Happy Halloween!...

Saw this at a Halloween store on the Sunset Strip in Hollywood a couple weeks back.

My first set of wheels...

I've always wondered why I have such a fascination with things that have wheels. I'm still not really sure, it's probably a boy/guy thing.It does look like I got an early start though... Here I am, on my 2nd Birthday, getting ready to tear it up on my new tricycle while hanging on to my favorite toy car.

I did it...

For just over 18 years I've been eligible to vote in this great country of ours, and for just over 18 years I've chosen to slip under the radar and remain a non-participating member of society in the whole political scheme of things. With that in mind, I've had to do my best to bite my lip whenever I've had complaints about the way things are going around here and there's been a few slips that I never had the right to let happen.

Well... all that has changed my friends. With the current state of "the way things are going around here" and the constant barrage of loving harassment from my dearest friends and fellow Americans, I've officially stepped into the ring. A couple of weeks ago I sent in my voter registration card and received my absentee ballot several days later. I did my research where I could, listened to my friends (whom I trust the most,) filled in the bubbles and made myself count!

Another reason I was moved to vote was the overwhelming push, to do so, in the Art and Music communities. With many of my friends being artists and musicians and the fact that I am a concert photographer, put me in places where I was constantly exposed to the need to vote in this election. I can't tell you how many great paintings and silk screens of Obama's face I've seen in recent months. And... with folks like Head Count and Rock the Vote at concerts and on music websites I check out, I finally came to the realization that it was time to do my part AND... except the fact that, yes... I just may get called for jury duty! Maybe I'll still try to weasel my way outta that one?

Obama art I've come across, made by people creating-for-change...

by Munk One

by Wes Winship of Burlesque Desing of North America

by Justin Bua

Rolling to El Mirage...

El Mirage - 2006

It's been two years since my last visit to El Mirage (which was my first) for some dry lake-bed racing. When I left to come home last time, I think I swore I wouldn't go back. On day two, the winds kicked up and brought a dust storm that created about 6ft. of visibility, so the racing stopped and everyone took cover to wait it out. Besides a mild case claustrophobia, I found myself having a hard time breathing in the air which was filled with the super-fine dust of the lake. I eventually had to find my way to the edge of the lake where the ground was a little harder and the air was easier to breathe.

The pictures were too good for the taking though, enough so that my brain has tricked me into thinking that it is OK to head back out there again this Nov. 15th and 16th for some more action. This time... I'm bringing the respirator and some goggles!

Still nothing new to report...

But... I was digging through some old old negatives looking for the first live music image I ever made to post on my concert photography blog and made another discovery. When I was first really getting into shooting I would ride my mountain bike out to Deveraux point near UCSB and shoot the sunsets, they were always spectacular over the ocean around January. On one particular visit my brother, Tyrum, was with me and whenever he was, he became my model. He was always a good sport about it, below is a shot I snapped of him that day. I was teaching myself to do silhouettes and took it using a Pentax K1000 loaded with Kodak Royal Gold. Aaahhh, the good ol' days.

One day, I could easily make "The Book of Tyrum" coffee table photo book with all of the shots I've taken of him.

Long time, no post...

Not much going on in my world of "artistic" photography right now. I've been spending a ton of time on revamping my music photography website and blog. Go see the website at... myconcertphotography.com and the BLOG you can visit here.

I have had the itch for a good road trip, which I plan to do soon. I bought a couple of old polaroid instamatic cameras and plan to only use those on the road. My other idea is to scan all of the polariods, print them digitally here at home, and... since I'm on the kick, mount them all on wood. This would probably be my next show and it will be my first where the entire things is displayed this way.

Well... until next time... whenever that may be... See ya.