"These 'Twihards' wander, wide-eyed, down trails in the misty Hoh rain forest under giant trees festooned with moss, 'trying to see what Bella saw.” - Olympic National Park ranger, Jon Preston

Today’s post is part III in our series of previews for the upcoming launch of the website for the collaborative venture - invoko, I am pleased to share another glimpse of our Seattle experience; this time a sliver of our time spent in Olympic National Park. We were fortunate enough to hike alongside Ranger Jon Preston who described in detail the abundance of flora and fauna in the area as we strolled amid the lush environs. The area is designated as 95% wilderness and stretches 73 miles along the coastline as a completely protected National Park. I am still in awe of the vibrant greens that surrounded us - fresh scents of forest mixed with the salty Pacific Ocean mist.

Tourism in the national park is way up this summer due to the filming of Stephenie Meyer’s Twilight in the nearby town of Forks. According to a New York Times piece, “30 percent of hikers are there to immerse themselves in the Twilight landscape (and, presumably, to catch a glimpse of a vampire of their very own)”.

Ranger Preston said that he was contemplating putting together a “nature program on bloodsuckers (mosquitoes, flies and lampreys)."

Vampires or mosquitoes, it’s well worth a visit if you are in the Seattle area and can spare a day away from the city.

Hip Hop Sermons, community development programs and a diverse congregation are all pieces of Senior Pastor Efrem Smith's world. Early one morning I made my way to North Minneapolis to create a series of portraits for Outreach Magazine. Pastor Efrem Smith is one of the founders of The Sanctuary Covenant Church which began in 2003. His mission from the start, has been to unite people of all ethnicities and backgrounds into one common church. His congregation is currently over 1100 people. If you are interested in a sermon featuring "The 4 Elements of Hip Hop" (break-dancing, the deejay, the emcee, and graffiti art), check out his Wednesday night service.

"Brother Ali vow solemnly not to die while the music is still inside of me." -Brother Ali

I spent two days behind-the-scenes at The Hideaway studio in Minneapolis to document Brother Ali working on his next full-length album. "Street Preacher" is the album's current working title and it is slated for release on Rhymesayers Entertainment in the fall of 2009. The album will feature an array of live instrumentation arranged by Twin Cities' famed hip-hop producer Anthony "Ant" Davis. One of the best aspects of being a location photographer is the access given to people and places. I was able to hover in the studio with little to no constraints - shooting nearly every possible angle. Keep an eye on the "Archive" section of the website for additional Ali imagery. There will also be a future blog post that features a video edit - both stills and video captured during the time I spent.

Busy times, doing some very interesting things with some great people. I've never been more excited about what I do...

Innovation mixed with minimalist design have always set Apple apart with a premiere line of products. The opportunity to shoot for them came about a little over a week ago; a call I was obviously excited to receive. I worked alongside a San Francisco based video crew shooting every possible angle, both in front and in back of the store. Needless to say, it was a great way to spend the better part of a day. I like to think that my shooting style lends itself to a "less is more" approach when creating images. The Apple store was a great venue to explore clean lines within a monochromatic environment peppered with a variety of textures. With that in mind, I was able to capture the patrons filtering in and out of this unique space with my own view of the core of genius.

As the saying goes: "Everything is bigger in Texas," and surely the two acre, indoor, Leon Springs Dance Hall just outside of San Antonio is no exception. United Health Group hired us, the invoko team, to put together an interactive piece featuring a senior dance / social event they were sponsoring titled, “For the Love of Country.” Bolo ties, flashy belt buckles, cowboy boots and hats were the prevailing attire for the folks we encountered during the event. We were fortunate to meet an incredible array of elder “ladies and gentlemen,” with great stories that nicely complemented the existing textures of the local. Some great content (stills, video, and audio) were acquired. Texas - yes Texas…

"The gentle art of gastronomy is a friendly one. It hurdles the language barrier, makes friends among civilized people, and warms the heart." -Samuel Chamberlain

As a follow up to the initial preview of invoko on the April 24th posting, I am pleased to share another installment of the collaborative Seattle experience. Anchovies & Olives is the newest addition to the local flavor of the Capitol Hill neighborhood, and the fourth restaurant to open at the hands of Ethan Stowell. Guided by head Chef Charles Walpole, we were able to catch a rare glimpse nella cucina (in the kitchen) of the behind the scenes efforts taken to transform the catch of the day into a memorable dining experience. Stay tuned for the next preview post...

The invoko team actually spent a couple of days in San Antonio, Texas this week producing an interactive piece for United Health Group. The setting featured seniors dancing / socializing at the immense two acre Leon Springs Dance Hall. A more colorful and festive time it could not have been. I look forward to editing this work- both stills and video.

The McKnight Foundation recently announced the newest recipient of the Distinguished Artist Award 2009—Bain Boehlke. As the founder of The Jungle Theater: a 150 seat performing arts theater in Minneapolis, Bain has been a dedicated thespian, director and set designer for over 50 years. This is my second year photographing the award winner for the McKnight Foundation via Velvetpeel. On par with last year, this assignment has proven rewarding in terms of getting to know a soulful artist. The visually rich theater environment provided an abundance of visually unending options. I’m proud to say that The Jungle Theater is a cornerstone of my neighborhood and certainly one of the gems of South Minneapolis.