Old Building

I photographed a very cool old building in Pasadena last week. The property management company will be using the images to entice potential tenants to the building's offices. The detail in the original construction at this location is incredible.

Middle School Boxing

This was a first for me. I've photographed many schools for website development over the past few years, but I've never worked at a school that taught boxing to middle school students. I couldn't believe it! I mean, it was cool to watch and photograph. The boys were supervised, wore protective headgear and were having fun, but these are young children and I was surprised to see this type of physical education. . .pre-high school, outdoors on a dirt field. Wow.

Volunteers

This image is of a volunteer. Someone who gives generously of her time to help others. She was honored recently along with hundreds of others, ranging in age from 15 to 97, at a local hospital that greatly appreciates the thousands of hours its volunteers put in each year. I learned a lot about their dedication just by being there to photograph the event. They were treated to some great food & drinks, along with the recognition they deserve. Congratulations!

Engagement Session

Engagement Session? Does that mean I'm also going to be shooting this couple's wedding? Yes, it does! Officially, I am no longer shooting weddings. When Brianne first told me last year that she wanted me to be her photographer, my defenses went up. But she was familiar with my photography from work I'd done for her family, and said that she and her fiance Garrett would like me to come out of "retirement" for one more wedding. All she asked at the time was that I just think about it. Fine, I'll think about it. And she gave me the space of a few months to think. I suggested she consider her second choice, just in case. Her reply was, "I don't have a second choice." In her subtle relentlessness, she somehow persuaded me to agree to document their special day. The wedding isn't until next year, but we did the engagement session last Saturday and we had a great time! As you can see, Brianne chose a cool, retro style baby-blue dress and it was the perfect complement to her pretty baby face. Garrett went with the classic never-out-of-style jeans & t-shirt and this couple looked terrific together. Brianne & Garrett. . .thank you for choosing me.
I'm honored.

Freedom Concert

Saturday evening, I photographed the largest event I've ever been hired to shoot - The Freedom Concert. Presented by Robert & Denise Zeilstra, this 2000 guest party at the brand new Grand Ballroom of the Pasadena Convention honored the men and women who protect our country. Military, police and firefighters were treated to dinner and entertainment as a great "thank you" for their service. Celebrity guests and musical artists entertained the crowd throughout the evening and everyone had a great time. Fellow photographer Serena Montenegro helped me with the event coverage. There are a few images posted here, but if you'd like to see more, click here to view the Slideshow.

LPGA

While in Palm Springs for the photography festival, I also had an opportunity to photograph the celebrity pro-am round of the LPGA Kraft Nabisco Championship. It's a great day to attend because of the loose atmosphere prior to the actual tournament.
It was a gorgeous day in the desert!

NFL legend Franco Harris.

Paula Creamer, one of the cutest pros on tour.

And another cutie, Natalie Gulbis (getting a hug from Steeler quarterback Ben Roethlisberger), who is also on this season's Celebrity Apprentice TV show.

Palm Springs Photo Festival

The Palm Springs Photo Festival describes itself as "an intense week-long event for Professional, Emerging and Serious Advanced Amateur Photographers". This is the first year that I've attended, and even though it was only for two days, it was a great experience. There's so much going on - from classes and workshops to portfolio reviews and presentations. The festival base is at the Korakia Pensione Hotel, where the sponsor suites are set up to share knowledge and introduce their products.
I had the opportunity to check out a yet-to-be-released camera. The brand new Leica S Series features the S2 camera body. It's a medium format digital SLR in the body of a 35 mm camera. The Leica reps just received two of these working prototype cameras from Germany, along with 4 new lenses. Not only was I able to handle and shoot with this new system, but I was allowed to photograph it, too. I have to say that it is not only the most gorgeous camera body I've ever seen, but it's crafted in a way that it just molds to your hand. The controls are laid out in a very cool minimalist way and it appears to be built like a tank. Leica is legendary for the quality of their cameras & lenses. The S system will be very expensive when it becomes available later this year, and while it won't be for everyone, it will be a hot topic of conversation in the photography world.