Winter X 15

The past couple weeks have been pretty hectic with work taking me to Houston, Texas for a gorgeous wedding and then to Aspen, CO for Winter X 15. Unfortunately, I can't share any photographs from the wedding, but I can share some work from my week up in the mountain sunshine with a fantastic team of people from ESPN Action Sports.

For those of you who haven't ever been to the X games, you're missing out. If you want to have your brain completely blown away by some high flyin', adrenaline thirsty nutcases that have more than a few screws loose, this is the event for you. These guys are insanely athletic and pull off tricks that are just mind boggling. I've shot Winter X three times now and it never gets old as the athletes push the limits every year by busting out new tricks, rocking new style (see Shaun White), and flat out going BIG and FAST in everything they do. Sprinkle in a crowd of the most colorful youngsters you've ever seen and you have the makings for one of the most entertaining weeks in the Rocky Mountains every year.

We were very fortunate and had awesome weather all week long. Wednesday and Thursday were unbelievably gorgeous, followed by Friday and Saturday which were borderline hot. I swear we could have worked in shorts if we wanted to. Overcast skies rolled in on Sunday and took away the beautiful afternoon light we had been spoiled with earlier in the week, but it provided a nice change in mood of the images and changed things up a bit.

I worked with a rockin' team of people including fellow photographers (and partners in crime) Mark Kohlman and Josh Duplechian, and I think the three of us made a great portfolio of photographs for the website. We worked our tails off, but we managed to keep things light the entire week. Hiking around a mountain all day definitely takes it's toll on your body, but there is so much variety around you that you can't help but want to be out making photographs all the time. On the back end of things all the writers and editors, including Brett Wilhelm of Rich Clarkson and Associates, kept the content flowing to the website in nearly real time because we were using Canon and Nikon wireless transmitters to send our photographs to the production trailers in the parking lots from the base of the mountain.

Lastly, I can't thank Mary Fenton, Dave Finger and Micah Abrams enough for hiring me to shoot this event for ESPN Action Sports. They're awesome people to work with and it's an event that I always look forward to shooting given the subject matter and the awesome team of people with whom I work.

It was an amazing week and I made some new pictures that I hope you'll enjoy as much as I enjoyed making them.

Cheers,

TSB2

Modern In Denver

We were pretty fortunate to have our Washington Park studio featured in the latest issue of Modern in Denver Magazine. The editor William Logan is a total stud and the magazine is quickly becoming one of the more popular publications in Denver featuring contemporary living, architecture and style.

I'd be remiss if I didn't mention a few people here that made all this happen. First of all, my employer Andrew Clark had tremendous vision when he first bought the building. I thought he was flat out crazy since the building was an old Masonic lodge and had an insanely creepy feel to it. The first time I walked into it, I thought "Wow, weird stuff happened in here."

Secondly, our architect Nathan Jenkins did one heck of a job with the design of the new space. His attention to detail could be considered on the verge of being obsessive-compulsive, but it is with reason. He was always on top of things as the construction progressed and without his eagle eyes, the studio wouldn't look as good as it does.

Lastly, we can't forget to mention the one guy who put up with all of us through this process, Kevin Salsich. Boy, did he get put through the fire. "Hey Kevin...move that light six inches to the left. Hey Kevin, get the concrete poured yesterday. Hey Kevin, watch my dog while I go play 18." He's an excellent General Contractor and I highly recommend him for any project you're considering. Plus, he's easy on the eyes.

Enjoy the article. If you're ever in the neighborhood, come on by the studio and check it out and have a beer. We've usually got some cold ones in the fridge.

Little Mason

Recently, we had the privilege of hosting a new arrival to the world when Mason and his parents stopped by the studio for a couple portraits. This little guy was only 2 weeks old when we photographed him and he was a complete trooper during the shoot! I particularly love the frame above as it is just one of those awesome little yawns that melt a parent’s heart.

