy world and not have to worry about this fucked up economy.

TKC:  What Makes Your Work Fun?

JH: It’s different every day. That’s what makes it fun.  Never the same shit.  If I had to work an assembly line I would kill myself.

TKC:  What part of your work puts a smile on your face?

JH: When people come to me and say “we love your style, we want you to do our campaign, we want you to do your thing! “

TKC:  Why is your life KUSH?

JH: I don’t have a boss breathing down my throat.  As long as you love what you do, everything will come into place.  You have to sit down with yourself and figure out who you are before you find the work you want, the person you want to love… figure out your purpose for being here.  Life is too short, you’ve gotta enjoy it and get sicky!

TKC:  What is your favorite part of wearing KUSH clothes?

JH: I’m down with shit that’s simple.  I hate this new shit with 250,000 different graphics on the front of the shirt that I can’t even understand what’s going on.  I like stuff that pays attention to the environment.  When somebody can make a high quality shirt at a reasonable price without being wasteful.

Anything that’s cozy, comfy and durable.  Nothings worse than buying 250 dollar jeans and wearing them once and they fall apaprt.  Affordable, stylish and durable.   Motherfucking KUSH!

TKC:  How can the world live more KUSH?

JH: The whole world? Our fucked up world? We can take care of one another.  We can start by being there for our friends when they need us.  By helping out somebody you’ve never met.  That would all make the world more KUSH.  If people would worry less about themselves and open their eyes to all of the people and wonderful things around them.  If everyone was working and having fun there would be much less killing…just smoking the KUSH, chilling, having fun.

Check out John Hildebrand’s Kush Vitals here: http://thekushcollection.com/blog/?p=1714&preview=true

John Hildebrand would like to give a special thanks to Canon, Profoto, Lexar, and Sunbounce!

To view more of John’s work please check out http://www.johnhildebrand.com/