Rainbow Sandals

Does anyone have a pair of these?? They are the best sandals to come out of Southern California and are probably in the top 5 in the nation! They guarantee them for life and are very affordable and comfortable. Not to mention that in this picture outside the store this sandal is taller than me... How cool.

Play Dead.

This is the cutest dog! The dog belongs to our client for our shoot Nate. He has brought Kobe into the studio a couple of times now and today he showed us all of his tricks and this is one of them. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did!

Old School

This is a picture of 30 Seconds From Mars frontman Jared Leto. I was looking through a bunch of my concert pics today and picking out a few to give to Century College. My former instructor Holly asked me for some portfolio images that she can use when she goes out to high schools to increase enrollment. Looking through all the images reminded me how much I loved watching these shows. Performers put so much energy into their shows. They can be so full of emotion. Music is one of my biggest passions. There are so many ways you can express yourself.

Rediculous

Why can't we do anything to change this?

BIG!

We were strolling down Venice Beach and I spot this! Anyone seen the movie Big with Tom Hanks??? This was awesome!

Desert

Here is another picture from Joshua Tree. I can't stop thinking of how beautiful this place was and what effect it had on my life. Returning to nature always reminds me of the passion I have for photography. The forms and lines found in nature inspire me to make images and share them with the world. I was having a conversation with my buddy Matt last night when we were out with the girls about taking a camping trip. He has a great place in mind next to the ocean and it sounds amazing. I'm ready for another weekend of introspection. 
This is a picture Andy took of me shooting the previous shot. Nice portrait Andy! Thanks!

Teppanyaki!!!

Here is a video of our Chef at Tuna Town burning the house down! He was one of the best Teppenyaki chefs I have seen. Staci's friend Kate is out visiting and we went out to Huntington Beach for dinner last night. That was the first time Kate has ever had Teppenyaki. This will be hard to beat! We had a blast!

Desert Night

This is a star trails picture I took at our campsite. The nights in the desert were awesome. It cools down and the moonlight bathes the rocks in a manner that reminds you of being on the moon. The air stills and gets silent. Almost as if the earth stops and waits for you to sleep. Joshua Tree is a very magical place and experience. I hope you enjoy the images.

Joshua Tree

That was an amazing trip. Joshua Trees are very unique. I loved taking portraits of them they are very photogenic. Andy and I kept ourselves very busy out in the desert. We hiked miles, drove all over the park, and rock climbed on our free time from taking pictures. I was told that Joshua Tree Nat Park has the 4th best rock climbing in the world. We had so much fun for our first time camping in the desert. I can't wait to show you all my pictures. More to come soon!

Joshua Tree Here I Come!

And we're out!!!

Santa Barbara

I picked up my buddy Andy today in Santa Barbara. Here is a little glimpse of the bay. It is a nice quiet little town. We had some burgers at this Habit joint. They were pretty rockin'. 

Mr. DeLeon

This is a portrait of Mike DeLeon. He is a second shooter and first assistant to Danny Mitchell. I shot this just before lunch on thursday. It is one of the best portraits I have ever taken. It was a spur of the moment thing, totally natural, and in the moment. Exactly how you want a portrait to be!

Day 2

Funny story on this one. I had put sunblock spf 15 all over my head in the morning. We were shooting out all over the pool grounds. I was holding up the skrim out by the cabana and it was getting hot. So frickin hot I was sweating. Well the sunblock started to run down my face and dripped into my eyes! Has anyone ever had that happen before? Let me tell you it hurts!! My eyes burned for the rest of the day! They were bloodshot and kept watering all day. Now that I think about it, it's pretty funny but it hurt real bad when it happened.

Apt Complex Shoot

I got sunburned today.... This was one of the shots that we took for a brochure or ad that this apartment managing company is putting together. I was outside almost all day in the sun toting around gear and holding up scrims and fills. Did I mention that I loved it? It was awesome. A beautiful day in sunny Southern California. So as for the sunburn... I'm going to do it again tomorrow. 

Ads I have worked on.

Ok so here are some of the Callaway Golf ads that I have helped shoot. They are in this May's Golf Digest Magazine. I know that many of you are wondering what I really do on a day to day basis... Well here are some of the shots we have taken. I think that they turned out pretty nice if you ask me! It gives you a sense of accomplishment to see something like this in the real world to be admired. Oh and sorry I have been having more internet problems. My router needed to be replaced and it wasn't as easy as it should have been. Till next time...

