Le Grande Damme

(First off, my apologies to my French reading audience for the (more than likely) wrong spelling of my subject heading - do correct me if it is wrong!)

Yesterday, I had an impromptu modeling shoot with the oldest "woman" in my life now, our beloved dog "Cutie".

It's been a month now since she's moved in, and it's been great having her in the house. Because of her age (15 Dog years, 105 human years if you go by the 1 year = 7 human years theory), she tends to be "clingy" (is that really a word?), constantly following us around the apartment, and attaching herself to our legs as we stand cooking or doing the dishes. Not that we're complaining, but she literally is acting like a cat (mostly sleeping, and then craving for attention that we constantly give her). It's nice to have another "heartbeat" in the house, especially when either Helen or I are alone. Although Cutie doesn't bark, let alone hear (she's pretty much deaf), it's nice to know that she's there to keep us company. (I really should buy one of those fake dog barking machines to ward off intruders, making them think that Cutie is this humongous dog).

So here's to our "Grande Damme" Cutie! She sure does photograph well, don't you think?

You've got to love that sweet old face :) A little snooty, but hey, she's 105!
Plus check out her rockin' bandana - how cool is that?!

It's tough being a model.

For those of you who have pets, go out and give them a hug, or a treat, or better yet, take them outside for a walk, anything! Let them know how much you appreciate their sweet little hearts that so unconditionally loves us so much :)

Have a great Good Friday everyone :)

More Anti-workshop photos

Okay, first off, before I post the other photos I have from the Anti-workshop, I'd like to give a big shout out to Josh Solar of Josh Solar Photography. He correctly figured out the EASY abstract photo I posted yesterday (perhaps it is because of his keen eagle, photographic eye. Probably!) Do check out his site cause Josh is a master photographer and a swell guy to boot. Thanks for the comment Josh!

As said, here's another one of my favorites from last week's Anti-Workshop. It's of our lovely model/bride Rhiannon at the tatoo parlor. I dig the expression!



Just for the heck of it, another abstract shot. But this time, there's no need to figure out what it is. It's the building in which my "side" job is located.

Well folks, that's it for now. Thanks for reading and I'll "blog" you soon!

An Abstract

In keeping up with my "picture a day" photo project, today's photo comes from my voice teacher's house (yes, I take voice lessons to better my photographic eye! LOL!). Seriously though, I saw this scene before me and I was taking your regular, run of the mill shots until I accidentally did this with my focusing. Taking a mistake and running with it, I created this abstract shot. Can you guess what it is?

(This is your opportunity all you blog stalkers to FINALLY leave a comment for me to read! Just so I know that somewhere in cyber space, someone is actually reading these entries. And even if no one is reading this, and the proverbial tree falls in the wood and NOBODY hears it (or is it chicken before the egg? who knows), that's okay. I'm writing to fill up cyber space and unintentionally clogging up the internet. Oh well. At least in 100 years, maybe somebody will stumble upon this blog and actually read it. Okay, my venting is done) Now go and guess what this image is!


Lastly, my new logo came in the "mail" last week and I've added it to the bottom right of the photo - SCHE-WEET! Let me know what you think of it. I'll be adding it to my blog header soon!

Have a great day everyone :)

What DOES a photography workshop look like?

I'm sure all of you have asked yourself this same exact question countless times in your life right? What does a photography workshop look like? It's EXACTLY what you imagine it to be - a whole bunch of photographers looking into a scene, or model, graciously being taught by some (great, awesome, terrific) instructor. It's almost paparazzi-ish. In a good way.

Our last day at the Anti-Workshop had us shooting at the neon boneyard, which is a lot smaller than I imagined. All this time I thought it was as large as a couple of football fields! But no, it's just two sectioned off lots about the size of a mini-mall parking lot. What's cool about this place is the history of the signs that now lie in their own desert graveyard. You can actually see some of the old signs of hotels that have long since been demolished, or renovated. Artwork and architecture of a forgotten past. It's neat to see these old signs and to think that at one point in their lives, they lit up the night sky beckoning passerbyers to come on in and spend some money! (Isn't that why they're built?).

