The Blog

Bucket List #3 ...Check

On my wife's bucket list was to see the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade.  We had two options. . .

1.  Watching from a 15th floor gorgeous apartment on Central Park West and 63rd overlooking the parade and Central Park, or

2. In the grandstands on the parade route.  

Well, my wife, who is ALWAYS cold, chose to be out front and center down IN it.

I think it was last year, while watching the parade on tv, I exclaimed. . . "What kind of lunatics would sit outside watching a parade in that kind of weather?"

I, a native Los Angeleno, who is NEVER cold, have reached a new level of appreciation for just what cold is.  29 degrees , the wind punching you in the face as you have the "prime" seat of no buildings blocking the wind, and sitting still for more than an hour to ensure you got a guaranteed grandstand seat, truly chills you to the bone.  But that's my wife. . . go big or go home (there were quite a few times I was thinking of home while on those metal bleachers).

Our kids , their grandpa, cousins, and aunt all safe and warm in the high rise overlooking the parade, my wife and I huddled together fighting the elements and crowds to be a part of a "once in a lifetime" moment.

Thanks Amy for making me do these kinds of things.

(there aren't nearly as many images as I would normally take, but with no feeling in my extremities, this is what I was able to get)

Ties, Frogs, Mustaches and Pumpkins

I know, sounds like some sort of witches brew to ward off evil, but instead it was just the right ingredients for a great shoot.  Meet Lincoln.  The only thing cuter than his costume was his smile. . . .

Breaking Halloween

If you know me, you know I love taking pictures.  Pictures of people, objects, animals, buildings. . you name it. . . .EVERYTHING.  Except myself.  My wife jokes that when I'm gone, my kids will not know they had a father because there will be no photographic evidence (although I'd hope they'd remember me without photos).  Well, I had to turn the camera on myself last night.  I became obsessed, like most of the world, with Breaking Bad.  So 6 weeks ago I decided to grow a beard to be Walter White (Heisenberg) for Halloween.  Since I didn't know if I could pull off a goatee, I left the full beard.  Additionally, I didn't want people get "used" to the goatee so I could make a bigger impact on October 31st.  Well, it all came together and the resemblance was eerily similar.  But since I couldn't wait to get the 6 weeks of hair off my face, I figured I should take more than just an iPhone picture and document it for posterity. So I set up my camera and lit myself to try and roughly match the photo that was the source of my inspiration before my alter ego was washed down the drain (literally). 

Repeat customers . . .

7 years ago, I got to shoot Monique and Azar's wedding.  A few weeks ago, they returned to have me shoot their family photos.  They have a GORGEOUS 6 year old girl who has a personality to die for.  I didn't have to do much to get the personality to ooze out and into the images.  We started at their home to get a few in the place that is most comfortable to them, and then off to the Palace of Fine Arts for a location shoot.  It's always a thrill for me to get to be a part of a family's life and see how they grow and evolve.  A nicer family you will not meet. 

1 year later . . .

Almost a year to the day of shooting the Gallagher Family's "Day in the Life", I had the pleasure of shooting a family portrait session with them. 

They are as charming as ever, and I didn't think it was possible, but they've only gotten even more photogenic. 

In just one year, these kids already look so much bigger and older (and learned the act of photo bombing :) )

Having done a "Day in the Life" for them , I feel as though I'm a small part of the family.

I look forward to continuing to see this family grow and evolve and capture them in photographs for years to come. 

 

Who I am . . .

I remember walking out of the hospital, 3 day old daughter in hand, and putting her in the tiny car seat in our car.  I also remember closing the door, and saying to my wife . . "That's it?" "We can just take her home?"   "No manual?"  "No official 'parent approver' to tell us we've passed inspection?".  "We don't have to take some sort of test or something"?

And that happened TWICE!

Between all the fights, laughs, talking back, silliness and tears,  they are funny, smart, wonderful young kids who amaze me every single day.

They are the thing I'm most proud of. 

They are who I am. 

Fred Finch Youth Center

The Fred Finch Youth Center is a fantastic facility   that provides a continuum of high quality programs for the care and treatment of children, youth, young adults and their families, whose changing needs can best be met by a variety of mental health and social services.                            

