Needless to say, I haven't been in the office very much this week. However, I wanted to keep up the Flashback Friday tradition. So, I've dug up a few beach images to share with you all...enjoy!!
Friday, June 26
Flashback Friday: A Few Beach Favorites
We've made it to yet another Friday! My younger brother, JJ, flew in this past week for a quick visit. Today, we will hit the beach and top it off with a bonfire in Balboa! It's been a great week thus far, and I am looking forward to topping it off with a relaxing weekend.
Needless to say, I haven't been in the office very much this week. However, I wanted to keep up the Flashback Friday tradition. So, I've dug up a few beach images to share with you all...enjoy!!
Huntington Beach
Marathon Runner, Redondo Beach
Surfer, Newport Beach
Sunset, Huntington Beach
Needless to say, I haven't been in the office very much this week. However, I wanted to keep up the Flashback Friday tradition. So, I've dug up a few beach images to share with you all...enjoy!!
Tuesday, June 23
Monday, June 22
Mentor's Project: Sarah Hochstetler, PhD
Doctor Harold Thurman, American author and educator once wrote, "Don't ask yourself what the world needs; ask yourself what makes you come alive. And then go and do that. Because what the world needs is people who have come alive."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
...life lessons...
Unhappiness, in its most advanced cases, can be a debilitating disease. I've seen it plague middle-class Americans, weaseling its way into the hearts of men, quenching desire for growth, and breeding a tendency for stagnancy. You see, where I come from, unhappiness is manifested most obviously in the myriad of those who continue to work jobs they hate, with poor pay and bad benefits, for companies they despise. On the contrary, in its lightest forms, unhappiness can be a motivator--a catalyst for change. Thankfully, a thorough understanding of the former, heightened my sensitivity to the latter: goodbye prairie bubble, hello City of Angels.
...along came Sarah...
I told you that story to show the importance of this story. Sarah Hochstetler (now a "PhD"!), English professor from one of my final semesters of college, was the first individual I photographed for my Mentor's Project. This project is a portraiture series centered on those who have been instrumental in my life. Each and every one of them have led by example, and pushed me toward excellence. If anyone fits into this category, it's definitely Sarah. And anyone who has had the privilege of taking one of Sarah's classes probably needs no further explanation of the role she's played in my life. But for everyone else, here's a tiny glimpse:
Sarah has such an amazing gift. Her love for literature and passion for education shine through her every time she steps into the classroom. No matter how difficult the material, she always manages to communicate it effectively, and season it tastefully with her winning sense of humor. Her expectations are lowered for no one, regardless of the circumstances. Her very character challenged me to excellence. She inspired me, pushed me, and bettered me.
Thank you Sarah, for making me come alive and renewing my passion for the things I love; thank you for enriching my life.
I would also like to congratulate Sarah on her recent engagement, annnnd wish her a very happy birthday! Here's to a new chapter in life!! :)
Unhappiness, in its most advanced cases, can be a debilitating disease. I've seen it plague middle-class Americans, weaseling its way into the hearts of men, quenching desire for growth, and breeding a tendency for stagnancy. You see, where I come from, unhappiness is manifested most obviously in the myriad of those who continue to work jobs they hate, with poor pay and bad benefits, for companies they despise. On the contrary, in its lightest forms, unhappiness can be a motivator--a catalyst for change. Thankfully, a thorough understanding of the former, heightened my sensitivity to the latter: goodbye prairie bubble, hello City of Angels.
I told you that story to show the importance of this story. Sarah Hochstetler (now a "PhD"!), English professor from one of my final semesters of college, was the first individual I photographed for my Mentor's Project. This project is a portraiture series centered on those who have been instrumental in my life. Each and every one of them have led by example, and pushed me toward excellence. If anyone fits into this category, it's definitely Sarah. And anyone who has had the privilege of taking one of Sarah's classes probably needs no further explanation of the role she's played in my life. But for everyone else, here's a tiny glimpse:
Sarah has such an amazing gift. Her love for literature and passion for education shine through her every time she steps into the classroom. No matter how difficult the material, she always manages to communicate it effectively, and season it tastefully with her winning sense of humor. Her expectations are lowered for no one, regardless of the circumstances. Her very character challenged me to excellence. She inspired me, pushed me, and bettered me.
Thank you Sarah, for making me come alive and renewing my passion for the things I love; thank you for enriching my life.
I would also like to congratulate Sarah on her recent engagement, annnnd wish her a very happy birthday! Here's to a new chapter in life!! :)
Friday, June 19
Flashback Friday: Fresh Fish in the Morning...
