Life as a photographer, editor, and entrepreneur has driven me to some fabulous places and I like to document it with images, but also with words. So thank you for coming to take a peek. Welcome to my blog. Thanks for stopping by. Please come back soon to consume some more of who I am and what I do.

Sunday, January 31, 2010

Serengeti Safari - Wildlife Photography

My eyes were opened yesterday to the fact that I'm a people photographer. Even travel and real estate and product photography relates to people in such a way that stimulates that need in me. And that need is one of connection.

The majority of our team met in the lobby at 5am yesterday to venture together to the Serengeti for a safari. Three and a half hours later, we loaded on a bus and were on our way ('Africa time' means nothings 'on time').

It was a beautiful two hour ride to the national park, and I sat alone with my iPod and reflected on the week a bit. My heart swelled with emotion and appreciation for all I'd seen...I'm pretty sure I wasn't the only one processing our week...I didn't talk to anyone really but I felt my team was on the same page.

Then we arrived at the gates of the Serengeti and everyone perked up with excitement. All cameras were out and ready to shoot.

And shoot we did - we saw zebras and giraffes and warthogs and crocs and hippos and antelope and monkeys and saw them CLOSE! And it was great to see all those beautiful animals, but I was more excited to see them than shoot them. I took a few shots on the landscape that interested me, but I wasn't too interested in shooting the animals (with my camera).

So, beyond the 150km of Tanzania I saw, beyond the mental slideshow of our African week, beyond the stunning Serengeti and all of its creatures I saw, beyond the dirt and dust and Tsit tsi (spelling?) flies that our team endured together, I learned something about myself that day: I learned I need people.

I love being alone and thinking and doing on my own. But my passion is people. I need people and smiles and conversations and understanding and hugs. Photography excites me, but it only really moves me to higher places (with almost every click!) if there's connection with another human involved.

So most of our team was most excited about the animals, but I was most excited about the 18 humans on our bus.

Thursday, January 28, 2010

documentary photography - TANZANIA

I'm not really sure why I didn't think to turn on my phone earlier to do a post...sms has failed, so I just shut my bb off and didn't think about it again until today, our first day off.

It was an incredibly long journey over here to the other side of the world, and to say it's a different world over here would be a huge understatement. Honestly, I've enjoyed the primitive lifestyle, without 'basic' luxuries like phones and computers and toilets. Yes People, toilets are indeed a luxury.

We were in the Bukoba Town area until this morning when we arrived (via Lake Victoria) in Mwanza. We went to 6 different Orthodox churches and set up clinics for the local people. A couple times we made our 'facilities' out of sticks, sheets and congas (the local sarong type wraps). Literally. The Tanzanians can make anything out of nothing. They just know how to survive.

I have a whole new appreciation for a bar of soap and water...we made our clinics as safe and clean as we could, but sterile wasn't really an option. We were exposed to crazy diseases like tb, scabies, hiv, out of control infections, fungal rashes and some insane wounds. The team ended up needing me in triage, taking vitals and pertinent information before sending patients to the providers, so I saw all this stuff first hand. Hand on hand. Eye to eye. Heart to heart.

It's amazing how much communication is nonverbal. It's amazing how, despite all our differences, these Tanzanians are just like me. Really, I want to be more like them. I'll keep my shoes and running water and clean drinking water...but I need more of their patience, their drive and their love. I've seen so much in their eyes, in their communication together, in their care for one another...we are all people who need people...we are all God's creatures...

I can't wait to get home so I can share stories of these beautiful creatures with you.

Sunday, January 17, 2010

Documentary Photography - Take Off to Tanzania with Mission IS Possible Medical Team


"And so my prayer is that your story will have involved some leaving and some coming home, some summer and some winter, some roses blooming out like children in play. My hope is your story will be about changing, about getting something beautiful born inside of you, about learning to love, about moving yourself around water, around mountains, around friends, about learning to love others more than we love ourselves, about learning oneness as a way of understanding God...

It might be time for you to go. It might be time to change, to shine out.

I want to repeat one word for you: Leave.

[Leave] is a beautiful word, isn't it? So strong and forceful, the way you have always wanted it to be. And you will not be alone. You have never been alone..." - Donald Miller

We indeed, are not alone...thank you family, friends, followers, clients, contacts and all of you who have shown your support. Our team is off. We have left.

Next post will be from the other side of the world.

Thursday, January 14, 2010

Mission IS Possible - Medical Mission to Tanzania - 2010 Documentary Photography

Members of our medical mission team as well as a few other generous and giving souls met last night at St. Paul's in Irvine for our 'packing party.' We spent about 4 hours and packed 500 pounds and about $60,000 worth (retail value) of medication and supplies for our journey.

We're flying out this weekend and after about 30+ hours of travel, we're to arrive in Entebbe, Uganda. They've been confiscating meds and supplies from missionaries, so our packing was strategic last night, as we lined the bags with clothes for padding to block the sound and feel of the medication inside. Then we had to make sure each bag was under weight so that we won't get charged (gotta love our safe airlines these days), and in some cases, unpack and repack.

We also had to inventory every item packed. And for the service based business that I'm accustomed to, this was an interesting step. How do you product based businesses do it?! I suppose a seamless system and lots of organization.

After the last bag was zipped, we sat around discussing miscellaneous details and tips and pointers from the been-there-before travelers to we first-timers. I couldn't help but notice the vibrance charge the room despite our solemn discussion. We'd be sitting together in the very same fashion in Tanzania at the same time next week.

It's going to be an intense journey. I will update my blog as much as possible while I'm away.

But it's official: we're ready.












































Monday, January 11, 2010

Orange County Real Estate Photographer

Yes, I shoot real estate. Did ya'll know that?

I also have a fever. :( So this post is going to be short and sweet.

I shoot real estate. Here are some I shot today.















Friday, January 8, 2010

Lifestyle Photographer - 2010 Reflection

So over the last few days, I've stayed away from the blog because I wanted to do a post on The Decade. And maybe I still will.

But with all this pondering, I realized that I don't need a decade to end to self reflect on what happened to me and to my life and how I have grown and changed. I don't need the turning of the calendar year to determine when I should look within.

I'm reading A Million Miles in a Thousand Years by Donald Miller (great book so far) and something struck me last night...

'...he said, essentially, humans are alive for the purpose of journey, a kind of three-act structure. They are born and spend several years discovering themselves and the world, then plod through a long middle in which they are compelled to search for a mate and reproduce and also create stability out of natural instability, and then they find themselves at an ending that seems to be designed for reflection.'

I don't want to wait until the third stage of my life to reflect. I want to reflect daily! This journey is insane and I'm having a blast, and I want to learn from it all today. I want to think about all I've done right now. I don't want to wait until the end of a decade or the end of my life to think about it and grow from it. I want to do that all the time!

So, with that being said, it should be known, that I'm in heavy self-reflection mode right now. I've completed a decade of living, I've found more wrinkles on my face, I've got an open mind and an open heart, and I'm leaving for the other side of the world in just a few days. I'm READY.

And I'm thankful. I'm so blessed and so rich in so many ways. And most importantly right now, I'm rich with relationships.

My roommate and I hosted a little dinner party last month and had it catered by a private chef (ask me about him, he's amazing!) and themed our night with this thought, 'take time for kindness and fun giving, take time for friends and happy living, don't let time fly by, come spend an evening with friends.' I thought they were good images to go along with this post.

Love you all.






don't let time fly by...







Rick's wife made this amazing lemon cheesecake! mmm!

and the lovely hostess of the evening, taking a load off by the fire at the end of the night...
isn't she beautiful???