The wonderful chocolateering couple from Ritual Chocolate took a turn for fame last month when Imbibe , a nationally published magazine focusing on fine food and drinks, featured their chocolate company on a few page spread. In the end we both won, as a few of my shots of them from last August’s photoshoot were accepted and printed right next to their story. Yeehaww! Keep making the best chocolate this side of the Pacific ocean Anna + Robbie!

I am truly a fan of last minute shopping (of course, only when shopping absolutely HAS to be done). So…I am going to assume a large majority of you out there are as well…and I want to make life easier for you. If you order from either the Mr. Lentz Shop or the Mr. Lentz Etsy Shop, you can enjoy 25% off all items, plus free priority shipping within the U.S. God save your soul and hopefully you get this done quickly, or else I wont have time to handcraft your piece. Generally speaking, order by the 8th for a good chance of an on time delivery.

Use coupon code on checkout: 25HEARTS

Godspeed.

There it is…a faint buzzing. Nothing but a slight tickle on the side of your thigh. Or perhaps the sound of receipts jingling in your purse. It awakens a not-so-primal anticipation of anxiety. Something needs your attention immediately. It’s your phone and you are about to lose the call. But let’s say you are wearing the sleek, thin, and very High Plains Fashion… Leather Holster of the ongoing Fugitive Series. A quick draw and the phone is beside your ear. Instant convo from the side of your hip.

Built with a high grade of top-grain vegetable tanned leather, custom dyed, conditioned with olive oil, and waxed to a subtle sheen. The leather contains the original scratches, dents and brand marks that the cow received throughout its life on the high plains. Miss Dara Lynn West is the lovely model dawning both Fugitive Series items – the Holster and Antiqued Belt.

With the slightest flick of a finger, she releases the security strap and draws out the phone. This frame has been slowed down to 1% of its original speed to highlight the action.

The interior contains a hidden strap of thin pigskin to hold the phone in its place.

Designed as an ambiguous item of necessity.

Now available in the online shop.

In the midst of Winter’s grasp I decided to take a short break from December’s ultra busy ordering season and head to my other other favorite place in the world…The Canyonlands just outside of Moab, UT. Apparently the timing was right – I arrived the night before a full Lunar Eclipse. After 6 hours of driving, I pulled up to a ‘decent’ motel where I was assigned a room directly above an obsessive and erratic t.v. watcher. On the Ranch I am used to near pitch silence with the occasional call of a coyote or hoot of an owl, so when the t.v. viewer from below decided to turn on theirs at 12am I was… let’s say, slightly disturbed. Luckily, as lame as this might sound, there’s an app for that. It’s called Simply Noise. Put it on your phone and you will get access to a medicinal white, pink or brown noise. Anyways – enough about technology that is infiltrating our lives, and more about nature – which a lot of us are seeing less and less of these days.

If you ever want to hear the most silent silence that is possible outside of a vacuum chamber…head out to the desert. Get away from the roads, and kick yourself out of bed at least an hour before sunrise. That’s what I did on the morning of the Lunar Eclipse. With no time to spare I threw everything into my car and headed out of town towards a place called Dead Horse Point high on the red rock cliffs overlooking the desert. Upon arrival I loaded up on m&m’s and a bit of diet coke (official last-minute road trip breakfast) and stepped out of the car into 10 degree weather armed with my camera. These cliffs are truly spectacular, you can walk right along the edge and peer straight down a vertical drop of over 1000 feet to the canyon floor. Sometimes the edges are balancing on thin layers of cracked earth that slowly split with the freezing and thawing of rain water.

After having watched a Lunar Eclipse in the West and a breathtaking sunrise in the East…I figured that nothing could possibly beat that experience – so I hopped back in my car and headed for The Great Salt Lake to watch the sun set.

