Because You Say I Don't Share

Foggy Tea

2012-01-22T14:25:00.002-05:00

Foggy morning drive through the tea plantations in the Rift Valley province of Kenya. In all directions, tea as far as the eye can see. Mile after mile after mile...

Colosseum

2012-01-02T19:32:00.002-05:00

4 months with no posts and two in one day! That's what happens sometimes. I took this photo in the colosseum in Rome. More photos from Rome to come...one day.

Holidays in NYC

2012-01-02T19:04:00.004-05:00

I recently spent a few days in NYC with some good friends. A lot of walking, pizza and fellowship. Not a lot of sleep. I went there without my camera:) Well, my real camera which was, uh, liberating. These taken with my android phone (yes, not all photogs have iphones) during a walk over the brooklyn bridge.

Daybreak Carnival 2011 Photobooth

2011-09-03T16:12:00.010-04:00

We were invited back to the annual Daybreak back-to-school carnival this year. Once again Dave and I setup the photobooth and we quickly found ourselves very deep in customers wanting their portraits taken. We made a poor decision when we promoted our portaits for only 1 ticket this year. At those prices some would come armed with tickets asking for 3-5 portraits to be taken at a time. We found ourselves SO deep in the weeds. Our printer ran for about 5 straight hours printing 4x6s and we were finally asked to leave by the police 90mins after the carnival ended. We had very patient customers who waited to get their prints till the very end. If we don't make some changes for next year our customer will likely defect or riot. Likely the latter. Here are a few of my favorites from the day.

morning in miami

2011-07-03T15:08:00.003-04:00

Looks like a good start to a thursday

When squirrels rest on your deck

2011-06-09T21:01:00.003-04:00

this is what it looks like

Back to CR

2011-05-25T20:00:00.010-04:00

After a two year hiatus from international surf trips, me, dave and spiker got back at it last week with a couple days in Playa Hermosa, Costa Rica. Pretty great time all around. Smoking hot during the day. Less hot at night. Reliable A/C in the room. Spacious pool. Good waves. Fish. Fish. and Fish for dinner. The buzz in the water was this large swell headed our way wednesday. "Biggest so far this year". Gee, great. The head-highs were plenty for us suburban gringos at the time. Sure enough there were some solid 10 ft bombs wednesday morning. We decided to sit the morning out. Good decision. Headed out later that afternoon for some large closeouts. Amazing - none of the locals were out. They knew where it was on. We apparently did not. Dave was abruptly launched back into shore and spit out on the sand. I lasted a bit longer but didn't fair much better that afternoon.

Not many pics this trip. Much more time just soaking in the R&R. I wish I had captured the scene on the beach in front of our hotel tuesday evening. Really beautiful. The setting sun airbrushed this peach and blue sky against the black sand beach. The sea was churning out consistent barrels and there was no shortage of local shredders showcasing their skills for all the people hanging on the shore - young and old - while the day faded into darkness. Truly cinematic. I think I own the soundtrack.

Here are a few pics.

April in NYC

2011-05-08T19:16:00.008-04:00

A weekend trip to NYC with Mike, Kelly and Dave. Couldn't have been better. When I say better I mean the fellowship and the weather and the sites. What could have been better was not having our reservation cancelled for saturday night. Or having our rebooked hotel room tell us at 12:30am that our room has a plumbing problem and they graciously rebooked us in queens. Or for the low price of $290 we could stay in times sq at the econolodge. 5 hours sleep for $290. Hey but they did have free continental breakfast so I guess it was worth it. Some pics from the weekend.

Arts in NYC

2011-05-02T19:42:00.002-04:00

Trip to NYC and a stop by the Guggenheim museum.

A Watering

2011-03-09T20:08:00.003-05:00

The Parkway

2011-03-07T21:19:00.001-05:00

Georgetown U at Nightfall

2011-03-06T22:32:00.002-05:00

Year of the Rabbit

2011-03-03T22:28:00.001-05:00

Indoor firecrackers? Chinese New Year at Fortune Restaurant.