Several years ago, during one of my many advertising classes in college, I had the opportunity to create an ad campaign for a nonprofit agency--right up my alley. Sadly, this project came toward the end of the semester...so needless to say, I was already pushing the limits of sleep deprivation by filling every moment with shooting and editing. Okay, that was your disclaimer. Here's how the story goes:
Tuesday, Last part of a six hour class: "Submit a billboard image with a creative and effective tagline for a campaign tied to a nonprofit agency. You are expected to do extensive research on your agency and be prepared to give a pitch for your work," the teacher's voice droned on and on... It was hot; dead of summer hot, and we were stuffed in a room on the third floor like sardines in a can. Unlike most, my heart was bubbling with excitement. I enjoyed the break from the usual pattern, especially when it had potential to help those in need. I remember scribbling at least a dozen different agencies before class was released, quite the feat when you're that exhausted.
Thursday & Friday: Preliminary research. Wow, where to begin? The internet, always the internet. I probably searched for a couple hours both days and came up empty-handed. That's generally how it would go, but the back of my brain would work on it while I moved on to other tasks.
Saturday: Chats with several classmates on their selections and concepts. I still haven't selected a company, but had a list of good prospects.
Saturday Evening-Monday Evening: Shooting; I racked up nine hours in the studio in two days, not bad and too add to that, a few hours shooting on location.
Monday, 5PM: Class tomorrow, what's due? Nonprofit project....
6PM: Hmmmm....
7PM: Hmmmm...............
9PM: Okay, Heifer International, ending hunger, caring for the Earth... Never heard of them, I like it. Let's do it!
11PM: Birth of concept. Heifer is an agency who's mission is to end world hunger. Heifer provides animals to people in poverty-stricken areas and ensures that these gifts will eventually aid communities in becoming self-sustaining. Not only that, but they require those who benefit from their gifts to "pass on that gift."
Tuesday, 5AM: Cold calling. "Hi, yes, do you carry fresh, whole fish? Trout maybe?" my voice cracked over the line. "No? Okay, thanks..." I think it probably wasn't until I called the fifth grocery store in Santa Barbara... Bingo, I love you, Gelson's. Forty-three dollars and twenty-six minutes later, I had six whole, slimy, half-frozen, fully dressed fish in my hands. Ewwww, eyes and all. (This is the part where I wished I'd had a room in the budget for a prop stylist.)
As the sun began to rise, I grabbed my finest cookie sheet, camera, and fish and plopped down in the middle of my driveway. An hour or so later, I returned to the house dirty, smelly, queasy, but above all, triumphant! Two hours until class, I had it in the bag.
Important lesson I learned: Go with your gut. When inspired, you'll make it happen.
Tuesday, Last part of a six hour class: "Submit a billboard image with a creative and effective tagline for a campaign tied to a nonprofit agency. You are expected to do extensive research on your agency and be prepared to give a pitch for your work," the teacher's voice droned on and on... It was hot; dead of summer hot, and we were stuffed in a room on the third floor like sardines in a can. Unlike most, my heart was bubbling with excitement. I enjoyed the break from the usual pattern, especially when it had potential to help those in need. I remember scribbling at least a dozen different agencies before class was released, quite the feat when you're that exhausted.
Thursday & Friday: Preliminary research. Wow, where to begin? The internet, always the internet. I probably searched for a couple hours both days and came up empty-handed. That's generally how it would go, but the back of my brain would work on it while I moved on to other tasks.
Saturday: Chats with several classmates on their selections and concepts. I still haven't selected a company, but had a list of good prospects.
Saturday Evening-Monday Evening: Shooting; I racked up nine hours in the studio in two days, not bad and too add to that, a few hours shooting on location.
Monday, 5PM: Class tomorrow, what's due? Nonprofit project....
6PM: Hmmmm....
7PM: Hmmmm...............
9PM: Okay, Heifer International, ending hunger, caring for the Earth... Never heard of them, I like it. Let's do it!
11PM: Birth of concept. Heifer is an agency who's mission is to end world hunger. Heifer provides animals to people in poverty-stricken areas and ensures that these gifts will eventually aid communities in becoming self-sustaining. Not only that, but they require those who benefit from their gifts to "pass on that gift."
Tuesday, 5AM: Cold calling. "Hi, yes, do you carry fresh, whole fish? Trout maybe?" my voice cracked over the line. "No? Okay, thanks..." I think it probably wasn't until I called the fifth grocery store in Santa Barbara... Bingo, I love you, Gelson's. Forty-three dollars and twenty-six minutes later, I had six whole, slimy, half-frozen, fully dressed fish in my hands. Ewwww, eyes and all. (This is the part where I wished I'd had a room in the budget for a prop stylist.)
