Not Dead...Yet!

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

2012-01-25T14:03:00.000-08:00

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

2012-01-13T13:12:00.000-08:00

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...

2012-01-11T15:24:00.000-08:00

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...

2010-04-28T08:49:00.000-07:00

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...

2010-03-29T22:22:00.000-07:00

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...

2010-03-01T08:17:00.000-08:00

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...

2010-02-19T16:31:00.000-08:00

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.

Surfing in Sayulita...

2010-02-10T19:58:00.000-08:00

Anyone out there actually following my blog may have noticed that's it's been a pretty quiet month as far as posts are concerned and that's because I've been down in Sayulita, Mexico soaking up some sun and trying to learn to surf. I've tried in the past while on vacation to pick up surfing but living in a land-locked state like Colorado it's tough to get any kind of practice. I figured that after a month in Sayulita, a place known for consistently good waves - especially to learn on, that I'd be tearing it up! Boy I couldn't have been more wrong!

While I've made some progress and am getting up on some decent size waves it is by far the hardest sport I've ever tried hands down. I'm a great snowboarder and grew up skateboarding so I always figured surfing would come naturally to me but as I've learned it's much more than just standing up. It's about ninety percent paddling and getting yourself into the right spot in the line up where waves are breaking as well as sucking down massive amounts of salt water - I can still taste it now! If you're lucky or good enough to catch a wave and ride it out there's always the following ones in the set to contend with to get back into position to catch the next wave. More than once I got absolutely "maytagged" - no idea which way was up or down and under water like in a washing machine. I can also count a good number of cuts and scrapes from the coral, a nice welt from a jellyfish sting and a colorful bruise on my arm from a surfboard fin and a lump over my eye…all in the name of surfing.

Margaret kept asking me why I continued to go out every day and get beat up and rag-dolled by the relentlessness of the ocean. I can only point to the fact that I've always been the type that never lets anything get the best of me.

So far the ocean's definitely gotten the upper hand in this battle but it's by no means over just yet. It is by far the hardest sport I've ever tried and I have a newfound respect for the surfers I watched out there on some days that the waves were pushing ten plus feet.

Above are some photos of some of the local surfers in Sayulita just tearing' it up on days that the waves were just a bit to big for me - actually WAY to big! It's been amazing to watch a few of locals just own it out there - a few of the surfers include pros Adrian Rodriguez, Adan Hernandez and a few others.

You can view more of my surfing images here.

For photographers and graphic artists, not a pretty picture out there...

2010-01-25T08:10:00.000-08:00

This is an interesting article from author James Rainey that was posted on the L.A. Times website about what effect the free marketplace mentality of the web has done to many creative professions.

Something to think about...

2009-12-15T15:05:00.000-08:00

Before posting photos to sites such as Facebook. Just a word of caution...

Warning: Facebook and MySpace Strip Photo Copyright Data

Heisman Hopeful...

2009-12-11T21:50:00.000-08:00

The day after Thanksgiving I shot the annual Colorado vs. Nebraska game at Folsom Field up in Boulder for Icon SMI. I was mainly interested in covering the game because of one of Nebraska's star players, a defensive tackle named Ndamukong Suh. Suh was an All-American high school player in Portland, Ore. before being recruited to Nebraska by former coach Bill Callahan. Suh's father is originally from Cameroon and his mother is from Jamaica - a true American melting pot of cultures. And in case you were wondering, Ndamukong means "House of Spears" in the Ngema tribe in Cameroon.

Suh was dominating in his team's 28-20 victory over Colorado - constantly pressuring the quarterback in the backfield, stuffing the run and almost picking off a pass all while being doubled teamed by Colorado's offensive line most plays! The 300 pound defensive tackle has become a consensus All-American, a likely top pick in the upcoming NFL draft and one of five finalists for the 2009 Heisman Trophy. Suh would be only the second defensive player (Charles Woodson from Michigan was the one and only so far) to win the award and the first ever lineman if chosen on Saturday. The other candidates are are Alabama running back Mark Ingram, Stanford running back Toby Gerhart, Texas quarterback Colt McCoy and Florida quarterback Tim Tebow. While I'm not really a college football junkie it seems about time another defensive player especially one as dominate as Suh wins the award - maybe for his sake though he may not want to accept it considering the fate and lackluster careers of many of the past winners.

Here are a few places some of the images have appeared :

SI.com
ESPN.com

Andrew Zuckerman's birds...

2009-11-25T17:20:00.000-08:00

With tomorrow being Thanksgiving - a day in which we seemingly worship the turkey - I thought it might be interesting to introduce the work NYC based photographer Andrew Zuckerman. His newest project is entitled Bird. There are some truly stunning portraits in there all shot in a studio setting. Having worked with animals in a studio setting myself - including dogs at the Rocky Mountain Cluster dog show and livestock at the National Western Stock Show - I know first hand how challenging it can be. They never quite do what you hope for and often turn quite skittish once the lights start firing. I've had more than one seamless destroyed while shooting at various times. So as you're enjoying your turkey on Thanksgiving take a moment to appreciate some of the other beautiful birds out there or if you can stomach it take a look at the Wild Turkey featured his site!

The book can be purchased on Amazon.com

November Denver Magazine cover...

2009-11-11T13:45:00.000-08:00

First off for anyone out there following the blog sorry for the extended layoff in posting, I've been working and traveling a lot lately and haven't had much time for posting...I do however have some material to catch up on hopefully in the coming weeks so check back. For the November issue of Denver Magazine I photographed Sarah Siegel Magness, who along with her husband Gary Magness produced the critically acclaimed movie Precious. It's already won numerous awards and garnered critical acclaim and is certainly in contention for an Oscar.

The film is based on the searing 1996 novel Push by Sapphire, the film stars 26-year-old newcomer Gabourey “Gabby” Sidibe as Claireece “Precious” Jones, an illiterate, obese, Harlem teenager coming of age in the 1980s. In many ways, she has already lived harder in her short life than anyone should have to. She has been physically and emotionally abused by her mother (Mo’Nique) and has two children by her father who raped her. (The film also stars Mariah Carey, Lenny Kravitz, and Paula Patton.) It’s a difficult story to tell, and if it had stayed there — in that seemingly unspeakable realm of abuse and incest — it may well have never made it to the silver screen. But Sapphire deftly moves the story from one of abuse and dreams deferred to one of hope and breaking through. It’s that positive story that first captured the attention of team Magness (Sarah always refers to she and Gary as a team) and director Lee Daniels (who also produced Monster's Ball in 2001).

Denver Magazine Art Director Tom Visocchi and I scouted the Denver Performing Arts Center the week before the shoot and settled on the stage at the renovated Ellie Caulkins Opera House for its stage and curtains and the overall look of the place. Special thanks as well to Tobie Orr for help with styling and makeup.

Skiing Magazine Clip...

2009-10-26T13:15:00.001-07:00

I got a call last month from Skiing Magazine about some images of Rainer Hertrich, a Copper Mountain snowcat driver and endurance telemarker. He's been skiing every day of the year (winter and summer) since November 1, 2003 - more than 2,100 consecutive days and 70 million vertical feet! Pretty impressive feat I have to say considering that even as much as I love snowboarding or even mountain biking for that matter I know I would never have the stamina and willpower to make it out there every day for that long. Even the logistics of traveling across the globe and still being able to get some turns in that day are impressive. Hats off to Rainer, his Guinness World Record and his ongoing quest. The November issue is on newsstands now.

Duality Photo Contest Win...

