From Miami in March

A great example of CGI Automotive work. Carl Lyttle, Photographer and Lou Setchao, Art Director Designory, Tokyo, collaborated on this project for Subaru in Japan.  No cars on location, just great days in Miami capturing elements on the street to build the final images.  If I hadn't of told you at first, you would have thought these cars were real.

Calvert Investments

Highlights from a project from this spring with Think Again Media of Baltimore, MD

http://thinkagainmedia.com/calvert-investments

Subaru, Snow and Non Snow

A 2 part project in Utah and Northern California for Subaru Outback and Legacy, photographed by Tyler Gourley

Olympics Trials Photo Manager

Working with the talented photographers from Getty, SI, AP, Reuters and other agencies, capturing images from the Olympic Trials. A dress rehearsal for London in less than a months time.  Some creative techniques for getting new vantages points, Go Pro cameras set on still mode in every nook and Crany. Jamie Squire from Getty mounted a camera on the starting block and captured Matt Grevers celebration after winning the 100M Backstroke. Below is the image and a screen grab from Universal Sports Network coverage, you can see camera inside the block.

Photo by Jamie Squire, Getty Images

Screen Capture from Universal Sports Network

Continental Co-Production with New ContiUSA

The first project for production partners Continental Productions and ContiUSA is a smashing success.  A very complicated production, with many difficult locations and camera positions on a short time line and immediate deadlines and we already have 3 ads, shot, retouched and approved by the client.  I can't wait to see the campaign, it's going to be amazing.

Tim Hall brought his graphic-style landscape photography to some amazing concepts of Fred + Farid, Paris. Backed by strong production, Nicolas Billon and Continental Productions, Paris and great local crew in New York, we were guaranteed success.

Thanks to Nicolas Bilon for the artful Production Still

As I head out on Vacation with the Family ...

I leave you with a little fun anecdote ...

If you are like me, you are trying to schedule your shoot around the NHL playoffs, okay I admit I am the only one doing this and unsuccessfully I might add.  More than any another sport, Hockey and the chase for the Stanley Cup has more crazy traditions.  Here are my top 5 NHL playoff traditions;

#5 The Rats in Florida
It's been a while since we've seen the Rats in Florida, but with their win Saturday night against the NJ Devils, the Rats made their first appearance since the Panthers Cup run in 1996.  Born from Scott Mellanby's extermination of a rat in the locker room prior to the game, followed by a 2 goal night, the fans took to throwing rubber Rats on the ice.

#4 Towel Power

A sea of white towels appeared in Vancouver's 1982 Cup Run, after Roger Neilson's disgust with the referees calls in the Western Conference Finals, he waved the white flag in surrender, a towel on the end of a stick, the next game fans were handed white towels upon entering the arena and a tradition was born.

#3 Shaking Hands and Overtime (tied)

After trying to kill each other for 2 weeks, the culmination of a playoff series sees a gentlemen like handshake following there last game.

Where the regular season tie leaves fans disappointed, being settled with a quick 5 minute overtime and a shoot out to break a tie. The playoffs reward the fans by letting them play on and on until they find a winner.  Longest playoff Overtime, in 1933 Toronto and Boston played 164 minutes plus to determine a winner, that's almost 2 and a half games.

#2 Octopus on the Ice

The originator of the Florida Panthers Rats, the Detroit Red Wings Octopus thrown on the ice has an even better back story.  Back in 1952 two brothers who owned a fish shop snuck an octopus into the arena and threw it onto the ice after a Red Wing goal, the 8 legs signifying the 8 wins it used to take to win the cup prior to expansion.

#1 Playoff Beards

By fear the best tradition on all of sports, the Playoff Beard.  Upon entering the playoffs, players stop shaving until they are eliminated or win the Stanley Cup With the playoffs almost lasting 2 months you get some pretty crazy facial hair.  Fans have now joined in with the tradition even raising money for Mario Lemieux's Foundation. The origin of the tradition is unknown, but some say when the teams used to play on back to back to back nights, there was no time to shave.  Scott Hartnell and Lanny McDonald, 2 of the all time best playoff beards. Crosby .. not so much

ESPN's take on top 5 Traditions

http://espn.go.com/nhl/playoffs/2012/story/_/id/7779740/5-playoff-traditions

What makes a really great shoot?

Great Clients, Great Agency, talented photographer and hard working Crew.  Just wrapped up a week in Northern California with Tyler Gourley for  Carmichael Lynch and Subaru.  4 very long days with no complaining, Chef Randall keeps the troops motivated.

Interstate 80 Empty!

Ogawa Plaza Oakland

Green Mount Diablo

Dillon Beach