As the sun began to rise, I grabbed my finest cookie sheet, camera, and fish and plopped down in the middle of my driveway. An hour or so later, I returned to the house dirty, smelly, queasy, but above all, triumphant! Two hours until class, I had it in the bag.
Important lesson I learned: Go with your gut. When inspired, you'll make it happen.
Monday, June 15
The Mentor's Project
I can only imagine how quickly the color drained from my already pasty complexion. "Wh-what do you mean the test is today?" I nudged a fellow classmate. Not only had I not studied and not brought the book, but the class was halfway through The Rum Diaries, and I hadn't even had time to pry open the Amazon.com box in which it was shipped.
Reluctantly, I stumbled toward the front of the room, eyes to the floor, words fumbling from my mouth. I tried desperately to explain, I really did, but sheer exhaustion and befuddlement overcame me. "Forgot book, can't take test," is all that would come out.
"Just do your best," I was told. Between the nine hours a week I did of commuting, and the school work, shooting, written assignments, and interning, I was completely frazzled. Every day was absolute madness. I was already doing my best, and then some. Really, the craziness was nothing new. Those three years of my life, I was constantly being trained to act as a well-oiled machine. It was almost like they put a spell on me. Insert assignment specs and have images on their desk within twenty-four hours. Again and again. Pressure and sleep deprivation were just facts of life then. But as those days grew closer and closer to graduation, the machine began to break down...
Four months and counting, and the pressure had reached critical levels. That day reality came knocking, and I found myself face-to-face with a whole new monster--my impending future. It was all too much. Very neatly, I printed my name on the exam and calmly pushed it aside, succumbing to extreme pressures. I completely detached from the current situation (something that is usually impossible for me to do) and focused on that of a promising, yet uncertain, future.
Escaping that embarrassing classroom moment, I allowed the excitement of attaining my degree finally creep into my thoughts. It was the only light at the end of the tunnel that day, and I desperately longed for it. Instantly, an overwhelming sense of accomplishment immediately washed over me. Amused and even slightly proud of myself, I thought, "I really have come a long way from my little house on the prairie." A reviving thought, indeed.
...finding my voice in a visual world...
That was the day I dreamt up the Mentor's Project. It's a body of work that celebrates and offers gratitude for the individuals who have been placed in my life by divine appointment, and who have made an everlasting impression upon me. It is all about who I have become and who I will continue to strive to be. And although it's a project two years in the making, it is nowhere near being finished. Perhaps fifty years from now, it'll be close to completion...but who can say for sure?!
From time-to-time I'll post a story from my Mentor's Project. My hope is that you would take a moment to recognize those people in your own life that have perhaps 'pushed you a bit farther than you knew you could go,' just so you would grow.
Moral of the story: Passion is contagious. Be that change.
Reluctantly, I stumbled toward the front of the room, eyes to the floor, words fumbling from my mouth. I tried desperately to explain, I really did, but sheer exhaustion and befuddlement overcame me. "Forgot book, can't take test," is all that would come out.
"Just do your best," I was told. Between the nine hours a week I did of commuting, and the school work, shooting, written assignments, and interning, I was completely frazzled. Every day was absolute madness. I was already doing my best, and then some. Really, the craziness was nothing new. Those three years of my life, I was constantly being trained to act as a well-oiled machine. It was almost like they put a spell on me. Insert assignment specs and have images on their desk within twenty-four hours. Again and again. Pressure and sleep deprivation were just facts of life then. But as those days grew closer and closer to graduation, the machine began to break down...
Four months and counting, and the pressure had reached critical levels. That day reality came knocking, and I found myself face-to-face with a whole new monster--my impending future. It was all too much. Very neatly, I printed my name on the exam and calmly pushed it aside, succumbing to extreme pressures. I completely detached from the current situation (something that is usually impossible for me to do) and focused on that of a promising, yet uncertain, future.
Escaping that embarrassing classroom moment, I allowed the excitement of attaining my degree finally creep into my thoughts. It was the only light at the end of the tunnel that day, and I desperately longed for it. Instantly, an overwhelming sense of accomplishment immediately washed over me. Amused and even slightly proud of myself, I thought, "I really have come a long way from my little house on the prairie." A reviving thought, indeed.
That was the day I dreamt up the Mentor's Project. It's a body of work that celebrates and offers gratitude for the individuals who have been placed in my life by divine appointment, and who have made an everlasting impression upon me. It is all about who I have become and who I will continue to strive to be. And although it's a project two years in the making, it is nowhere near being finished. Perhaps fifty years from now, it'll be close to completion...but who can say for sure?!
From time-to-time I'll post a story from my Mentor's Project. My hope is that you would take a moment to recognize those people in your own life that have perhaps 'pushed you a bit farther than you knew you could go,' just so you would grow.
