Sandy Huffaker Photo-Journal

Fisker(For Conde Naste Traveler)

2012-01-17T10:21:00.000-08:00

Shot a fun travel piece around L.A. that focused on this brand new luxury electric car called a Fisker. The story's focus was on fun stops along Mulholland Drive and Malibu that one could drive in a day. Many of these photos focused on a biker joint called The Rock. It seemed like a gathering point for motorcyclists to swap stories and show off their bikes. Now, this wasn't your normal Hell's Angels type of joint with big, bad dudes ready to kick some ass at a wrong glance. These were mostly wealthy gentlemen who sported fine Italian biker ware and Cuban Cigars and 100k+ custom Harley's. It's L.A. though, I would expect nothing less.
We then rode down into Malibu, had lunch on the water, and hit a few prime scenic spots to shoot pix. It's funny the unwarranted respect you get when you drive around in a fancy car. People are always looking at you trying to see if you're some celebrity, the valet's park your car up front to make their restaurant look more important and then there is always some douch-bag in a souped up Hyundai trying to get you to drag race. It all makes us normal folk a bit uncomfortable. Then again, I get a little of that driving my Taurus around San Diego.

Jay's New Toy

2012-01-10T20:37:00.000-08:00

I was called back to the Big Dog Garage to photograph Jay again as he was testing out his latest toy, a brand new metallic Orange McLaren Z 90. I'm not quite sure which was more exciting to see.
This is my 4th shoot with Jay and I'm finally beginning to figure him out. First of all, he really is a genuine, down to earth, nice guy. Within minutes you forget who he is and just feel like you are talking to one of the guys. He looks you in the eye and shows no signs of superiority. He's a big kid who loves his toys(obviously) and loves even more sharing with others an insane amount of knowledge about automobiles and their history. He doesn't like to sit still. He's always busy doing something, whether it's The Tonight Show, his biweekly auto blog, or test driving some new car for us magazine folk. I really admire his zest for life.
And lastly, he happens to be really funny!

Best of 2011

2011-12-31T13:01:00.000-08:00

Please click HERE to see some of my favorite images from 2011.

Chargers Adoption Calendar

2011-12-07T15:46:00.000-08:00

This is my 3rd year of shooting the Chargers adoption calendar for San Diego Adoptions. It's one of the most challenging and rewarding projects I do all year. Last year, over 80% of the kids were adopted by families, most of them from people who saw the calendar.
One of the difficulties is showing up the to shoots(about 5 total) and not knowing what to expect. "Will the kid(s) be mellow, hyper, sad, smiley, or in a rotten mood?". "Will the player and kids have a good chemistry?" Will I hit it off with the player and/or kid?" Will everyone show up on time? Will everyone agree to do the silly pose I give them? How much time will player give us? and the list goes on. Somehow, within the span of about 10 minutes per player, we end up pulling it off. It really takes every last ounce of patience, people skills, humor, and creative energy to do it. In the end, it's worth every minute.

Elaborate Tunnel(For Getty)

2011-12-01T16:02:00.000-08:00

Authorities discovered what they are calling the most elaborate drug tunnel ever found along the U.S.-Mexico border in Otay Mesa, CA. It included an elevator, wood panel flooring, rail tracks, lighting, and and an open bar(kidding!) and oh yeah, 32 tons of Marijuana. I saw it on the news Wednesday morning and decided to shoot down there and see if I could get in and have a look. As I approached, there were guys with machine guns as well as yellow tape lines blocking off the entrance to a large warehouse with officials yapping on walky-talkies. I saw no media scrum outside so I thought I'd just try and walk in. As I entered, acting like I belonged there, I immediately saw a manhole sized opening in the concrete leading to the tunnel. Someone came up and asked who I was and I gave him my name and organization, all the while expecting to get kicked out. I signed in and noticed my hands were shaking. I started chit-chatting with the array of Law enforcement personnel from Border Patrol to ICE agents to lots of other guys with guns and cool sunglasses. They all seemed to treat me with little or no suspicion so I just started shooting. I then began to gain a little confidence and asked one the guys if I could hop down in the hole and get some shots. He said "sure" and even lent me his flashlight and helmet. I jumped in, started shooting as much as I could until I heard a muffled "Where is that camera guy!!!" For a brief moment I thought of taking off and going out through Mexico. I figured that would make things more complicated and just took a deep breath, turned around and climbed out. The guy started questioning me and who and how I got access, I told him some of the ICE agents I knew and he wasn't buying it. He then just politely asked me to leave the building. I really didn't think I'd get off that easy. As I left, TV and other media truck started slowly rolling up and officials started setting up for a press conference. No one was allowed in to see the tunnel. That's when I realized I had some exclusive shots. This would have been a much better success story if Mexican authorities wouldn't have let EVERYONE into the opening on their side. They also had the elevator and rail tracks so it was much more visual.

Black Friday(For Getty)

2011-11-25T15:06:00.000-08:00

I was somehow able to peel myself off the couch after stuffing my face all day to shoot "Black Friday" crowds on Thanksgiving Day. It was actually a great way to burn off some calories and melt down the food baby that took up residence in my belly. I drove around town to all the regular stores, from Target to Kohls to Best Buy in search of the most visually exciting place to shoot the madness. I decided to stay with Best Buy because the shoppers were much more amped-up and super eager to get some good deals on electronics. It's also more visually exciting shooting people trying to carry a 52' inch flat screen TV up to the register than just a basket full of clothes. I've found there are numerous techniques to getting a giant TV from A to B. First, and by far the most popular, is the Jaws Technique where shoppers balance them in a shopping cart vertically in a way that looks like a big shark fin. Second would have to be the Choo-choo train technique of pushing them, sometimes 3 to 4 in a row, down the aisles in a long chain. And finally, the multiple kids(sometimes as young as 3) on all ends technique. This way is usually a recipe for disaster because the smallest usually ends up on the wrong side of the set when Mom and Dad and a brother or sister or two fight over whether to go right or left and it just falls over on someone. It's actually kinda fun just observing it all.
May everyone just stay cool this holiday season.

Carrier Classic

2011-11-22T12:25:00.000-08:00

I'm posting these photos from the Carrier Classic a bit late because I went on a vacation right after shooting it. What a show though. It is so rare that you get to shoot an event with so much visual drama going on. I mean, the light was fantastic, the two teams, UNC and Michigan State were tops, it was aboard an aircraft carrier, on Veteran's Day and happened to be the ship that launched the Osama Bin Laden mission, and oh yeah, the President and First lady flew in for the game. I really have nothing more to say except a lot of photographers fattened up their portfolios that night.

Big Apple Vacation

2011-11-17T12:30:00.000-08:00

Just got back from a fabulous vacation to New York City. I grew up there in the Summers and went to college in Brooklyn but pretty much haven't been back in about 15 years(except for 1 quick visit). It's so fun to get back into that fast paced energy and just people watch. I went out one morning and walked around sketching with my camera, trying finding little moments. I also got seduced by the Fall foliage in Central Park. The last time I was actively shooting in NY was in college, back in the film days, and I could only afford 2 rolls of Tri_X Pan a week. Each shot would be meticulously thought out since I had only 72 frames to last me 7 days. These days, with digital, there is no end to the amount of shots one can snap. It was great seeing some client friends, my Dad and his girlfriend and sampling some fine street food. Good Times!

Feeding America (For The Sacramento Bee)

2011-11-06T17:10:00.000-08:00

Shot a story on a Feeding America food delivery truck that gives out free food to rural and poor folks up in the mountains outside of San Diego. It seemed to be mostly elderly people who were living off of Social Security checks. It was nice seeing what seemed to be a decent charity help those in need. It is also always inspiring seeing communities pull together and help each other out. To see the full story in the Sacramento Bee go here

Fallow Fields(For The NY Times)

2011-10-25T11:20:00.000-07:00

I have a feeling shooting these water rights stories are going to become much more common as the West gets more crowded and our thirst for water increases. Many Farmers in the Imperial Valley are being paid to let their land go fallow(not planted) by the gubment so that us big city folk have more of the wet stuff to feed out golf courses, swimming pools, lawns, and take those long hot showers. Some of the farmers naturally don't mind making easy money but some of the more socially minded ones see the impact it has on the whole community. If you don't plant nuthin, there ain't nobody to pick nuthin, and then the picker people got no money to buy nuttin from the local stores. It's a chain reaction.
In any event, our world's diminishing water supply is going to be cause for many ugly battles in the very near future.

Occupy Wall Street San Diego

2011-10-14T13:10:00.000-07:00

As if you are not too oversaturated with images from Occupy Wall Street rallies around the Nation, I am adding a few more shots to the mix. It's San Diego so go easy on me. We have great weather and beautiful beaches so it's always hard for our fair protesters to get too pissed-off about anything.
I decided to hit the madness at night as rumors were the police were going to kick the protesters out of the Civic Center courtyard to make way for theater-goers the next day. I thought it sounded like a pretty fair thing. They Po Po even relented a bit and said they could stay but had to tear down their camps.
One thing that struck me as I got there was how the crowd seemed to be a majority of those Anarchists, homeless teens, street folks, Che Guevara fans and a smattering of working class citizens. The smells of incense, BO and some strange grasses filled the air along with the sounds of guitars and bongo drums. I felt like I was outside of a Phish concert.
Anyway, not to get too political but I'm really jazzed that people are taking to the streets for such a worthy cause. This is how real change is brought about. I just kinda wish they'd hone their message a bit more. We just seem to be giving the other side a lot of ammunition to paint these protesters as pot-smoking hippies that have no real agenda. The Tea Party, with all it's misguided agenda, seems to stick to one dumbed down message of smaller government. Someone needs to get in there and sharpen them up to appeal to our sound-bite society.
One last thing, if you go to participate or shoot one of these protests, go pee first.