To shoot with these fabulous signs as backgrounds is awesome! Of course, in order to do so, you have to fill out a release form stating that you won't use the images commercially, etc. due to the fact that some of the signs are from companies that are still doing business today. A lot of leagalese sad to say. If you ever get a chance though, go visit them. You won't regret it.

With that said, here are a few photos of the "workshop" going on at the Neon Boneyard. Good stuff!

Here's a photo of John teaching us how to use "hard light".
There's another row of photographers to the right just off the photo

The "man" himself, John Michael Cooper - this brutha's got skilz!


In the middle here is Chenin Boutwell showing us her laid back, one knee on the ground, back bend, arm-raised photo technique!


Here's the dynamic duo of Mr. and Mrs. Doug Boutwell using studio lights to illuminate this scene.
Note the Anti-workshop paparazzi all over the place.


A close up of the Boutwells in action.

If any of you reading this is a photographer, with wedding photography in mind, I highly, and I mean HIGHLY recommend going to the Anti-workshop! Not only will you learn some great stuff, but you'll get to meet some of the nicest people in the Boutwells and Coopers. These guys exemplify what we should aspire to as professional photographers. Seriously!

So there you have it, the answer to this entry's question. Maybe next time I'll answer (and show) you what a anteater sees from the end of its snout. You never know!

THE ANTI-WORKSHOP IS DEAD. LONG LIVE THE ANTI-WORKSHOP

Yes folks, the long anticipated Anti-Workshop for wedding photographers is done, and sadly, I'm on my way back to L.A. What a terrific time!

For those of you who don't know I'm talking about, it was a workshop that breaks the "normal" rules or photographic workshops. We got to shoot, hang out, drink, eat, shoot, critique, photoshop, drink, and oh yeah, did I say "drink" already? (I know, kinda ironic cause you guys know that I don't drink, but hey, everyone else did, PLUS when we posted a photo for critique and the instructors liked it, they gave us free drink cards to redeem at the adjacent bar!) How cool is that?

The workshop was taught by four fantastic instructors - Doug and Chenin Boutwell, and Dalisa and John Michael Cooper. These guys rocked and were some of the nicest people you will ever meet. Sadly, I missed the first full day of the workshop, but was easily enthralled by the rest of the days' schedule.

My first full day at the AW had us split in to random groups of 3-4 people to do a totally rad photo scavenger hunt using wedding couple models. I was teamed up with Toni, a super talented photog from Australia (I have to look through my stack of biz cards to find her site and link it) and Claire, a family photog all the way from Ireland (have to look for her card as well). For three hours we had the lovely and super cool couple of Derick and Rhiannon of Digital Studios in Las Vegas as our models. These guys rocked too! They were up to any of our suggestions and antics, and it made for some incredible photos. Here's a few of my shots from the day:

This was shot for the "with flash" portion of the scavenger hunt. I have to give credit to Toni for the concept, cause it was a team effort. I got a free drink card for this, but I gave it to her for the help. I really like the off camera flash work on this photo!


Our team won a few free drink cards for this shot of Derick and Rhiann0n in a tatoo parlor we paid to shoot in! No, that's not a real tatoo, but these two were so cool that if we had asked them to do it for real, I think they would have! Sweet!


Here's our "urban" shot. The two construction workers in the back were nice enough to let us use their sign. Plus, what a trooper Rhiannon was for going along with us!


This was shot on our last day, shot at the famous Neon Boneyard (where all the old Vegas neon signs now lay in pieces)

Okay, I definitely have more photos to post from this wonderful time, but, it looks like it's almost time for me to board good 'ol Southwest Airlines back to L.A. I just want to say thank you to everyone at the workshop, to all the other fantastic photogs that attended, to the Boutwells and Coopers. You guys are all awesome, and thanks for a terrific time!