2009-10-23T14:14:00.000-07:00

The image above entitled "Hope and Fear" placed third in a duality themed photo contest. It was an image I shot at the Crown Fountain in Millenium Park in Chicago a couple of summers back while on a trip there to see friends and some of Margaret's family. I've always liked the different reactions of the homeless man and young boy - they almost seem opposite of what they should be.

The judges comments were as follows:

The actions of the subjects in this photo just seem to shout "duality". While an old man reaches up, embracing the falling water, his face twisted either in pain or exuberance or both, the young boy next to him retreats unhappily beneath the shower of water. Or is he exhilarated? Either way, we feel that a powerful instant is captured here.

Rockies Postseason Run...

2009-10-07T22:51:00.000-07:00

I had been saying all summer long that I needed to get out to a few Colorado Rockies games to shoot some baseball and kept putting it off for one reason or another - sometimes work, sometimes to mountain bike or camp and before I knew it the last few games of the season were upon us. So I made a point to clear my schedule for the final couple of home games against the St. Louis Cardinals and Milwaukee Brewers. The Rockies had been solidly leading the NL Wild Card race for a good portion of the late part of the season after climbing out of a 15 (or so) game hole they put themselves in earlier in the season. New Rockies manager Jim Tracy seems to have turned the team around and even had them on the verge of contending for their first ever NL West title - coming up just short at the end of the season. They did however secure the NL Wild Card and will face the Philadelphia Phillies who they swept on their way to the 2007 World Series. I'm thinking it won't be nearly as easy this time around.

I've watched this team for a few years now after not really being a huge baseball fan. I always thought it was about the most boring game to watch and shoot but after following the Rockies in 2007 and even getting to go to the game in which they clinched their first ever appearance in the World Series I really gained a new appreciation for the subtleties of the game. I shot a bit of baseball back in my days at the Rocky Mountain News and always felt as though I never got anything that was all that great...Many times I'd end up missing plays because I was too busy being distracted with chatting with other shooters or trying to stay awake. I have to say that I have a newfound respect and understanding for the game. The intensity is incredible, especially during the playoffs and capturing some of those moments late in the season has been a fun challenge.

The top image is of Rockies second baseman Clint Barmes making an incredible diving catch and subsequent throw to first to complete a game ending double play against the St. Louis Cardinals (a game they really needed to win to hold off Atlanta). The bottom image is of Rockies catcher Yorvit Torrealba and teammates celebrating an 11th inning walk-off home run by Chris Iannetta against the Milwaukee Brewers to win 7-5. I may have waited the better part of the season to shoot a few games but man did I luck out with two great late season games to cover. Here's hoping the run continues.

Here a link to a few more images as well.

October Denver Magazine Cover...

2009-09-30T16:22:00.001-07:00

Denver Magazine contacted me last month to shoot their first ever Chef of the Year special section for the magazine. I've always enjoyed food, food photography and portraits of chefs so I jumped on the opportunity. We ended up not shooting any finished plates of food for the piece but instead shooting some group portraits of chefs and mixologists in their environments. It figured to be a logistical nightmare but Stacey Brugeman, Denver Magazine's food editor, and Tom Visocchi, the magazine's art director, pulled it all together like the pros they are and we were able to get all 20 chefs together on a Tuesday in September for the portraits. Results were kept under wraps until a party this past Monday at the May D&H Clocktower in downtown Denver so we had to be careful with letting anyone in on the results beforehand. We even had to be a bit dishonest with Alex Seidel of Fruition Restaurant, the Chef of the Year (on the cover), to keep it all secret when we made a trip down to Fruition Farms to photograph him with his chickens and goats Frick and Frack on the farm he has recently purchased. On a side note, what he intends to do down there sounds amazing and I'm hoping it takes off in the near future.

Congratulations to all the finalists and category winners...There are some truly talented folks featured on the pages of Denver Magazine this month. Everyone selected was chosen by their peers which speaks volumes about the integrity of the selection process. I've eaten at many of the places listed and am headed out tonight to one of the finalists that I've yet to try. So if you're in the mood for a good meal, dessert or drink one evening in Denver here would be a good place to start your serach. Enjoy.

Sobering numbers...

2009-09-24T10:17:00.000-07:00

Editor and Publisher recently published this article about job losses in the media segment (specifically newspapers) of the economy, the great majority of jobs lost -- 24,511 -- were in newspaper and other print journalism. I personally know more than a few journalists that have lost their jobs recently especially with the Rocky Mountain News closing and I always hope that all of them land on their feet. I actually had lunch with a couple of former staffers yesterday and both said they were the happiest they've been so it's not always a horrible thing but you do have to wonder if the market is a bit flooded with unemployed writers and photographers.

Here's the full story :

Journos Losing Jobs at Three Times Rate of Average Workers

By Mark Fitzgerald

Published: September 21, 2009 12:11 PM ET
CHICAGO Since the financial meltdown began a year ago, journalism jobs have gone away at almost three times the rate jobs have disappeared in the general economy, according to a report by Unity: Journalists of Color.

Unity's 2009 Layoff Tracker Report shows an average 22% increase from month to month in journalism jobs lost from September 2008 through August 2009. The general economy lost jobs at an average monthly pace of about 8% during that time, according to Unity.

For journalism jobs, there were big monthly increases in job losses from the month before at periods coinciding with the close of a quarterly financial reporting periods.

News media, including newspapers, broadcast and digital, have shed 35,885 jobs since Sept. 15, 2008, according to Unity's tracking report. The great majority of jobs lost -- 24,511 -- were in newspaper and other print journalism, Unity said.

Since Unity began tracking job losses on Jan. 1, 2008, the news industry has shed 46,599 jobs, it said. Job losses were occurring at a fairly steady rate of about 1,000 a month starting in January 2008, and then accelerated, in December 2008 when 7,398 job disappeared, Unity said.

"The news industry has been hemorrhaging jobs long before the economic crisis began last year," Unity Executive Director Onica N. Makwakwa said. "These numbers confirm that the economic downturn has hit the news industry very, very hard."

Unity's Layoff Tracker project uses data from Securities and Exchange Commission filings, plus self-reported data from 1,101 print and broadcast media outlets. It includes jobs lost by attrition as well as by layoffs and buyouts.

Thanks...

2009-09-22T17:08:00.000-07:00

Some kind words from Tom Visocchi, the Art Director at Denver Magazine :

I wanted to take the time to thank you for working a extra hard for me this month. I really appreciate the efforts you make which -- makes my job easier. The photograhy in October is going to really shine.
Thanks!

--
Best Regards,

Tom Visocchi
Art Director
Denver Magazine

I have been working with him lately on the upcoming October 2009 issue featuring industry awards for Best Chefs in Denver. Results are secret so I can't give anything away but once it hits newsstands I'll post a couple of images. Tom is great to work with and it's refreshing after so many years in newspapering when people will actually stop to take the time to thank you especially considering how busy he is at the magazine.

The issue should hit newsstands around the first of October.

Recent work...

2009-09-22T16:58:00.000-07:00

Last week I was called by both a NY newspaper and Getty Images to cover the ongoing investigation of Najibullah Zazi, an Aurora, Co. airport shuttle driver, suspected of being involved in a terrorist plot along with his father Mohammed Zazi. Both men stand accused of lying to federal investigators about "a matter involving international and domestic terrorism" — charges filed after a cross-country investigation into an ill-defined plot to detonate explosives.

On Wednesday and Thursday of last week I was out in Aurora at his home and downtown at FBI headquarters in Denver waiting for the pair to arrive with their lawyer before being interviewed by Federal authorities. It was the usual media circus because of all the attention the case started to garner and our opportunity for photos was limited but I managed to squeeze out a handful of images from the brief appearance.

