Colorado Men's Basketball vs. Arizona Wildcats...

My wife went to Arizona and continues to be a die-hard Wildcat fan to this day. With Colorado joining the PAC-12 this year she's been talking about going to this game for more than a year. While it would have been fun to be in the stands I decided to shoot the game especially since I haven't been up to Boulder this year for a game and the Wildcats almost always have a few special players on the roster year in and year out. It was a tight game the entire afternoon and Colorado squeaked out a 64-63 win and looked pretty strong in doing so. May be a chance that they make the NCAA Tournament after a showing like that. I had to shoot the entire game with one camera as my Canon 7D locked up with a mysterious Error 30 message right before the game started...I think it made me shoot a bit different than I would have otherwise. Always interesting when you're forced into something a bit different from the usual patterns you tend to fall into as a photographer.

Here's a link to a Photoshelter gallery.

Grams Light Bikes - Mountain Bike and Gear Reviews, and News: GoPro Wi-Fi BacPac and Wi-Fi Remote Combo Kit

Grams Light Bikes - Mountain Bike and Gear Reviews, and News: GoPro Wi-Fi BacPac and Wi-Fi Remote Combo Kit: GoPro had their new Wi-Fi BacPac and Wi-Fi Remote on display at the CES in Las Vegas this week, and the kit will be Wi-Fi-enable their HERO2 and HERO cameras.

The new Wi-Fi BacPac will enable long range video remote control via the Wi-Fi Remote, or an Android and iOS device, such as a smartphone, tablet, or computer running the free GoPro Wi-Fi App. The waterproof and durable Wi-Fi Remote, has a wristband, its own battery, an LCD screen and dual-buttons, and can enable control of up to 50 HD HERO2 cameras at a time, so some pretty wild multiple camera setups could be done. It will allow live video streaming and remote control, through smart-devices, computers, and the Web wherever Wi-Fi or a mobile hotspot is present. This functionality will allow verification of the camera orientation and positioning, as well as a live feed for others to enjoy. The original HD HERO is compatible with the Wi-Fi BacPac and Remote, but only for remote control functionality. It will be using the 802.11n The Wi-Fi BacPac and Wi-Fi Remote kit will retail for $99, and should be available February, 2012.

I shoot often with GoPros on my biking and snowboarding excursions and this could definitely be a really interesting option that will add a lot of flexibility.

Best of 2011...

It's a new year and I've vowed to make a renewed effort at updating my blog. Last year was busy and productive but I feel bad that I really let the blog lag as a result. So to kick off 2012 I'm taking a quick look back at the year.

At the start of each new year, I find it useful to reflect on the previous year's work - to get a sense for where I have been and the direction I am headed. 2011 was filled with portraits of Olympic hopefuls and business leaders, tasty dishes from Denver's top restaurants, action from the Teva Mountain Games as well as NFL games and World Cup skiing. I also found some time to continue working on a personal project about capillas in Mexico and shot a portrait of a neighbor's sad-faced Bloodhound. A productive year for sure, but as always there's still room to grow and new things to learn. I hope you enjoy this quick look back at the year that was.

If you'd like to see a larger collection of images from 2011 take a look at my Best of 2011 gallery on Photoshelter.

Spring Blooms...

Each Spring as the days get longer and nature reawakens after a long winter I'm always compelled to get out and shoot some pictures of the emerging flowers and their brilliant blooms. Often times just poking around in my own backyard and close by in the neighborhood I've come across unexpected beauty - things I've passed by many times and never quite realized just how beautiful it actually was before focusing this closely on it. I always love to focus in on the details and let everything else drop dreamily out of focus.

Here's a link to a gallery of some more of my flower photography.

Silverton Mountain...

A friend and fellow photographer, Doug Pensinger, called me up a while ago and asked if I'd be interested in a boys trip down to Silverton Mountain in Silverton, Colorado...Ummm...Yes! It's been on my list of places to go before I die for a while now but in the past I haven't had the time or a capable crew to make the trip happen. It all finally came together this year with a three day trip with eight guys from Denver, Steamboat Springs and Salt Lake City. We stayed in the Grand Imperial Hotel in town which is pretty much filled with skiiers and snowboarders in the winter as it's one of two or three places to stay that time of year. It has the look and feel of days gone by and a great old bar and theater all attached and almost oozes history - definitely a place to check out if you're ever in the area.