Bowling

This was pitiful. This was the first time I had been bowling in the flesh for about 8 years? 10 years? Damn it has been a long time. I just wanted to beat Kevin and not come in last... I was so close! But then... The second game... Oh yeah, I redeemed myself! I have only shot this score probably 3-5 times my whole life. Have I ever told you I'm not a bowler? Yeah it wasn't my idea to go but I showed them how to do it the second game! Haha

K-Dogg

Here is Kevin checking out the scenery up on top of the hill in the back of The Reserve where I used to live in San Clemente. This is also where I took the picture I started this blog with so many posts ago. I still love going here and just enjoying the view. The ocean and the rolling hills are so beautiful that you can smell life in the air. 

Introspection

I love to sit and watch the ocean. It is so calming and peaceful. Yet it is so full of energy and life. I wanted to share this with you because it means so much to me. It seems like all the answers to life and the world are out there beyond the abyss. You can feel them being whispered in your ear if you only spoke the language you could understand. Only their is still something soothing about it and you just know that everything will be fine. Sometimes I think I could sit there forever.

Chillin in Hollywood today.

Today my buddy from back home Kevin flew out. Its great to see a friend from back home and show them around Cali. We ran all around town showing Kevin the area. Then met up with Matt up in LA and checked out Hollywood. I have never spent much time there, I was usually working. This picture was hilarious to take. It reminded me so much about the time Jeff and I took our pictures on Abbey Rd in London. As we are dodging cars to get out into the street to take the picture people are driving by with their arms out the windows waving and screaming. In the end here is the picture! Thanks for taking it Matt!

$10,000,000 Car

I can imagine most people during their life don't have the chance to see a $10 million dollar car let alone sit in one... Well thats what I did today.  I shot a 1937 Talbot Lago T150 C SS "Teardrop"  and this is one of the 7 true Teardrops ever made. I also got a history lesson. This car was commissioned by a really rich guy to give to his daughter Stella. Hence the cars nickname "Stella." The cars color scheme here was to match her evening gown collection. This is the most beautiful car I have ever seen in person. It is completely restored top to bottom to original condition. This car even comes with personalized luggage... They were weird back in the day when people had money to spend. Anyways, I don't know if I will ever have a chance as unique as this one to work with such a beautiful and expensive car. I'm glad I got my picture taken sitting inside of it for proof! Haha.

April Fool's

Haha That last post I have to say was the greatest April Fools joke I have played my whole life. I totally got a few of my closest friends and family members, I had a great laugh. Sorry everyone but I am not going to MN anytime soon. As for this picture, It was on the window at the studio I was working at today and I saw for the first time how a snail moves from the underneath with a back light. Wow! This was amazing! You could see the underbody of the snail moving around like water does in the shallows. Just little wave after little wave. I felt like I should've been on the Discovery Channel.... Maybe I will be one day. Just wait and see!

Yep. Here I come.

So in leu of some current events taken place in my life I have decided to come back to MN. I know this may come as a shock but I have taken careful consideration into my life and believe firmly that this is where I need to go and be for a while. It is getting warmer there, except for the last snowfall, and I think I'll be able to handle it after a short "getting used to it" phase. I miss all of my family and friends so much that I just can't handle the constant struggle and pressure of everyday life out here. Don't worry, I am not looking at coming to California as a failure. I am looking at it as a learning experience, one that has taught me so much about myself and my limitations as a human being. It has also shown me where I belong, and that is in MN with all of my family and friends. I will be getting things ready to leave in the next few days and should be on my way within the week. I love you all and thank you so much for your support.

Balboa

If anyone knows who Henri Cartier-Bresson is then you understand my inspiration for this photograph. He is a famous photographer that shot throughout a majority of the 20th Century all over the world. There is a movie about his life called "The Impassioned Eye." He speaks in his movie about how he loves the geometry in life and works so hard to capture it in his images. Geometry has been something I have been trying to pay more attention to. I hope you can see the influence in my work.

Morning Bliss

There was a comfort under the clouds this morning as I awoke.

As the sun began to peak through it gave me hope that life is better out from underneath the shadows.

Ryan

Who ever thought a frisbee's could be so brutal? Haha This was my buddy Ryan after a face/frisbee collision. He managed to get third place right behind me. Good job buddy.

Fish Taco's

Here are some of those Corona's I was talking about! Tito is a friend of mine that just got back from serving with the Marine's in Iraq! So he drove down here from where he is stationed in Yuma. This is a pic of him trying some of Wahoo's delicious fish taco's for the first time! I love those things! 

A long weekend

I've been having problems with my internet the past couple days with uploading to this website so sorry these are posted late! So this was a picture I took on set today. An icy Corona. It looked so beautiful! To your surprise though it was filled with Modelo! The beer has a better color under the lights in the studio. I'm going to have a couple of these during my long weekend! 