Authorities have yet to charge Zazi with anything more than lying to investigators but he is currently in custody at the moment. Something about the case doesn't sit right with me as Zazi hasn't exactly acted the part of a guilty man. He agreed to media interviews at first and showed up for three days of questioning at the FBI until being arrested. If anything I feel as though he's a small fish in a much bigger pond at the moment. Maybe we'll know more once details are released but currently the Feds are looking to seal many of the details of the case under the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act.

Denver Magazine September 2009 Issue...

2009-09-11T10:46:00.001-07:00

For the September 2009 issue of Denver Magazine I photographed rookie Colorado Avalanche head coach Joe Sacco. Sacco, 40, played in the NHL for a number of years and was promoted from the Avalanche's American Hockey League affiliate, where he coached the Lake Erie Monsters the last two seasons. Being the offseason for the Avalanche our location possibilities were a bit limited, the ice at the Pepsi Center was covered for a concert and the training facility south of Denver isn't great for photos. Tom Visocchi, Denver Magazine's art director, and I decided on the Avalanche's locker room at the Pepsi Center. Upon arriving we discovered that there wasn't much in the locker room either in the offseason so I needed to make it somewhat interesting in a hurry. I decided to gel a couple of gridded lights in the team's colors on the background and empty lockers - a down and dirty solution but still effective.

I've photographed a number of athletes over the years while at the Rocky Mountain News and while freelancing (even met O.J. Simpson alone in a room one time years ago while photographing Warren Moon and lived to speak about it - can't say I'm a big fan even though the Bills are my favorite team as many of you know). Hockey players and coaches have always been the easiest and most pleasant to deal with (baseball being the worst in my opinion followed closely by football players and coaches). Not sure if it's because most hockey players grew up in small towns in nowhere Canada and have managed to remain humble for the most part or if it's a general media friendly approach by the NHL hoping to garner a larger fan base here or what but I have to say Sacco was easy to work with and friendly to boot.

We chatted about hockey and his career playing in the NHL for Toronto, Anaheim, the New York Islanders, Washington and Philadelphia. I told him I was sure I probably saw him play as a child going to see the Buffalo Sabres play at the old Aud in Buffalo, NY. We reminisced as well about some of the old arenas throughout the NHL as opposed to the current ones that tend to lack much of the character and history that the older ones possessed.

Sacco will have his work cut out for him with the current crop of Avalanche players, names like Forsberg, Roy and Sakic have been replaced with Svatos, Budaj and Duchene, but he seems up to the task. I wish him well this season unless they're playing the Sabres!

Newsweek Ted Kennedy Double Truck...

2009-09-03T12:11:00.001-07:00

So I get a call from Life Publications the other day asking about an image of Ted Kennedy from the Democratic National Convention in Denver that has my credit and PSG listed as the source. They'd like to use it in a special edition chronicling the legacy of Ted Kennedy. Great I'm thinking but who is PSG and how did they get my images?

An old college friend of mine Warren Winter syndicated some of my work last year from the DNC under Rapport Syndication so I called him first to ask if he knew who PSG was...He says yeah, it's me! Things change quickly nowadays and I knew he was breaking free from Rapport but I hadn't even realized he'd changed the name of the agency to Press Syndication Group. So no harm, no foul as I was kinda miffed that someone was potentially out there selling pictures of mine without my knowledge or consent. I often wonder these days in a completely digital world if it happens more often than most photographers realize or not...It's not easy to track down photo usages around the web and even more time consuming searching and requesting that unauthorized usages be removed. It is a brave new world for sure but thankfully this one worked out just fine. My first double truck in Newsweek...Thanks Warren! (BTW - It was the bottom image but I thought I'd include another of Kennedy that I really liked as well)

Wrecked...

2009-08-27T13:35:00.000-07:00

Just happened to come across this today while looking for something else...I don't know about you but I can never see enough crash footage whether on a snowboard or mountain bike. The wreck around 3:30 in the clip is spectacular and worth the wait. Enjoy!

Mountain Bike Crashes

Ok, one more I have to add...You may have seen it but well worth a return engagement.

Bike Jump Gone Wrong

Contests...

2009-08-24T13:56:00.000-07:00

So I've entered a few photo contests lately that are at least in part based off of a popular vote. I'm hoping that anyone out there reading could spare a moment and throw a vote or two my way. Here's a link to the contests I entered:

The Tower Insider Downtown Denver photo contest (click on the vote tab in white)

Warren Miller's Session 60 snapshots contest

The Cutest Dog competition (It's of Tanner, laugh away but Margaret put me up to it! He is pretty cute and hey I'd take $1 million)

Wish me luck!

Truth in Photojournalism...

2009-08-18T16:49:00.000-07:00

From a New York Times story by Larry Rohter:

After nearly three-quarters of a century Robert Capa’s “Falling Soldier” picture from the Spanish Civil War remains one of the most famous images of combat ever. It is also one of the most debated, with a long string of critics claiming that the photo, of a soldier seemingly at the moment of death, was faked. Now, a new book by a Spanish researcher asserts that the picture could not have been made where, when or how Capa’s admirers and heirs have claimed.

In “Shadows of Photography,” José Manuel Susperregui, a communications professor at the Universidad del País Vasco, concludes that Capa’s picture was taken not at Cerro Muriano, just north of Córdoba, but near another town, about 35 miles away. Since that location was far from the battle lines when Capa was there, Mr. Susperregui said, it means that “the ‘Falling Soldier’ photo is staged, as are all the others in the series taken on that front.”

What's the saying - "The more things change, the more they stay the same". Highly publicized and debated cases of photojournalists digitally manipulating photos, including Brian Walski a former L.A. Times photographer fired for compositing two images together into one during the Iraq war in 2003, have caused many in general public to doubt the veracity of what they see in print anymore especially in the digital age. Everyone knows how easy it is to manipulate an image in Photoshop these days but what many don't realize is that manipulation of the truth apparently pre-dates the days of digital. I went to school at Western Kentucky University and it was always impressed upon us to never alter a situation or "set-up" a photograph. I still remember a couple of cases of students who were caught doing such actually being forced out of the Photojournalism program. Unfortunately human nature being what it is and the competitive nature of media these days I've been in more than one or two situations over the years while working in newspapers that weren't exactly completely honest representations of reality. The trend especially lately has been to control the media and coverage as much as possible...If you're looking for a recent example just check out how the media is covering the health care debate. I just read yesterday that more than a million dollars a day is being spent by large corporations (guess who?) to oppose health care reform. I'm sure that at least some of the supposed angry opposition is on the payroll of those large corporations yet the media seems to be buying it hook, line and sinker. I'd certainly like to see a bit less superficial and made for tv coverage of this topic but I'm sure that won't drive ratings quite like a good old fashioned shouting match.

It's certainly disheartening to hear that some of the supposed great works of photojournalism aren't even real but it certainly is a lesson in not always believing in what you see or read. Unfortunately I think much of what we do see and read nowadays is driven by a hidden agenda and requires at least a degree of scrutiny. Buyer beware!

Molecular Gastronomy...

2009-08-09T10:52:00.000-07:00

In the most recent Denver Magazine that's on newsstands now I had the opportunity to photograph Ian Kleinman of O's Steak and Seafood at the Westin in Westminster, Co. for a piece written by Stacey Brugeman on the art of presentation. Kleinman has been mentioned many times by Westword restaurant critic Jason Sheehan for his unusual techniques and artistry in the kitchen termed "molecular gastronomy". On the day I photographed him Kleinman was working with liquid nitrogen to freeze porcini mushroom foam and an aquarium to create saltwater bubbles to pair with a lobster crepe. It was definitely an interesting food shoot as the liquid nitrogen gave off a hazy smoke as it evaporated and a small plate holding the foam hovered mid-air suspended by a magnet...It was part science experiment/part dining experience.

