"They say that nobody is perfect. Then they tell you practice makes perfect. I wish they'd make up their minds." - Wilt Chamberlain

A slower pace is what I associate with trips to the deep south. For me it’s a welcome change when I am visiting my retired in-laws near Lafayette, LA (the childhood home of my Mother-in-law). One evening while driving with my five-year-old son Wes, we happened upon a game of street basketball near the campus of USL (University of Southern Louisiana). The game suggested anything but the aforementioned pace. Arms flying about, the squeaky sound of soles on worn pavement, and a flurry of ball handling captivated us both. I pulled out my camera to grab a few frames as Wes sat beside me.

Editing the images weeks later I am reminded of the sights and sounds -- the rhythm of the players interspersed with the empty metal gong from a missed attempt; a court tired and worn-surely to have been replaced in most other parts. The experience altogether nicely summarizes what I look forward to when traveling to this part of the country; unpolished living that may lack in luster, but as a result makes living seem all the more richer.

Setting out well before daybreak we aimed the nose of our vehicle in a North West direction and hours later arrived at the Red River, crossing over to the city of Fargo, ND. The motivation behind the early morning road trip was a piece for Business Week featuring the financial practices of a local couple. Before heading over to the location my assistant and I decided to take a quick drive around Fargo. Downtown in the middle of Broadway a tall structure of steel and lights stood suspended spelling out its namesake as a stoic reminder that the iconic 1926 art deco movie theater is alive and well eighty-three years later. Much like the theater, Fargo gives the impression of a city full of hearty, hard working folks, living in the northern heartland.

"Animals are such agreeable friends - they ask no questions, they pass no criticisms." - George Eliot

As you may recall from previous posts I photographed two dog shows for Purina via Colle+McVoy near the beginning of this year. At long last, I received several of the final print ads featuring imagery from the Palm Springs, CA show. I'm always curious to see the final ads and how the images were worked into the campaign as a whole. On that note, I am very pleased with how things all came together - concept + design + imagery. The project was right in line with my desired approach; working "off-leash," if you will, roaming alongside the A.D. amidst one of the most visual backdrops I've been hired to shoot against.

Thanks again to Colle+McVoy and Purina for bringing me on for this; great people (and dogs) all around.

Ever since traveling to Vancouver in 2003 on a month-long bicycle journey ferry hopping through the San Juan islands, Vancouver Island, and eventually the city of Vancouver, my wife Michelle and I have anxiously awaited a return visit.  Here we are some 6 years later with our son Wesley (looking like a seasoned travelor amid the tarmac) as well as my step-daughter Jessica.  A highlight was the Dr. Sun Yat-Sen Classical Chinese Garden.

"Run hard, be strong, think big." - Percy Cerutty

In the early morning light a lone runner sets out across an unforgiving landscape. The crew and I worked to capture the intensity of a serious runner in action set amid varied urban landscapes. The test was originally scheduled for early October, but due to the nature of both projects and inclement weather it was continually postponed. November and October seem to have traded places here in Minneapolis, and with a stretch of ideal fall weather, we hustled to get the running shoot back on the schedule. To broaden the post-shoot possibilities, we invited a video crew comprised of Jules Ameel and Alex Horner to gather matching film content alongside the stills I was gathering. It was great partnering with these guys and I'm anxious to see what the final merging of medias will yield.

Once again I cannot say enough how collaboration both renews and inspires creativity. Check out the “archive” section of the website to see additional imagery. Thanks again to the talent and the crew who were a part of this project.

You may have heard I've recently partnered with Paula Gren Representatives and couldn't be more pleased with this collaboration and the road that lay ahead.

"Paula Gren Representatives is a boutique agency representing some of the top US lifestyle, location and portrait photographers. Established in 1997, the company has produced print ad campaigns for clients including: Nike, Bank of America, US Army, Pfizer, Novartis, AT&T and Visa. The company has offices in New York, Boston and San Francisco."

I look forward to continually refining my work while tapping Paula's insight and experience. In addition to an award winning roster of photographers, Paula offers a truly fresh approach to matching creatives with photographers.

Things have been moving forward nicely and I look forward to a continuation of this on an even broader level. Take a look at their new site and follow the the daily haps via their "hype" link...

I was pleased to learn of another visit to Memphis last week - this time shooting at the Target House for Target's RED Magazine via Minneapolis based Little & Company.

Looking for something a bit different from the typical Beale Street haunts our Memphis based assistant, Peter Budd, recommended we check out Ernestine and Hazel's. A building of this vintage in a legendary city such as Memphis was certain to have a story or two within the walls. Through conversation with locals we learned the bar and grill has weaved in and out of Memphis history as a bar, a dry goods store, and in a more notorious fashion a brothel. Aside from the sordid past of Ernestine & Hazel's, which I'd highly recommend visiting with camera in hand, we discovered an interesting location just a few buildings down. A single flood light revealed a former store front turned grassy vacant lot with the remains of an old tile floor peering through. It seemed a place worthy of unpacking the tri-pod for a few shots including a self-portrait.

Thanks once again to Peter Budd for his work behind camera as well as his after hours role as unconventional tour guide. I always welcome a chance to learn a bit more about the "deep" in the deep south.

This week has a trip to Fargo N.D. in the works for an editorial project. Will work to tap the visual eccentricities a bit closer to home this time, something "deep" other than snow...

Following up on the previous post, our second stop for the National Marrow Donor Program (NMDP) took us to the heart of Philadelphia with Temple University's Head Football coach Al Golden. We met at the teams office near campus then took to the weight rooms and field with the coach and players. A video crew interviewed Coach Golden about his involvement in organizing and participating in NMDP drives for new donors. Following in the footsteps of Villanova's head coach Andy Talley, Coach Golden has been instrumental in promoting donor awareness among his athletes and the African American population at Temple.

This week has us off to Memphis for another shoot for Target via Minneapolis based Little & Co.

"What do you think when you hear the word “church?” Whatever comes to mind, we can guarantee that Atlanta Metropolitan Cathedral (AMC) will revolutionize your definition." - Bishop Flynn Johnson-Pastor

Flying out of Minneapolis on a recent Saturday afternoon bound for Atlanta, GA I was gearing up for a shoot for the National Marrow Donor Program (NMDP). Our first leg began Sunday morning, a sermon at the Atlanta Metropolitan Cathedral featuring Bishop Flynn Johnson and a full house of the reverent. It was an experience beyond expectation, another amazing one to add to the people / places my camera has provided access to. As I traveled the aisles, weaving in and out of pews, within arms reach of the vocal talent up on stage, the cathedral was electric with energy; the congregation on their feet, arms out, intensity from beginning to end.

As the Bishop Flynn Johnson said in the quote above, my definition of "church" has been revolutionized. Flynn has been instrumental in recruiting many in the congregation to donate bone marrow. The African American population has traditionally been under represented in the NMDP's registry.

Stay tuned for an additional post from this project for NMDP which after Atlanta took us on to both Philly & Richmond.