Little Drummer Girls

This is my good friend Stephanie. I once photographed her as a T-shirt model for JJ's Blues. Here she is in the blue version at the bar.


Stephanie and I have a bunch of things in common. One of which is that neither of us can really play the drums. That didn't stop me from having her pose with them for the shoot, though.


Actually I think she looks pretty convincing.


Last week my friend Paul brought me to his studio and tired of using a synthesizer for backup, gave me my first drum lesson. Part one, rock drums happen in fours, drum in fours.....still I needed more guidance, so he had me do a routine of cymbal, bass, cymbal, snare.


Here's an aerial shot of me.


Really getting into it as I find my groove.

Lindsey and Jim Engagement Photos Part Two

First another shot of the beautiful background that awaits Jim and Lindsey on their wedding day.


As part of their session we walked around town, near water and rocks and just had fun.

They both really wanted to go to the park with its fountains.


While I was photographing them a kid came up near them. They both wanted me to keep shooting and get one with him, so I did. I did wonder if he would start splashing, though.


Actually, he was well behaved. However, Lindsey took matters (and water) into her own hands. If you look closely you can see drops ready to splash Jim.


Looking great, you two. Looking forward to shooting your big day this September.

Lindsey and Jim Engagement Photos Part One

Lindsey and Jim chose a great spot to have their engagement shots done, Sausalito, where they will be having their September wedding. Here is one showing just one of the many beautiful backgrounds the town has to offer.


When I went to take a ring shot Lindsey wanted one without fingernails and with showing Jim's watch. Here you go.


They were both so comfortable in front of the camera that Jim would kiss Lindsey throughout the session, without any prompting.


I found a wall with an interesting texture, so I suggested they pose there. Jim had the idea for them to look tough to match the wall.

When we went to park we saw a row of great bikes. I had them stand next to them, Lindsey looks like she wants to go for a ride, but as we don't know whose bikes these are, this is the closest they got to them.

Tomorrow: Some more great shots from the session.

Daylight savings time and exercise

The earlier hour/extra light coming in through my windows helped me wake up today before the alarm, still having had a good night's sleep.

I like daylight savings time, the extra light to shoot with and also just helps start the day off in such a positive way.

Yesterday, I went to the laugher yoga club meeting in Hollister (as I'd had to be there on a Saturday, I thought it might be fun to check out), perhaps with the light I'll try it again on Tuesdays.

It also reminded me of the kid's yoga session I covered for the paper at R. O. Hardin. The kids had fun with poses like this, called dragon. I really like the reactions of the teachers in the background, both encouraging and getting into it themselves.


The kids really enjoyed the excercises. I love how this boy, Axel, really seems to be connecting with his inner self in this meditation excercise.

I also wrote a story on the kids and their yoga program.

All in a Day's work: Gearing up

Whenever the fire departments have reporters come out, one of the first questions they ask us is, do you want us to put you in the gear so you know what it's like. I'd already had this done to me once this year, but decided to put on the gear again when offered.


Here the batallion chief is making sure I can't see with the label still on (to simulate smoke conditions.


Then of course, the department has you crawl around on the ground. Here I'm trying to find "the victim" (Anthony) who is taking the photos in real life, but stopped because he thought I might follow the sounds of the shutter to him.

Finally here are some of the real heroes. I took this one. Their masks are much more realistic, they really can't see whereas I could a little out of the mask I was given.

I love that my job allows me to research and get into the shoes (or in the this case the full gear) of the people I am learning about.

Photos of the Week (ending 03/09/07)

With Dr. Seuss' birthday last Friday, I got some great colorful shots including librarian Cindy Brown reading dressed as cat in the hat

to Nicole eating, after carefully considering green eggs and ham.

Also this week, Lou Bettencourt, was reported as retiring (at the end of the month) from being director of the YMCA, but that doesn't stop him from enjoying pick up games with the kids.

Man and nature combine to form beauty

I drive a lot. I commute from my home in San Jose to Hollister where I work for the paper at least five days a week. At my job I drive a lot also, though I don't always notice the scenery.

Last week's story, where I did a drive to King City from Hollister as the story inspired a lot of images for me to capture, but this one really stands out the most. Rows of wine trees, not ready to bloom, but precisely planted as they grow, seeming to stretch for miles.



Though mankind does not always enhance the earth, in this case, I really think the winery contributes to the overall landscape of the area.

Musicians in Studio: Paul (and me, sort of)

In between photographing Hoofbeat on Sunday, I watched my friend Paul play in his studio and got some shots of him playing several instruments (none simultaneously though). He's pretty talented as he can play the guitar, sax, drums and keyboard (the latter not pictured.

Here's some of my favorites. I love the bits of padding on the ceiling in this one.


This really shows how small the studio is on one side.


and finally him on the instrument he tried to get me to play all day, the drums.

Before Sunday I'd tried to play drums exactly once before, while at JJ's Blues during the day, and I had no idea what I was doing and so didn't try for too long.

Paul really needed a beat though, and didnt' want to use the synthesizer. Finally he just gave me a really set rhythym to play (cymbal, bass, cymbal, snare), and while even that was harder than I thought, trying to keep the beat up, I did get a few good runs in, I think.

I don't yet have the pics of this, but Paul said he will send them soon, so I will update this when he does.

Musicians in Studio: Hoofbeat

On Sunday I got together with my friend Paul who is also in the newspaper business (layout). He's a serious amateur photographer, so when I spontaneously suggested breakfast and that we go shoot something he was all for it.