Kleinman believes in the entertainment value of the food and dining experience and his plates definitely reflect it. He said he likes to challenge people and make them think adding that he feels many people take it much too seriously saying that it needs to be fun. Kleinman offers up a tasting menu at O's and has a blog found here.

Reno - Flagbear - Deadman Ride...

2009-08-04T09:54:00.000-07:00

Reno - Flagbear - Deadman Ride 2009 (Crested Butte, Co.) from Marc Piscotty on Vimeo.

So I've been dabbling in the world of video after buying a Canon 5D Mark II a couple of months back...It's definitely been a bit of a learning experience for me as I left the Rocky Mountain News before being introduced to any multimedia training there. I doubt I'll ever be a full-time video guy but I have enjoyed having another tool to tell a story and having another option and outlet for clients. While riding the Reno-Flagbear-Deadman trail down in Crested Butte, Co. recently I attached a small Panasonic point and shoot camera to my seatpost and shot a little HD video for a little first-person point of view of the ride. It's a great ride with some 3,500 feet of climbing over 20 miles of steep ups, fast and flowy downs and mulitiple stream crossings. Here's a link to the Garmin Connect page that details the ride and even has a player function that's really pretty cool - it's all tracked via GPS with a Garmin Edge 305 during the ride. Enjoy the video and look for more in the future!

Buffalo Gets Its Due...

2009-07-31T08:45:00.000-07:00

Anthony Bourdain has always been one of my favorite Food Network personalities (along with Giada DeLaurentis) and his book Kitchen Confidential is a great read. While up in Crested Butte, Co. recently I was surfing channels and happened to stop upon his series No Reservations in which he usually visits far off and exotic destinations taking in the local culture and food. I've always found Bourdain to be extremely entertaining and just as comfortable eating at a street stall with drunk locals as in the finest five star restaurant. It most likely comes from years of working back of the house which is always a pretty different world from what most diners see front of house all polished and nicely presented. So when this episode was focused on three Rust Belt cities that have seen better times I was intrigued...It started in Baltimore, moved on to Detroit and finished up in Buffalo...My home town.

I have very fond memories of growing up in Buffalo and much of it revolves around some of the food found no where else including Buffalo wings made famous by the Anchor Bar, Beef on Weck served at institutions such as Schwabl's and Sahlen's hot dogs (official hot dog of the Buffalo Bills!) served perfectly grilled at Ted's Hot Dogs as well as local speciality food items like loganberry, Weber's horseradish mustard, Chiavetta's bbq sauce and faschnauts. It makes me salivate just thinking about some of it right now. The closest I get to most of those memories these days are the occassional Buffalo wings at LoDo's (the Bills' bar in Denver) or Luciano's (a pizza place that is run by a pair of Buffalo ex-pats that serves up some decent Buffalo style pizza). There is also a Ted's Hot Dogs outpost in Phoenix, Az. that was always a must whenever I ended up in Phoenix for an assignment while working at the Rocky Mountain News.

Cities like Baltimore, Detroit and maybe even more so Buffalo are more often the punchline of a joke or the subject of a news story on murder rates or urban decay. At one time Buffalo was the 8th largest city in the country, and went on to become a major railroad hub, the largest grain-milling center in the country, and the home of the largest steel-making operation in the world. It's a blue-collar town thru and thru that has seen it's better days for sure but the thing that still strikes me about Buffalo is the genuine and hard-working nature of the people. It's a 9-5 factory job and Miller High Life on bowling night kinda town (actually probably Genesee but not many outside of Buffalo get that reference). Those hard-working, hard-playing factory types tended to be recent immigrants back in the day and Buffalo had an Italian section, a German section, a Irish section and so on each with it's own food and drinking holes (BTW - Last call in Buffalo is at 4 a.m. rather than 2 a.m. as in most other areas of the U.S. This is often attributed to the historically high density of industrial facilities and the demand of second and third shift patrons). The food has always been similarly inexpensive and without pretense for the most part but I have to say that I wholeheartedly miss it.

Before I get too far off topic I need to get back to the N o Reservations episode...Bourdain let Nelson Starr, a local Buffalo musician show him around town and around some of the local dining spots I can't wait to revisit someday including Schwabl's. Bourdain said at one point that he can't understand how we as Americans have almost written off entire communities such as Baltimore, Detroit and Buffalo - allowing them to fall into such a hopeless state of urban decay after years of prosperity without so much as even a fight. I think the proud folks that have remained however take up the cause and wear it almost as a badge of courage. Starr has even started a show of his own called All-Access Pass on truebluebuffalo.com that will feature some of the unique Buffalo food items and institutions. While we'll always be known for wings there really is so much more to the story and the No Reservations episode only covers the tip of the iceberg.

I have always been proud to call Buffalo home and the Bills and Sabres will always be my teams no matter where I live and I honestly can't wait to go back this fall to take in a Bills game along with some Beef on Weck, a few Ted's dogs and maybe even a few wings!

If you're interested in sampling any of these items you can order directly off some of the links above or check out buffalofoods.com

UPDATE : So we have plane tickets and seats (above) at "the Ralph" for the Oct. 11th game versus the Cleveland Browns (talk about a battle of beat-downs!)...It's been probably 15 years or more since I've been home and both Margaret and I are so looking forward to this trip. We did Green Bay last year to take in a Packers game (her team) and this year it's my turn to show her a good time...Buffalo style! Check back mid- Oct. for an update ; )

Crested Butte Land Trust Wine and Food Festival...

2009-07-23T10:40:00.000-07:00

So I'm back in Crested Butte, Co. for the Crested Butte Land Trust Wine & Food Festival to do some more photo and video work as well as do a bit of riding. I shot the inaugural event last year and love the town for all that it has to offer from mountain biking to Kochevar's (probably the best bar in Colorado in my opinion!). Last night riding home from Kochevar's on our cruisers we literally bumped into a 300+ lb. black bear...Luckily I think he was more scared of us than we were of him but where else does something like that happen?

The festival kicks off this weekend with numerous tastings, seminars and the wine makers trails event which combines a ride on a local trail with a winemaker and finishes with an outdoor gourmet picnic. It's an idea I pitched to the event's organizers and one that I think holds a lot of promise to make for a truly unique experience.

One of the winemakers (The Lange Twins) from the event has posted a link to some of the photos from last year on the winery's blog. I'm looking forward to meeting Joe Lange and the rest of the winemakers this weekend. If you're looking to escape the heat of the city this weekend and take in some great wines as well as some mountain biking or hiking come on down...There's still some tickets available.

Keep Smilin'...

2009-07-14T10:11:00.001-07:00

A little while back now I got a call from the marketing manager at Park Meadows Orthodontics in Lone Tree, Co. Bridgette Owens wanted portraits of Dr. Anil Idiculla and his staff in their new modern offices just south of downtown Denver, Co. We set up a time to meet and talk over the project with Dr. Idiculla and I knew right away this would be a bit more interesting than the normal doctor's portraits. They said right from the start that they wanted something a bit outside of the norm and not quite as stiff as most of the portraits of doctors and orthodontists that you typically see out there.

They actively sought my advice on the images and what might work best and were a lot of fun to work with on the day of the shoot. I've waited to post anything until the new additions to their site were up and running but I think it always makes a huge difference in the quality of the imagery when the subjects are willing to have fun and loosen up just a bit during a shoot. Their motto in the office is "Live Life Smiling" and as you can tell we definitely tried to get some big smiles out of everyone over the course of the day. I shot with a combination of softboxes and ringlights on the job for a mix of both traditional and more modern lighting techniques.

