Let it Snow

And it did ... for the better part of a day and a half. Largest single snowfall in December for the Washington metro area. My friend James was in town from LA. I don't think he has a coat. A jacket maybe but not a coat. He does live in LA after all. He also doesn't have boots or gloves. It snowed long enough for us to shovel his car out 3 times before it was all done.

.

The Melt

Lot of snow yesterday. Lot of melting today.

Lisa and Jeremiah's Engagement Pics

I had the privilege of shooting my friends Lisa and Jeremiah's engagement photos a few weeks back. Great looking couple. Here are a few of the photos.

NYC and Architecture

In most cities I am drawn to the architecture of the buildings. I don't know what it is I just really enjoy the various architecture. Which tends to lead to hours walking the streets taking it in. My recent trip to NYC was no different. I walked and looked. Then I walked and looked some more. Occasionally I took a few pics. 100+ blocks in one night. Thats a record. Architecture is a different type of creative expression but extremely artistic none the less. The variety of architecture in NYC is tough to beat. The big with the small. Old and the new. Classical vs contemporary. Challenging to photograph and capture what it is that is so alluring. I took a few pics in NYC and tried to capture some of the uniqueness of its landscape.

Aloha 2009

My good friend Dave and I went to Hawaii a few weeks ago. Spent 3 days in Waikiki and a week in Kauai. Great time. Truly as close to paradise this side of heaven as I could imagine. Surfing was the focal point of our daily agenda and the Lord hooked us up with about all we could handle. By the last day my shoulders clearly said "no more" and I caught my last wave of the vacation (and likely the next 6 mos). We rented the largest longboards I have even ridden in Waikiki (10'4") and had a blast riding the small swell there. What wasn't enjoyable was the exhausting 300yd paddle out to the break that this desk jockey had to endure. But I was sure happy once I got out to the line up and soaked in the landscape of Waikiki beach. The condo where we stayed in Kauai was on Poipu Beach where the paddle out is a little shorter and the waves a little more exciting. As was the reef awaiting a little inside if you ventured too far. The water there is so clear that while sitting on your board you can see clear to the reef below. It looks 3 ft deep but was a good 8ft or so. Occasionally a sea turtle will surface for a breather and then dive down deep again. The natural beauty of Kauai is magnificent.

Here are a few pics from the vacation.

Charleston, SC

I visited Charleston, SC a few weeks ago. Beautiful place. I think the more accurate term is "charming". It was "charming". The people too were "charming". The smells down by the market were not "charming". A cross between raw sewage and horse manure. If this is what old money smells like I don't want anything to do with it. Besides that I am a big fan of the city and look forward to hopefully visiting it again one day. Here are a few pics.

Fun times in the OBX

Recently I returned from an annual trip to the Outer Banks of NC. The weather on the front end and back end was great. In the middle it was a little suspect. Strong winds made the surf unrideable for a few days. But come friday, the winds shifted to offshore and it was pretty sweet. There was a double break - one way out and one closer in on friday. My friends Dave, Spiker and I found ourselves all alone in the lineup out past the pier with clean 1-2' overhead barrels moving quickly by. It was a beautiful setting that I will not soon forget. Here are a few photos from the week.

Party at the Zoo

I recently took pictures of my friends John and Patricia's daughter Valerie's 3rd birthday party at Reston Zoo. That's right, somewhere between suburbia's standard landmarks of starbucks, pizza hut and kinder care they put a zoo. We've got an Apple store and a zoo. Reston is finally on the map.

This is why we have screens

Bull Frog

Spotted this little guy in a drainage gutter by the lake.  Actually not that little...

Panama April '09

I'm three months late on this (thanks Chops for your patience!)  In April four of us headed to Panama for what has turned into an annual surf trip.  Each spring for the last couple years a few of us have gathered and headed south for some international adventure and waveriding.   It has become one of my favorite times without fail - year in year out.  It's typically a last minute trip, done on the cheap, no frills and with limited planning.  Full of great fellowship, relaxation, surfing, a lot of chicken, butchered spanish and surfing. Panama was no different.  

Panama has a lot to offer.  Tons of coast line - Caribbean on one side and the Pacific on the other.  Warm waters, nice swells, friendly locals and its still low on the tourist scale especially when you compare it to its neighbor to the north - Costa Rica.  We saw very few americans while we were there sans the BB owners where we stayed and the owner of Chachos who was from VA Beach!   What Panama doesn't have is surfboards.  We typically just rent them in country to save from flying them and its never been a problem.  Surf shops galore.  Not so in Panama, at least on the pacific side.  However, we did luck out in finding Flor (who taught lessons at the resorts and rented boards in the town of Paolmar).  Major score.  Oh, and she completely killed it in the water.  By far smoked any of us surfing.  Hey - but she LIVES there.  I bet I can beat her in...umm...rush hour driving skills.  She not only had a variety of boards but her little house/shop was right on a killer right point break.  So, while the locals had to park way down the beach in town and walk to the point, us gringos rolled up in our rental corolla and were given parking rights in her side yard.  We walked with big smiles right out to the break.  

We surfed the right point break called Paolmar Point everyday.  It was one of the most predictable and best shaped waves I've ridden.  Consistently chest to head high and a clean right shoulder.  4 days of surfing and I never rode a single left!  So unfair but whose complaining.  Very finicky waves that only work on at very specific times depending on the tides.  So while the point in these pictures is flat at medium tide for about 3 hours every day it goes off.  And everyone comes out of the woodwork to surf it.  

