Hip-Hop goes to the White House...

It's crazy thinking Hip-Hop was hardly ever played on the radio when I was growing up (unless you were in NYC). Really...I had to stay up super late on a Saturday to listen to Mad Linx on some community radio station...88.5 WMNF! And believe me, I had the cassette tape in the deck...recording!

It was sometime in the early 90's that I heard (and recorded) Common's Soul By the Pound on WMNF (thank you Mad Linx). Common was pretty obscure then...but not anymore...it blows my mind away to see a Hip-Hop artist joking and having a good time with the President (1:31 minute mark)...who would have ever thought this day would come?

And by the way, Mad Linx was so nice to let me be a guest on his radio show back in 1996...I was talking about how I was going to college to study Communications...and I wanted to go into radio. After two years of studying communications, I switched my major to Social Work...but I still have a minor Speech Communication...nothing goes as planned?

Revisiting Reylius...

I get a really strong feeling from these images...had to revisit them...

Jacksonville, FL

Reylius.

Artist & his/her tools...

The last few days I have received a few compliments for my pictures. It's goes like this --> "Those are great pictures...you must have a good camera?" Don't take offense if this was you...you weren't the first...nor the last. I bet every good (and even bad) photographer has heard this and will hear it again! But, I still want to make a point.

You're at the restaurant...you have a good meal. Do you credit the stove for your awesome food?

Great painting...you must be using some awesome paint brushes!

Wow...you jump real high...what kind of shoes are those?

Seamstress, your clothes fit so nice. What kind of needles do you use?

Michael Jordan's shoes did not make him play well...nor the Gatorade!

Bike ride from Talent...going towards Phoenix...enjoy!

Mt. McLoughlin

I mentioned in an earlier post that one of my major goals this summer is to climb to the top of Mt. McLoughlin. I've been waiting for a clear day to get a glimpse of this enormous volcano...so I can show my friends and family on the East Coast.

Goals can be scary...even intimidating...but I'll just take it one step at a time...and pray that my fear of heights doesn't dominate my desire to get to the top!

Enjoy!

Cassette Tapes & Hip-hop...

Sometimes I think that as a photographer I shouldn't talk about Hip-hop...as if it's some kind of taboo...like I'm supposed to keep it a secret that I actually grew-up on this music. But I can't help it...I love this music...it's a part of who I am...and that's not a negative thing! I'm a responsible father...I work hard...and I can deal with all kinds of people, regardless of race or socioeconomic placement. (Now why do I even have to preface this with that?)

For all of you CD/iPod kiddos...you need a little history on the cassette tape...so it's imperative that you spend the next 8 minutes getting educated!

via Rolling Stone

An image for image sake --> Modern day B-boys on the run...enjoy...

Black Butte...Shasta...

Another few shots for my friends & family back East. The family & I took a short day trip to check out the area. We drove into California about an hour or so. This is somewhere on the base of Mt. Shasta...with the town of the same name below...and Black Butte...a dormant volcano...I hope...enjoy!

"Portland is a city where young people go to retire."

I got tagged in a post in Facebook...this was the link...thanks for sharing Jason...this is pretty funny!

Goals...

Last year I decided to jot down some goals...I decided to break away from the Gary Fong "goal-less" Buddhist ways. It was pretty cool to look back and see what I have accomplished...and I wasn't disappointed with my shortcomings either - those are lessons learned...nothing lost...sort of?

√Hire Amanda Sosa Stone - everyone should!

√Create Commercial Portfolio book

√Travel to Chicago!

√Purchase 50mm 1.4 & 35mm 1.8 lens - this was crucial!

√Get work published 5 times

√Network better - yes, I think I have Social Anxiety around complete strangers...?

√Move to Oregon! Yup, that was a goal...can't believe it happened...the power of thought!

My 2011 goals are written down...I read them once or twice a week...that helps me stay focused. This years' goals are bit more detailed...I have a list of about 30 people I want to meet...amongst many other awesome goals!

Here's a few images from this past year that are for my latest promo campaign...enjoy!

Rewind...Rickolus outtakes!

Back in May, I was asked to photograph some promotional pics for Rickolus' latest album (thanks for that portrait you drew of me). Here's a few outtakes that we never submitted to the label company...I know some of you were eager to see them? Here's the actual promo pic...and the actual pic from this set that was submitted.

Outtake #1: The smoke effect wasn't exactly right...it didn't spread out evenly...

Outtake #2: Tree through the head...and the fence in the background...more smoke! Cool halo though...

Outtake #3: Lack of smoke...and the fence again. But the finger shadows are pretty wicked!

Tease...Medford, OR!

Here's a little tease from today's shoot for the cover of Revista Camino's February edition. And here's another! Thanks to Lava Lanes & Ric Donnelly for letting us use the place. The cover shot & more pics to come in early February!

You Eat What?

I think my wife found this on some website that sells shirts...sorry, I don't know what website???

Talent & frost...

Jay-Z & Warren Buffett

So I was reading Nick Onken's Blog (which I recommend all photographers to check out)...and he dropped a linkto a video interview with Jay-Z & Warren Buffett. It's a pretty good interview...and some insightful messages worth listening too.

That's my preface.

I love Hip-Hop. I grew-up with it...my older brothers listened to it...so I listened to it...(and I'm talking about Newcleus, Grandmaster Flash, Afrika Bambaataa, LL Cool J, Run DMC, Beastie Boys, etc...)! And as I got into my teens, I still loved the music. They spoke a language that I could relate to...they expressed ideas & feelings that aren't supposed to be expressed publicly (and the rebel in me loved it). Additionally, if the music didn't have you thinking, then you were smiling (Hip-Hop has a carefree vibe to it at times).

And then in the late 90's I got hooked on Reggae (and mostly because Hip-Hop went in another direction). Reggae is great...the message is strong...and the vibes just catch you and keep you!

Now as of late, some of my favorite Hip-Hop artists like Common, Q-Tip, Nas, & the Roots have recently dropped albums that have brought my heart back to the music of my youth. They have a message that I can relate to. So this goes back to the Jay-Z interview...he stated that a lot of artists go with the new thing...the trend. In his case, he keeps it real...real to his situation in his present life...hence, a 33 year old man, like myself, can relate to the music. So it's neat...for the first time in Hip-Hop we're seeing a group of guys who previously targeted a very young market, now marketing to 28-40 something year olds. To me that's pretty damn impressive and makes me so happy...I wanted to love Hip-Hop again...and I can!

God forbid this ever happens...enjoy the visuals (photographically speaking)...

Happy New Year...to my family & friends!

So I've been trying to explain the new place where I live to my family & friends...well, this sort of sums it up. The parking lot to condo we live in...with the mountains in the back. The parking lot is pretty boring...but those mountains - incredible!

Happy New Year...come visit me so we can climb the mountains together!