For those of you who do not know – The Great Salt Lake is a massive inland sea of saltiness up to 7 times the salinity of the ocean. Its deepest point is around 30 feet and the only creatures living in the lake are a small type of brine shrimp. Wild buffalo still roam out on an island in the middle of the lake, and every year in the spring thousands and thousands of seagulls from the coasts of California make their way out here to nest and fill up on shrimp. When the chicks hatch and are old enough – they make the journey back to the coast only to return a few years later to repeat the cycle. Standing on the shore of this lake, I felt as though I was looking out on an ancient sea. The landscape is surreal, the smell is similar to the ocean, the tide moves so quickly that you can actually look down at your feet and watch it rise.

As the sun set on this day of solar awareness, I was at peace – cold…but happy.

Sometimes a photographer will only pick the very best images to show, highlighting those perfect moments where sun, wind, angle and pose come together. Well, I will have you know that this does not even begin to tell the whole story behind a real shoot. Sometimes the model gets an accidental sand blasting in the desert…or swallows a fly…or just simply can’t hold the pose because I am making some weird face behind the camera. Below are just a small handful of these moments, and now that I am making them public – I think I might save quite a few more from this year’s shoots for the benefit of you all.

^^Apparently the photographer occasionally opens his free eye to get a better sense of the shot…inflicting pose-altering facial movements.

^^While shooting Ms. West in The Great Sand Dunes the wind would occasionally gust to 65 mph, blowing her off balance and down the dune.

^^A rare glimpse into the pre-shoot preparation session.

^^The 1980′s came back and so did the strange bodily awkwardness.

^^Models will occasionally point out large and potentially dangerous wildlife headed in our direction, thankfully giving enough time for a quick retreat.

^^After a few hours of holding serious faces, the Ritual Chocolate couple couldn’t take it any more.

^^Summertime in Colorado can mean an occasional bug making a dive-bomb into your mouth. This shot captures the initial taste.

The Year of 2011 was a significant one for me. It was the year I decided to take one step back from the computer and two steps into my newfound passion of woodworking. It’s the year I decided to put doubts and second guessing aside – and just go for it. In 2011 I began to know myself as a photographer, artist, woodworker, writer, dreamer, thinker, pilot, rabbit breeder, illusionist, spanish speaking surfer, and lover of all things made by people who make things the way they want to make them. 2011 was the year of taking yourself back to the traditional arts, the hand made, the imperfect creations. In that year I inspired myself to work with wood, electricity, leather, jewelry, and more. I can only hope that my dabblings have helped to inspire you as well and spread your creations to your neighbors too. Below are some highlights of the past year…

Perhaps the most significant part of the entire year…my inspiration that would drive the majority of my work… The Redwood forests.

And of course, I emerged out of the Redwood forests into my very favorite and inspiring city of all – San Francisco. San Francisco played a big part in driving my Beast Series of Jewelry…due to numerous visits to local trendy taxidermy/art shops.

I started up my jewelry shop, that has quickly become quite a success – thanks to all of you!

A jewelry giveaway to celebrate my fans… with a second place prize of, yes, a fish for my tank!

The Friends Making Art Series was established, with my Sis The Welder Girl being the first, as a way to highlight artists far and wide creating quality work.

A follow up Friends Making Art Series with Ritual Chocolate…the finest handmade chocolate you will ever lay taste-buds on.

Tinkered with the creation of a cigar box guitar, a fun project indeed.

Electricity from the wind!

A few new creations make their way out a bit late in the year.

Possibly the best photo I have ever taken.

A rejuvenating road trip/photoshoot with my Best Friend Dara Lynn West. As well as her first of many modeling experiences.

A good start for the Beast Jewelry Series photo shoot.

A Russian themed photoshoot to celebrate that absolutely butt-cold freezingness we are currently experiencing out in Ranch Country.

And… a sneak peak at an upcoming post. Shot in my other other favorite place in the world, just outside of Moab, UT.

Cheers to a new year of exploration to you all!! May 2012 be full of surprises.

The snow is piling up here in Boulder, it’s cold, and the local reservoir is frozen solid. That typically means it’s time for a Russian themed shoot out on the frigid ice during a mild snowstorm. So… as the Russians say it best, С Рождеством Вас поздравляю. Счастья, радости желаю! (Take my Christmas congratulations, I wish you happiness and joy!)

Thank you to the wonderfully spontaneous Deni who quite last-minutely decided to tromp out to the frozen tundra and freeze her butt off for this shoot.