I felt it.

Dude I felt an earthquake.

Float.

Do you float? I found this in MN. It was hung by a spider web and I almost ran into it. This almost has no reference to the day but I hope you can find some relativeness.

Kite flying.

This was yesterday. It was such a nice day out and we flew kites after lunch. The only experience I have with kites is how frustrating they are to get off the ground in MN. Yeah that is rough. There was a great breeze where we were and they couldn't have been any more manageable. Cal let me fly his kite for a while. It is great to feel like a kid from time to time. It keeps your mind young. Gotta love that.

Happy Easter

Today we are on the road going to San Clemente! We are going to Ernie and Jolinda's casa, friends of Dawn and Tom, to eat a ton of food!!! I can't wait! This will be a weekend of great food. I like that. So I wish everyone a Happy Easter and everyone back home I miss you! 

2nd oldest in the world.

So I went frolfin with Matt today in Huntington Beach. It turns out that the course is the 2nd oldest course in the world! Well turns out on the second hole there are kids on bikes that like to take your favorite disc's... haha I don't know. I lost my favorite disc. It sucked. Anyways, the course was pretty nice. It was nice and long and all the baskets were the nice. It was a nice and chill saturday.

Anyone ever feel like this?

Been a long day...

All I gotta say is Damn! This was the most I have ever paid.... Can anyone tell me how much this was per gallon??? Yeah, cheapest I could find it!

Callaway Corvette

This was a Callaway Corvette that we shot a few weeks back. I'm working with the same guy tomorrow and we have another Callway car! With over 500hp and options like roll cages (this one I am sitting in!) how can you go wrong! Even crazier yet this car I am sitting in was purchased by the Sheik of Dubai. He is the guy who owns the silver Audi A8. It's actually made from silver! Working with this photographer as well is a flash into the past. He shoots everything on film! There is nothing wrong with this, in many ways film still surpasses digitals limitations. This just isn't common anymore. 

Testing Center for Callaway Golf.

So, I was going to post a more interesting picture today.... Here is the story. This is a locked down testing center in Carlsbad, CA. It is located on a dead end with locked gate. The client doesn't want pictures of their facility floating around on the internet and once you go inside you will know why!!! Damn is this place nice! This is where all the pros like Arnold Palmer and Phil Michelson get fitted for their clubs. It is plush. I also got to see some of the prototypes that should be out in the next year or so.  Even if you don't like golf you have to credit the technology that goes into this. It is way beyond my grasp of physics... Anyways, I apologize about not having a more interesting pic for the day....

Chicago...

I have been thinking of going back to Chicago lately. It needs to warm up out there but I want to go back nonetheless. I've been there a handful of times and it is always a blast! Anyone live there, been there? Leave me a comment and tell me about your experiences! Oh and by the way, I want to live in one of the condo's that are in the building right in the middle of the pic!

First Video Post!

Just a short video for your viewing pleasure.

Huntington Beach

Who wants to come visit for Spring Break?!? HB is getting ready for it! I went out on the pier yesterday and ate at Ruby's with HD and her parents who are out visiting. Ruby's is a great burger joint right on the end of the pier. There was a pod of dolphins that swam past as we were eating. They are amazing animals. So if you are coming out to Southern Cali for Spring Break hit me up!

Sunset Boulevard!

Here is me chillin with the Sunset Bl street sign. It was my first time on the street so this has a big significance to me. Not only that but after taking the pic I realized we were on the 3700 block. 37 is my favorite number! We were up in LA hanging out with Matt again. I highly recommend this city! Come hang out!

WTF?!?

No comment.

Hollywood Sunrise

This is a beautiful Hollywood sunrise I took on a job one morning. I think all sunrises and sunsets are amazing. But what sets one different from another? What makes the difference between a good picture and another? That has been the question between Artists and Enthusiasts alike for all time. Everyone has their opinion but who is to say they are right or wrong? I can't tell you that you should like my picture, or all of my work for that matter. You might like it and support me, that is amazing of you, or you might hate it and tell me to throw my camera in the ocean and never take a picture again, then I would have to hurt you. Just kidding, but the reason that I take pictures is to share something with the human race, to document events that have happened whether one or a hundred people see them, or to show someone something beautiful or ugly. I do it for me. I just hope that you like them and support it. Thanks!

I hope you like food!!

This was the amazing meal that Matt prepared for Staci and I last night Lemon Pesto Salmon and Spaghetti with Garlic Bread. Yum. It was great to finally see him since I've been out here. It took too long to get together but the food was great, his girlfriend is great, and we had a nice dip in the pool at about 10pm last night. It was a sweet experience to be swimming under the stars without freezing you ass off in march. I love California.