Year of the Rabbit from kevin wiley on Vimeo.

New Day in Phoenix

2011-02-19T20:19:00.004-05:00

Phoenix Mtn Park - 2/18/11

Sunset over phoenix

2011-02-19T01:01:00.003-05:00

From Phoenix Mtn Park 2/17/11

Winter...

2011-01-31T22:04:00.003-05:00

in my book is useful for very very little apart from creating new variations of old scenery.

I have arrived

2011-01-30T18:03:00.012-05:00

Its well known throughout the photography world that you haven't actually "made it" until you have shot a 4 year old b-day party. Fortunately for me, my friends Mike and Kelly's daughter Karis turned 4 this January and I was invited to the party. Here are a few of the pics from the event.

Daybreak Christmas Store

2011-01-09T14:47:00.004-05:00

Each Christmas season Daybreak Ministries sets up a Christmas store in Lincoln Heights, DC for the parents in the neighborhood to shop for gifts for their kids. The items available for sale in the store are all donated from church members in the surrounding metro area. These items are then sold at $.10 on the dollar to the parents of Lincoln Heights. Always a great day of shopping, wrapping gifts and celebrating the birth of our Savior. This year Daybreak allowed me to set up a photobooth. Below are a few of my favs of both local kids, parents and some of the volunteers that helped out.

Kristen and Justin's Wedding

2011-01-02T15:02:00.015-05:00

I photographed the beautiful wedding of Kristen McCauley and Justin Barrante at George Washington's river home on the Potomac. It was a late November date and they opted for an outdoor wedding. Wow. The gamble paid-off as it was a picturesque fall afternoon, sunny and warm. Here are some of my favs from the day.

Kenya - Part 4 Slideshow

2010-11-28T19:24:00.003-05:00

Short slideshow of some pics I took while in Kenya. Thanks to everyone for their prayers and support.

Kenya - Part 3

2010-11-28T17:29:00.006-05:00

Kids love to see pictures of themselves. Whether in Washington, DC or Eburru, Kenya they share the same enthusiasm for seeing themselves and their friends in photos. However, the opportunity for children in the rural farms of Eburru to have a single picture of themselves to keep is unlikely. Before I left for Kenya I purchased a portable printer that also had a battery attached to it so I could print some pics for the kids while I was there. The battery was key since where I was staying had no electricity. With the permission of the teachers I arranged to take school photos of all the students on thursday and on friday afternoon at 3pm I would deliver the prints to the students so they could have their own 4x6 of themselves to take home and share with their family. Simple plan and I had all the bases covered - I thought.

I captured the images on thursday and all the kids (well most) were extremely excited to get their photos taken. Some could barely hold a smile without cracking up. The easy part was done. Now I just needed to print them. However, I failed to realize that my fully charged battery would only have enough juice for about 1/3 the photos I needed to print. I learned this about 9pm Thursday night. So, Friday AM I borrowed a small nearby generator to print out the rest. But the generator died with about 30 pics to go and I needed to head to school to lead chapel service in a few minutes. I went to school and lead service then walked to town (a pleasant 60 min hike uphill at 10k ft in the blazing African sun – details for dramatic effect) where I plugged in my printer at a barber shop that had electricity and a battery charging business on the side. However, I left my memory card with the pics in my hut. Are you kidding me? Really- so stupid. I begged for a ride on a motorbike back to my hut and then back up to town and Kurt graciously agreed. Back at the barber shop I started printing my photos. A crowd grew to about a dozen as they watched ever single image come out of the printer. We had a good laugh at the pics (most of them knew the kids) and I was on my way. I now had 1 hour to hike down to my hut, drop off my printer and walk to school to deliver the pics before the end of school. As always God delivered me with the pics right on time. This was so reminiscent of the way my life is in the US that its scary.

