KDHamptons

KDHamptons: How long have you been coming to the Hamptons? Why do you love it so much?

James Katsipis: I’ve lived in Montauk my whole life. I love Montauk because of what Montauk is...pure beauty. I travel a lot and wherever I go I find myself comparing that destination to home… I’ve yet to find a place that can take Montauk’s spot in my heart. Hope I never do.. And the people are a total trip out here! The locals…

KDH: Please describe your Hamptons home and decorating style?

JK: Well my Montauk home is pretty cool. Nothing fancy. It’s a one bedroom cottage with a bed and a kitchen and working water and shower~ I love it! I hang my wetsuit on the hook outside my front door and a surfboard rack and a hammock in the front. No Calypso or Ralph Lauren around here! Just real Montauk living. Oh yeah, it’s heated for the winter too when it’s blizzarding and the only one that wants to go outside is my Siberian Husky Malia.

KDH: Please describe what you do as a career for our readers.

JK: I’m a professional photographer/filmmaker. I shoot fine art photography, landscapes, portraits, surfing, fashion and models. [Those are my favorite at the moment… Give me a good subject matter and I’ll shoot all day until I can’t see anymore]! Been filming a bunch lately, shot two pilots for some major networks and just screened my surf movie “TRUE TERRACE” at Guild Hall for the Surfrider Foundation.  In the fall and spring I shoot a lot of weddings. As for the summer in Montauk? I shoot events, like the Playhouse Gala Benefit and the Riviera Party at Navy Beach. I take my fashion and beauty sense and integrate it into shooting these events. SPICE IT UP!!!

My favorite wedding was Danny and Wendy Borems~ the most beautiful angelic couple ever. Gorgeous. I shot them on the cliffs out in my favorite spot in Montauk overlooking Turtle Cove. The shots are stunning! Wendy twirling in the parking lot in her white dress with this giant school bus behind her. That’s what I’m talking about~ out of the box stuff right there. The shoot at Navy Beach with 50’s style pin up girls was a spectacular day.  The girls were all pros when it was time to get down to shoot. Went all day, tough cookies! I was just coming off 2 weeks being home sick with pneumonia too, but I got the shots!  And then the Russian Swimsuit Models and Sky Dancers For The Playhouse Gala was a total smoke show! Beauty at its best.

KDH: Do you have a summer mantra?

JK: Someone on Facebook sent me a great quote that I love. It said “A great photographer finds beauty where others don’t, makes beauty where apparently none exists, and to capture beauty in ways others cant imagine.” I’ve been living and shooting by this quote ever since…..

KDH: Describe your personal style? Which designer or brand do you wear the most out East?

JK: I do not have a Hamptons uniform nor will I ever. I’m from Montauk and we don’t shop at designer stores. I wear one company: WHALEBONE CREATIVE. Jesse Joeckel is absolutely crushing it with his new designs. Kid’s a genius. Go check out his stuff. Sickest clothes ever….

KDH: What is your favorite Hamptons restaurant? Can you recommend a favorite dish & drink you get every time?

JK: OOOOOOOOOOH NOW THAT’S A GREAT QUESTION. I’m Greek and I love to eat good food. I’ve tried everyplace in Montauk multiple times. Right now? I’m loving SWALLOW EAST. Head chef and owner James Tchinnis is an artist when it comes to his food. I love his Asparagus French Fries they are off the hook and his steak is amazing. You got to try his Butternut Squash Cappuccino. You’ll die…  My favorite drink is a seltzer with a splash of cranberry with a lime twist.

KDH: Describe your perfect Hamptons day in detail.

JK: My perfect Montauk day. Well the waves would be firing! That hasn’t happened in a while. I would get up go grab breakfast at my family’s restaurant on Main Street in Montauk,  The MTK CAFE, grab a bowl of  yogurt and granola with fresh strawberries, sit outside and people watch for a bit to start my day, or maybe just a quick egg sandwich to go. Call the boys to see where everyone is surfing. Drive around check all the spots. Got to hit up my favorite food cart in Montauk, The Ditch Witch. Get a coffee and sit on “The Bench” and talk to some of the guys and watch the waves peel. Surf for a couple hours then grab my camera and shoot or film the boys. Hang out on the beach with my friends. Chase around some birds~ I’m single, and it is Montauk in the summer so that has to happen from time to time! For lunch, you can always find me at Naturally Good. Place is amazing. I get the Tomato and Mozzarella wrap with a Berry Hydrating Smoothie. That’s my jam right there. Maybe go back in the water for another session.

Next, cruise by Whalebone and hang with the guys and relax and talk shop for awhile. Always have to stop by and see my buddy Scott Pitches at the Outeast Gallery and see some amazing art he always has going on over there. By that time, the sun is starting to go down and it’s beginning to be that magic hour of light. Hopefully, I have a shoot lined up and I’d take a model to one of Montauk’s amazing beaches and shoot her in front of the sunset or a cool broken down building. Shoot till dark, then go grab some food at Swallow East and listen to the live reggae band. I feel like this is turning into one of those dating survey questions!  But Montauk is so romantic it’s hard not to get lost in the moment out here.

After dinner I’d head downtown to maybe the Gig Shack for one, or the Sloppy Tuna to get my dance on, and then if the mood is right and the full moon is out, go for a midnight swim… A classic Montauk day. Those days actually happen. That’s my life. Amazing!

KDH: Do you like to cook or entertain at home?

JK: I used to throw huge parties at my house. DJs, full bar, kegs, and catered. Not anymore though. Those days are long gone. They were pretty wild and epic though…

Now, it’s just me and I do cook from time to time~ more so in the winter. My go to dinner plan would be my amazing orange chili, my own recipe. Or my chicken fajita burrito! Pretty colorful dish. It’s quick and easy and really good.

KDH: What is your little secret about the Hamptons?

JK: My favorite place of solace in Montauk is called Hidden Lake. Can’t get there by car. Have to hike or take an off-road vehicle. You go down an Old Rum Runners trail that they used to sneak booze in back during Prohibition. Back deep into the woods and just when the brush is getting really thick and the trees are caving in, BAM! It just opens up into this giant lake. Gorgeous!! Don’t ask, not telling, and I wont sell you the map. I can always get away from all the summer people there.

KDH: Do you have one new summer purchase you are obsessed with?

JK: Yes! My new camera. My Canon Eos 5D MARK III. I love it. 22 mega pixels and just no grain on anything. Amazing.

KDH: Is there a new restaurant/hotspot you have liked this season?

JK: I’ve tried almost everything out here, I just haven’t been over to the Crow’s Nest this season and I freaking love that place. I had one of the most romantic dinners of my life in there waiting out Hurricane Irene when everything else was boarded up and closed. Just me and a certain somebody who will remain nameless. They were still pushing out amazing food by candlelight and the waiters were so happy in their white overalls. They had this steak there. OMG it was just perfect!! My mouth is watering right now as I write this. I get goosebumps just thinking about how special that night was… it’ll never happen like that ever again. I love how they hand write the menus on this cool little paper. Place is class!

KDH: If you could invite three people to your Hamptons home for dinner [dead or alive], who would you choose?

JK: Ok, I love these questions~ makes me feel like I’m on a car ride with my brother and sisters or something.
 Andy Warhol, cause I have something I need to ask him.
 Mick Jagger, cause the man can sing
. Peter Beard, one of the greatest photographers of all time. I’ve actually had the pleasure of hanging with him already though. He’s a great guy. Or, you could of just walked into Shagwong in the 70’s and sat down at the bar…they all would of been there!