The Fugitive rode through the night. Darkness toppling from desert mesa to galloping horse. Only the twinkling of starlight led the way West. A land of lawlessness on the horizon and lawful accompaniment in pursuit…left in the dust behind. There was but one thing holding this harbinger of disorder together… his trusty belt. Trodden through sage brush and tumbleweed, it kept his britches on waistline. Not losing an inch nor tearing a pinch, the Fugitive’s trusty leather belt has survived the ages. Mr. Lentz now makes a historical re-creation for everyone to enjoy. The fine piece of leather pictured below started as a raw piece of vegetable tanned hide. Cut to size, punched, edge beveled, beaten, lacquered, beaten again, burnished, conditioned with extra virgin olive oil, and waxed to perfection. Now you can enjoy a piece of history around your waist… welcome the Fugitive Series by Mr. Lentz. Now available for direct orders through the online shop.

My sister, the badass Weldergirl, makes belt buckles. So it naturally occurred to me, in sporting brotherly competition, that I should make some as well. Luckily we work in different mediums, she wins in metal, and I win with wood… so I guess it’s cats game. Just kidding… I have been wanting to create these buckles since I started to gain an interest in leatherworking. One of the easiest things to make with leather is a belt – minimal cutting and sewing. It’s a good way to learn some basics if you are just getting into things. Naturally belt buckles should follow, and yes I was inspired by my sis who made the belt buckle that I wear pretty much every day. Below I have fashioned 9 new designs as part of the Belt Buckle series for this season. Seven with the Redwood theme and two of Beast. Each buckle has been carefully handcrafted with attention to fine detail. The wood is strong and stained from an all natural and non-toxic concoction of vinegar and walnut husk. Of course the moss is all natural and has been dried and preserved to maintain its color. These creations are now available in my shop where you can buy from me directly. Each one is made to order, so yours will be created specifically for you. Check them out.

I have been meeting a lot of new people lately, mostly because my ranch house flooded over the last week due to an overgrown irrigation canal (but more on that later – I have pics). Most notably there was an incredibly smart and awesome guy from Poland who shared his views on the economy, Polish communism, and Volkswagens… and then there were the fun group of dudes from Louisiana and Honduras that shared their insights into their homelands and local customs. Who knew that having my place flooded would connect me with so many stories and interesting insights into the world around us. I have not experienced that level of conversation with anyone since my travels through South America. It kind of makes you realize that if you stick to one place, if you think the same thoughts, do the same things day in and day out… that’s all you are and all that you will become. One dimensional. Life is about experiencing people, telling stories, taking risks, being proud of what you believe in, and most importantly being open to new ideas and ways of thinking about things.

I met a woman who has been opening me up to new perspectives. Showing me how she views the world, notices the details in the grasses and the way the moon glistens over a frozen puddle in the yard. It has been quite intriguing paying attention to a completely new way of seeing things, something that I have not experienced in quite a while. She has already been inspiring me to create new art and take a closer look at what I am capable of. Above and below is a one of a kind belt buckle I created based on new visions. I wont be making this piece for sale, but it was quite fun to branch out from my norm and do something very different. The buckle is made from a mix of wood that has an all natural and non-toxic stain made from walnut husks. The Scary Tree has been carved out of the wood and filled with acrylic, sanded smooth. The hardware on the belt buckle allows you to attach it to any belt with a snap-in connection. I am planning on coming out with a whole series of new buckle designs over the next two weeks. Almost forgot – the belt pictured below is my first shot at handcrafting one. It’s a simple design and one that I plan to expand upon and sell along with my buckles.

Below is another item that is way out of the norm for my pieces. Also inspired by this mystery woman, it may be hard to see in the photo – but it’s a handcrafted fossil made from everyday kitchen supplies and a deer antler tip. A lot of joy when into making this piece over two days. I love doing random things like this … something out of the box, unusual. Something that forces me to think differently and keep the creative process going.

Don’t forget to surround yourself with interesting people. And never ever stop questioning your art and your abilities…this is what will challenge you to keep creating.