I consider myself a pretty damn good snowboarder and ride often but was a tad bit nervous after looking at the site and reading a bit more about the terrain. It is the highest Ski Area in North America with a peak of 13,487’ and it is also the steepest with no easy way down. The site claims that Silverton's easiest run is a double black at most other resorts. Visions of forty foot cliff drops and runaway avalanches flashed briefly through my head but were quickly dispatched as we stared down from the one and only chairlift on the way to the top. The terrain is certainly not for beginners but isn't nearly as intimidating as they make it out to be. We hiked probably a thousand vertical feet before dropping in on the backside into an enormous open bowl and close to the site of Shaun White's now infamous private Superpipe tabbed Project X - where he perfected many of the tricks that won him gold the 2010 Winter Olympics. Tearing through that knee deep powder was unforgettable and something straight out of any of a number of snowboarding videos.

Most of the year guides are required on the mountain as are avalanche beacons, probes and shovels should anything go wrong but honestly the danger is minimal most times and never even crossed my mind while we were out there (which probably isn't necessarily a good thing as it should be your primary concern all the time). In all we made four runs that day on the mountain each one as different as the next - we got first tracks in a gulley run named Quarter Track and some turns in the trees where the powder was steep and deep. I battled a very sore ankle the entire day after hurting it the week before while riding and didn't really go as hard as I wanted to because of it but I'll be headed back next year for a day of unguided riding (tickets are only $49 as opposed to $129 for a guided day).

A gallery of images from Silverton Mountain can be found here.

Here's a link to a story that a friend in Denver Kyle Henley wrote for the LA Times when Silverton Mountain opened.

Culinary photography brochure...

With a bit more time on my hands lately after returning from Mexico I've been working hard to get some copies of a brochure for my food and culinary photography out the door. Cooking has always been a secondary love of mine and I've always gravitated towards food photography - often seeking out the beauty revealed in the details of the dishes in front of me.

A big thank you to both Margaret Ebeling at the Marketing Trust for the entertaining copy (she surely knows me best!) and Erin Behrenhausen at Villain Design for the great design and layout and getting it turned so quickly. I'm in the process of mailing some out right now as well as trying to get some into the hands of local restaurants here in Colorado.

I've put together a gallery of food and culinary photography as well. Enjoy and I'd love to hear any feedback.

Highway Catholicism in Mexico...

Click here for a photo gallery of some more of my favorite images of these capillas.

I also captured some more photos on my iPhone that can be seen here.

On our most recent trip driving to Sayulita, Mexico, I started to notice these tiny little cathedrals paying homage to certain patron Saints or the memory of a loved one that has since passed. Far from being overtly religious (I blame Catholic school for that!), I was immediately intrigued by them. I kept an eye out for these tiny capillas (as they're called in Mexico) that dotted the sides of the roadways in the states of Sonora, Sinaloa and Nayarit. Their sizes ranged anywhere from a shoebox to well over three stories tall in every shape and size. Some were simple, easily-constructed brick or adobe structures and others were elaborate and expensive to build. I immediately knew that there was a picture series in these amazing little structures and the items inside them.

After living in New Mexico for more than five years while working at the Albuquerque Tribune (another Scripps Howard newspaper that has since closed), I became acquainted with descansos, the roadside markers (often a cross) signifying the spot where a family member died. The capillas in Mexico take that idea and execute it on a whole new level. Often there were lit prayer candles and fresh flowers inside, meaning that family members were regularly stopping by with new candles and replacing the wilting or dying flowers. This speaks to the depth of devotion and faith that the Mexican people have for loved ones that have passed and the Saints that they hold dear. I came across numerous capillas dedicated to the memory of Our Lady of Guadalupe, Santo Judas Tadeo and even Santisima Muerte, a deity firmly entrenched among Mexico’s lower classes and criminal elements and condemned by the Catholic Church.

While doing a bit of research and background I came across this scholarly article from Dr. James Griffith and Francisco Manzo Taylor on Sonoran Roadside Capillas. Otherwise there is only brief mention and very little else available out there on the topic of capillas.