Thanks to JoseFudes.com for the design on the site and recommending me in the first place. I've worked with him as well a few times now and always had a good time and produced some good work together.

Denver Magazine's Favorite People...

2009-07-09T21:38:00.000-07:00

Denver Magazine has been keeping me fairly busy lately with some interesting assignments and I'd thought I'd share a few spreads and images from the July 2009 issue that's on news stands now. I shot a series of portraits of some of Denver Magazine's favorite people and some of the things they enjoy about living in Denver, Co. - everything from food to fun to fashion. A link to the piece can be found here.

I photographed eight different people (actually seven because Champ Bailey of the Denver Broncos wouldn't agree to commit a photo shoot - pretty typical of athletes these days!). Anyway I was able to meet and photograph child actor Chloe Nosan, Cherry Creek clothing store owner Max Martinez, chef extraordinaire and friend Jennifer Jasinski, Colorado Attorney General John Suthers, entrepreneur and businessman Jake Salazar, local entertainment legend Hazel Miller and Alice 105.9 morning DJs BJ, Howie and Erica. All of them were great as subjects and I had a blast on a couple of the shoots including laughing and trading Kentucky stories with Hazel Miller (she grew up there and I went to school at WKU - small world!).

Thanks again to all the subjects for the time and to Denver Magazine Art Director Tom Visocchi for the assignment and making it look good in print.

Enough already...

2009-07-08T10:31:00.000-07:00

So I'll be brief but I have to get this off my chest...Enough already with the silly Michael Jackson tributes and coverage. It's way over the top at this point and really starting to grate on me...Hell I even find myself singing Thiller or Billy Jean in my head all of a sudden because I'm hearing it 24/7! Before his death when was the last time you ran into a Michale Jackson fan? He's actually better known recently for his skin bleaching and questionable relationships with little boys (If you want to see something scary take a look at how he changed over the years here). He's suddenly being painted as a saint even after having to pay $15 million to a 14 year-old boy in 1993 to settle a civil suit to settle child molestation charges leveled against him. Luckily I was out riding my bike yesterday during the televised tribute so I missed the whole thing. The whole deal is admittedly tragic on so many levels for so many people involved with the King of Pop but let it go already, the media needs to move on - there's so many bigger and more important stories out there! Ok, I feel a bit better now ; )

Yumm...

2009-07-03T14:53:00.000-07:00

As I said when I first started this blog I've always considered myself somewhat of a dichotomy (I know big word for little 'ol me)...Able to appreciate a pork tenderloin and glass of syrah as much as a White Castle and a Miller High Life! One look at the contents of my iPod and you'd see much of the same...Everything from ABBA to Kings of Leon to Led Zeppelin. I try to never conform to any stereotype and always keep it interesting. But I digress so back to the pork tenderloin...I wanted to share this recipe that I made recently on our annual canoe trip down the Rio Grande. It's a crazy and uninhibited float down the Rio Grande in southern Colorado and northern New Mexico. I've tried to make something different and delicious every year that can be cooked over an open flame (ie. campfire). I found this recipe for Chipotle Citrus Marinated Pork Tenderloin at simplyrecipes.com and thought it was great for canoeing or camping (just toss it all in a zip-loc). The recipe comes originally from the Sacramento Bee article on Bill Niman of Niman Ranch. So this Fourth of July weekend grab some pork tenderloin, stoke up the campfire and get out there before the summer slips away!

Chipotle Citrus Marinated Pork Tenderloin Recipe

Ingredients

2 pork tenderloins, about 1 pound each, halved crosswise
1 cup orange juice
6 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
6 cloves garlic, smashed
2 shallots, chopped
2 dried chipotle chilies, crushed into small pieces with your hands
1 tablespoon olive oil
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
3/4 cup chicken stock
2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro

Method

1 Trim the tenderloins of any excess fat and silver skin. Set in a small nonreactive baking dish.

2 Combine the orange juice, lemon juice, garlic, shallots and chilies in a small bowl and stir well. Pour over the tenderloins and let sit for 20 minutes at room temperature.

3 Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

4 Heat the olive oil in a large, ovenproof skillet over medium-high heat. Remove the tenderloins from the marinade, reserving the marinade. Wipe the tenderloins dry with a paper towel and season with salt and pepper. Add to the skillet and cook, turning as needed, for 4 to 5 minutes, until evenly browned. Transfer to the oven and roast for 12 to 15 minutes, until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the center reads 140 degrees. Remove skillet from oven and transfer the tenderloins to a plate and cover loosely with aluminum foil to keep warm. Remember that the skillet handle is still hot after you put the skillet on the stove top. Use oven mitts or cool off the handle with ice.

5 Pour the marinade into the skillet and add the chicken stock. Bring to a boil over high heat and cook for 8 to 10 minutes, until reduced and thickened. Pour through a fine-mesh sieve into a bowl.

6 Cut tenderloins across the grain into thin slices and arrange on a platter. Drizzle sauce over top and sprinkle with cilantro. Serve.

Per serving, based on 4 servings using lean pork tenderloin and low-sodium canned chicken broth: 328 cal.; 48 g pro.; 6 g carb.; 11 g fat (4 sat., 6 monounsat., 1 polyunsat.); 147 mg chol.; 469 mg sod.; 1 g fiber; 4 g sugar; 32 percent calories from fat.

The end of Kodachrome...

2009-06-22T15:59:00.000-07:00

From an AP story off the web:

Kodak has announced today that after 74 years, Kodachrome slide film will no longer be manufactured. To honour Kodachrome's retirement from their film lineup, the company has posted a slideshow of pictures shot with the iconic emulsion and taken by Eric Meola, Steve McCurry and Peter Guttman. An Associated Press story notes that retail supplies of Kodachrome are expected to be gone by the fall of 2009.

Kodachrome had a terrific run. Seventy-four years to be exact. Oddly enough, two unemployed jazz musicians concocted Kodachrome - one of the most complex film processes ever created - in the bathtub of the apartment they shared during the Great Depression.

It truly was just a matter of time as everything is becoming digital these days from televisions to phones to books - it's a digital world that we live in now. Sometimes I'm floored by how far we've come even in 20 or so years...I think back to my childhood (I'm 38 now) and am amazed when I pick up my iPhone and e-mail someone from street corner and realize that I couldn't even have fathomed that as a child of ten - hell we thought Pong on an Atari or Intellivision was about the coolest game ever and a mobile phone was the 20 foot cord you bought at the local Radio Shack so you could talk in the family room instead of the kitchen! Crazy to think where we might be in another 20 or so.

I shot my fair share of Kodachrome back in the day and it was a beatiful emulsion but as I said I haven't exposed a frame of film in probably six or seven years I bet. Maybe I'll go into the basement and find the last frame I shot on a roll of Kodachrome and post it as a tribute. At any rate, take a look through some of the images (especially the Steve McCurry ones) - they're each a glimpse of times going by. RIP.

Teva Mountain Games Photo Competition...

2009-06-11T16:07:00.000-07:00

For anyone out there following sorry it's been a bit since I've updated but it seems as though I've either been riding or working (actually working more so) every day the past few weeks and it hasn't left me a whole lot of time for updating. I actually was up in Vail, Co. for the Teva Mountain Games last week taking in the games and competing in the photo contest that runs in conjunction with the event. I was lucky enough to win it last year and hopeful to place again this year - you can see the portfolio of images I won with last year at the above link and I'm posting my three entries for this year above as well. I unfortunately wasn't able to cover the entire weekend's worth of events because of jobs back in Denver on Saturday and Sunday but was able to take in a few interesting comps and practices. I've missed the mud run and mountain biking events both of which would be fun to shoot and I'm sure make for some good images but hopefully next year I'll get the chance.