Refugee Garden

2011-10-10T17:39:00.000-07:00

It was really refreshing covering a positive story for a change about refugees from war torn countries such as Liberia, Somalia, Ethiopia and others who have taken to community gardening here in San Diego. The International Rescue Committee has helped establish a nationwide network of these urban gardens where folks can grow veggies and herbs from their native lands and sell them at a market every weekend . I visited a farmers market one Saturday in the City Heights section of town and felt as though I was in a foreign land. Women from Africa, Thailand, Vietnam, Laos and many other nations were all haggling for the freshest fare, while vendors were selling fresh cooked foods from Honduras, Mexico(of course) and Japan. Mind you this is San Diego, which is a bit like the color of a band-aide.
The real beauty of the story is people of many origins coming to the U.S., growing their native foods, making a buck at it, all the while contributing this great salad bowl we call America.

Jay Leno Skype Test(For Ford)

2011-09-20T11:29:00.000-07:00

Spent another day with my BFF Jay at his garage in Burbank while he was testing out a new wireless feature in the Ford Focus. It was a challenging shoot in that I had to capture Jay and the guy he was speaking with via Skype on an Ipad while seated in the car(passengers seat of course). It was hard to show both people clearly. It seems like an odd feature to have wireless in a car. I could only imagine seeing people driving down the road talking on their phones or ipads while dodging traffic. I dunno, maybe it'll be good for long road trips with the kids so they can surf the net or chit-chat with their friends. It seems like an inevitable feature.

Blackout!!!

2011-09-09T09:00:00.001-07:00

I suppose this will go down in the San Diego history books as the great blackout of 2011. It's hard to believe 1 guy flipped the wrong switch and all of SoCal, 1.4 million folks, from Orange County to New Mexico to Northern Baja Mexico, lost power for about 12 hours. I'm thinking somebody lost their job. Ya think!?
The shooting part was pretty hard to show, especially when it was still light out. First of all, everyone took this thing in stride, no panic, just a bit of crankiness. it happened to be a gorgeous day so no one seemed to care too much. I tried to hit places where travelers would be like the airport and hotels, then decided to go downtown to get San Diego with no lights.
It was fun seeing everyone, in the dark, all pulling together neighborhood parties. The best thing about the blackout was time spent with friends and family without TV's cell phones, and other digital distraction, like blogging. It was kinda like a little camping trip at our own homes.

1st MEU Homecoming(For Corbis)

2011-09-03T13:55:00.000-07:00

It's been awhile since I've updated the blog. I just can't bring myself to post the corporate, commercial stuff I've been shooting lately. Seems like the cool assignments are dwindling by the week as the News biz these days has become a sinking ship that has already taken on too much water. In fact, these photos were shot on spec since none of my regular wire service clients seemed to have the budget for non-breaking news assignments.
I decided to challenge myself and shoot this all with the 50MM 1.4. It was tough because there was so much great action all happening simultaneously within the range of a wide angle. Also, these lenses focus pretty slow and are tough to get sharp when lots of motion is going on real fast around you.
Homecomings have always been a great challenge to shoot because once the marines are released, there is usually about 10 seconds of pure, raw emotion before it all settles into the standard kissy, huggy shots. I love the challenge though and it is always nice to see the families re-unite.

All American 2011

2011-08-15T15:29:00.000-07:00

I covered the 2011 All American Baseball Classic for the 5th year over the last few days. The tournament included the top 46 High School juniors in the nation who came out to San Diego for 4 days of seminars, scrimmages, a visit to a children's hospital and ended with an East West game at Petco Park. It's a blast to shoot because it was more of a documentary of their week as opposed to just having to shoot action shots of each player. I find it much more interesting photographing the players behind the scenes while they are just joshing around, eating, playing video games, wrestling with each other and all other opportunities that show them just being kids. Very soon, these big young men are going to have to grow up real fast. So many eyes are on them from the scouts, the colleges, universities, their peers, younger and older adoring fans and the sports media. It's a very exciting time but one or maybe 2 slip-ups and they could do some serious damage to their careers. That's a lot of pressure for a High School kid.
Anyhoo, everyone behaved, played some great baseball and had a good time.

Will Ferrell

2011-07-29T20:38:00.000-07:00

Had a fun shoot at Legoland with Will Ferrell last week. It was nice to see him with his family, away from publicists, security and all the other normal entourage celebs like this usually travel with. He seemed very relaxed and happy to pose for a few shots before heading off with his family for a fun day at the park.

Comic-Con 2011

2011-07-23T14:55:00.000-07:00

Comic-Con 2011. What can I say? It's always such a fun time to get caught up in the energy of the event as all of Downtown San Diego turns into one big nerd-fest, myself included. This year had all the expected elements from costumed zombies to celebrity panels to all the cool booths in the trade floor area.
As a working journalist though, it is one of the most difficult events of the year to cover. I was talking to Getty entertainment staffer Kevin Winter one morning as we waited to get into a movie panel and he seemed to summed it just about right. He said the folks who started Comic-Con have never been really comfortable with the whole Hollywood element and as a result, they could give a hoot less whether we in the media cover their events. Also, they don't feel any need for us publicize the event as it generates plenty of buzz throughout the blogger, social networking world,hence the enormous crowds it draws every year. As a result, we are not let into many events or have to wait hours in line for some of the panels that our editors have assigned us. It might sound a little spoiled on our part but when you have people breathing down your throat to get shots or interviews of certain folks, all the while trying to meet a deadline, it can be extremely frustrating. One example is on Thursday, I was assigned to photograph the Twilight Breaking Dawn cast, as I asked the security guard where the media line was, he said "back of the line buddy" Now, as you might have expected, people had been camping out since Monday to get into this thing and they were turning people away. I was forced to do something I'm not too happy about. I went to a cordoned off area reserved for the disabled and pretended I was with a family with a crippled kid. I know, I'm probably going to burn in hell for this but sometimes you just have to improvise.

Military Pride (for Getty)

2011-07-17T20:43:00.000-07:00

I shot a large contingency of gay and straight military personnel over the weekend who were marching in the SD Gay Pride Parade. It was a somewhat historic event in that it was the first time gay service members have been able to openly participate in the event. It also comes as the military's Don't Ask Don't Tell" policy comes to a slogging end.
I thought it was a cool thing. Every year it seems as though issues of gay rights become more and more accepted in mainstream society. Maybe it's because I live in California, or maybe because I surround myself with progressive friends, but it just seems so trivial to discriminate against folks who are gay, or for that matter, any reason.
I always kinda laugh when I see some political, Right wing blow-hard come out on Fox News yapping about gays being Barbarians or some kind of Satanic heathen. I automatically assume they are hiding the inevitable. I mean, did you see Marcus Bachman dancing with wife Michelle last week. Stay tuned;)

That Wide Open Look

2011-07-12T22:11:00.001-07:00

Just plunked down a few bucks and finally joined the rest of the photographic world and bought a 50mm 1.4 lens. I was always a bit reluctant to get one because it has been used so much by many of my peers. Most of the time it adds a real nice dimensionality to an image, but I have also seen really bad photography masked with this look. Just like anything, if used sparingly it is a nice addition to any photogs arsenal.

Dr. Elliot Hirshman for SDSU

2011-07-10T21:37:00.000-07:00

I had one of those work weeks which made me remember why I love being a photographer. I had a gig everyday last week shooting for various corporate clients documenting some part of their company or institution. The images shown here are from a shoot with the new President of San Diego State University during his first day on the job. It just felt really good to get out and shoot the way I like and get paid a "grown-up" rate. Those kinds of jobs seem to be slowly disappearing lately.
I must admit that this has been a real transformative year in my career as many of my long-time newspaper and wire clients have dropped off the face of the planet and are slowly being replaced with corporate work. Most of this kind of work is a bit stiff and does not allow the kind of creative energy as the newspaper, magazine stuff but they pay the bills and are usually pretty stress free. It's been a hard and somewhat grueling emotional switch because I have become so accustomed over the last 20 years to keeping myself inside the news loop. That means getting up every morning, checking the papers for any stories that might be of interest to the editors in NY. Pitching ideas, going out and trying to find spot news, listening to scanners, looking East towards the mountains for smoke, checking numerous press releases, and going into numerous situations where there was a certain degree of danger(i.e. drug wars in Mexico, wildfires, hurricanes, late nights shooting illegal drag racers in the hood, etc... It is a real adrenaline rush that has turned into a kind of addiction. I started my own wire service, Creative Business Wire, as a way to always be shooting the news, even during slow times. It has been my way of life and obsession for over 1/2 the time I've been on this planet.
I'll always continue to do news when it comes along, but for my health, I'm finding it is just better to put all my energies into marketing myself to a different set of clientele. Any thoughts are welcomed as I know many of my photo-j friends are going through the same issues.

Fair Psychosis

2011-07-01T08:09:00.000-07:00

It's that time of year again. Time to put on the wide angle lens and go hunting for images that depict some of the best and worst aspects of our great American culture. The fair is not only a place to enjoy games and rides and stuff your face with the wide array of fried delicacies. It's a street photographer's paradise. I mean, where else do you have a gathering of just about every socio-economic level all mixed and mingled together with the added bonus of lots of color, motion and action?
This year I wanted to get away from the usual slow shutter shots of rides in motion, kids eating Cotton Candy, Pig races, etc.... and focus more on just catching little moments with a touch of social commentary. I got to thinking after passing a food booth that advertised "Fried Butter, "Fried Kool-Aide" and an assortment of Bacon products, and had a picture of a nurse holding up a set of defibulators, that we have reached the proverbial top of the mountain when it comes to junk food insanity. I mean, where else do we go from here?