I gave the prints to each of the teachers and sat in while they handed them out. The teachers would announce a student, show their photo for the whole class, everyone would break out into hysterical laughing, and the student would bashfully come to the front to collect their picture. It was an awesome time. Such a simple gift that these kids really loved. One of the last images I have from the day was seeing a whole bunch of the kindergarteners walking home with their backpacks on and their photos in hand, staring at them as they plodded along.

Kenya - Part 2

2010-11-28T13:41:00.012-05:00

(Pictures from top to bottom: Three students from CBM school walking home, CBM Schoolhouse, teacher Miss Eva and her kindergarten class, two girls enjoying their lunch and Rachel preparing lunch for school)

Sitting in a field watching cattle. That's often the alternative to being in school for children in Eburru, Kenya. Education and nutrition were two major needs that Camp Brethren Ministries saw that needed to be addressed. The existing government run schools in town were not providing the level of teaching that these children desperately needed. Not to mention for many children school of any sort is not an option due to tuition fees required. In addition to education, daily nourishment for children in Eburru had become a major problem. Eburru had suffered a severe drought from 2006-2009, which in a town that depends almost entirely on agriculture to survive can spell devastation.

With the help of David's Hope International, Camp Brethren Ministries has established a school in Eburru to address the educational needs of the children they desperately needed and desired. In the past year school classrooms have been constructed, teachers hired and school conducted for over 120 kids. I spent many days at CBM school while I was in Eburru and it is remarkably similar to elementary school in America. One afternoon I sat in the 4^th grade class as Miss Eunice taught on liquids and solids. One trait that seems to transcend cultures is the desire for students to showcase their knowledge before their peers and teacher. As they reviewed yesterdays homework almost every child's hand shot up as they pleaded almost in desperation for Miss Eunice to call on them so they could share their answer – followed by a proud smile.

The school also provides a nutritional meal for every student at the school. Rachel is the “cafeteria” cook and provides lunch for all students and faculty every afternoon around 1:30pm. Much of the food is cooked via a wood burning fireplace and is typically a stew of some sort. The meals are carefully planned to ensure that they are providing desperately needed nutrients and protein. The majority of the food prepared for the students is grown on the farm land owned by CBM and one goal of CBM is to be able to provide 100% of the meals from CBM farms and animals.

Kenya - Part 1

2010-11-18T22:33:00.007-05:00

Last week I returned from a trip to Kenya. I went on behalf of David's Hope International and was serving with a local pastor and friend, Steve Njenga. It was the second time I have visited Kenya and the first time in 4+ years. Most of my time was focused around work going on in a small, rural, mountainside community called Eburru. Its situated about 3 hours southwest of Nairobi, surrounded by farm land and accessed via a single dirt road. David's Hope International has formed a partnership with Pastor Steve and a local ministry called Camp Brethren Ministries to care for the physical, emotional and spiritual needs of the children in Eburru all in the name of Jesus Christ.

I plan to share several stories and photos from my time in Kenya over the next several days via this blog. Once you get out of the traffic and pollution of Nairobi, Kenya is a naturally beautiful place from the Mountainous peaks to the friendly locals to the exotic wildlife. There is no room for the bland or nondescript. Below is a variety of sights I encountered in Eburru.

From top to bottom: Plateau in Eburru, John, flamingos migrating from Nakuru to Naivasha, starry night, bird in an old barn.

OBX-ing 2010

2010-09-20T23:37:00.002-04:00

Yep, went to the outerbanks of NC for the annual end of summer vacation. Great times. Missed hurricane Earl by a few days and with it apparently some epic wave conditions. But we had some fun times riding small swell and better times cold kicking it all week. Made a trip down to Rodanthe for a day of fish tacos at Top Dog and an afternoon at the beach. This year we rented a house that didn't model their living room furniture after San Quentin prison. It was actually pleasurable to sit on the couch. Definitely a bonus when on vacation. Below are some pics from the vacation.