I had the opportunity to shoot the facility and some of it's staff , current registrants as well as some graduates. 

It's a wonderful facility who's educators are as charming as the facility itself

Bridges. . .

Living in the Bay Area, your commute is held hostage by bridges. . .eight bridges to be exact.  They can make you (or me) insane when they are the reason your 50 min commute turns into 2 hours.  

However, bridges also function as ceremonial structures.  As in my daughters "Bridging Ceremony" from Brownie to Girl Scout where she literally walks over a bridge signalling this move to the next chapter of her scout life.

Now, to be honest, I've never been into the Boy or Girl Scouts.  But I found myself getting more emotional that I would have ever imagined.  Bridges are also metaphors to times in our lives.  I realized, this emotion I was feeling was not about my daughter getting a new colored "vest", but the bridge between having a little girl , my first born, and having the beginnings of a young lady.  

She is the age I  was when my father died.  I feel as though we're just getting started.  I can't believe how much he missed.        #seestheday

Portrait of a Family . . .

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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. 

Making a difference . . .

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It's amazing how you come in contact every day with different people.  Some you meet, and some you walk right pass and never know.  In a somewhat strange way, I met someone who has made an impact on my life.  My wife was selling her car, and as the "husband", that seemed to be my job.  After months and months of meeting with strangers, some nice, some odd, some really odd, the car was not selling.  People have various reasons for spending so much of your time and "wasting" it, but it was getting frustrating.   

Then I got an email from Alex.  My first reaction was . . . "oh man, another one"!   Well, this turned out to be the one.   Not only did Alex end up buying my wife's car (for a good deal I might add), but we hit it off immediately.  Maybe it was the extremely complimentary things he was saying about my photograhpy, but I almost didn't want the test drive to end.  Immediately i could tell this guy was different.  Really kind, really "normal", and a real humanitarian.  I was glad that my wife's car, which she LOVED and was hesitant to sell, was going to good hands. 

I learned in our test drive, that Alex was involved in a lot of work to better his community (among all of the other things that he does).  Trying to show that I'm "involved" with doing things for the needy, I mentioned that my family and another family take 2 Sunday's a month to make sandwiches for the homeless.  He immediately said that if I needed any help, he'd love to participate.  I only mention my own "efforts' to show the ridiculous contrast (in the following description) between what we do and what Alex does. 

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Months later, Alex's co-worker called to ask if I'd be up for coming out over the weekend and shooting an event they were holding to better the community in Oakland.

This event was cosponsored by WOGI, the West Oakland Green Initiative (http://mywogi.org/) and OPC, the Oakland Parks Coalition (http://www.oaklandparkscoalition.org/). WETA, the Weekend Training Academy is the a great program that allows kids who are in trouble with the law to remain in school and with their families while doing community service and helping out with projects like this.  Alex has been their West Oakland contact for the past 4 years.

 

 

St. Mary's College came out to give them a hand. They worked so hard. St. Mary's college does a lot of work around the bay.

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Alex is also the president of the West Oakland Green Initiative as of 2013. The group has been around for about 12 years. Their mission is to improve the air quality in West Oakland, one of the most populated inner city areas in the entire state. They have planted over 1300 street and park trees and are now getting into Pollinator gardens and pathways. The garden that they created in this last weekend's event is going to be the single largest pollinator garden strip in the entire city of Oakland.

(now you see the contrast ) 

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 Anyway, I wound up going for a couple of hours to document their efforts to help them continue to spread the word and create awareness and funding for their projects.  While everyone was wielding shovels and pick axes, I was packing two cameras.

Oh yeah, and the hardest working person out there . . Alex. 

Here are a few from the incredibly productive day.  (Check out Alex's facebook page to see some additional photos of the completed project facebook.com/AlexMillerColePersonal)

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 " ?

Wedding Crashers!

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When your 3rd grade teacher gets married, it's a BIG DEAL.

Last year, the first day of school, Miss Overby started as a new teacher.  From the moment my daughter saw her in her neon pink dress, it was love.  As a matter of fact, that same day, which was short school day, we took the girls to the city for some shopping.  On our travels, there was a pink, neon dress in the same style that Miss Overby had JUST worn that day.  My oldest daughter said . . . "That's the Overby".  Yes, she had become a 'style' already.  

