Thursday, February 26, 2009

Boise State



We are having a great time working with Coach Greg Patton of the famous Boise State Tennis team. We have been busy on the campus shooting images for backgrounds for some more upcoming campaigns. Bronco Stadium's new skybox addition is very impressive, especially from the field level.

More images to come as the campaign unfolds. Stay tuned.

Friday, February 20, 2009

Boise State Tennis Team cranks it up, way up.





I am in the early stages of post-production of some images we just shot of the Killer Boise State Men's Tennis Team (ranked 29th in the nation-no small feat). My great friend and Head Tennis Coach, Greg Patton and I have been threatening to do some "unleashed images" of the team for a couple of years.

Well, I guess the planets aligned, the oceans parted and the chickens came home to roost as we got together last week and shot the images in the BSU Bubbles. The guys on the team, while somewhat puzzled (I'll stop short of saying they were concerned) by our initial umm concepts totally rocked it.

We set up a our studio at the edge of the one of the courts and starting shooting the players in different stages of play to be dropped into scenes we pieced together. The final shots are composites of many different elements including grandstands, cheering crowds and courts.

We are totally psyched that Coach Patton has taken the reins and is guiding the direction of the new imagery for his team. Stay tuned. With the grace of the almighty this could turn out to be a visual revolution. Together now - We believe-we believe.

Special Olympics









My daughter Kodi, Jimmy Boy and I just finished editing and posting some images from the 2009 Special Olympics Winter Games. I can't even describe how incredible it was to be in the throngs of so many special athletes.

Last Saturday, we photographed the opening ceremonies. Thousands of athletes, their coaches, families and friends were at the Idaho Center. It was a PAAAAARTY. Major party I say. Darius Rucker (Hootie from the Blowfish , Maria Shriver (Arrrnuuld's wife, Johnny Knoxville, Scott Hamilton and a host of dignitaries and bands were on hand to kick off the great week of competition.

During the week we shot the floor hockey, speed skating, and last Fri the closing ceremony. What a blast and what a special honor it was to be part of the great great event. I can't remember a time when I felt more proud to be a American, and more pleased I chose photography as my profession. It felt great to give back. We all recieved much more than we ever dreamed. To all the Special Atletes out there, we say thank you for sharing your great courage, your friendship, and your incredible spirit.

Visiting the South Pacific

I was going through some more images of the Hawaii trip we took a few weeks ago and thought I would share some more photos. We stayed in Wakiki for the first time. Honolulu is a great city that is a mix of West Palm, Cabo, Santa Monica and Beirut.

Lots happening there, much different than the other islands. But like all the islands there are some incredibly beautiful places and some deserted locations if you are willing to look.

The remote "Office" Waikiki. There is a guy at the hotel next door who is on the patio near the pool. He starts singing Hawaiian songs at 7am. He sounds like an angel. With the trade winds blowing into the window, I am contemplating faking my own death, staying here for a couple of years and looking for a island hut to call home.

This is Lisa on the Pali Passage, about an hour after we landed. We were waiting for our hotel room. The passage a ancient trail, now a highway that connects Waikiki to the south east portion of the island.


Kamehameha landed a huge invasion fleet on Oahu in 1795 and skirmished with the Oahu forces as he advanced across the plain where Honolulu now stands. The Oahu army made a stand but was driven up Nu'uanu valley in hard fighting. The upper valley terminates at the brink of a thousand-foot cliff (pali), and here those of the Oahu army who found no escape along the ridges or down a narrow cliffside trail were driven over the precipice. Both sides used firearms as well as traditional weapons, and included a foreigners in their ranks. In the narrow upper valley Kamehameha's well-disciplined phalanx, a tight formation carrying long lances, could not be stopped.

Like they say it's not the fall that kills you its the sudden stop at the bottom. Tough way to go.

This was our first real dose of hydrated air, massive greenery and light rain, not snow.

Shrimp Plate


Here it is Ssshhiiimmmpp. North Shore style. I got 12 of em. Look at them would you!! Each one was a miracle. A little miracle from the sea. I want to thank everyone here who threatened me. It was worth the $10.00 and the small amount of angst I had to deal with.

More Hawaii Adventures



On the North Shore they have rituals. Sacrifices to the surf gods, no hard toed shoes, never show up to a party without weed, no Celine Dion (ever).

The other ritual is to eat SSSSHHHRRRIMP at least once a week. I told maybe 4 or 5 people who work at the hotel that I was heading to Pipe. They insisted and quite honestly were very adamant about me eating at a Shrimp Truck. If you know me you know I loves the shrimp, cold shrimp, garlic shimp, bbq shrimp, sauteed shrimp, shrimp sandwiches, well you get the idea.

I thought UHH shrimp truck sounds like the most wonderful epicurean delight or a trip to emergency room for a couple of injections and stomach pumping.

Well, I took a chance and it was the most bestest shrimp I have ever had. Here is the photo of the truck, which by North Shore standards retains a Class A rating by the Public Heath Dept.

Wednesday, February 18, 2009

Laguna Beach Travelers Bureau


I have been working for a while on some pretty cool concepts for the Laguna Beach Visitors Bureau's 2009 campaign. We spent a couple of days shooting backgrounds and models for the ad campaign.

Working with the Bureau has been a great experience. Laguna Beach is a incredible sea-side "Village" yes village, smack dab in the middle of coastal Orange County Ca. I lived there for many years and still visit my old friends any chance I get. So having the opportunity to shoot the campaign was a tremendous honor.

Laguna Beach is truly unique. It is very small, very romantic, very artsy, and very hip. Once you live there it is hard to pry the residents away. The ads are designed to attract visitors to this unique, picturesque area. More to come on launch dates.

Harris Ranch-Perfect Fall Day


I just finished the post on the first images for Harris Ranch. The ranch is located in the eastern side of the Treasure Valley. It is a beautiful area with the Boise River running smack through the center. The development which encompasses a couple thousand acres will have homes, commercial area, restaurants and shopping.

The idea for the images is to illustrate the tremendous outdoor environment, that is about 5 miles from downtown. I have actually caught 30" salmon in the river where our talent is standing. Pretty amazing considering it is so close to town.

We used strobes place in the river as fill light in order to balance with the setting sun.