Frolfin'

This is a shot from yesterday frisbee golfing. It was a pretty nice shot, I have to hand it to my buddy Shawn he did a good job. As for today I didn't really do too much, tonight Staci and I are going over to my friend Matt's and we are going to have a nice dinner and some wine. Also, I am working on putting up video clips for some upcoming posts. Make sure you keep posted!!

Saturday.

Holy shit was this meal amazing. I had to put a picture of it on here. I met up with a friend and his buddies to go frisbee golfing for the first time since I've been out in Cali. I was a little rusty, I scored a 16 but I beat all the other guys out by at least 2. I took a break from posting yesterday as my moment of silence for my friend back home who died the other day, Jason. RIP man, you will be missed. I spent all day yesterday contemplating death and talking to some friends back in MN and his brother in Louisiana. All I could come up with was to live my life to the fullest in memory of all of the people that I have known in my life that aren't with us today. So this meal is a symbol of indulging in the senses, sight, taste, feel, and smell. We'll have to indulge in hearing at a later date.... Well cheers to all the friends, family, and strangers still left on this planet, lets make this life worth living.

Catering

Damn these were the biggest chocolate covered strawberries I have ever seen. This catering that I have experienced on this shoot for Mazda this week was insane. Not only did we have this but we also had 3 different kinds of quiche one morning, some of the beverages that were available were Red Bull, Rockstars, and Monster energy drinks, along with Orange juice and Perrier water. I am definitely going to miss not having this selection everyday....

Dream

I had a dream last night. It was pretty weird... I was hanging out with my buddy Tony B. We are great friends and we used to live together. He is a smoker and we were walking past a gas station. I can't recall where but it must have been a place with pretty stupid people. I'll tell you why in a sec. So he was done with his cigarette and flicked it away. It accidentally landed in one of the garbage cans next to the pump. I don't know why he flicked it that way... but it's a dream hear me out. So I went over and threw something away and found out that it had started a flame! I was like Holy Shit! Lets get the hell out of here and I started towards the bushes. Tony was a pimp like he always is and in any other circumstances it would've worked in his favor... he went to go put it out grabbed a fire extinguisher and got ready to shoot it. Now there was a lady in a white SUV next to the garbage can, when she saw the flame she FREAKED out. She freaked out so much that the only thing she thought was right was to grab the gas nozzle and spray it with the gas to try and put it out! Dumbass!! Meanwhile I am in the bushes, Tony was on the direct other side of this spray coming out of the nozzle and he starts on fire. Just as he is blazing out of control the gas station blows up and they all die. Now I know that you are thinking that this is pretty morbid and maybe it is, but this is a true story. I dreamt this last night. I don't know what it means if anything, I was pretty tired. So, Tony, here is your post man. Now you are on my blog and if anyone has any insight as to what this means, I would like to know.

Self Portrait

The art of the self portrait. There is something about seeing a moment and capturing it that makes a photographer stand out from another. The self portrait is a special case as a photographer and more importantly as an artist. The photographer is opening up his emotion full on and exposing himself to more criticism than just his work but his personality and himself as a whole. This becomes more about being human than it is about labels; Being a Man or Woman, President or CEO, Singer or Songwriter. It is as an Artist that we convey ourselves, our emotions, our fears, and our passions. I am an Artist and photography is my medium.

Modesty

I wanted to post a picture of this check because I am proud of it. It is probably the most money that I have made on my own for a job since I have started in this business. I just couldn't brag about how much it is. Sorry. I know you all want to know.... You just won't. I wish that you are proud of me for making this, it is a big achievement. I just won't disclose this information. Love you all! Gotta pay some bills! Ha!

L'Orange

Oranges in Orange Co. Nothing is more cliché than that!

Kev's place

So, this is a picture of my buddy Kev's cabin. We go here on occasion to get our stresses and anxieties out. I am posting it now to remind me to relax tomorrow for I have a long week of grueling work ahead of me. I like to remember our times up there and enjoy them to the fullest. It reminds me of memories and I wonder about the thin line of enjoying the present and living in the past. Where is that line drawn? Does remembering good times and enjoying ones memories put you in a rut of a past self perspective? Or how long can you enjoy said memories before you get sucked in? Maybe I am just being cynical. I like to think on the brighter side and enjoy the memories as they are when I think of them. I feel as though I can live them again and get more out of them than I did the first time. I believe that everyone should live life to the fullest. If the only meaning to life is to accumulate memories and to share and remember them, then I include you all in my daily trips down Memory Lane. If there is another meaning to life it eludes me. The only thing I know is that there is no point of living if you aren't happy.