Category: Published Work

Modern Luxury Spring Cover

What a nightmare this shot!!!

I can’t stress it more. I mean the condo we shot at, the company, the editor, and all were great. But the weather just didn’t cooperate. I tried for this shot like four days over two weeks plus! The clouds would bunch up and give a drab sunset. We finally got lucky but the rains were just lurking over the mountains. I could feel the rain slightly falling on the outdoor lanai up on the 38th floor.

Thanks Dr. and Mrs Gallardo for letting Emmy and I abuse your place!

Thanks Emmy…its a great shot!

What a difference nine holes can make!!!!!

You just never know how life can turn itself around in moments. I mean, the picture above was going to be the shot of Michelle Wie’s first LPGA victory. She was well on her way to making a victorious win in her first tournament after becoming part of the tour. Alas, experience, pressure, and age all seem to drag a all but guaranteed win to an absolute train wreck. Well…thats harsh…but, as we said on the field, the wheels fell off at the last second and Michelle finished in second place.

I shot that victory fist pump while Michelle birdied the fourth tee. With global deadlines, and what seemed to be a looming victory for Michelle, AP moved that shot global linking the story with that photo betting she’d win, and that one image would capture the entire event.

But by the 11th green, Michelle shot a a double bogey and life fell completely apart.

Angela Stanford chased down Michelle and got a two point lead over her but the rainy weather seemed hint at a comeback. After a great fairway shot on 15, Michelle had a little over a three foot putt to cut the lead to -1 and put massive pressure on Angela to choke herself. Sadly, Michelle blew the putt and sank in grief. Cameras chipped away from all around and i got a great shot to replace the victory shot that said it all.

Never assume you got the shot cause you never know how an event will change. Nathaniel Welch gave me a great piece of advice once on why its never a good idea to be a sports photographer. You career will depend on what type of game, event, or score your subject will do. My first shot, as amazing it is, tells a completely perfect story if Michelle had won. She didn’t and if I had just gone back to the media center and cheerily watched from an air conditioned room, drink in hand, my work would have been worthless. I had to hump out to the course, walk 10 plus holes with the leaders, hoping to tell the story. And my hard work, and sprained ankle, tell the story with the second shot.

AP made that photo an APTOPIX. When all over the world.

Oh, and for Michelle, we shouldn’t feel too bad for her. A three day tournament and a Pro Am date lead to a second place prize of $108,000. Not bad for a 19 year old.

Adios 2008!

As the sounds of firecrackers rip the rainy night sky in Honolulu (I can imagine Gaza probably sounds like this right now) I though I’d reflect on 2008 as a photographer. I know most of you probably will read this on January 1st, but as I write, we are still a few hours short and a second of the new year.

My career again expanded as my experience and client list expanded. Work has taken me from the itchy grass of the Sony Open…

to Beckham

to lava

to Waikiki Sunsets

to portraits for the NY Times

to pissing in the park

to Japan

to tough guys

and girls on film

and so much more…

as far as life goes, we purchased a condo, my bike got stolen, got to shoot in Japan, Texas, Molokai, and Lanai. Life was great in 2008 despite politics, and the other bull in life. Things were not all that bad. Got famous cause of my Obama on the beach pictures, and shot way too, too many pictures.

I blew a shutter on my 1Ds, broke a 14mm, got storage, got long hair, got a flat screen, a M6, a Drobo, a few new books, a few new friends, and things beyond description.

Thanks to everyone. I can’t believe I am where I am in Hawaii. I am making a career here where I didn’t think I could make it. I live in Honolulu. Not LA or NY. Things are good. Lets hope they last.

New York Times

CLICK HERE FOR THE STORY!

I got a chance to shoot portraits of female surfers on the North Shore for the New York Times. I can’t post the story here other than list the link. I have been doing stories for the NYT for a bit now and they’ve all worked out well. This story was a bit tough because I had to work around a videographer and keep in mind all the stuff that goes on with multimedia.

The video time really shortened the time I had to shoot the surfers. The story was about the changing of the guard with the “older” surfer chic being replaced by the younger babes in the waves. I had to shoot Layne, a 36 year old surfer babe, who the 7 times world champ and I also had to shoot the up and comer Carrisa Moore, a 16 year old HS girl, who is making waves on the waves.

Nice job…reallyl quick, and I had to really had to rely on past knowledge, my sense and instinct to knock out a few good shots. I look at the shots and recall all the stuff I did as an assistant…running up and down with some photographer and a model jumping up and down. So much to remember and so much to define who I am.

The pictures, although not my favorite, really show my growth as a photographer. Its nice to see how I am constantly learning how to be me.