Shootin' some heat

2011-06-24T19:29:00.000-07:00

Just got back from a sizzling hot vacation in Orlando, FL at you know where. Every night Mother Nature provided us a visual treat with these brilliant heat lightning storms. I managed to snap a few shots while walking around Hollywood Studios one night. Unfortunately I didn't get a bolt in the any of the shots because there were 18 of us all wanting to go in different directions and just didn't have the time to sit there and work it. Anyway, it was a nice change from cloudless and 70 degrees all the time.

Larry Hansen(For The Humane Society)

2011-06-18T20:54:00.001-07:00

You really never know when a shoot is going to go well or just suck. Sometimes the most exciting sounding things "Go to Mexico and shoot a pregnant Mom in a Mexican prison praying over her deceased lover during a flower festival in the middle of a riot"(I made this up btw). There would be a 50-50 chance something like this could just not work visually. You just never know. Then there are shoots that sound mundane that turn out quite nice. "Go shoot a guy with his dogs"(this is not made up). I was commissioned to photograph Dr. Larry Hansen with his dogs at his home and was given(due to fading light) about 20 minutes. It was 7:30 pm and I had to make it happen. To add to the agony, he had Four of the most untrained, wild, misbehaven dogs I have ever encountered. There was to be no pretty shot of man with his dogs looking happy and calm into the camera. After quickly realizing this, I just decided to roll with the chaos. I told Larry to just sit there and I'd catch the dogs doing there thing. Luckily, they all pooped out after about 15 minutes and I was able to get them sitting around him. I then decided to get him walking them around his neighborhood. With darkness about 10 minutes off and no chance of getting a shot without blur, I went for the pan shot and to my surprise it worked.
Moral of the story, don't ever get cocky and think you'll come back with great shots until you get there. Great photos can happen when you least expected.

Proud Grampaw

2011-06-09T09:03:00.001-07:00

Just wanted to share a shot of our newest addition to the Huffaker family. This is a baby Lionhead Rabbit.

Optimer(For The New York Times)

2011-05-30T09:25:00.000-07:00

If you're a photo-J in San Diego there are about 4 things you shoot on a regular basis, 1 is military stuff, 2 is border, immigration issues, 3 is triathletes or skateboarders, and 4 are scientists. Each time I get assigned to shoot one of these, I have to dig into my creative reserves to find a different way to shoot it. So this week , I was assigned to photograph a scientist who developed a drug to help fight Diarrhea(lovely, I know). The main issue with photographing in science labs(as shown above) is that they all look alike and the scientists are usually extremely camera shy. No matter what the research, finding a cure for cancer, the flu, different uses for stem cells, algae to fuel, or ,as in this case, a cure for diarrhea, every lab is usually filled with lots of beakers, petri dishes, drippers, droppers and little machines that shake viles of liquid. Color is almost always non existent as the walls are white and the light is usually a sickly florescent green. So you can imagine there is always quite a bit of anxiety before showing up to one of these. The question is always, "how do I make this look different or unique from the hundreds of other shots that are in mags and newspapers everyday". Also, I get tired of the Red or Blue gel-shots that are commonly used. In fact, most clients tell me to stay away from that as it has been used waaaaay too much.
So a few things I'm beginning to figure out is to just keep it simple and clean. At most shoot through bottles of liquid, wires and other gizmos to give it that mad-scientist look or just to show the complexity of what they do. Also, many times the actual scientist you are shooting can make the photo. Just roll with the uncomfortable-ness and exploit it. Sounds a bit cruel but I think we all have an idea of what these people are about. I personally think they do very noble work and have the utmost respect but just know they are a bit goofy.

Toby Bost(For The Wall Street Journal)

2011-05-23T20:10:00.000-07:00

Photographed Toby Bost, CEO of The La Jolla Group for The Wall Street Journal. His company represents some big names in the surf and outdoor apparel industries such as O'Neil and Rusty Inc. So as you could imagine, he's a water sports buff. The day started out with a surf session at Tressles Beach in San Clemente, CA in the OC(of course). Toby pulled up in a sweet pimped out, black SUV and dressed for the session in a matching O'neil wet suit and surfboard. Tressles Beach was about 3/4 of a mile down so of course he had a beach cruiser with a surf rack built in. It was a complete image of the perfect California lifestyle. So as photographer karma goes, the surf was small but was able to catch him on a few babies. We then headed back to his plush office/facility in Irvine. This place looked like every 20 something's dream of the perfect job and workspace. Built in skate ramp in the hallway, gym, basketball court, gnarly, life-size photos of models on skateboards and surfing and motocross, youngsters zipping by on roller blades and skateboards in shorts and flip-flops(standard dress wear, and a fridge stocked with energy drinks around every corner. There were dozens of rooms were workers were designing and shooting apparel, making posters and all kinds of other cool jobs. And yes, they were all hot. I felt like I was trapped in an episode of 90210.

Special Needs Prom(SD Union-Tribune)

2011-05-17T14:19:00.000-07:00

Shot this at a prom for special needs kids last week where a number stylists from local salons donated their time to get the kids ready for the big night. After getting the normal safety shots I thought I'd challenge myself to see how much activity I could get into one frame and have it make some kind of sense. I think the inspiration might have come from looking at numerous shots of debris filled photos from the tornado's in Alabama. It's hard to make sense, photographically, out of chaos. You have to frame elements to get them to stand out, space subject matter so things aren't popping out of their heads, try selective focus and wait for the right timing.
For so many years I was taught to get in closer(wire photo model) to the action. Now I'm really starting to take a step back and show more environment. I personally like to soak up as much of the surrounding in an image which seems tell a more accurate story. Wide photos used to look like crap in newspapers because they would usually run small and had to compete with lots of advertisements and reproduction was most always spotty. Now with photos running online and in slideshows, there is just a better, more true venue to show these kinds of images.

Campo Border

2011-05-13T13:25:00.000-07:00

Had a slow day so decided to jump in the car with a few photo buddies and head to the border out in Campo, CA. Looks like Obama will start focusing on immigration issues again after a visit to Texas. I guess he's been busy getting the economy kick-started, killing Bin Laden and making a complete fool out of Trump. I didn't mind the wait.
Anyhoo, Campo has always been a very visual place since it's up in the mountains and has really beautiful scenery all around. Most border spots are just dry, barren desert areas. Also, there are always a few crusty old Minutemen up there on patrol. One of them actually came up and offered us a nice tour of some of the hotspots and a memorial cross to a border patrol agent that was just killed by drug smugglers. It was a good time and always nice to get away from the office.

All Action and no Talk

2011-05-04T15:46:00.001-07:00

Big week around the world as Bin Laden went down by a group of highly trained Navy Seals in a flawless raid on his compound in Pakistan. Around here in San Diego, where the Seals train, it was a all-quiet around the military bases as most sailors and marines kept mum on the subject. As the famous Seal motto goes "loose Lips Sink Ships" This is a sharp contrast to a variety of editors who are frothing at the mouth trying to get some kind of reaction. So, for most of the week it was hanging out near the bases, asking people with crew cuts how they felt about the operation and getting denied any kind of statement. It actually seemed as though the entire military, including all branches, got a memo not talk to us. I've done this a million times after wartime triumphs and always managed to get something. In a way it's probably best that they didn't say much because we don't want to appear to be gloating. Anyway, what a great time for the world to be rid of this mass murderer

Homeless School(For Edweek)

2011-04-24T10:08:00.000-07:00

Shot this story on a school for homeless kids in Downtown San Diego last week. It was a bit challenging because there were so many legal issues involved with photographing the students(as you could imagine). Also, it is never easy to shoot when an administrator is behind your back directing you on which kids can and cannot be photographed. Of course some of my favorite shots were not approved because the 1 kid in the background who wasn't signed-off for photos. But, that's the nature of the biz and you just work with what you're given. One of the things that was even more challenging than most schools I've shot in was the kids were all privy as to why I was there(A.K.A they were on to me) For many, it was a great source of embarrassment, for others, they had seen many a camera before. How do you explain to a kid, especially one in High School, that by posting your picture for the world to see, might help raise funds for the school or help develop similar schools in other cities. They just want to be regular kids and not have that "Homeless Teenager" stigma over them.
Anyway, they were of course like any other kids you see in all socio-economic communities. Some sweet, some rambunctious, some angry, and most of all just longing to be seen as normal.

My Heroes

2011-04-21T20:21:00.000-07:00

I'd like to take a minute to pay homage to one of this industry's finest photographers and a personal hero of mine. Chris Hondros, a staff photographer with Getty Images was killed in Libya, along with acclaimed photojournalist Tim Hetherington while covering the violence in Misrata. In an age when so many media outlets have cheapened themselves with massive lay-offs and relentless coverage of petty political squabbles and with entertainment creeping into our mainstream newscasts, these two journalists exemplified what is truly right about our industry. I think sometimes we forget when picking up the daily paper or watching the 6 o'clock news about war far from our shores that there are journalists risking their lives to get the story into your home. My greatest hope that could come from such a tragic event would be for us to recognize how important a free press is for democracy and to distinguish biased news from objective news. They gave their lives so we could we could form our own opinion about this conflict. I think we owe them our utmost respect and thanks. Hondros and Hetherington were journalists we should all aspire to be and I'll always remember them.

