
My assistant Matt enjoying some down time on a recent shoot.
Yes that is a 16 foot model rocket on top of the jeep. It weighs 35 pounds empty and launches up to 25,000 feet. For an example check out this YouTube clip.
I loved model rockets when I was a kid. Loved them! Not the big ones of course but the small ones that take an hour to put together and even longer to paint if you care about the final design work. The Big Bertha was my favorite. In 7th grade my school had a model rocketry class that you could take as an elective. So for 50 minutes every day at 9:40 I would sit in my model rocket class and build. We learned about real rockets of course. We learned about the space program, we learned about aerodynamics and the atmosphere. But in the end all I cared about was launching my rockets; seeing them go high, sometimes exploding, sometimes flying sideways. We always had a ton of fun-
6.25.2008
model rockets
6.23.2008
6.20.2008
san diego
I was in San Diego for a shoot last week. Shot this with my iphone the first evening.
During high school I basically spent the summers at Huntington Beach even though I lived about 40 miles inland. I had a 1986 Toyota Tercel two door hatchback. The car was faded red and had a mismatched orange hood. It didn't have a radio or air conditioning. I bought it for $200, it got 40 mpg.
One July morning my friends and I were driving down the 55 when all of a sudden the engine revved to 8000 rpm -my clutch had gone out. We pulled over, pissed that we were going to miss a sweet beach day. I had it towed back to my house. The clutch was going to be $300 to fix, so I sold it to my neighbor. After that we started using my friends car and my main mode of transportation around town became a mtn. bike.
6.19.2008
award
The ED site was awarded Communication Arts web pick of the day for 6.18.08. Once again I have to give props to the phenomenally talented Eric Kass over at Funnel.
6.04.2008
summer as a kid


When I was a kid I spent a lot of summers in Northern Cal on my grandparents ranch. I learned to chase rabbits, build things with scrap wood, shoot a 22 rifle and fish for trout using a tree branch and worms. It was great fun...some of the best memories of my childhood. I'll be going back in a few weeks to shoot the spots and places where my memories are the strongest. Can't wait!
5.22.2008
sponsorships

In elementary and junior high I wanted nothing more than to be a professional baseball player with lots of sponsors. I ate and breathed baseball. I started playing when I was 5. Second base was my specialty. Growing up in Southern Cal I was a huge Angel fan. I would sneak a small radio into bed at night so I could listen to all of the games. When I was 14 I worked out a deal with one of the guards at the back entrance to the stadium; the deal was autographs for entrance. During those days only about 5-10,000 people came to the games, so I spent my summers on the first row behind the Angels dugout. Whether they won or lost I wouldn't have a voice by the end of the night. I even jumped onto the field for a foul ball once. I thought I was going to prison for life. Security just smiled and said don't do that again.
I quit playing baseball when I was 15. I turned to running instead. By the time I was 17 I had turned into a decent runner with some potential. My nights were spent with dreams of being sponsored by the time I was 18 and making the Olympic Trials. Future injuries dashed those dreams.
After all those years of dreaming I finally have my first sponsor. I've just signed with Lowepro. They are a great company and I'm excited to be working with them.
5.14.2008
pdn photo annual

It's always an honor to win awards and be recognized within the industry. A special thanks to my designer Eric Kass and developer Mark Helton. As always they were fun and easy to work with. Both are tremendously talented.
I won my first award when I was 17. I had recently picked up a camera for the first time and my high school teacher urged me to enter some photographs in a county photography competition. Much to my amazement I won. It was a toned image of a rusty handle on a wooden gate. Nothing special, nothing fancy. But it helped me develop a life long passion for the art.
5.13.2008
david archuleta for people



Shot American Idol's David Archuleta for People Magazine. It was a fun shoot. David was great, a bit overwhelmed for sure though. American Idols crew was really easy to work with. Sam the producer was extremely helpful and accommodating. My favorite two-line conversation from the day:
In the Limo on the way to the game:
Sam- What do you think of the motorcade?
D- (looking around at the 12 police cars and motorcycles plowing a path on the freeway) Look at the people driving by, they're taking pictures of us. They probably think I'm the president or something...
5.07.2008
traveling
5.02.2008
walking across america


I found BJ Hill walking along a country road headed to his home state of Massachusetts via California, Nevada, Utah, Wyoming, South Dakota into the south and back up to the north east. Yep he's walking across the country. Really cool guy. He's carrying a book with him asking people he meets to write a message to the future President of the United States.
He's had a good trip thus far. Except for the punk who stole his gear in the middle of the Nevada desert.
You can read about his travels and cause here.
4.21.2008
dane

Dane. I found him enjoying a nice spring morning. I'm from Southern Cal, so when it starts warming up I find myself thinking about the beach.
I had a Nash skateboard when I was a kid. It was basically a longboard. Once I went camping with my family. We car camped. There was a big hill leading into our area. It was steep and long. I walked to the top and started my decent. About halfway down I hit a rock, I flew about 40 feet through the air. I picked pebbles out of my hands and knees for a few weeks.
4.17.2008
sports

I love sports. I love being active. I started playing t-ball when I was four. I played baseball until I was 14 when I broke my arm; I never got my swing back. After baseball I took up pole vaulting. It was fun, I almost killed myself. When I got bored of that I started running long distance. In college I ran the 5000 on the track. Running helped me cope with things. I've never wrestled though, thought it would be torture to run in plastic bags and starve myself to cut weight.
4.14.2008
steak

Martin for Men's Fitness Magazine. He was cool, a bit self conscious but had a story to tell. Said he was going out for a steak dinner after the shoot. I used to wait tables at a steakhouse in Alaska. It was fun. The Steak was good. I liked the porterhouse, medium rare. The service was fantastic, as long as I waited on you.
4.11.2008
rig

We were headed back from a shoot in Southern Utah last week. I spotted this guy and his rigged setup. My assistant grabbed the camera and I pulled up along side. He loved the attention, sporting us the hang loose sign.
4.09.2008
spring and cold
4.02.2008
3.28.2008
hallandale beach
3.24.2008
3.21.2008
50 ft up

Shooting 50 ft up on a 3 ft wide catwalk with no rails. I'm afraid of heights- I often have falling dreams, not sure what that means though.
3.19.2008
3.17.2008
train

Heading down to Arches NP and Moab this week to shoot a project. Should be sweet! Last time I went I found this train. I hit the breaks, made a u-turn and shot it.
3.11.2008
3.06.2008
track

The last season of racing for this track was the summer of '99.
I found old schedules scattered everywhere-
3.04.2008
2.29.2008
2.28.2008
2.27.2008
2.25.2008
2.21.2008
2.20.2008
2.18.2008
2.17.2008
2.15.2008
2.13.2008
2.12.2008
miami and my holga
2.11.2008
2.08.2008
2.04.2008
2.02.2008
2.01.2008
new photo blog
I will be posting random shots of my travels, family, found objects, people and places. Kind of a get to know ED photo journal type thing.







































