I wish we never had to cut it…but alas we felt it was time to cut. Our pineapple, grown over two years and change, did not reach mammoth proportions but did get big enough to turn from green to yellow. We figured it was time so we cut it. Tomorrow we’ll have it for breakfast!
I’ve done a handful of wedding in my career. Mainly friends, actually almost all friends. One or two were actually paid gigs by clients but its never been part of my business plan. I don’t really care to do wedding but I’m finding I’m pretty darn good at capturing moments.
The New York Times hired me to shoot their Vows sections…which is actually their society wedding page…and shot a couple from the East Coast on Kauai on Secret Beach. Its online here.
The Times editor emailed me today and stated “…LOTS of compliments for the photos.” I guess I did the right thing.
The above photo is of tonight’s spectacular voggy sunset. Everyone was out at Magic Island and I watched a Japanese wedding photographer (package deals where a wedding company books the entire lot into a set where they get dress, hair/makeup/church, flowers, and photographer for said amount) snapping photos of a Japanese couple’s dream wedding. They seemed young and pretty happy to have such a great sunset although I am not sure if they realized what they were doing as the photographer had them posing in all sorts of cheesy wedding poses. Flashing shakas, putting their hands together to form a heart…very cookie cutter images. Blah…just not my thing. Either way, the couple will go home with a nice photo book of memories that will get dusty over time.
I’ve never been to Baghdad. I’ve never been to a war zone.
I cant’ really say…but the cracks and booms out in the distance (and some very close by) make me feel I’m not too far away from one.
Honolulu suffers from legal and mostly illegal fireworks on NYE. Windows rattle, car alarms are endless, and haze binds the night sky.
Ah…the end of the year.
Each New Years, I’ve put out a best of what has made the year my year. Well…I don’t know. I didn’t go under. I didn’t go broke. I shot. I purchased gear. I paid the mortgage. I paid off debt. I got into debt. I paid that off and yet, I got more debt. I got a great desk. I got long hair (again.) I got strong. I got weak. I lost weight then found it again. I shot a few covers. I shot a bit of nothing. I came and I went.
What more is there?
Well there are a few images…loads more but its late. Here are a few…
Its a coffee ad
A walk on the beach
99 luftballons…
A silent smile
and
the best one of all!
Please note…I hadn’t opened that bottle. I tried with my teeth but no no avail.
Walked around the beach the other day and found the above. An eternal early winter sunset in Hawaii.
Yes…THE IRON CHEF…Chef Masaharu Morimoto, the legendary Japanese chef.
Hi Luxury Magazine commissioned me to shoot their August/September cover of Chef Morimoto. Morimoto recently opened up his signature restaurant here in Honolulu and Chef has been here for the last few weeks putting the final touches on his place.
We actually ate there the other night for the opening and the food was pretty fantastic. Their lobster was spiced by Morimoto’s secret blend but we figured it was a blend of garam marsala, paprika, cayenne pepper and a few other spices. The taste was a mix of Cajun and Indian. Very neat; however, the restaurant’s piece de resistance was their foie gras chawamushi. Chawamushi is a Japanese steamed egg custard dish, usually with a shrimp or other little goodie inside. Morimoto’s was topped off with a delicate piece of duck. Damn that was good.
OK enough on the food and back to the picture.
After a scout we picked a spot called China Walls, a scenic spot in Portlock on the east side of Oahu. The TV show Lost filmed there and many surfers and young types hang out at the picturesque spot.
Morimoto proved to be a handful as he knew exactly how to pose and give the camera what it wanted. He posed, primed, danced, sang, and laughed. And after our production assistant Cody went out for beer, Morimoto was even in better form as Cody brought back one of his signature beers.
Tammy, my assistant for the job even had her own moment with Morimoto and he surely wasn’t shy…for that matter, neither was she.
One of the better shots of the year and the cover was fantastic. The sun set just at the right time giving us a perfect warm glow for the sky. Sometime you just can’t ask for more.