There are some great world-class athletes up there and after having covered so many professional athletes in Denver it's refreshing to know that even as talented as they are it hasn't gone to their heads like so many football, basketball and baseball players. I talked with a number of the athletes on various venues and all of them were super cool to deal with and some were as interested in the photo competition and what I was doing as I was in their events. So overall a big thumbs up to the athletes down there...We could surely use more of that attitude and less of what goes on with many of today's superstars.

I've actually thought of competing myself in the mountain biking race at the Games but after seeing all the lycra and spandex up there the day before the race I'm not really sure it's my thing, I'm more of the baggy shorts and beers in the parking lot after a good ride with friends type 'o guy. I've been afraid that if I start racing and getting competitive about it that somehow it'll kill the joy I currently get out of it. I may end up trying it at some point this summer and see how it goes...I'll let you know.

Nuggets rollin'...

2009-05-04T22:52:00.000-07:00

Since leaving the Rocky Mountain News I haven't been shooting much sports anymore, I used to cover my fair share of Broncos, Avalanche, X-Games, the Winter Olympics and the like. While I still shoot the occasional University of Colorado or Broncos game it rarely makes economic sense to invest in the long lenses and other gear needed to really do it right considering you're lucky to pull in a $250-300 day rate on most game coverage. Some picture agencies operate solely on spec shooting...Enough young or part-time photographers are so hungry to shoot sports and be on the field that they'll shoot the events on their own time and expense on the hopes of selling some of their work and letting the agency take 50 percent (pretty standard cut industry wide). Because of this and more I haven't really pursued much sports related work since leaving but recently got a call from Rick Wilking, a Reuters staff photographer in Denver, Co. who's been recovering from shoulder surgery, asking me if I could help out in covering the Denver Nuggets in the NBA Playoffs. I quickly agreed and shot Game 5 of the Nuggets vs. Hornets series and am shooting the first two games of the Nuggets vs. Mavericks series as well.

I've always been a casual Nuggets fan (I know I'm a sucker for any team that loves to disappoint!) so I thought this should be fun to cover a few games and take in some of the excitement surrounding this current roster of Nuggets. Jumping back into the deadline wire service work after being out of it for a few years is a bit of a shock to the system at first but I was lucky enough the one Sunday game to have Rick there helping out by transmitting for me...What a luxury when all you have to worry about is shooting! At any rate I guess sports shooting is a bit like riding a bike - I picked it back up fairly quickly even though I still feel a bit rusty. I did notice though that I'm making a few pictures now that I wouldn't have before while working at the Rocky because I know they never would have seen the light of day. I guess I was missing out on the fact that I should always be shooting to show the world what and how I see. I tried concentrating on two of the Nuggets players that have seemingly captured the collective imagination of Denver in Denver's own Chauncey Billups and Chris "Birdman" Andersen, a reclamation project in Denver that's still playing like every game could be his last and a fan favorite. I've attached a few examples up top. Enjoy and look for me on the baseline Tuesday night!

First Denver Magazine cover...

2009-04-27T09:08:00.000-07:00

I recently shot some men's wedding fashion (tuxes, boutonnières, accessories and such) for Denver Magazine, one of the two major city magazines in Denver, Co. I've been working for them a lot lately but had yet to make the cover...Until now. One of the images from the take is the May 2009 cover of the magazine. One of the hardest things for me since going freelance after leaving the newspaper has been the lack of immediate gratification that was so prevalant in the newspaper business. You'd take a nice image one day and the next it would be plastered across the front page of the paper for everyone to see. Nowadays I may shoot something and never see it in print because it's for a publication halfway around the world or for some company's use internally. At any rate it's still a bit of a rush to see your work in print, on the cover or not.

A little bit about the shoot also - We worked on two locations at the Oxford Hotel in downtown Denver and St. John's Cathedral in Capitol Hill. It's been a little while since I've shot fashion and after talking with the art director I learned that I'd met the male model (Thierry Inghilterra of Maximum Talent Agency in Denver, Co. ) while photographing a store that he and his wife own together. He was great to work with and the funny part is I had no idea he modeled until that afternoon. Also present that day was Denver Magazine's Wendy Ledwitz and art director Tom Visocchi, a true pro and always willing to help out any way he can (thanks for all the help and work along the way); fashion stylist Brittney Smith and hair and makeup artist Jeffery Fernandez. It was the first time working with both Brittney and Jeffrey and I have to say that I was impressed by both of them, easy to work with and both very competent and professional. Overall it seemed to be a good crew and everything went pretty smoothly.

At first we had talked about converting the cover image to black and white or maybe sepia or selenium toning it so I ran a few Photoshop actions on an image as examples. After Tom and the editors took a look at them they actually decided on a cross processed action that mimicks the old fashioned look of cross-processing. I used the KevX-process combo action from Kubota Artistic Tools v.1 and like the overall effect it gives the image.

Hopefully this is the first of many future covers for Denver Magazine.

Ten Years for Columbine and me...

2009-04-20T22:38:00.000-07:00

Yesterday I got a call from Getty Images news side desk at around 9am asking me if I was available for a last minute assignment...I immediately knew they wanted me to pull something together for the ten year anniversary of the shootings at Columbine High School. I'd been surprised that I hadn't gotten any calls before this to be quite honest almost half wondering if the news value of the worst school shooting had faded in ten years. After having photographed Frank DeAngelis, the school's principal not too long ago and knowing I was coming up on ten years in Colorado myself I was a bit hesitant to stir up all the memories of those first days in Denver.

I had been called up immediately to Denver to help out after taking a job at the Rocky Mountain News a day before the shootings occurred. It was a dizzying and strange introduction to a city and state that I have truly come to love. Those first days and months here weren't always pleasant, the "media" became an easy and acceptable target in the time following the tragedy - sometimes deservedly so with decidedly underhanded tactics by some. Those days eventually faded and even the newspaper I worked for then is now gone but what remains are the reasons that that brought me here and the reasons I've stayed. Just Sunday I made my way up to Arapahoe Basin, hiked the East Wall and dropped in to two plus feet of fresh powder all the time taking in scenery that looks like it's jumped off the pages of a National Geographic Traveller spread. Sometimes I'll be out snowboarding or mountain biking and the light will be just right or an elk startles me from around a corner and I just have to stop take it all in...No camera...Just a moment in time that I have all to myself. It may be selfish on my part or it may just be the reason I live where I do. While Colorado will forever be inextricably linked to Colorado I hate to see it painted in such light and I've had a tough time marking the best decision I've ever made with such a terrible tragedy.

I took the job and headed down to the Columbine Memorial in Clement Park adjacent to Columbine High School. It was another of those absolutely perfect Colorado spring days and whispy clouds dotted an otherwise deep blue sky, they were striking enough for me to use them multiple times in photos. I photographed one woman as she gazed up into the clouds atop Rebel Hill and after taking with her gathering caption information she told me she was looking for a cloud formation that had taken the shape of an angel that she saw on her way to the memorial. While not really the type that would see an angel in the clouds or the Virgin Mary on a piece of toast for that matter what she said still struck a cord with me. The emotions are still there right below the surface even ten years later. People cried, hugged, read aloud the names of the victims and left flowers. In some strange way it almost even feels like there was a bit of closure for me as well, I haven't thought much about those early days since then - too much grief and sadness to keep rehashing it especially after being down there so much right afterwards. Time eventually heals most wounds, even the deepest.