Daybreak Photobooth

2010-08-25T19:40:00.016-04:00

I volunteered last weekend by setting up a photobooth at a back to school carnival in Lincoln Heights, DC. Daybreak ministries sponsored the carnival and was able to provide over 400 kids from Lincoln Heights with backpacks filled with school supplies. Alongside carnival games, rides and food I setup a photobooth and a printer and took portraits. For two tickets you got a 4x6 portrait to take home with you. There was a big turnout for people wanting pictures of themselves and family members. We had many return customers, at times perhaps too many. We got deep in the weeds when the generator ran out of gas, the printer ran out of ink and we we had to relocate by the DJ area. Our patrons stuck by us and it was hard to turn many of them away at closing time. All around an excellent day. Here are a few of my favorites.

Gohlke-Gardiner Wedding

2010-07-28T19:49:00.022-04:00

I had the privilege of capturing my friends Elisabeth and Tim's wedding in June. It was a beautiful wedding and reception in Vienna, VA. Below are some images from the day. Congrats Mr. and Mrs. G!

The Weekend of the 4th

2010-07-05T23:01:00.004-04:00

A trip into DC on Fri for a day of the arts at the national galleries and live music in the garden. And a stop by logan circle and adams morgan to top off the day. I think my favorite discovery was the B&W photo that someone printed, captioned and posted on a concrete wall in adams morgan. Cheaper than a gallery and more eyeballs for sure.

The 4th was spent out in manassas enjoying the local festivities and fireworks. First time trying to shoot fireworks. Some decent results. Below are a few pics from each day.

Nick the Grad

2010-06-29T23:05:00.002-04:00

My nephew Nick graduated from Stone Bridge HS on June 12th. Like most HSs in NoVA graduation was held in the green and gold clad arena at George Mason. They had congratulatory speeches, reflective speeches and keynote speeches. And afterward there was cake.

Hot Leather

2010-06-14T21:03:00.004-04:00

This past saturday I had the pleasure of shooting some pics for a motorcycle ride supporting Jill's House a short term care facility for special needs kids that my church (McLean Bible) is finishing up construction on. It's a remarkable facility designed to provide daytime and overnight programs for children with special needs and respite to the family regardless of religion, race or financial situation. It's an incredible picture of the church meeting the needs of the community all in the name of Jesus.

The ride - it was hot (90+) and there was a lot of leather. And denim. And black. The route covered 90 miles in northern VA commencing at our Prince William campus in Manassas and concluding at the site of Jill's House in McLean VA.

The Other LA

2010-06-05T23:50:00.004-04:00

I was in New Orleans, LA recently. I realized you can't abbreviate Louisiana (LA) without confusing people as to which LA you were in. Great place for unique architecture and culture. Decent food - if you like everything fried. Excellent live music - and you don't have to wait until 10pm for the band to come on. Incredibly humid. Here are some photos from the french quarter.

The Sun is Setting on Spring Flowers

2010-05-10T19:51:00.006-04:00

Biscuits and Bacon in WV

2010-04-28T19:55:00.005-04:00

Recently celebrated my friend Tim's engagement to Elisabeth with a dudes weekend rafting on the New River, WV. 5 hour drive to the middle of nowhere but it sure it beautiful in nowhere. We hit a couple class 3s, 4s and 5 rapids and only lost two from our raft all day. Here's a slideshow from our weekend.

Goaltending

2010-04-18T15:48:00.009-04:00

Goaltending can be the most exciting position on the soccer field ...or can be the dullest. A lot depends on the 10 players in front of you. On this particular day there weren't a lot of action photos to be taken of my nephew Nick Lowrey. But you don't need action to strike a good pose and look strong between the posts (or sit the bench).

