A Box Of Chocolates

Sometimes i think I'm a little like Forrest Gump; totally oblivious but with good intentions.

wocka wocka wocka

I'd Like To Buy A Vowel

My good friend Joe and I bat around T-shirt ideas every now and then. Usually we just have fun thinking of stuff and it never comes to fruition. But a few months ago I got a Fedex from Joe and had a good laugh at the newest addition to my wardrobe. So I wore it today and thought it would make for a good light hearted blog post. Thanks Broseph!

P.S. Joe is the mastermind behind the design of my website and logotype. Check out his design projects here: waves

Back From A Sweet Photo Assignment

Every once in a while I'll get a photography assignment that i can't believe i'm actually getting paid for. Well, I just got back from another one in that catagory. This was with Outside Magazine for a new publication they're producing called Outside's GO. It's basically for people who want to go on really cool adventures and want the inside scoop on where to go and what to do when you get there. Sign me up!!!

I need to wait until it's published in late summer to show the photos or go into detail about the assignment, but it involved going to Owens Valley and the Eastern Sierra's for a few days. It was so beautiful up there but really hot too - like right near 100 degrees in certain areas.

We got to stay at this really cool place near Mammoth Lakes called the rock creek lodge. It's at about 9200 ft. elevation in the Sierras and is a hot spot for trout fishing in the summer. It felt so good to get out of LA and breathe that mountain air.

So here's some snapshots - and be sure to check back in a few months for the final images!

Me taking a picture in the Alabama Hills:


It was great to have my good friend and uber adventurer Taylor come and help with the shoot. Taylor is a very talented photographer and writer himself so be sure to check out his site and his blog. Here's Taylor checking out the situation at mono lake. Thanks Taylor!


Me being a dork at mono lake:


If i could be any animal i'd be a bird. If i could be a bird i'd fly around mono lake like this one:


location scouting / off-roading:


And finally my trusty honda element getting nice and dirty:

Titanium White

This Actually Happened

I'm not going to give much detail, but, as the title says, this actually happened to me today.

I get a phone call (caller I.D. shows a local LA #):

ME: "Hello"

OTHER PERSON: "Who is this?"

ME: "Excuse me?"

OTHER PERSON: "Who is this (sharply)"

ME: "Um, Who is this?"

OTHER PERSON "Is this a private residence?"

ME: "I'm sorry but I'm not going to answer that unless you tell me who you are (needless to say, i did not say this very warmly)."

OTHER PERSON: Hangs up. Dial tone.


Freaky, right? Well, I sort of let it pass until tonight when it got dark and of course it seemed more creepy to me. So I decided to do a little internet search of the phone number just to make sure it didn't come from "assassins 'r us" or something like that. So after paying a small fee (at this point, I HAD to know) I found out who it was.

You wanna know who it was?

Well, i'm not going to say, exactly. I'll just say that it was the CEO of one of the biggest movie production companies in Hollywood. Like this person has definitely produced LOTS of really big award winning films. Not only that but it's their home phone # in Beverly Hills.

So basically, to summarize: Big film producer mistakenly calls young unknown aspiring filmmaker who tells him off.

sounds like a movie....

A Quote

"Don't ask yourself what the world needs. Ask yourself 'What makes me come alive?' and go do that. Because what the world needs is people who have come alive."

I initially wrote down this quote from Frederick Buechner on a napkin about 7 or 8 years ago, and somehow it has survived in my mind. I think it speaks to me and probably many people at my stage in life who are trying to figure out what the heck to do with ourselves, and how to have a positive impact in the world.

So often i find myself thinking the misguided thought "If I enjoy doing this, it must be selfish." The reality is actually the opposite: it is selfish to keep from the world the gifts and passions i've been given. It sounds like something out of "The Screwtape Letters."

P.S. I think the immediate connection is to career stuff, but i believe there is a good application to this theme in all life decisions.

May I Be Weaved In Your Hair

If you know me well or have taken a ride in my car with the ipod plugged in, you know that Iron and Wine (Sam Beam) is my favorite musician. A little over a year ago (i think) I was actually given the opportunity to shoot a portrait of him for Risen Magazine. After making the portrait but before the article could be published, the writer of the piece quit the magazine and took the copyright to the story with her. So the story, and therefore the portrait, has gone unpublished and has been sitting on my hard drive ever since. It's one of my favorite portraits that i've shot, so i figured at least i'd share it with friends who visit my blog. I think i'm liking this blogging thing...

Oh, and one of the coolest parts was Sam's T-shirt selection. The stylist had about 10 different shirts for him to choose from and he went for the plain green/gray urban outfitters basic tee, which, again, if you know me well is one of my personal faves.

To go along with the portrait, i've added Iron and Wine's music video for "Naked as We Came" over in the music video section. Sam directed it himself.

Go buy as much of his music as you can.

Good night -

One of the cool things about living in Hollywood...

Is that some really amazing things could be in the process of being created right next to you and you wouldn't even know it. Case in point: The "house" that's right next door to my apartment.

Along with being on one of the upper floors, my apartment is at the very end of the building. When i'm on my balcony drinking beer, given a fairly strong westerly wind, I can spit over my railing and hit the roof of that "house."

That "house" is also called "Sunset Sound Studio."
Led Zepplin first recorded Stairway To Heaven there (and the entire IV album). The artist lineup is amazing. Some of my faves:

Miles Davis
Louis Armstrong
Rolling Stones
James Taylor
Tom Petty
Van Halen
Smashing Pumpkins
Bob Dylan
Weezer
Elliott Smith
Fleetwood Mac
Art Garfunkel
Beck
Red Hot Chili Peppers

Check out their site for a little music history: www.sunsetsound.com

I wonder who's down there right now! I'm going to go spit.

short girls give the best hugs

just an observation. thats it. goodnight.