Farmgirl Flowers

A few weeks back I got to shoot another story for Zip Car's online magainze Ziptopia. Below are some of the images I shot that didn't make the piece.

This was about Farmgirl Flowers in the Flower Market in San Francisco. Their mission statement :

Farmgirl Flowers is different, but not in the "Honey, I tried a new recipe" sort of way you might be thinking. Our goal is to completely change the way flowers are purchased in the United States. Yeah, we like to dream big, and we hope you do, too.

What's our plan? We provide beautiful flowers at a reasonable price, support Bay Area farmers and businesses, minimize our environmental impact as much as possible, and save you time through a simple ordering process.

Christina Stembel is as charming as her flower arrangements (and even at the horrible sunrise hour). Once again, it was so fun to meet and shoot another local business (and it smelled amazing !!)

Check out Farmgirl Flowers online. . http://farmgirlflowers.com/

And, to see more images I shot and the story on Christina and Farmgirl Flowers, go to http://www.zipcar.com/ziptopia

Portrait of a Family . . .

Families all have their own stories. I had the pleasure of shooting the Barnett family. This mom and her two boys have been through so much. Mom has fought Cancer for years going through extensive treatments and pain. If you've read any of my blog, you probably know that I have lost everyone to Cancer (for the record, I hate the I have to capitalize Cancer, as though giving it some "respect") . Anyway, none of the tens of people in my life who have had a cancer diagnosis has turned out positive. Although the Barnett's are not my family, I had this wave of hope when hearing that Mrs. Barnett is now cancer free. To me, it's as foreign as if you told me aliens have landed and living in my back yard. And all the time this single mom has had an incredible and positive attitude. With the boys having to be the men of the house and take care of so much, they have both stepped up at a young age and carried a lot on their shoulders. I feel so honored to have shared this time with them and was part of documenting their history.

who "would" I be. . .

Yesterday, September 3, 2013, was 34 years since my dad passed away. I was 9 years old. It doesn't even seem possible that I'm old enough to have had something happen to me 34 years ago.

I can't help to wonder, as I do often, who would I have been if he had been around all these years?

Would I be be a tougher guy? Would I be a more adventurous guy? Would I have been better with the ladies ? Would I be a better father ? Would I be a better husband ? Would I have exercised more? Would I have gone AWAY to college? Would I be a CELTICS FAN???? Would I be more emotional? Less emotional? Would I like vegetables? Would I be a photographer? Would I have met my wife? Would I have my same friends ? Would my mom, sister, best friends, aunts & uncles still be alive? Would I be less scared? Would I be happier? Sadder? Would I have more money? Would I have ever moved from Los Angeles? Would I have played the piano professionally? Would I have been mean or nice women? Would I have followed his footsteps? Would I be close with him?

Would I have asked "who would I be " ?

20 years and counting

A good friend called me and said. . "I know it's last minute, but would you possibly be free tomorrow to take photographs of my girlfriends and I for our 20 year high school reunion"? Well, I was able to do it, and it was minutes from home, so it was meant to be. Then the tricky part was finding a place to shoot at the hotel where they were getting ready. It was 7pm, so I was starting to lose the light behind the trees that surrounded the hotel. I literally was sitting IN a fireplace outside by the pool in order to get enough distance to shoot with my long lens and not have these ladies (most of whom were wearing high heels) fall into the pool inches behind them. I needed all the light I could get, and had to shoot into the sun to get the nicest background I could get. Because I was shooting directly into the sun, I was getting flares all over the place. I used what I had and grabbed a big pool umbrella and rolled it over to help flag off the sun from my lens. I had JUST a bit of room left above the heads of the girls before I'd see an ugly umbrella in frame. Photography is like a giant puzzle that you also have to juggle while balancing on one foot. . . .

I love it!

All in the details. . .

There was a local (small) car show the other weekend in the town I live in. I have to say, I don't know much (ok, anything) about cars, but I thought it could lend itself to some interesting photographs. I have to say, the attention to detail in these old cars was much greater than it is today. I even let my daughter take one (she said she wanted to take a "cool shot like daddy")

the extra effort . .

I had the pleasure of shooting a wedding last weekend up in Vacaville, CA. A wonderful couple, a beautiful venue, and incredible weather. As much as I love shooting, at the end of an 8 hour wedding, I'm pretty exhausted. I haven't sat down all day. . . climbing, squatting, crouching, laying down. . you name it. Anything to get that photograph. Well, it was 9pm, I had carefully loaded all my gear into my trunk, and sat down in the driver's seat ready for my hour plus drive back home. I pulled out of the venue, still a tiny bit of light left in the sky (only visible by a slightly long exposure) only to see, in my opinion, something that would make a great photograph. But I JUST put all my gear neatly away in the trunk. But I JUST sat down for the first time in 8 hours! But I have over an hour drive ahead of me. I haven't eaten since breakfast and I'm starving! But as tired, sore, hungry and exhaused, I thought about how much worse I'd feel tomorrow if I didn't get the shot. You tell me if it was the right decision . . .

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