Healthy Kids(For USA Today)

2011-04-14T08:32:00.000-07:00

Thought I'd add a little springtime color feature to the blog since everything is in full bloom. The story was on childhood obesity and how we can get our children interested in eating healthy and staying fit. Gardening is a great way to get both. What kid doesn't like to get dirty, engage in a project and eat something they have grown. It's a win win situation. I'll save you the rant about what a crummy gardener I am. Let's just say keep seeds or starter plants away from me because they WILL die just by my mere presence. Now stop reading this and go outside and play.

Kids Yoga(For The Wall Street Journal)

2011-03-29T21:34:00.000-07:00

Shot a quickie assignment on a kids Yoga program at an elementary school in Encinitas, CA (which just happens to be the Yoga capitol of the World). I suppose it's a good thing with all the diagnosis of ADD, hypertension and obesity in youngsters today. It just kinda looked funny seeing them doing these grown-up exercises I mean, when I was that age, I couldn't sit still for more than 3 minutes without jumping around, bouncing off a wall or just generally irritating the person next to me. Meditating or sitting in a Lotus pose would have been as foreign as visiting Mars. I suppose it would've done me a world of good though.

2011-03-21T09:39:00.000-07:00

Shot a story for the Sacramento Bee on Esther Bailey, an Army Veteran who turned to drugs after an abusive relationship and is currently undergoing therapy at the Veteran's Village in San Diego. The story was largely focused on female Veteran's who suffer from debilitating psychological problems due to PTSD and other issues.
It's always a bit of a challenge to gain access into someones life when you're given a limited amount of time. I find the best way is to take some time to get comfortable with your subject, find out what activities they do throughout the day, try to get them into a social situation where they forget about you and the camera. People naturally tend to get used to you snapping away after awhile. The first 10 minutes or so are always the most awkward. After that, it seems as though you and the subject work into a natural rhythm. The problem is, is that once you've finally gotten to this level, it's time to go.

Jay's Garage

2011-03-13T20:56:00.000-07:00

Got to go back to Jay's Garage in Burbank last week to photograph the man himself with a few cars for an automotive magazine. I showed up right as he did and looked like he had a rough morning. He was mildly grumpy but quickly snapped out of it once he got into the garage and became absorbed with his toys, I mean cars. It's always inspiring to see someone, whether it be Jay Leno or the local camera store dealer, who is so passionate about what they love to do. He REALLY loves cars and equally LOVES to talk about them. I don't know much about the history of automobiles but would just ask him some random question like "when was the first Turbine engine invented" and he would go off on an hour tangent about every detail.
So we did the shoot, 3 cars he test drove while I had his mechanic drive me in his Jaguar convertible and shot him driving behind us. We get back from shooting the last car and his crew was tinkering with an antique 1906 steam powered tractor. Jay, then melted into a 13 year school kid and jumped in and fired it up. He then proceeded to drive it around the block which was hilarious. It became such a spectacle watching people along Burbank Blvd shit in their pants as they saw this behometh, with Jay Leno in it, drive down the street. Everyone was stopping and getting out and taking pix with their cell phones and running up to get his autograph, their were also those that seemed to have seen it before(evidently he does this king of stuff a lot) As I was walking next to him shooting, he looks at me says "Just another day in L.A." You got that right Jay

Tijuana Food Piece

2011-03-09T19:53:00.000-08:00

I was delighted to finally get to do a positive story on Tijuana. For several years now, the focus has all been on the drug war, immigration, the crummy economy, lack of tourists going down, and the Swine Flu. It's like Mexico got hit with the perfect storm. It has really affected the every part of the economy down there. Merchants who once prodded and pleaded with me to sell their wares are now coming up and thanking me for visiting. It's been hard to watch this city I love suffer so much.
So, crime is down something like 40% since 2008, jobs are coming back, TJ just had a huge international symposium with Al Gore, Carlos Slim, Larry King and a bunch of others, and some really fancy restaurants are opening up around the city.
These photos feature a Restaurant called Mision 19 which is in the Rio Zone. The Chef, Javier Plascencia, who grew up in Tijuana, is world renowned and offers a very unique Northern Baja, Mediterranean-style menu that is sure to transform the culinary world. He mostly caters to high society business folk, medical tourists from the U.S. and probably some peeps you don't want to ask what they do. Here is the story in The NY Times

Beauty Pageant

2011-03-07T14:43:00.000-08:00

I must confess, I am a huge fan of Toddlers and Tiaras and watch it religiously every Wednesday night. It's so addicting because it's so wrong on so many levels. I, like many fans of the show, am much more interested the parents and how they channel their insecurities into their poor children. Nothing about these pageants is geared towards finding beauty in a child. All the make-up, fake teeth(flippers) spray on tans, pivots and cheeky fake smiles just mask the real beauty of childhood. I could go on but you know the deal.
I was assigned to shoot the Miss Teen La Mesa and Santee Pageant over the weekend and was excited to take it on so I could get some snaps of this strange culture. It turned out to be quite different than the glitz pageants on the show. Each contestant was judged on things like their GPA's, speaking abilities, poise and whatever else caught the judges eyes. Seemed much more about their accomplishments and smarts than material, physical things.

O'Reilly

2011-02-26T15:23:00.000-08:00

Every once in awhile you just have to suck it up, grit your teeth, and take a picture without expressing any emotion towards your subject. I can't tell you how many times I've watched this clown on Faux News and dreamed of the day I'd get to stand in front of him, face-to-face, and let him know how he has been one of the single largest contributors to the decline of the "news" industry over the last decade. I really had hoped he would be a total Ahole so I could justify losing my cool. Unfortunately, he ended up being a (surprisingly) quiet guy who was just spending the day with his son at Legoland.

Diva in the House

2011-02-16T13:47:00.000-08:00

I normally wouldn't post a mediocre shot of a celeb on this blog but I guess I'm just a sucker for cheap ratings. Just kidding, I wanted to make a point that being an A list celeb ain't what it's cracked up to be. Having obsessed, adoring, crazed fans, the paparazzi, security teams, publicists, and various other folks trailing you and watching every move you make 24 hours a day can really make a person become a bitter old pill. I spent about 1/2 hour with Christina Aguilera and her crew walking around a theme park the other day and came away feeling a bit sad for her. I mean, what a life, all these people wanting stuff from you all the time and you just want to spend a few hours with your kid without all the ruckus. As expected, she was, well, how should I say, not the most friendly, flattering person to be around. There was just something very lonely, depressing and a bit unnerving about seeing someone with all that fame and fortune and money who just didn't look happy. I'll take my mundane, poor, anonymous life any day over that.

Veteran Farming

2011-02-08T21:47:00.000-08:00

Shot a story for The New York Times on a program for Veteran's returning from the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan to learn how to run organic farms. Evidently the overall farming community has gotten old and there haven't been a rash of young folks to fill their places. Vets and farming seem to go together hand-in hand. The work is dirty an laborious, a bit unpredictable and there is a constant need to improvise. It's also very theraputic for soldiers battling the effects of PTSD and other war related injuries. As the conflicts in the Middle East begin to wind down, we are going to need to re-integrate many of our military back into society and this seems to be a really nice program.

Marcha Migrante VI

2011-02-03T08:42:00.000-08:00

Stoopid pole!

Shot the Marcha Migrantes VI at Borderfield State Park the other day and there was a nice turn-out. About 50 activists from the U.S. side and about 100 from the Mexican side joined in to kick-off a 5 day, 125 mile march through the mountains and desert enroute to Calexico. The goal is to bring attention to migrants who have died while crossing the border. They'll visit a gravesite, meet with mayors, help fill water containers in the desert for traveling migrants, and various other activities to promote the cause. Good people doing this for a good cause.

Imperial Valley (Cont.)

2011-01-24T18:32:00.001-08:00

I've been continuing on a self-assigned photo essay on the Imperial Valley. It's a wonderfully gritty, dusty county 2 hours East of San Diego that happens to have the highest un-employment in the Nation(24%). It's an extremely hard story to tell because it's very spread out and there are not a lot of people, or people out and about. Just lots of driving around looking for interesting little tid-bits. I hooked up with a Pentecostal church that caters to ex-drug addicts and gang members. Otherwise there are lots of sheep, hay bales, tractors and abandoned farms and factories. I think I'm almost there but need to go back a few more times. I'd love to get any feedback on what might be missing or shots to keep in or edit out. Thanks for having a look.

PTSD

2011-01-13T21:16:00.001-08:00

While on a shoot the other day for the American Legion Magazine, I was assigned to photograph volunteers giving out donated items at a Wounded Warrior Center aboard Camp Pendleton, I saw this guy quietly sitting in a chair showing some serious signs of battle fatigue, or PTSD. It was such a heartbreaking site to see him in such obvious psychological pain. As most of the Marines were milling about, sharing a laugh and showing off some of the items they had just received, this guy seemed completely trapped within himself as if he were in some kind of bottomless hole. It really brought the harsh realities of this war to light. I can't imagine the horrors he must have witnessed.