Lastly, I'd like to especially thank John and Stef, Amy D., Michelle and Todd, the gang at the DWP and everyone else for their kind thoughts and generosity over the past week. My family and I really appreciate your kindness and friendship and would like to thank you from the bottom of our hearts during this time. You guys are the best, and I am blessed to have you all in my life :)

More to come, trust me! Peace out!

My Grandma

I think that the hardest thing to do in this life is to say "goodbye" to someone you love.

Today, after 91 beautiful years on the planet, my Grandmother passed away peacefully at my mom's house in Riverside. Unexpected, unwanted by those of us left behind, but altogether understandable and fitting for such a strong, sweet, beautiful woman who in my life I had never seen angry or sad, jealous or hurtful, but just always smiling, super-friendly, and always loving to whomever she may meet.

It was just a few days ago when I walked her over to my mom's car before they left to go home. What's sad about this life is that we never know when the "last" time will be for anything. At least in those few moments when she held my hand as I walked her to the car, we both knew how much we loved each other without ever having said it. And in her sweet, loving way, just as I closed the door, she said "Be good", something she always said to all of us before she left. And as I write this now, her caring voice lingers in my mind with those same words, "Be Good". If you think of it, it encompasses everything we should be, or do in this life, whether it be towards others, or for something you are working towards. "Be good" at whatever you do, life or otherwise. Such a simple phrase, from an enormous woman of 4'0.

I always believed or thought that my Grandmother would be around forever, as all grandchildren do. I was just telling her last week how easy it would be for her to reach 100 due to her vibrancy and strength. I'm pretty sure she could have. Yet it was her time to go, her time to meet up with my Grandfather again after so many years, to once again hold hands and take care of each other in a place where they won't feel pain, or have any more worry. As with all family members who pass away before us, I'm certain they don't want us to grieve for them, but to always remember them lovingly and fondly. It's always so difficult because we get so used to having them around us throughout our entire lives; selfish because we don't want them to ever leave. Yet in the end, it's not us who decides when.

I will always love and miss my grandmother. For all the wonderful things she shared with me in this life, for all the smiles, and warm embraces, the loving gestures and especially for helping me be who I am today. It's never easy saying goodbye to a loved one, whether young or old, expected or not. I have been blessed to have her as my grandmother in this life, and I know that someday, I will see her again, smiling and asking me if I was "good". I'm certain I'll tell her "yes" and thank her for instilling that in me.

Thank you everyone for your kind thoughts and prayers. As they say, she's in a better place, and that the living should grieve for the living not the dead. I grieve for myself and my family, yet am so very thankful that I had this wonderful lady my entire life.

Fast Wheeling!

(Denise, this one is for you.)

From the Tour of California. In the front of this peloton is the Astana team, and just off the back of this four man group is Levi Leipheimer, the eventual winner. Note the rain and the water spray off the backs of the wheels! Cool!

Here's a photo of one of the Astana riders. I'm not sure who it is, but it was taken right after the race finished. All the riders were headed back to their team buses to get out of their wet gear. Shoot, I wish I were able to do the same! I was drenched!


And for all the cycling ladies out there, here he is, out of retirement, the 40 year Italian sprinting god, Mario Cipollini, racing again with the Rock Racing Team. This guy is a rock star in the cycling world, even after having retired!


Also in attendance that day was Floyd Landis. For those of you who don't follow cycling, he was stripped of his 2006 Tour de France title last year for alleged performance enhancing drugs. Oh well. Hey, but he still a guy who has "won" a TdF, so why not photograph him?



There are tons of other photos I took that day which include bikes (a whole lot of them), team cars, and other misc. stuff. Perhaps I'll post them in the future, but this last image sums it up for me:


Now if I can only get myself back out onto the roads...

Thanks for reading everyone! And if you can, go out and bike! It'll save gas, and get you fit! 'Nuff said!