I know the images will be picked up numerous places around the country and I'm honestly glad to have gone back to the place it all started ten years ago on a beautiful spring Colorado day and be reminded why I'm here and why I do what I do.

Columbine...Ten years later.

2009-04-06T10:15:00.000-07:00

Not too long ago I had opportunity to meet, talk with and photograph Frank DeAngelis, the principal at Columbine High School, for the ten year anniversary of the deadliest high school shooting in history. The tragedy at Columbine will always be a poignant and memorable anniversary for me as well seeing as I actually hired at the Rocky Mountain News the day before the actual shooting. On Monday April 19th, 1999 I accepted the job as a staff photographer at the Rocky Mountain News and on Tuesday April 20th 1999, Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold walked into Columbine and killed 13 people and wounded 23 in the Littleton, Co. high school. I can still remember turning on the television and seeing the news that morning and then getting the call later that day to pack up my car and drive up to Denver from Albuquerque, N.M. where I had been working. I was up there later that evening and was immediately thrown into the fray.

The emotions were raw and resentment for the media grew daily as some of the out-of-town outlets pulled some questionable and underhanded tactics, from sneaking into funerals to lying and deceiving to get what they wanted. While journalism has always been a competitive field with everyone always hoping for that big scoop I had never seen at it this level and quite honestly some of it was kind of sickening. I've always felt that you treat every subject with the same amount of respect you would expect if you were in their shoes - obviously not everyone else in the profession feels the same. Part of the problem anymore is that "the media" can encompass everyone from the New York Times to Extra television to The National Enquirer - just a bit of a difference in standards I'd say.

At any rate, I can remember a lot of criticism at the time directed towards DeAngelis and the staff at Columbine - a lot of rushing to judgement and looking for someone to blame which shouldn't come as a surprise in modern day America as we're always looking for a scapegoat. He endured a lot of criticism and shouldered a good deal of blame and from what I could tell came out stronger for it all. After spending about an hour and a half with him and seeing him interact with a handful of students and staff in the hallways I have to say that I walked away impressed by his strength in the face of adversity and his sheer will to overcome what may have been the toughest situation ever - and not only that he's still there at Columbine going strong after much of his staff has turned over or moved on. People like DeAngelis are what still drive me to do what I do, I would never have had the chance to actually meet him and talk with him were it not for my job. It's definitely allowed me to see the world in a different way than most and for that I was always be thankful.

I still can't believe it's been ten years already - in the meantime we've seen some tragedies eclipse Columbine like 9/11 as far as numbers are concerned but Columbine will continue to be a memorable and somber moment for me for many reasons.

Not just newspapers struggling...

2009-03-30T11:23:00.000-07:00

Amid the constant barrage of bad news about newspapers and magazines I got the following e-mail a couple of days back from Brian Miller, the CEO of WpN (World Picture Network), a picture agency out of NYC :

Dear WpN Photographers,

I am writing to alert you that WpN will stop taking on new assignments in the next few weeks. Beginning today, we are telling clients that they should contact you directly for all assignments to be shot after April 17th.

WpN is another victim of the severe economic downturn, along with most of our clients and many of you. Our assignment revenue has dropped dramatically in the last five months and it simply does not make financial sense to continue supporting the losses we are sustaining with no improvement in sight.

I should note that image sales from our archive, both direct sales and those through our Network Partners, have been less impacted by our clients’ budget constraints. I would encourage you to leave your images with us on a non-exclusive basis. I have always felt that “more eyeballs means more sales,” and many customers know to come to our website or to our Network Partners for your images. The amounts may not be life-changing, but any sales that result are found money for you.

Rest assured that you will be paid on all completed assignments as clients pay us, and you will continue to be paid on all image sales on the same basis.

I do not know what the future will bring for any of us individually or for our industry, but I wish you all the best. I hope you are able to weather the storm and continue to use your considerable talents successfully for many years to come.

If you have any questions or concerns, fee free to call or email:

Brian J. Miller, CEO
World Picture Network LLC
62 White Street, #3W
New York NY 10013

I had been doing a fair amount of work for various magazines and newspapers around the world for them in the past and really enjoyed working closely with Todd Cross, one of the picture editors there. I had a sinking feeling about WpN though lately as I had noticed the amount of assignments had fallen off dramatically - probably no big surprise though as newspapers and magazines alike are cutting back as much as possible because of revenue shortfalls (trickle down economics at work all the way to the contributors). At any rate it's a sad day for me as I've enjoyed working with WpN and I truly hope that all the talented folks there are able to find work in this tough economy. This is now the second agency I've worked with that has closed in the short two or so years that I've been freelancing in Denver, Co. It's amazing how fast things change these days and proof positive that even as a freelance photographer you have to remain adaptable to this ever-changing marketplace...I'm hopeful I can find another picture agency to work with in the not-so distant futre.

Alice Water's Edible Schoolyard...

2009-03-16T17:13:00.000-07:00

How many times in school did you sit there thinking, "Why do I have to learn this? I'm never going to use it again in my life!". I know I did more than once and I've learned that I was right for the most part. Why learn the square root of 361 (it's 19 btw) or Pythagorean's theorem (don't ask, I don't remember)...Anyway isn't that what wikipedia or the iPhone is for anyway? Well I was flipping around the channels last night after the NCAA selection show when I caught Alice Waters of Chez Panisse in Berkeley, Ca. fame. She is a vocal advocate of eating locally produced foods that are in season and has introduced the Edible Schoolyard program at Martin Luther King, Jr. Middle School in Berkeley. I was fascinated watching the segment thinking where was this when I was in school? And better yet why aren't we doing this everywhere?

In the spring of 1995, an abandoned lot adjacent to the school was designated as the garden site. Landscape architects, chefs, gardeners, and teachers were invited to share their vision of a garden where students would participate in hands-on learning. Twelve years later, the acre of land is lush with seasonal vegetables, herbs, vines, berries, flowers and fruit trees. The kids worked the soil, planted and harvested various vegetables and fruits and finally prepared recipes with much of what was grown. Science lessons are incorporated into the entire process and best of all the kids were exposed to a whole world of fresh fruits and vegetables that they most likely would have never tried otherwise (many of them confessing that fact for the cameras). Childhood obesity has skyrocketed lately as fast/junk food replaces anything that could even be considered halfway healthy. The idea looked to be a win-win for everyone involved and considering it's been around almost 15 years now I can't believe it hasn't found a home anywhere else yet. Waters did close by saying she hopes to convince the Obamas to replace the Rose Garden at the White House with a vegetable garden!

Great Performance...

2009-03-12T12:35:00.000-07:00

For anyone who hasn't seen it yet here's a link to a great set of portraits entitled Great Performers in The New York Times Magazine : http://www.nytimes.com/packages/html/magazine/20090205-great-performers/

It features portraits of Kate Winslet, Mickey Rourke, Brad Pitt, Sean Penn, Penelope Cruz and others all shot by Paolo Pellegrin of Magnum. Pellegrin is winner of many awards, including eight World Press Photo awards, numerous Photographer of the Year Awards, a Leica Medal of Excellence and many other awards. I'm sure he'll garner a few more awards with some of these portraits, some are really a joy to look at.

Dining Out Cover...

2009-03-08T20:11:00.000-07:00

I'm going to try to post a few of the things I've been shooting here as well since I doubt the two or three people reading this ; ) know all that I've been up to recently. Margaret often doesn't know what I'm up to and we live together! Anyway, I shot a cover for Dining Out in Denver/Boulder a little while back and just found a copy of it yesterday and thought I'd share it with everyone. It was a bit of a challenge because the publish multiple editions across the country and as a result have a cover template that features a square photograph. It's a bit difficult for most photographers to think square unless you're used to shooting Hasselblad regularly but I was pleased with the way it all came out. Pick a copy up the next time you see one in a restaurant, they're actually pretty handy when you're looking for someplace new to try.