Tragedy in Tucson

2011-01-11T08:36:00.000-08:00

I'm going to get right to the point and try as hard as I can not to get too political. The shooting in Tucson over the weekend was more than just a mere crazy, wacko out to kill for sport or whatever reason. To me, this is the culmination of about a decade of opinionated, 24 hour, sensationalized news channels, or "newsertainment" channels as I like to call it, that has infected many folks with ungodly rage. What makes me most angry is that they hide under the guise of "News". Well, it's not "News", its opinion and it's heavily reliant on ratings "AKA" scaring the shit out of people by CREATING issues that make people feel that we are being invaded(i.e Socialists, Commies, Liberals). I think the majority of us are sensible enough to distinguish what is real and what is poppycock. There are also some that are mentally unstable that cannot distinguish this. When we have elected officials, or ones trying to get elected going on their supportive channels and telling folks we need to "Lock and Load", or targeting politicians districts in their "Crosshairs" referring to a rifle scope, this is downright irresponsible. My hope is that this terrible event will open up some kind of dialog and maybe, just maybe, bring a little more integrity and civility back to news and journalism as a whole.

Imperial Valley

2011-01-05T20:19:00.000-08:00

I'm having one of those yucky, slow, beginning of the year kind of weeks where my phone has gone silent. I've found one of the best remedies for this is to just get outta town, away from the pressures of bills, taxes, kids karate lessons(200.00) mortgage payment, and on and on.... I've been reading about the Imperial Valley, about 2 hours East of San Diego, which has the highest unemployment in the nation (24% give or take a few points). This is staggering considering some of the more commonly known cities such as Flint Mich., Detroit, Gary, Indiana are all around 15-17%. I decided to hop in the car and go have a look. The area was littered with abandoned storefronts and tons of check cashing shops, medical offices, taco joints, bars, Mexican insurance shops, dudes with cowboy hats hangin' out. To be quite honest, it looked about the same as it always has. The imperial Valley has always been a treasure trove for great imagery in that it displays a rustic, old world charm that has been very slow to modernize with the rest of the country. It's an agricultural area that has a dry, harsh climate most off the year and is basically 99.9% Hispanic. If you want culture, you'd actually have to cross the Border and go into Mexicali for god restaurants, disco's, theater, etc..
These shots were really just screwing around. I'd like to go back for a few days and really capture the feel of the place.

Layers

2010-12-29T21:48:00.001-08:00

Snapped this photo of my daughter the other day in my front yard while a nice rainbow appeared in back. I didn't think much about it until I was editing the photos and realized there were a few surprises that happened within the frame that were worth learning from. The light and contrasts were the first obvious gimme. Nice dark sky, vibrant colors that usually occur after a rainstorm. Second, the layers seemed to all gel together nicely. The front subject with my daughter, middle subject with my son running, and the rainbow in back give the image some dimension and depth.
I also kinda like the off-expression on her face because it gives it a snapshot quality which portrays a certain "slice of life" like quality. It's not a shot that would make it onto my portfolio but just a good growth shot.

Pineapple Express

2010-12-23T11:56:00.001-08:00

SoCal was hit hard with a powerful storm this week that wreaked havoc on our dry, Sunny little region of paradise. As is the case with flooding anywhere in the world, there were those few idiots that thought they could cross through a river channel by car or foot and got stuck. I'm thankful in some ways because they always make for great pictures. The swift water rescue crews plucking some guy off his car, the teenage thrill seeker stuck in a tree, etc... They always act so shocked that they didn't make it. Anyhoo, it was a nice change from Sunny and 70 degrees.
Merry Christmas all!!

Holiday Homecoming

2010-12-17T20:52:00.001-08:00

Yet another homecoming and I still fight to hold back a tear or two after seeing couples re-unite after a looooong 7 month deployment. There are also many awkward observations that are a challenge to capture such as the kids who don't quite remember Dad and are wondering who this guy is that Mommy is kissing all over, the pain and joy that parents and grandparents display that their Daughter/Son has yet again come home in one piece, and possibly small bits of stuffed anger that spouses hold against their husbands or wives about leaving them for such a long period of time. For obvious reasons though, I can't help but thinking how many babies will, or are going to be created once they get home. I know, I know, it's a really tacky thing to be thinking about but the sexual tension is in-escapable. The ladies are usually a bit too made-up, outfits a bit tight, and the array of perfumes that fill the air are almost gagging. That, combined with young, testosterone driven Men and a year of celebacy is recipe for some procreating.
All of my immatureness aside, I have a tremendous amount of respect for what these folks go through and am thankful for their service.

Hockey Night

2010-12-05T16:01:00.000-08:00

Had a fun assignment over the weekend covering the local flavor at a junior hockey match in Escondido. After all these years as a photographer, I still love shooting these small, localized stories. It's refreshing to get to just explore the culture and color of an event and try to come away with images that give the viewer a glimpse of a sub-culture within our society. No media hyped issues, politics,scandal, set-up events designed for us camera-folk, just real, honest documentation.

Few Random Portraits

2010-11-23T16:51:00.001-08:00

Thought I'd post a few portraits from random assignments over the last few weeks. Nuttin special. Have a great Thanksgiving all!

A Day with Jay

2010-11-15T18:58:00.001-08:00

Spent a fun filled day at Jay Leno's garage in Burbank over the weekend. I've been to many automotive museums in my day and have never seen one as nice as his. There were rooms filled with steam powered cars, Model T's, Muscle cars, 50's mafia cars, , motor bikes, new and older model sports cars, and on and and on. The walls were all filled with fantastics collectible posters from old time car ads, there were also dozens of magazine covers hanging with Jay's sitting in some fancy car. I even went to the restroom and as I was relieving my self, saw pictures of him with Clinton, Bush, Reagan, Brad Pitt, and other celebs as well as a proclamation from Governor Schwarzenegger claiming June 1st as Jay Leno Day.
So as the day rolls along, various film crews come in and out, Richard Petty came in for an hour and filmed a quick thing. Then it was lunch and guess who cooked all of us crewman Lasagna? He was such a nice gracious guy and it didn't seem at all like an act. He would constantly offer us more food or drink. After lunch, the car we were shooting him test driving finally arrived. He gets mic'ed-up and then films various interviews which he did flawlessly and in 1 take. Finally, after about 3 hours, I got a few minutes to do my thing. I get him in a nice pose and he flashed that million dollar Jay Leno smile that we always see and then he was off to the next interview. As I'm packing up and leaving, I find out Jay is off to Palm Springs to do a comedy show. It was a fun day! I just wonder where he gets his energy.

A Splendorful Day

2010-11-12T10:05:00.001-08:00

Well it was quite a show yesterday as the Carnival Cruise ship Splendor was towed into San Diego from what the media is now calling "The Cruise from Hell to Nowhere". It had all the makings for a seedy, low budget TV movie. 4K people stuck out on ship 100 or so miles off the coast of Mexico with barely any electricity, sanitation, and where forced to eat salad and fruit and supposedly spam. Throw in a few monster sharks, a zombie or two, and a deranged captain and we got a movie. I tell ya, it sounds more like a weight loss challenge cruise to me. Most of the folks seemed to take it with a bit of humor. Seems like Carnival made-right and offered all the passengers a free cruise.

Dancers

2010-11-10T15:21:00.001-08:00

Shot of a dance performance last week in San Diego. Just playing around with slow shutter speed while panning.

Election Day

2010-11-07T18:04:00.000-08:00

I was commissioned by AARP Magazine to document voters during mid-term election day last week. It was fun to get to shoot the whole day without having to transmit on deadline. It was also a hoot getting to hang with the oldsters for a day. They have such wonderful character and wisdom. My goal was to try to stay as non-partisan as possible and just focus on people engaged in the political process(e.g. voters,poll workers, ralliers,etc..). I'm glad because politics can create such nasty enemies out of good, rational people in all parties, even if our beliefs are not the same.
It's important to remember the News-ertainment channels, FOX, CNN, MSNBC,are feeding us 24 hours of extremist BS in an attempt to get better ratings. They don't give a crap about appealing to moderate, sane folks, which is what most of us are.

Drug Tunnel

2010-11-04T15:18:00.000-07:00

One of the largest Marijuana busts in U.S. history was found coming through (in bundles) a man-made tunnel dug from a werehouse in Tijuana to a facility in San Diego. I've been in one other drug tunnel about 5 years ago and the diggers at least had the courtesy of making it so you could stand-up. This one however was only about 3 feet high. You had to crawl on your knees. It was very claustrophobic and a bit creepy traveling through there. You could see all kinds of signs of the cartel members labors. Empty water bottles. make-shift tools, scratch marks on the floor from sliding the marijuana bales through and lighting fixtures that I'm sure would fail code. Another thing is all the water that seeps from the ground up to through walls. It's not quite as simple as just digging a trail. You have to make sure there are no funny gases(my own not included)and have to continually suck out the water all the while keeping a low profile. These were some brazen SOB's in that the tunnel was within 100 yards of the Otay Mesa border crossing.

Tea Party Express IV

2010-10-27T16:52:00.001-07:00

Not much to say about this Tea Party rally because we are already so over-saturated with coverage. Just the reg. Lots of misguided, old, angry, paranoid white folks who seem to have absolutely no idea why they are so bleepin mad. I really get the overall feeling these folks are just flat out afraid of change. The World just got too big for its own britches and is in such a hurry. Although many things really bother me about this movement, the outright lies, the hypocrisy, the lack of common sense, individual thought, I came away feeling a sense of disgust at how they try to hijack patriotism. All the flag waving, Star Spangled Banner, Pledge of Allegiance, speaker after speaker telling about their military experience or about a loved one who was killed in the line of duty. It felt like such a cheap ploy to elicit an emotion that seems to not include a large majority of what America really is, young, black, brown, white, yellow, gay, straight, bi, poor, middle, class, etc.... It's almost as if it represents some kind of secret code. Well, I think many of us have an idea what this code is and it excludes a large majority of great Americans.