One of my highlights was breaking this guys fin off his board when I sort of dropped in on him. I'll save you all the details but we walked into town together to get the board fixed - he spoke as much english as I spoke spanish.  After he was done being mad we had some good laughs and we went our separate ways (me back out in the water, him not so lucky).  

Here are a few pics.  Sorry none while the point was kicking.  Too busy.

My Summer Job

This summer I've spent a lot of time at weddings.  I've listened to the hottest DJ hits.  Tasted the finest cakes.  Learned the freshest dance moves.  I've picked up a summer job (to compliment my full time corporate gig) assisting my buddy Garrett shooting weddings.  It's been a huge blessing working with someone like Garrett as I learn the ropes of wedding photography and sharpen my chops.   Garrett has mad-skills when it comes to photography.  We have been working well together and really have a good time doing it.  Our goal is simple - to try to capture the essence of the moment and tell the story of each of these unique celebrations.  The goal is simple.  Achieving it is the challenge.

Since I am hired by Garrett he owns all the photos from the wedding - whether he took them or  I did.  So you won't see any of the photos on here but you can check them out on his website.  Earlier this summer we shot Michelle and Brandon's wedding in Poolsville, MD and then Kim and Kevin's wedding in Annapolis, MD.  Last weekend we shot a wedding in Chantilly, VA  and the weekend before one in Erie, PA and one in Annapolis, MD.  Those pics to come later.  This picture above is after a long days drive to Erie and then a night at Meghan and Jeremy's rehearsal dinner at the lake. We were waiting for a ride.  This is how photographers amuse themselves or something.  

For more of Garrett's wedding photography check out his website.

The Buffet Line

Caught this guy treating the flowers like a buffet line.  

Lydia's Dedication

My friends Mike and Kelly dedicated their daughter Lydia to the Lord Jesus Christ yesterday at McLean Bible's Loudon campus. I snapped a few photos.  

The Rockies

I made a quick trip to colorado last week - namely breckridge and vail.  It was nothing glamorous - out on monday and back on tuesday.  But it was some sweet road time traveling through the rockies.  I got hooked up with a free rental upgrade to a convertible mustang which made the road trip that much  more pleasurable.  Wish I had brought some sunscreen.  Not a lot of time for pics but here are a few.  

Tahoe

I recently had the pleasure of visiting southern Lake Tahoe.  I find it hard to believe that a place could be so beautiful and yet be so far from an ocean.  (Though they do have a beach and a lot of water so maybe that's what does it).  The drive from S. Tahoe back to Reno is pretty spectacular as well as you descend through the ponderosa pines of the Sierra Nevadas into Carson City.  I plummeted about 2500 vert feet in 8 mins, winding through the mountainside; no need for the accelerator and guard rails of no use.  Here are a few pics.

Weekend Wedding in PA

Last weekend my friends Julie Lose and Bradley Blinn (collectively they form The Blinns) got married in State College, PA.  I had the pleasure of assisting a fellow photography friend (Vithaya or V for those who roll w/ him) shoot the wedding.  Great wedding, lots of friends from church in attendance and as merely the photographer's assistant, no pressure.  Here are a few pics.

 

BBQ #2

An impromptu BBQ at haines point, DC on saturday.  Started off a little short on a few things like a grill (but we got one last min)  and utensils (harlo saved us later on that) - so until then a hand served as a plate, a frisbee as a cutting board and your shorts as a napkin. Props to chefs that kept the burgers, dogs and chicken artichoke sausage? flowing.  

Saturdays are for BBQing

My friend Madeline had a housewarming BBQ yesterday.  Madeline used to live in Burke.  Madeline now lives in Fairfax.  Madeline upgraded.  Some would call it 'moving on up'.  She now lives 20min closer to everything and everyone.  Way to go Madeline.  

More from LA

Only in LA do you get a gold sequin wallpapered excaliber... and nobody else seems to notice.

Work Travel takes me to socal

Last week I went to LA, Newport and Palm Springs for work.  Couple of pics I snapped along the way.  

Capitol Records building in hollywood

Some pics from Newport

dinosaurs in the desert

Nothing like eating your burger king under the belly of a brontosaurus

Spring springing in my yard

Hiking Last Sunday

Hiking last sunday in Great Falls, Md.  Rick leading the way.  Well, sort of. 

Blogging Day 2

Second day of blogging.  How exhilarating.  

I decided to create a blog primarily as a way to share photographs and update friends and family from time to time on my day to day goings-on.  As a photographer I greatly enjoy capturing the beauty of God's creation and the uniqueness of each and every moment.  For those around me this can probably be pretty annoying from time to time.  If you have ever vacationed with me you have likely had to wait as I "pull over real quick" or hang around while I snap off a few more pics.  I think most put up with it with the understanding that they too will benefit from the pictures when they get back home.  In the past this has been a bit of a challenge but this is where this blog comes into play.  So, this is the place to see pics going forward and maybe a few pics from the past.   I also plan to post pics from some of my random weekly travels.  Come back often, I plan to update regularly.

Now I have blogged

I'm only about about 5 years behind but I am now officially a blogger.  Let's see if I post anything after today.