Old ride in Old Town

2010-03-31T21:43:00.006-04:00

A day and night in NYC

2010-03-06T22:53:00.003-05:00

This past week I had the privilege of going to NYC for about 24 hours for work. I made the most of my down time with a visit to the MOMA and a few strolls through the city. I must say the MOMA is not the most relaxing art gallery I have been too. I am used to the quiet, contemplative atmosphere of the national galleries in DC. The MOMA most closely reminded me of Maceys at Christmas - but with less Paul McCartney tunes and more inspiring decorations. It was packed even late on a cold, wednesday afternoon. Very unique exhibits and the views out the windows are almost as enjoyable in my opinion.

I broke out my new point and shoot camera for this trip (yes, I am technically regressing from a SLR back to point and shoot. Next stop polaroid.) Its a pretty cool camera (Canon S90), is fully manual and fits easily in my pocket. Here are a few of my pics.

From the land of Icicles...

2010-02-15T21:30:00.006-05:00

...and sagging gutters. I think that's a good name for a retro '90s grunge band. Sagging Gutters. Anyhow, a lot of icicles these days in the neighborhood and gutters in need of repair. Did you know there is no E after C in the word icicle? Looks weird.

Photo Workshop with Hyon Smith

2010-02-07T14:17:00.013-05:00

I took a photography workshop last week with local wedding/commercial photographer Hyon Smith. Hyon is a very gifted photographer with a long list of clients from local newly weds to famous celebs to commerical publications. He turns what could be really nice images into beautiful works of art with his creative touch. His workshop was focused on portraits and lighting. These are a few of the photos I took during the class.

Hyon and his crew - always keeping it light.

Building Sprouting Branch

2010-02-07T13:32:00.003-05:00

Downtown Fairfax. Snowstorm #3 or was it #4...

Wedding: Courtney and Jerry

2010-01-03T21:42:00.004-05:00

I had the pleasure of shooting the wedding of Courtney and Jerry with a friend of mine, Connie, a few weeks ago. Modest and beautiful wedding in Front Royal, VA. It was a night wedding and the ceremony was lit only by candlelight and one incandescent spotlight on the cross. Made for a simple, yet elegant ceremony. And a healthy challenge to photograph.

Sunset - West and East

2010-01-02T14:07:00.015-05:00

Let it Snow

2009-12-29T20:52:00.008-05:00

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

2009-12-06T22:15:00.004-05:00

Lot of snow yesterday. Lot of melting today.

Lisa and Jeremiah's Engagement Pics

2009-11-26T13:56:00.010-05:00

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

2009-11-26T11:59:00.009-05:00

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

2009-11-15T22:01:00.007-05:00

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

2009-10-05T21:15:00.002-04:00

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

2009-09-25T23:19:00.005-04:00

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

2009-09-20T21:37:00.005-04:00

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

2009-08-24T21:44:00.002-04:00

Bull Frog

2009-08-23T23:04:00.006-04:00

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

Panama April '09

2009-08-13T22:47:00.005-04:00

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

2009-08-06T22:42:00.016-04:00

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

2009-08-05T22:49:00.002-04:00

Caught this guy treating the flowers like a buffet line.

Lydia's Dedication

2009-08-03T22:11:00.006-04:00

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

2009-07-15T21:23:00.009-04:00

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

2009-07-15T19:59:00.016-04:00

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

2009-06-25T21:04:00.007-04:00

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

2009-06-14T14:57:00.007-04:00

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

2009-06-14T13:31:00.005-04:00

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

2009-05-31T00:44:00.005-04:00

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

Work Travel takes me to socal

2009-05-31T00:41:00.007-04:00

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

2009-05-31T00:25:00.038-04:00

dinosaurs in the desert

2009-05-31T00:21:00.004-04:00

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

Spring springing in my yard

2009-05-16T23:57:00.003-04:00

Hiking Last Sunday

2009-05-16T23:39:00.006-04:00

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

Blogging Day 2

2009-05-16T21:58:00.005-04:00

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

2009-05-14T21:40:00.003-04:00

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