Rock Stars

2010-10-20T18:31:00.001-07:00

Shot this portrait of two scientists today who in my mind are rock stars. It's funny, I even was a tad bit nervous to meet them. Hamilton Smith and Clyde Hutchinson, with help and funding from the J Craig Venter Institute, created the first synthetic cell. The creation of this basic form of life in a lab opens-up all kind of cool possibilities Realistically, and most likely within our lifetime, it might mean they can grow tissue to replace dead or cancerous tissue in humans. I like to go a step farther, a-la Steven Spielberg, and think someday we might be able to grow humans, maybe around robots just like in AI or Terminator. Probably the best thing though is that we did it first right here in the good ole USA. Take that China!

Welder Shot

2010-10-19T18:40:00.001-07:00

I got a 5D Mark 11 a few weeks ago and got to test it out on a low light situation. It's a beautiful camera for situations like these. I have yet to see any noise. This was a welder in training at an Iron Workers Union hiring hall and was shot for The NY Times

Old Age

2010-10-03T18:15:00.003-07:00

I was on a shoot the other day at a seniors activity center where all the residents were suffering from dementia, Alzheimers and various brain traumas. One thing that was quite evident was how our brains seem to revert back to early adolesence as we get older. As I entered the room, there was group of oldsters throwing a bouncy ball back and forth and then playing a bowling game. The nurses all seemed to have that tone in their voices like when they speak to children. You know, that higher pitched, soft, over-animated voice that makes you want to punch them(Think Barney). "GOOD CATCH GRACE!! CAN YOU THROW TO STEW!!! WOW!!GREAT CATCH STEW!! HELEN, DO HAVE TO GO POTTY?!! Some of the patients seemed to like it as they were beaming from ear to ear while others just sat in silence, staring-out with a kind of hollow look. I kept wondering what they were thinking. I imagined it was something like "Why did I have to be carted to this miserable place and be treated like an infant and play these silly games and not be able to tell anyone I just want to be left alone"
I hope when I reach my Golden years I'll just accept it. Right now it's a terrifying thought.

Homecoming

2010-08-30T15:04:00.001-07:00

I've covered many dozen homecomings and goings over the years and they never seem to get old. There are so many raw emotions from family members who are seeing their military spouses for the first time in months. It's not always happiness either, there are a lot of awkward situations, like when the kids don't remember Dad. Basically you never know what you're going to get, but it's usually full of passion. I can't imagine how difficult some of these re-acclimations to family life must be. Dad is used to getting up every day and shooting people or being shot at(high doses of daily adrenaline, Mom is having to hold the fort down at home with the kids alone.(lots of fatigue and a little bitterness). So you get the two together after a year being away and all these emotions combine into this cocktail that is just waiting to explode.

AFLAC2010

2010-08-16T14:52:00.005-07:00

Just finished covering the AFLAC All American High School Baseball Classic for the 5th sttaight year. Besides being a hoot to shoot, it's fun to have guy time for a week and just talk about sports. No feelings, no "how does my butt look in these jeans" talk, just sports, eat, sleep. This year's crop of 38 of the Nations top High School prospects was a bit smaller this year but made up for it with lots of heart and surprising maturity. It's been fun seeing some of these guys just getting to the bigs. I remember Jason Hayward, Matt Latos and when they were just zit faced teenagers. Anyway, it was nice to have a client like AFLAC who will keep inviting me back and let's me do my documentary thang.

Ax

2010-08-13T08:45:00.001-07:00

Well, it's been awhile since I've updated the site and I am making a pledge to keep this thing going. I hope everyone is having a nice Summer and staying cool! This is a shot of Pianist Emanuel Ax playing at the Sherwood Theater in La Jolla. I just thought his eyes captured his expression. The most exciting thing is this the first shot with my new 5D Mark11. It's such a beautiful camera. I can finally shoot in low light situations and get what I'm looking for. Guess I better join the HD Video craze.

Guns and Dudes

2010-05-19T20:11:00.000-07:00

Grrrrrr, guns and smelly Marine dudes. I've always thought certain aspects of being in the military would be fun. Getting to shoot stuff, camping out, driving and flying in cool vehicles, having comrades who would take a bullet for you, Health benies, guaranteed income. Only thing is, I don't take orders too well. Must why I'm doomed to the freelance life for good.

That Perfect Shot

2010-05-15T07:55:00.000-07:00

So what you do to keep from going crazy after shooting a convention for a week and trying to keep motivated? Well, you shoot for the perfect composition. I always have that dream shot where each subject is at peak expression, the spacing is all even, the light is like a Rembrandt, the story is of utmost importance and it's sharp. One of my most memorable assignments in college was to go out and concentrate on all Four corners of the frame and make those 4 corners have meaning. It was a good way to stop from putting everything in the center and let your eye expand out to the edges.
This shot is far from this ideal dream but it's a try. Hopefully someday it'll all come together just right when I'm out on some international story.

The Spill

2010-05-09T20:20:00.001-07:00

Just got back from covering the oil spill in the gulf. This was a very different type of story. First of all, it's about the first breaking news story were getting there in a hurry is not to your advantage. Many journalists rushed down to Louisiana from their nice, comfy DC/NY, and in my case, San Diego offices only to be waiting days and weeks for this elusive oil to hit shore. I hired a boat captain to take me out to some barrier islands(Chandaleur Islands) only to find a few flocks of birds, some seashells, and no oil. Turns out it hit land 3 days later. This story will continue to grow within the coming weeks and months as the crude comes ashore along with dead marine life and a whole heap of long-term environmental problems. The Gulf is some of the most productive waters for seafood in the world and a whole lotta people depend on this for their living wages.
So I decided to focus on the fishermen and their families that will surely be affected. If the oil contaminates the sand in the marshes, you can kiss Oyster, Shrimp, Fishies good-by for possibly a generation. It would be like if I woke up one morning and lost my eyes and fingers and suddenly had no means to take pictures. I feel terrible for these folks who have been fishing the Bayou's for generations and now are being shut-down for an undetermined amount of time. BP is giving them some work laying boom, but once that is out, the reality of their future will most likely sink in. Let's just hope this thing gets capped real soon.

Ahh Spring-Time

2010-04-24T20:43:00.001-07:00

Well folks, it's Spring-time and you know what that means, no, not time for the birds and the bee's and flowers to come into bloom, it's time for immigration to hit the news circuit. It's strange how "News" meaning, well, new stuff, can be cyclical. Every Spring for the last 15 or so years I've been in this crazy business, some loud mouth politician starts picking on Latinos. This week was the start of what I am predicting to be a solid few month's of stories related to this. As you might have heard, AZ Governor Jan Brewer signed a bill allowing cops essentially a green light to racially profile our Hispanic citizens. Without getting too political, this bill stinks and is completely un-American. If anything it will create a boon for the legal industry which will put the great state of Arizona deeper into debt through all the law-suits that will surely come. On a selfish note, woo Hoo! work!

Back to Calexico

2010-04-16T16:35:00.000-07:00

So back to the Earthquake zone this week, 12 days after the 7.2 magnitude one that rocked Calexico and Mexicali. Thursday was the first day the majority of shops in Downtown Calexico were allowed to re-open. Mind you that the Imperial Valley has the highest unemployment in the Nation, this community has suffered hard, especially the shop-keepers who had to keep their stores shuttered until structural engineers could clear them. It was nice to come back and see lots of smiling faces and the regular influx of folks from Mexico crossing over the Border to spend their hard-earned dollar in the stores near the crossing. I also went around checking on other facilities such as schools and hospitals and found that there was extensive to damage to many important structures around the valley. Most of this wasn't reported because this story completely died, or lost its legs, the day after the quake because of the West Virginia mine accident. I can tell you though, this thing will affect this region economically for years to come. The folks in this region are incredibly resilient and will surely pick themselves up by the bootstraps.

School shots

2010-04-12T19:48:00.001-07:00

Not much to report this week. These photos are from a daily grind story for the Union-Tribune on a traveling Science lab sponsored by artist Wyland. You know, the guy who paints those big underwater murals which are seen on buildings in almost every city now. Hey, at least he's doing good with his fame and fortune.

Terremoto

2010-04-05T19:29:00.001-07:00

There's been a whole lot of shakin' goin on around the globe this year. First Haiti, Chile and now Mexicali. The problem is, you never know when it's going to hit near your home. I've always kind of enjoyed earthquakes. When they strike, it's totally out of the blue and usually at the most inappropriate time. I happened to be in my skivies taking nap after going for a nice Easter Sunday run. When the shaking started, it was cool for about 10 seconds until it kept going and getting stronger. It got scary! As I lay frozen, buried in the couch, I was thinking numerous thoughts "should I put some clothes on, save my family, run, jump under the table, when is Easter dinner going to be served" which would have meant I'd be dead if it was the big one.
So fast forward to Calexico/Mexicali. I jumped up threw on clothes got the gear and by then Getty, AP NY Times, my Mom, a good buddy had all called within minutes. Great for the blood pressure by the way. Get to Calexico, shoot shopkeepers surveying the damage, go transmit to meet some deadlines. I get some shots out and then decided to head over the border to Mexicali. The power was completely out and it was so dark I could barely see my feet. I even saw the Milky Way from the middle of town. As cars whizzed by their headlights would illuminate people out on the street. It was creepy and a little uneasy. It's one of times when if something were to happen, like getting mugged or falling into a hole, you know you're on your own. I then desperately look for some kind of picture. I hate using flash and in fact didn't even bring it. As I was walking across a street, I caught a glimpse of a guy standing in front of a damaged building. I went up and made my introductions and aim the camera and waited for a car to pass by. It ended up being a 3 second exposure hand-held. All-in-all it was a pretty fun challenge. I get up from my comfy hotel the next morning and Head back to Mexicali. I did a quick peruse online and noticed my hero, Don Bartletti, from the LA Times, got a shot at the hospital that blew me away. I had to go there. I get there at 5:30 am and walked about 2 miles through some colonias, got 6 direction, all different from each other, and somehow found it. Get there, the guard said no. I looked behind me and there was a Mexican TV guy, I asked if he could help and whatta ya know, he got me access. I love Mexico because you never have to deal with PR flack or model releases. You just walk on in and the place is yours. Get the hospital shots and various other damage photos and head on back. In retrospect, I have to say my love for Mexican culture just got upped a notch. There was no looting and everyone had just a wonderful bit of humor about the whole thing. Very inspiring indeed.