It's wonderful when your child connects with a teacher to the point that she looks forward to going to school to see her.  Miss Overby brought such a wonderful new life to the school.   

My 8 year old started 3rd grade just last week, but unfortunately, she doesn't get Miss Overby...   (because her name changed to Gaab) :) 

Congratulations Meghan and Brian! 

 

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! 

 

Meet the Hoban's

Had the pleasure of doing a photo shoot with the Hoban family.  As it's plain to see, these gorgeous children (and parents) were quite photogenic.  They also ooze personality which I hope I represented in the images.  It's fun to play around with the kids as well to get them excited about taking photos (when they may otherwise not be).  I brought them over and told them to stand behind their parents all nice and sweet, and when I said "GO", to dogpile  on them.  They did an amazing job and we all had so much fun.  Here are a few from the day.  Thanks Hoban family for such a fun afternoon. . .

U Claire L A

I've known her since she was a year and a half old, and Sunday was her graduation party sending her off to UCLA.   Another indication on how fast time whips by without even blinking an eye.  Surrounded by friends, family, game trucks and henna tattoos, she was sent out in style.

 I know we're all so proud of you Claire.  Go Bruins!!!! 

KIT, Have a great summer, BFF, LOL. . .

However you say it, send Claire your info and best wishes so she doesn't make ALL new friends once she's gone down south :) 

 

Day in the Life "The Pick"

It's rare when someone comes into your life who changes it so much.  It started with a gift we got . . .a set of cool mason jars with straws built in.  The gift giver, and cousin, told me that the ladies who own the store that the jars came from love photographs of their items in the homes they end up in.  Hey. . wait a minute. . I'm a photographer. . .I'll set up something nice for them.  Well, that's when this connection began.   

The Farmyard Darlings are two women who own a store in Lafayette with the mission : "to find vintage collectibles that appeal to those creative souls out there looking for something a little bit more unique and a lot less generic. These one-of-a-kind items ooze character and charm and will trigger nostalgia in all of our hearts. "

I had the opportunity to go on one of their "Pickings" with them down in the south bay  looking in the rough to find those things that they magically turn into Diamonds!  They see the beauty in the most "unbeautiful" items.  They even do that with every person they meet.  I did a "day in the life" of one of their picks that took them down to some crazy characters in the south bay.  People who have TONS of "stuff" .  Incredibly, these people that have all this "junk" know every piece they have .  

Kim and Carole masterfully weaved their way though the miles of random items, pulling them out from behind rusty fences, piles of trash, and even dodging black widow spiders.  It was as though they had one of those metal detectors that you see people walking around with at the beach built right into their eyes. . . but this one could spot the hidden jewels.  

Our day even ended with a trip to visit Lucky Jess, their gorgeous horse . . . yes, these are real country women. 

It was one of the most fun days I've had.  The company of these two ladies, the interesting people I met, and the hard work that goes into the "pick".  

Thanks Kim and Carole for taking me along to document your amazing process.

 

Shooting as a guest . . .

My family and I were invited to a wedding as guests of the bride.  She has been a family friend for years now who we think the world of.  Naturally, I thought , I'll bring my camera, and I'll get some shots for the couple .  Now, I knew they had hired a photographer, and believe me, I would NEVER get in his/her way because I know what that is like.  If I had a dollar for every time some Aunt or Uncle stood up right in front of me  while I'm trying to get the pivotal shot , I'd be a rich man.  So I vowed, I will not leave my seat during the ceremony, I will not pull the bride and groom aside later for ME to take their photo, and I will not "compete" with the hired photographer.  As much as it pained me, I followed my own rules and got what I could while shooting from the hip. Congratulations Katie and Albert!

Chavez Ravine

Not living in the city where I grew up , it's rare I get a chance to take my kids to places that mean a lot to me.  Well, we had a spur of the moment chance to catch a Dodger game during a short L.A. visit.  I haven't been to Dodger stadium in over 11 years (since I moved to San Francisco, I know. . the irony).  One bite of a Dodger Dog threw me back to when I was my kid's age.  I've instilled the proper values to my children (Lakers, Dodgers, Kings), so it's special for them to see one of the places they've heard so much about.

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")