After stopping at The Original Pancake House, we weighed our options and decided to go to the studio space Paul is renting. It's in a place that rents out to many different musicians, and first I was just going to shoot Paul in studio.

From the second we got in, the walls were shaking from this great band who I would soon learn was called Hoofbeat. In long, loud pullsating songs, the band rocked the place, and when they finally rested, Paul took me over to meet them and see if they would let me shoot a few pics of them.

It turns out that I had already met the drummer, Keith, at JJ's and he was familiar with my work from the club. Keith, left, and Troy, right, posed for me. They look really mean here, but they aren't, I think they were going for edgy, which they are.

Some individual shots.

Troy, whose, screaming filled the room, and the hallway.


Joe, who looked so serious throughout.

Jason kept his eyes closed for most of it, he knew I was there, but barely in his concentration.

and finally Keith. Since there was no stage, I just got up and under the drums to shoot, which didn't phase him a bit.


The studio layout space was small, so I couldn't get all the guys in one shot, but here are two with two each in it.


Hoofbeat, you guys were great, I look forward to seeing you playing out of the studio sometime.

Gregor Family Portrait Session

Last year I shot the wedding of Chauntel and Gerardo. Even though not all their family could make it, they still had a huge number of people in their posed formals.

I got a call last month from Chauntel as she wanted to doing something special for her parents' upcoming birthday party. As they are still on vacation and do not subscribe to this blog, I can safely put on some pics here.

First some outtakes.

For one photo we tried to get everyone in, even the dogs. In this photo, everyone person and dog, looks at the dog who won't come to the photo.

We ended up doing that photo without the errant dog. Chauntel said her grandmother looked kinda like "The Godfather" in the chair with her family all around her.

Next Chauntel wanted a photo with both her siblings. When asked what they should do I told them jokingly to just have fun and "I don't know, punch your brother," and soon they were complying.

Throughout the day dogs refused to stay put, and Henry chased Bijoux all over, including right through this photo.




The majority of the images though, were just beautiful. Everyone kept saying how long it had been since they had had a portrait, so I did lots of groups.

Here are some of my favorites.

Chauntel and her siblings.

Just the kids.
Her sister's family, even the dog looked in the right place.

Finally this is the one that will be the present.

The parents' joint party, which is a surprise even to them, will additionally be featuring a twist so unique I've never heard of it done before. I'll be shooting that also, and will post pics and details after it occurs.

The Giving Tree

Last week, while taking photos for the Dr. Seuss birthday celebrations, many community volunteers read to kids from books not by Dr. Seuss. One such book was "The Giving Tree", writtten by Shel Silverstein who also wrote several books including "Where the Sidewalk Ends" which themselves have great rhyming pages bits (those his are poems) like Dr. Seuss.

This pic (sort of a pre-outtake) from the portrait session, shows some impromptu landscaping that was done, and reminds me of the part in the book where the tree offers its branches to the boy in the story to build his house.


Coming tomorrow, the photos from the portrait session including our impromptu landscaper and his family (and a few portrait session outtakes).

Me and my shadow

Recently I received an email from Megumi, a student at DeAnza College (where I had taken some photography and photojournalism classes), whose teacher (my friend Brad) had recommended she contact me to watch me work for a day.

After getting permission from today's client, I invited her along and had her begin her day by looking at some of my work including a sign in book...


and some work for the newspaper.

She seemed surprised to learn that I write stories also (one a week, in addition to captions). She's still figuring out what she would like to do with photography, but it seems like it's not going to be journalism (sorry, Brad).

While I was setting up groups, she took a moment to discuss photography with Nonny, a grandmother in the group.



She also took a moment to photograph her new friend, Henry.

Henry is one of my favorite dog subjects, also. On the Christmas card I sent out this year, he is on the bottom right.


Coming Monday, photos from the portrait session.

Photos of the week (ending 03/02/07)

I had an interesting week at work, with fun events and many hours to drive around and find art in the simple everyday happenings in Hollister.

I also have a first for me on my blog for photos of the week.

First, a sports shot. Josh Schroder is on track to beat San Benito High School's pole vaulting record of 15 feet, 6 inches. He's already up to 15 feet, one inch. One of the track coaches, Iran White, said he never saw a non pole vaulter shoot a really good vault photo. He's said this was pretty good, though, and I've already received compliments on it.



My second photo of the week is sort of a surprise, as it's my first such still life choice. Without a person or even creature in it, this photo of the snow capped, but otherwise green mountains is my other choice. I'd barely taken my coat off on Wednesday when my publisher had me go up to the mountains to shoot the snow. This was right near private property, apparently closer than I thought as I felt the ends of barbed wire against my jacket.

All in a day's work

Today I went to Gabilan Hills School to photograph kids celebrating Dr. Seuss's birthday by being read to, reading to others, and making arts and crafts relating to his most famous book, "The Cat in the Hat."

While technically tomorrow is Dr. Seuss's birthday, as today was an early release day, they celebrated it early.

While there I got asked by many kids what my job was like. In the past when I was looking for stand alone art, I've described it to kids like doing a scavenger hunt, but without a list of objects to find.

Today I described it as going in, finding different angles, really blending in with my surroundings and coming back with good photos, often getting dirty in the process, I think they really appreciated the latter part.

I didn't have my computer with me, but wished I did to show them some of those moments, like going down in the ditch, putting on firefighter equipment, or just this one from the beach. Not only do the diving girls remind me of some crazy manuevers I've done, but also I got a lot of sand in my camera bag that day.