Vegas

2010-03-31T16:48:00.004-07:00

Spring Break in Vegas has been a blast. I've found this to be a fabulous city to shoot in. Lots of people, gaudiness, commercialization, over-excess. It's the consumate American Town. I sometimes wonder how some of the old-school Vegas folk feel about their grown-up refuge becoming a big shopping mall. It's almost like sin city... decaffinated. You see relics of the past, old salty guys, ciggy in hand, clothes a few decades past, hiding in some back corner of a casino while the new age, young,family with kids crew, run around with Starbucks in hand and a heavy, hurried agenda to meet. It makes me kind of nostalgic for the old days when we could get away from all that hemogenization.

Ruaa's Tale

2010-03-16T22:06:00.001-07:00

Ruaa, a 17 year-old from Iraq struggles to adjust to life in America.
Her father, a contractor with the U.S. Military, had to flee Iraq due to his alliances with America. After a harrowing year long journey that took them through various customs ports in Lebanon, Syria and Egypt, their family finally were admitted to the U.S. and settled in El Cajon, California, home to the largest population of Iraqi ex-patriots in the United States. Having to learn a new language, different culture, and an entirely new school curriculum have been a tremendous challenge for Ruaa and thousands of other Iraqi teenagers who had yo flee their homelands during an already uneasy adolescent stage.

Chelsea King

2010-03-03T17:53:00.001-08:00

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I've seen a lot of evil over the years but this one really hit close to home for me. Chelsea King,17, was murdered while out on the run along the banks of Lake Hodges in Escondido, CA. She was found 6 days later about 1/2 mile from where she started. They got a guy who is almost certain to be the murderer, John Albert Gardner III, who has a pretty sordid history of sexual abuse on minors. I'm most sure authorities will find him guilty.
There are so many feelings of horror, rage, sorrow for the family and for a kid who had a really bright future ahead of her. My own daughter is 14 and seems almost a mirror image of Chelsea. Straight A student, member of the Youth Symphony, funny, cute, a bit of a perfectionist, and on and on. When you think about the possibility of something so horrific happening to one of yours, this event seems all the more real. I can only feel for her family and what they must be going through now. Rest in Peace Chelsea.

Tea Baggers

2010-02-28T19:05:00.001-08:00

I've been interested in shooting one of these Tea parties we've all been seeing on the newsertainment channels for the past year or so. Mainly because I just want to know what is pissing them off so much. I've never seen so many angry white folk in one area. I mean, I just don't get why they weren't this mad when Bush was spending our hard earned deficit money to start a bogus war in Iraq. This Government money we're spending on jobs and healthcare, which I feel is up for legitimate debate, can only help us, our peeps, get healthy and employed. I feel the amount spent is a hard pill to swallow, but it can only be a positive thing for the welfare of this country in the long run.
My theory with these folks is that most of them seem to be from a bygone era when our politicians were white, we had to pull ourselves up from the bootstraps after the depression era and then WWII, and there weren't as many nationalities(mostly from the Southern Hemisphere) walking our streets. In essence, just too much change, too dang quick. All this and a bunch of bobble-heads on Fox News, Rush Limbaugh, and a handful of Republican politicians who are creating this environment of fear and rage that some outside force i.e. socialists, Communists, tree huggers, strong women, gays, are going to invade us and make us into immoral beings.
The saddest part of this is they are being brainwashed by TV personalities to vote against issues, such as healthcare and jobs, that will directly affect them.

LT

2010-02-24T15:28:00.001-08:00

Wow, the day we all knew is finally here. LaDainian Tomlinson is no longer a Charger. It took me at least 5 years to start calling him "LT" since the original was Lawrence Taylor. Anyway, he has been a wonderful guy on and off the field and took a pretty lousy Chargers and put them on the map. I've had my complaints over his running style over the years but then again, I'm just a backseat running back. Thanks for being a classy athlete and a great role model to all.

Ride Along

2010-02-14T20:14:00.000-08:00

Last weekend, I went out on a ride along with the Sheriff's Dept. in Imperial Beach, CA.
"IB", as most locals call it, is the Southern most City in the United States, straddling the U.S.-Mexico Border, and has it's fair share of crime , or as I like to say, "lots of good action". So I get to the office, make my introductions and off we go to this scene where 8 guys were being arrested for stealing beer from a 7-11. It turned out to be a very eye opening shoot for me and not for any of the obvious reasons. Turns out, all the suspects were 14 year-olds. Holy cow, my daughter, my baby, is 14. I dunno, it's just kinda strange to have a kid now officially old enough to get into trouble like this. It seems like just last week she was this innocent little kid playing with Barbie dolls. I know I'm reading way too much into this but it's just a little scary to have a teenager.

Luge Suit

2010-02-11T11:21:00.001-08:00

Olympic Luge athlete Mark Grimmette was on-hand last week in San Diego testing out the aerodynamic qualities of suits that will be used during the games in Vancouver. Evidently we have a top notch wind tunnel that can produce 270 mph wind speeds that many engineers and athletes use for testing everything from air planes to boats to bicycles to wind suits. Luge is one of those sports where the winner can be declared by a millisecond so one of these suits could be the clincher.

Boys to Men

2010-02-01T18:58:00.001-08:00

If you are a parent of teenage boys, a Middle school teacher, or are just getting out of that tweenager age group, you have at least a dozen times in your life been hit by an atomic bomb sized cloud of effervescent body spray while walking down the hallway of a Jr. H.S. school, arcade, locker room, mall, or even a parking lot. Evidently these ghastly sprays have become a bit of a new phenom because when I was that age, we just smelled like iron and Fritos.
I shot this story for The NY Times on how company's such as Axe Body Spray are marketing to men 18-34 but in reality, it's the 12-16 year olds who are eating it up.

Sunshine

2010-01-26T18:47:00.000-08:00

And finally the sun, but only for a few days until the next storm.

Rainy SoCal Day

2010-01-22T18:50:00.001-08:00

So this week in SoCal saw a series 4 high powered Pacific storms that walloped the entire state. I had a day off so I decided to jump in the car with my friend Jarod and go shooting. My intent was to stay away from the regular shots you see every year during our monsoon season. Trees falling on cars, cars stuck in waist high water, mudslides, auto accidents, some guy with rubber boots on standing in his living room with ankle high water looking bummed-out. I mean hey, we live in a pretty nutty state, how hard is it to find crazy people doing crazy stuff out in the rain. Upon arriving at Ocean Beach(San Diego's Venice Beach)it didn't take long to find this guy soaking up the surf....ALONE. I'd ask why but sometimes things are better left unsaid.
Next week, back to boring ole sunshine.

Jets Fan

2010-01-20T10:18:00.000-08:00

Shot this portrait of Jets fan Bill Carroll and his girlfriend Brooke at their home in the OC the other day. While at the Chargers/Jets playoff game last Sunday, Mr. Carroll got a little out of hand with his cheering for the opposing team and got himself arrested and thrown in jail for a few hours. This might seem to be a somewhat common story in that over 1 hundred people were arrested that day except for the fact that he really wasn't doing anything wrong. He had only 2 beers over 3 hours, so was not drunk, and was just cheering for his team. Another reason this has become worthy of many newspaper articles is that someone video taped(a-la-Rodney King style) the incident and the thing went viral. The last time I checked, it had over 278,000 hits. It's definitely an interesting age we live in where legions of roving amateur papparazzi, with video or still cameras in hand, give us a bird's eye view of shit happenin' all around. I guess it keeps us honest and more importantly entertained. Here is a link to the video and the article in the NY Post

Haitian vigil

2010-01-14T09:05:00.001-08:00

Local Haitians living in San Diego held a vigil the other night for victims of the earthquake that has leveled Haiti. Although far from home, seeing reactions from these folks really brought the pain close to home. Many of the congregants still have family and friends missing and have no way to to contact them.
I was in Haiti for a week back in the 80's and have never been to such a unique country. The poverty is almost inconceivable, as many people live on top of garbage heaps, they have virtually no infa-structure as many communities have raw sewage rivers running through their neighborhoods and the list just keeps going on and on. On the other hand, I have never meet more beautiful, spiritual people in my life. You could spend a lifetime there and continually be fascinated by the culture and allure of Haiti.