Moral of the story: Passion is contagious. Be that change.
Saturday, June 13
An Afternoon in South Pasadena
I had some time to kill today. It's been perfectly cloudy for weeks here in SoCal...the June Gloom, they call it...but I wasn't going to let it get the best of me. Here are a few snaps from the downtown area of South Pasadena. Hope everyone is having a great weekend!
I had to include this. Looks like a shot from Puerto Rico!
Tuesday, June 9
A Few Gems...
The constant cloud cover this past week must have put me in a quiet mood because I haven't much to say. But I want so badly to post something. Unfortunately, I was unable to get out of the office long enough to work on shooting some of my current projects. So, I looked back through some of my favorite shoots and found a few diamonds in the rough. It's so fascinating to mark our own growth as we look back and reevaluate our pasts. Months ago I would never have thought I'd let these images see the light of day. And now here I am, posting them for the world to see...
Arthur Napiontek, Actor
Monday, June 8
Born into Brothels
This documentary is an incredible story of British photographer Zana Briski, and her journey into Calcutta's Red Light District. It is a heart-wrenching film that captures a glimpse into the lives of the women and more importantly the children living in brothels. Briski spent two years living in the trenches with these people and her compassion for the children there is just overwhelming. Over the course of her journey in India, Briski was able to teach a group of them photography. With point and shoot cameras in hand, these children captured day-to-day life in their own unique ways--unlocking doors that will forever be closed to outsiders. Briski then travelled back to the states and put together auctions and gallery shows of the children's work. The proceeds all went toward sending each child to a boarding school, removing them from their horrid environments.
Please if you haven't seen it, go rent it. It's enlightening and inspiring...definitely a must-see.
(click here to view trailer)
Please if you haven't seen it, go rent it. It's enlightening and inspiring...definitely a must-see.
Friday, June 5
Flashback Fridays: Truckers on the Grapevine
My catalogue has recently reached 80K images. That's a lot of shooting--probably over six year's worth. I started my blog just over a year ago, so that leaves many, many shoots unshared. Well, let's change that!
04.18.06
A taste of the life of an artist.
9PM: With gear smashed into the back of my tiny VW bug, myself and two very brave comrades, hit the road. Destination: a massive truck stop along California's Grapevine, somewhere between Santa Barbara and Santa Clarita, off the five freeway.
10:20PM: Arrival at location. A quick bite to eat--Funyons and Mountain Dew, if my memory serves me correctly--and setup begins. I chose the outskirts of the fueling lot behind the general store. My vision was to show truck movement in the background of the portraits with streaks from the headlights. That was the easy part.
==
Really, the challenge was in connecting with these sleep-deprived and leery truckers. It was no easy task; my people skills were definitely pushed to a whole new level that night. I knew that would be the case. That's why I took on the project.
==
10:55PM: All set up and finally able to convince a trucker to sign a release and have his photograph taken.
11PM-3AM: Over the course of several hours I successfully persuaded over twenty-five truckers to be photographed.
3:20AM: Tear down and drive home.
5AM: Head finally hits the pillow.
8AM: Launched out of cozy covers, grabbed equipment, and rushed to the rental store...
10AM: A new day, time to do it all over again.
Annnd...the images....
04.18.06
A taste of the life of an artist.
9PM: With gear smashed into the back of my tiny VW bug, myself and two very brave comrades, hit the road. Destination: a massive truck stop along California's Grapevine, somewhere between Santa Barbara and Santa Clarita, off the five freeway.
10:20PM: Arrival at location. A quick bite to eat--Funyons and Mountain Dew, if my memory serves me correctly--and setup begins. I chose the outskirts of the fueling lot behind the general store. My vision was to show truck movement in the background of the portraits with streaks from the headlights. That was the easy part.
==
Really, the challenge was in connecting with these sleep-deprived and leery truckers. It was no easy task; my people skills were definitely pushed to a whole new level that night. I knew that would be the case. That's why I took on the project.
==
10:55PM: All set up and finally able to convince a trucker to sign a release and have his photograph taken.
11PM-3AM: Over the course of several hours I successfully persuaded over twenty-five truckers to be photographed.
3:20AM: Tear down and drive home.
5AM: Head finally hits the pillow.
8AM: Launched out of cozy covers, grabbed equipment, and rushed to the rental store...
10AM: A new day, time to do it all over again.
Annnd...the images....
Tuesday, June 2
Impressions of the Recession
Difficult times are upon our nation. Surviving in today's financial climate is r o u g h. However, I believe that in every trial, blessings arise from the fires of adversity. I also believe that the same holds true for those who have had their lives turned upside down by this recession. Now to find proof. . .
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