15 Years of TRIBEZA: Look Back at our Most Incredible Photos

_{Since 2001, TRIBEZA has been lucky enough to work with the best photographers in Austin and beyond. Here, we look back at some of our most iconic images, and learn the inspiration behind them.}

_{RYAN BINGHAM in THE OPEN ROAD / MARCH 2013 / DAN WINTERS}

LAUREN SMITH FORD

Editor + Creative Director, 2006-2013
While watching Boyhood for the first time, I was particularly struck by the actress who played Mason’s (Ellar Coltrane) high school girlfriend, Zoe Graham. Then, when I read up on her and learned she is a smart as a whip, feminist, art school student who grew up in Austin, I knew we had to collaborate with her. I pitched a style shoot to Zoe, the great Dan Winters and the incredible talent, Antonio Bond of Transplants Floral, and we worked together on one of my most memorable collaborations.

_{The great outdoors / june 2008 / kenny braun}

STEPHEN AREVALOS

Art Director, 2003-2011
One of my favorite sets of images was a series of Kenny Braun’s surf culture photos that ran as part of a larger photo essay on black and white art. The complete series of photos was later published in his 2014 book, Surf Texas.

_{mad men / april 2008 / michael thad carter}

_{the balcones house / october 2011 / casey dunn}

CASEY DUNN

Photographer
I came back from New York in 2006 and Tribeza literally gave me my first assignment in Austin. It is pretty amazing to look back at the images we have created together — I had no idea that it would be a collaboration that would last a decade. Austin is lucky to have a publication that puts so much fo cus on photographers and photography. It is awesome to still see a mix of newer talents and the great Austin photographers from the previous generation like Kenny Braun and Dan Winters.

_{fun house / october 2014 / casey dunn}

ASHLEY HORSLEY

Art Director
No house shoot has ever been more entertaining than the “Fun House” shoot we did with Casey Dunn and stylist Adam Fortner. Even though the house was incredible, the owners, their three rambunctious children and two Lab puppies were the real stars of the show. My favorite shot was when one of the dogs, Sweetie, climbed up on the stand up paddle board all on her own, and the kids immediately cannonballed into the pool beside her.

_{UPSIDE TO DOWNSIZING / cover shot / october 2015 / casey dunn}

KATIE FRIEL

Editor 2015 – Present
For the 2015 Architecture Issue, Terrence Henry had written an amazing piece about the rise of tiny homes in Austin and Whit Preston had taken these beautiful photographs of the space. When we looked at everything all laid out, we knew the cover needed to be dramatic, timeless and intriguing. We needed Casey Dunn. Amazingly, when I got him on the phone, he told me he actually had a very small break in his schedule and turned it around in just two days. This also marked Casey’ s fifth consecutive cover for the Architecture Issue.

_{IT’S IN THE DETAILS / november 2013 / casey dunn}

_{ranch refuge / cover shot / june 2014 / Wynn Myers}

LAUREN SMITH FORD

Editor + Creative Director, 2006-2013
One of the best things about working at the magazine was being able to give young creatives the opportunity to get their talent out there. I still remember Wynn Myers coming in to show her book before she had been published anywhere and hiring her to shoot almost our entire first ever Makers Issue. Wynn is now shooting major ad campaigns and going to have a huge career. Or, how I knew I was going to hire a fresh faced designer just out of Parsons named Avalon McKenzie th e day I met her. After making big contributions to TRIBEZA, she went on to work for Free People and Whole Foods. There are so many other TRIBEZA alumni who have gone on to great careers in New York, LA and beyond, like Stephen Arevalos, TRIBEZA art director from 2003-2011, who is now the designer for Neiman Marcus’ The Book.

MATT RAINWATERS

Photograher
I had been a fan of The Black Angels for a long time, so I wanted to take my time with them and see how things would develop. The studio session went great, then someone mentioned grabbing a beer next door at Shangri-La. We had a a few beers on the patio, and I snapped pics while we chatted. At some point we went inside to grab another roun d, and I thought it would be fun to put them in the photo booth. Seven film strips later there were shots and beers flying all over the photo booth and I knew that wa s a wrap. Getting to be part of that was pretty special

_{the road to psych fest / march 2013 / matt rainwaters}

ASHLEY HORSLEY

Art Director
I love The Black Angels, so naturally, I was excited about this piece from the beginning. As a designer, I find myself being inspired directly by the photographs themselves, and this story was no different. Matt Rainwaters’ portraits of Christian and Alex could not have been more perfect for this piece and in turn inspired many options for my design — including this hand-lettered intro I created that was never published.

_{still from let’s ride film / june 2015 / kyle osburn}

KATIE FRIEL

Editor, 2015 – Current
My first photoshoot with TRIBEZA was arguably a bit ambitious. For the June 2015 Outdoors Issue, all I knew is I wanted to photograph women on motorcycles. Li ttle did I know that the 18-hour day required us to wake up at 4 am, move a 10-person crew to a ranch in Wimberley and then photograph multiple women in many different outfits as they rode Harleys down di rt roads and jumped in swimming holes. At one point, I watched as photographer Matt Rainwaters rode his skateboard — fast— alongside the five roaring motorcycles while cinematographer Kyle Osburn filmed him from the back of an open Jeep Cherokee. It was chaos, pure, magical chaos that makes you thank your lucky s tars that this is your job.

_{earthly delights / may 2015 / kate lesueur}

KATE LESUEUR

Photographer
For some time, I had been wanting to create a series of photographs inspired by Dutch paintings. I was super thankful for the opportunity to make it happen. It was shot in the back stairway area of the Waller Ballroom — the small space and the way it was lit was a dream

_{stephen mills / cover shot / december 2004 / kenny braun}

KENNY BRAUN

Photographer
I remember showing up to a Ballet Austin rehearsal when they were still in the old firehouse location on Guadalupe. I was told Stephen had 10 minutes for his portrait. I went into the space, placed him and the other two dancers next to the windows and shot a roll of film (12 exposures). Short and sweet.

_{perspective: bill bunch / january 2013 / kenny braun}

“It was December 2012 and I had never met Bill Bunch, but told him I had an idea of photographing him in the water at Barton S prings. He said yes and luckily it was a warm December day and we shot for about 20 minutes. I gave him a little direction of what I was looking for and he completely nailed it.” – Kenny Braun

_{scrumptious style / may 2013 / leann mueller}

_{the man behind mud / april 2013 / leann mueller}

LAUREN SMITH FORD

Editor + Creative Director, 2006-2013
It took a little convincing, but I was thrilled when director Jeff Nichols agreed to do a style shoot and interview with us right after the release of his award-winning film Mud. We took over a few of his favorite east side neighborhood spots and even flagged down a guy driving by in a ‘70s convertible to let us photograph Jeff with it in exchange for $20 and a beer. I love the way LeAnn Mueller captures people, the energy she brings to her images, and how everything she turns in is intriguing and unexpected, so watching her work her photo magic over tacos and Tecates at El Azteca with one of the greatest directors in the world is an experience I’ll never forget.

_{Read more from the Music + Film Issue | March 2016}