T.O. and the Bills...

2009-03-08T11:00:00.000-07:00

Well like I said this blog could cover a bit of anything and I feel compelled to write a few words on the Buffalo Bills signing Terrell Owens to a one-year $6.5 million dollar deal. I'll put it out there right away for everyone to see...I'm a huge Buffalo Bills and Buffalo Sabres fan...Always have been, always will be. I grew up in Buffalo - about a hard-luck and blue-collar town as there is in America. It's an easy target for most of the rest of the country to make fun of and crack on but for those of us that grew up there we wear our heartache for our sports teams as a badge of courage. The Bills have been to four Superbowls losing all four including the infamous "wide-right" loss to the New York Giants, a pair of trouncings by the Dallas Cowboys as well as such other memorable moments as the Music City Miracle and more recetly close to ten years without a post season appearance. Not to be outdone, the Sabres have been to the Stanley Cup in 1999 losing in triple overtime in Game 6 on a goal that should have been disallowed because the Dallas Stars' Brett Hull was in the crease when the goal was scored. So being a fan of any Buffalo sports team comes with its fair share of disappointment and ridicule but we all share in the common knowledge that we're not some fair-weather band waggoners looking to jump on the hot team of the moment...We're true fans.

The signing of T.O. is a bold, almost desperate, move by the Bills. Not exactly the kind of thing they've been known for recently. The team has been owned by Ralph Wilson Jr. who is 90 years old and was just voted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Rumors have been swirling that once he's gone the Bills will be sold and relocated because his heirs have no interest in running the team. The Bills have already been playing games in nearby Toronto which has fans concerned. I think this signing was as much about the need to create a bit of excitement and buzz around the team and fan base as it was for the need for another receiver to take some of the pressure off of Lee Evans and Trent Edwards, their young quarterback. At first I hated the signing of an ego maniac such as T.O. but the more I think about it I'm actually on board with it. I think Owens will keep his mouth shut and play (he's about out of options if he screws this up) and play well...If he does the fans up there will love him (there are no more loyal fans in the league than the Bills' fan trust me). If the whole thing implodes and he takes the team down with him, coach Dick Jauron gets fired (as many Bills' fans were hoping for this year) and Owens is gone as well and we start rebuilding yet once again. Like I said it's a bold move and I think nothing but good can come of it...But I've been wrong before. At the very least it should make for an interesting season and I should get the chance to see the Bills on t.v. a bit more this year!

Saving newspapers...

2009-03-02T11:51:00.000-08:00

From a story on Google News :

"NEW HAVEN, Conn. — As sharp revenue reductions put the future of many U.S. newspapers in doubt, one idea gaining attention is the conversion of newspapers into tax-exempt non-profits supported by large endowments.

Although viewed by many as a long shot at best, such a radical change could be a saviour for the industry and its vital role in a democracy.

That's why the endowment model is drawing renewed attention as newspapers impose massive layoffs, scale back home delivery and make other drastic cuts to counter plunging advertising revenue amid a recession that has compounded struggles from the migration of readers to the Internet.

David Swensen, who managed one of the world's largest endowments as chief investment officer at Yale University, said endowments "would enhance newspapers' autonomy while shielding them from the economic forces that are now tearing them down."

"By endowing our most valued sources of news we would free them from the strictures of an obsolete business model and offer them a permanent place in society, like that of America's colleges and universities," he wrote in a recent opinion piece in the New York Times.

But first, the idea must overcome skepticism from the very newspapers that stand to benefit. Critics say endowments also could beholden newspapers to their large donors, and giving newspapers tax-exempt status could restrict them from endorsing candidates and running editorials on pending legislation.

On a more practical level, skeptics question whether the millions and millions of dollars needed to create such endowments could be raised during the worst recession in decades.

Four newspaper companies, including the owners of the Los Angeles Times, Chicago Tribune, the Philadelphia Inquirer and the New Haven Register, sought Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in recent months, while the Rocky Mountain News published its last edition Friday. Newspapers in Seattle and Tucson, Ariz., are threatened with closure if buyers aren't found, and the San Francisco Chronicle also faces closure or sale if it can't slash expenses."

There had been talk of bailouts for newspapers at one point but the idea was pretty quickly rejected by most publishers and editors in order to avoid any conflict of interest questions. This idea seems to pose a much more viable option for saving the industry despite some major obstacles to implementing it. Something surely needs to be done sooner rather than later.

You will be missed...

2009-03-01T12:06:00.000-08:00

As many of you may know I was a staff photographer at the Rocky Mountain News for almost eight years before leaving the newspaper to freelance in Denver, Co. I still have many friends that worked there so when news broke in early December that E.W. Scripps (the company that owned the Rocky Mountain News) was putting the newspaper up for sale my heart sank. In the current economy finding a buyer for a newspaper is next to impossible as witnessed by Scripps earlier attempt to sell the Albuquerque Tribune (another newspaper that I worked at for almost seven years). After a year Scripps was unable to sell the paper and closed it down leaving the entire newsroom without jobs and forcing some great journalists into looking at relocating to stay in the field or into career changes.

Well it happened again, Scripps abruptly pulled the plug on the Rocky Mountain News announcing Thursday that Friday's edition would be the last for the financially struggling newspaper. I was actually out on another assignment for USA Today when I got the call from the news editor at Getty Images asking me to cover the event. I had mixed feelings right from the start because even though I had left willingly and for good reason I certainly didn't want to see this happen. Newspapers are like big extended dysfunctional families and the reporters and photographers in that newsroom are like brothers and sisters to me still to this day. I took the job however and headed right over to the paper to shoot a press conference, cover newsroom reaction and later that evening head out to the printing plant to cover the final edition (complete with a 50+ page special section chronicling the newspapers' almost 150 years of existence) coming off the presses. In close to 20 years of shooting I've never covered something this personal. You often see and experience a lot as a journalist but most of the time with at least a degree of separation and even though I'd been gone for two years to the day this really hit home. I shot pictures and consoled former co-workers almost simultaneously all the time feeling a huge sense of loss not only for friends losing their jobs but also for journalism and even the greater good of the community. Journalism and the press have long been referred to as the Fourth Estate serving as a watchdog for the public interest and to see an institution like the Rocky Mountain News or the Albuquerque Tribune crumble and disappear so quickly scares me. There may come a day when newspapers don't exist...Many are already predicting it.

This was now the third newspaper that I've worked for that has ceased operations (the other one being the Nashville Banner which closed in 1998 well before the economic upheaval we find ourselves in) in my short career. I'm not sure what the future holds for newspapers and journalism but I do know that we'll be much worse off if they aren't around. Think about that the next time your at the newstand.

A link to some of the final content (watch the video, it's powerful) : www.rockymountainnews.com

Here goes nothing...

2009-03-01T11:39:00.000-08:00

Well after debating the merits and worth of a blog for probably a year now I've decided to go ahead and give it a shot. I've long wondered what makes some people think anyone else would possibly care what they have to say on some issues and why with our already hectic lives and crowded media landscape they would devote time to actually reading what they've written. I hope to keep most of what I post interesting, timely and topical...Ranging from some of my interests such as mountain biking and snowboarding to food and cooking to travel and exploring to what I do for a living - photography. Sometimes maybe even two or more of the above mentioned intersecting in fun and creative ways. Along the way hopefully you'll gain a little insight into what it is that gets me out of bed each morning. Enjoy!