Lately, I’ve been shooting more stuff against the curtain in our studio that is light gray on one side, and black on the other. The black side is fantastic for portraits and I’m going to continue to mess around with it to see what sort of effects and moods we can create with it.

Enjoy the photographs…

TSB2

Equipment used:

Elinchrom 53″ rolalux octabank

Photoflex medium soft box

Large white reflector

Broncolor Primo lights

Canon EOS 5D Mark II, ISO 50, F5.6, 1/200

Must be summertime

Went to over to our friends house for an awesome Memorial Day BBQ. The kiddie pool got busted out. Must be summertime....

Enjoy,

TSB2

Sunny San Diego

Last week, Kristin attended a math teaching conference in San Diego, so, since it was in San Diego, I decided to tag along. While she went and learned about smartboards and what not, I wandered through downtown San Diego, searching for photos while also fulfilling my duty of finding a restaurant for dinner that evening.

During my walkabout, I discovered a neighborhood called East Village that is just a few blocks from the Gas Lamp quarter. In my conversations with people in East Village, most agreed that about 10 years ago, you wouldn't have been caught dead there. It was really run down, had little prospects while being rife with crime and home to a large homeless population. Today, East Village is in the middle of a renaissance, ignited by the construction of Petco Park back in 2004. Following the stadium's opening, high-density residential construction boomed, attracting hipsters, artists, entrepeneurs and businesses. While the housing meltdown has slowed the neighborhood's growth over the past year or so, it is still buzzing with an energy that is truly unique. Several business owners live in their work spaces, most of which are remodeled warehouses. There is still a large homeless population living on the outskirts of East Village, but it is continuously shrinking as development takes over, giving rise to new growth in the neighborhood.

The following set of photos is just a few snaps, almost all of which I shot in East Village. If you're ever out there and want to get off the beaten path, head over there. I can't wait to get back sometime soon to experience the energy that is emanating from this wonderful neighborhood.

Enjoy the pics.

TSB2

Some of the cool architecture that is all over East Village...

Che Bella Fiori, a high end florist in East Village has a wonderful open space that is welcoming to customers...with two or four legs...

Carla, Che Bella Fiori's owner, hard at work...

East Village Crossfit is an INCREDIBLE space to go get a workout in. You can check out their website here. Look at this light!

I came across these guys just as they were moving into their new office. RKTEQU is a small, but very good architecture firm in San Diego. They do work for clients ranging from the government to PF Chang's. So, after they lugged in some computers and what not, I told them to get together for a portrait in their new space that they decked out themselves.

The homeless still have a presence in East Village...

Steak Tacos at Neighborhood. Wow, this restaurant is SOOO RAD! So much good beer, both on tap and in bottles and amazing food at reasonable prices. They play good music too...

This isn't in East Village, but it's not far from it. I just thought this was so funny....

Changes

As some of you may already know, after 8 years I left my job at Rich Clarkson and Associates at the new year to pursue new endeavors in photography. I am now working at Andrew Clark Photography, concentrating on weddings and portraits, but will also be constantly searching to explore new photographic avenues to keep my mind fresh and those creative juices flowing.
The first month has been amazing as I have rediscovered a passion for photography that had dwindled over the last couple of years. While I will miss my former colleagues and the work that we produced, I'm excited about what is ahead.

Below, is a mishmash of images from the past month that has nothing to do with weddings. I shot all of these with my iPhone 3Gs. I have found tremendous joy in shooting with it since it is a camera in it's most basic form and it has forced me to pay particular attention to what the camera is capable of capturing.

Enjoy the pics.

TSB2

I Left my Wallet in El Segundo

A little while ago, I went out to California with Kristin and her parents to visit her brother's family. They live in LA, right by the beach and I brought my camera just about every where I went and came away with some fun photos. I don't know what it is, but Southern California light is just different. It's almost got this constant mystical feel because it seems like it always has a finite mist or a touch of moisture in the air that diffuses wonderfully.

Enjoy the pics....

C's Billabong advertisement...












My two faves....