Portrait Blues

2010-01-07T15:09:00.000-08:00

One of a photographer's worst nightmare's, besides forgetting your flash card to an assignment, is a having to shoot a bunch of lawyers or other suits in a dry, white wall office with generic office furniture. I labored and actually lost sleep over the years trying to figure out a creative way to do this. Believe me, this type of shoot is THE most common one I have. One of the gimmicks I've devised over the years, when all the elements are about as exciting as a bologna sandwich, is to just get them outside. Anywhere, a balcony, the outside lobby, an tree at the front entrance. There is ALWAYS something to work with and make an otherwise dull image a bit more exciting.
So I showed up to this shoot the other day and the secretary had a small, windowless office reserved for the shoot. After a few deep gasps, I looked over to the right and saw they had a big balcony overlooking the city. Thank God I was able to find a great backdrop because these folks were a bit lifeless(No offense to the subjects, just the story)

Street Sketching

2009-12-30T18:34:00.000-08:00

Went out today shot the Holiday bowl Parade for myself just to keep in the groove. After all these years, it's still really fun to just go out and do some street shooting, or as I like to call it, "sketching". This basically means just going out and snapping things that interest you without the pressures of doing it for a client. As a photographer, I think it's a very good way to refine your own vision and learn by experimentation. I almost picture myself as a roving, voyeuristic sociologist documenting a native culture. I think it's good to ask yourself, "how can I best describe these people and environment?". "Would this event look different or the same if it was shot in Nebraska or New York or Miami"? I suppose it's kind of cheesy but it's just a little of what goes goes on in my totally distorted mind.
Happy New Years all!!

The Pits

2009-12-27T22:16:00.001-08:00

Due to budget cuts, the City of San Diego wants to get rid of a looooong-time local tradition of allowing beach-fires in sanctioned pits. Many thousands of residents have spent romantic summer nights, fished, had wedding celebrations, High School/college parties, family BBQ's, etc....and have been kept warm and comfy by the fires.
I think we all understand that our economy is in trouble, teachers, police, firefighters and all should get first priority, but the City Council's lack of creativity and ease with which they can just abandon the pits is what yanks my chain. It would only cost about 200K to keep them going per year. To you and me, that's a lot of money, if they charged a minimal 10 dollar yearly permit, I would think we could all come up with that pretty easily. heck, that's one less case of beer per year. Anyway, I do hope this issue gets resolved and we can keep this great tradition aglow.

Blink 182

2009-12-21T10:14:00.000-08:00

Photographed Blink 182's Mark Hoppus while on a tour of SeaLife Aquarium at Legoland California. Cool guy and quite an avid diver from what I hear. Happy Holiday's all

CA Victorian

2009-12-16T19:26:00.001-08:00

I wouldn't normally post pictures from a real estate shoot but this house in Valley, Center, CA is absolutely gorgeous! It's an historic Victorian that was once owned by Betty Crocker and is located on 8 Acres. One of the things that makes it so neat, besides the huge Great Dane, is this barn. It has always been a dream to have a farmhouse with a big-ass barn(ala Eddie Adams, Annie Liebowitz, where you could have a huge studio space. Oh well, I guess we can all dream. 1.3 Mil is just a bit beyond my budget;)

MindFlex

2009-12-10T20:57:00.001-08:00

There's this crazy new game out there called "MindFlex". You put a headband on and clip a sensor to each ear and move the ball through a series of obstacles with your mind. I know, I know, you're saying no way, how could this possibly work. Let me tell you my friends, it works. I tried it and failed miserably. The 12 year old whom I was photographing, did it with ease. Basically, your mind activates a little fan. The higher the concentration, the faster the fan and higher the ball goes. Your turn a little dial, with your hand, to move the ball. it's way cool.
You better order now because it's this year's Tickle Me Elmo. Evidently they're pretty hard to get.

Robotics Competition

2009-12-08T09:29:00.001-08:00

Shot a regional robotics competition at Legoland California last weekend. Although most kids were somewhat stoic, I did manage to snag this one team who displayed a little emotion. It was oddly enough a little like shooting golf. Lots of excitement, very little emotion.
It was nice seeing the kids out there using their heads to design and program these robots.

Black Friday

2009-11-27T19:00:00.001-08:00

For some reason while having to cover Black Friday, I'm always drawn to the guys that have to aimlessly look and act like they are having a grand ole time with the wife and sometimes Mother-in-law while in reality, they'd much rather be watching a game or piddling around in the garage. When Walking around the mall, you'll see these pathetic souls, myself included, usually napping on a bench, sitting in a massage chair in Brookstone, trying to act interested in a new mattress while they're just trying to take a little snooze so the day can be over that much quicker. Oh yeah, and my personal fav, the guy who has to wait for his lady to try on clothes in the women's section. How awkward he/we must feel. I mean, you can't peak in the dressing room, look at girly clothing, or check out other babes because they know exactly why you are visiting their side of the store. I'd recommend bringing a magazine.
Anyway, it was the usual scene at the malls today, thousands of eager shoppers trying to get the best bargains and be the first ones to rush in and scoop up as much hyped-up crap as they can find. I think I'll just wait for Cyber-Monday to do my shopping while watching some meaningless sporting event. It's so much easier being a guy.

Navy Wedding

2009-11-22T21:29:00.001-08:00

Just a snap from a wedding I shot this weekend. Have a great Turkey Day y'all.

Tis The Season

2009-11-20T07:25:00.001-08:00

Once again we are starting the Christmas festivities waaaaaay too soon. Whatever happened to Thanksgiving? Every year around mid- to late November I start getting a little stress-induced-twitch as the all the drama and hoopla of the holiday season start to unfurl. Shopping, family expectations, the constant barrage of ads and news stories with the newest, must-have toy of the season. All the Christmas parties with heaps of cakes and cookies and the miles of extra running just to keep the pounds off, and having to hear Nat King-Cole and Mariah Carey every few minutes, all the while being my slowest$$ work time of the year. I imagine the original creators of Christmas, sitting by the manger and all, ever had any idea their beloved holiday would become such a train wreck. Calgon take me away!

Another Memorial

2009-11-17T08:52:00.000-08:00

It was sad shooting yet another memorial for Marines killed in Afghanistan. It is impossible to imagine the pain the family members go through in dealing with losing a child. On one hand, they died for a noble cause, on the other, they were a young men or women that had a long prosperous life ahead of them.
On the photo end, it is always a challenge to come up with something a bit different, especially when you are confined to a tight space. My main interest is seeing/studying the reactions of the Marines. They are usually very stoic and lack much emotion. When they do break down or shed a tear, it's a pretty rare sight. I sometimes just look at their faces and try to imagine what they are thinking. "How would Mom react if it was me, what friends and family members would attend my memorial, what would my buddies say about me as they stand at the podium and share stories, how would the wife and kids get by"? It has to be a hard realization that in a Marine's line of work, there is a very good chance that any one of these guys gals could have that portrait picture and boots and rifle up on the podium in the very near future.

California Rockwell

2009-11-15T12:26:00.000-08:00

This shot kinda reminds me of a Norman Rockwell scene.... in California. A happy couple holding hands, gay naked men froliching on the sand, while a lifeguard truck cruises by, all on a typically clear, sunny day at the beach in mid-November. The only thing that's missing is a taco vendor. What, is that weird?
Evidently our cash strapped government wants to impose a ban on nude beaches in the Golden State. It's not like we have anything else to focus on, a few billion dollar deficit, job losses, health care, drought, fires, etc... Sometimes I wonder where our priorities lie.

Veteran's Day

2009-11-14T20:17:00.001-08:00

Mr. Obama, Tear Down This Wall

2009-11-09T17:29:00.000-08:00

Been slow around here lately so I went out and shot some spec work on a vigil held at the U.S.-Mexico Border. In light of the Berlin Wall coming down 20 years ago today, activists staged a protest at our wall to bring to light human rights issues between Mexico and America. For generations families would gather at Friendship Park and re-unite with relatives by having picnics with their loved ones on the other side of the wall. Well, the U.S. Government put an end to this decades old tradition by erecting a new fence which has in effect, put this to an end. It’s very sad to separate these families all in the name of homeland security. I just hope our current administration will recognize that it is more beneficial and safer to create goodwill between ourselves and our neighbors.

Adoption Calendar

2009-11-03T20:35:00.001-08:00

I'm very excited that the calendar I've been working on throughout the Summer for San Diego County Adoptions is finally hot off the presses. Introducing the Leap of Faith Calendar which pares a San Diego Charger with various kids around the County that are up for adoption. Our local CBS affiliate, produced by Marcella Lee, did a nice piece on the making of the calendar. Check it out if you get a chance. Although it's been cool meeting all the players I would be honored and delighted if someone saw one of these kids and decided to adopt them. It was a worthy cause.

Staff Sgt Taylor

2009-10-28T16:25:00.000-07:00

2009-10-28T16:23:00.000-07:00

As the war in Afghanistan seems to linger on with no end in sight, I had to photograph yet another memorial for a fallen Marine. Staff Sgt. Aaron Taylor was killed in the line of duty while serving in Afghanistan in early October. It really brings the war home and makes it seem more tangible when you see fellow Marines breaking down and acting like human beings. Death is a terrible thing to have to deal with, especially when you have a young, smart, energetic guy who was taken at such a young age. Folks, the economy is in the tank, our healthcare sucks, Glenn Beck will always run his mouth too much, but please remember there are real people with families and friends dying for our country every day.

TV Segment

2009-10-26T21:50:00.000-07:00

I'd just like to share a piece that aired on our local CBS affiliate here in San Diego on the Leap of Faith calendar that I've been working on for the last few months. There is a bigger story coming out next Sunday when the calendar is unveiled. I didn't realize I look so cheesy when I shoot. I'm much happier behind the camera than in front. Click here to view the segment.