Wednesday, December 31, 2008
Tuesday, December 30, 2008
Palm Springs, California
For Christmas this year I road-tripped it with my roommate, James, to So-Cal. We had both been invited to spend Christmas with my family at my Uncle Richard's house. Since neither one of us would be heading east for the holidays, we were more than happy to oblige the invitation of my left-coast peeps.
But along the way I just had to stop and play around and take some shots. It had just snowed in the California high country so all the mountaintops were bright white, and when juxtaposed with some of the many electricity-generating windmills in the area, the scene made for some tight frames (or should I say 'wide' frames?).
But along the way I just had to stop and play around and take some shots. It had just snowed in the California high country so all the mountaintops were bright white, and when juxtaposed with some of the many electricity-generating windmills in the area, the scene made for some tight frames (or should I say 'wide' frames?).
Friday, November 28, 2008
Tuesday, November 25, 2008
Saturday, November 15, 2008
Reminds Me of the Time...
Today I was at Maggiano's Little Italy shooting a 50th wedding anniversary for my friend, Jason over at Illume Photography. And while the experience was great, I couldn't help snapping a couple frames as I left the restaurant. And here's a semi-funny story as to why:
When I was 17, I went on my first road trip of sorts with a friend of mine and his family. The city was Chicago the day after New Years 1997, and a record high temperature of something like 61 degrees had been reached that afternoon. Discarding our winter jackets, my buddy and I borrowed (stole) his parents' rental car, threw underage caution to the wind, and drove to the mall in Oak Brook.
Between parking garage burn-outs and neutral drops in a car that would undoubtedly be needing a new transmission, we stopped at what appeared to be a hole-in-the-wall Italian joint next to Saks Fifth Avenue (this should have been our first clue, by the way, as you'll soon find out).
The name of the restaurant? Maggiano's Little Italy.
Now, the combination of being both a naive teenager alone in Chicago for the first time, and the fact my friend and I were knowingly ascribing to the commonly accepted cliche of there being an Italian restaurant on every Chicago street corner, no doubt contributed to our eventual short-sightedness.
Eight years would pass before I'd finally realize in 2005 that Maggiano's Little Italy was in fact a CHAIN RESTAURANT. Blasphemy, I cried. The eatery my friend and I enjoyed in Chicago was obviously a one-off. The ambiance, food and drink too difficult to replicate on a national scale... or was it?
Enter Southdale Shopping Mall just south of Downtown Minneapolis (where I lived at the time) where, lo and behold, resides a Maggiano's Little Italy. And while it was larger and more suburbanized than its Chicago counterpart, it nevertheless confirmed the fact that the best Gnocchi I'd ever tasted was simultaneously being served in Maggiano's locations in more than 20 states.
Talk about a mindjob.
Some may find this unacceptable, and others may even go so far as to boycott this restaurant altogether due to its corporate dark side. But not me. I don't hold a grudge; they have great food. I still eat at Olive Garden and there's like a bazillion of those.
Anyway, that's my Maggiano's story.
When I was 17, I went on my first road trip of sorts with a friend of mine and his family. The city was Chicago the day after New Years 1997, and a record high temperature of something like 61 degrees had been reached that afternoon. Discarding our winter jackets, my buddy and I borrowed (stole) his parents' rental car, threw underage caution to the wind, and drove to the mall in Oak Brook.
Between parking garage burn-outs and neutral drops in a car that would undoubtedly be needing a new transmission, we stopped at what appeared to be a hole-in-the-wall Italian joint next to Saks Fifth Avenue (this should have been our first clue, by the way, as you'll soon find out).
The name of the restaurant? Maggiano's Little Italy.
Now, the combination of being both a naive teenager alone in Chicago for the first time, and the fact my friend and I were knowingly ascribing to the commonly accepted cliche of there being an Italian restaurant on every Chicago street corner, no doubt contributed to our eventual short-sightedness.
Eight years would pass before I'd finally realize in 2005 that Maggiano's Little Italy was in fact a CHAIN RESTAURANT. Blasphemy, I cried. The eatery my friend and I enjoyed in Chicago was obviously a one-off. The ambiance, food and drink too difficult to replicate on a national scale... or was it?
Enter Southdale Shopping Mall just south of Downtown Minneapolis (where I lived at the time) where, lo and behold, resides a Maggiano's Little Italy. And while it was larger and more suburbanized than its Chicago counterpart, it nevertheless confirmed the fact that the best Gnocchi I'd ever tasted was simultaneously being served in Maggiano's locations in more than 20 states.
Talk about a mindjob.
Some may find this unacceptable, and others may even go so far as to boycott this restaurant altogether due to its corporate dark side. But not me. I don't hold a grudge; they have great food. I still eat at Olive Garden and there's like a bazillion of those.
Anyway, that's my Maggiano's story.
Saturday, November 1, 2008
South Mountain - Phoenix, Arizona
Me and my buddy, James drove over to South Mountain earlier to check it out. I've been over that way a number of times, but either didn't have the time to snoop, or flat-out didn't know where the entrance to the park was. Today was different, however, as I was itching to get out and do something and I have to say, it's a cool place. Limited traffic. Great views. Sweet roads that make you wish you owned a Porsche or Audi R8. I suppose the next order of business will be to hike one of the many trails in the area, but I'll save that for another... month. Yes it's November, but it's still 90+ degrees outside.
Monday, October 27, 2008
Alive and Kicking
Hey, everyone. It's been a while since my last blog post, and I apologize. I've been pretty busy with work and other projects since late July, and now that the summer is winding down the peripherals of my photographic existence are expanding exponentially.
Big things are on the horizon, so stay tuned.
In the meantime, I just can't resist passing along a few images I shot the other day for Lou Coopey's All Pro Pictures. The images are from Mesa High School's annual homecoming festivities and, with any luck, they will find their way into the school's 2008 yearbook.
Enjoy :)
-Sp
Big things are on the horizon, so stay tuned.
In the meantime, I just can't resist passing along a few images I shot the other day for Lou Coopey's All Pro Pictures. The images are from Mesa High School's annual homecoming festivities and, with any luck, they will find their way into the school's 2008 yearbook.
Enjoy :)
-Sp
Friday, August 22, 2008
Friday, July 25, 2008
Summer Beach Jam '08 - Oxnard, CA
So I'm back from the emotional pummeling I just took at the hands of Chris Nolan's latest tour de force, AKA The Dark Knight. And while I'm still marveling at how well written the dang thing was, I'm feeling the need for mindless activities to keep my mind in a loose, creative sort of mood.
Henceforth I give to you, this year's 'Page Beach Jam' photos from last weekend in California.
Now, I must admit, having attended this thing for 6 years in a row, I was skeptical how this year could top those of years past. Here's how things usually play out: Uncles and family haul gear to my parents' house on the coast, a keg is ordered and picked up (usually by yours truly), and sunshades are erected in the sand (by, you guessed it... yours truly), and Beatles and Beach Boys songs are sung 'till the sun goes down.
Needless to say, I was looking for ways to keep things fresh and generally not get bored. Therefore I decided to attack the party as though it were a wedding or other large-scale event. Photojournalist style. The result? I had a great time, met some new friends, shot some tight frames, and got to enjoy music by the sea. It doesn't get any better than that.
Henceforth I give to you, this year's 'Page Beach Jam' photos from last weekend in California.
Now, I must admit, having attended this thing for 6 years in a row, I was skeptical how this year could top those of years past. Here's how things usually play out: Uncles and family haul gear to my parents' house on the coast, a keg is ordered and picked up (usually by yours truly), and sunshades are erected in the sand (by, you guessed it... yours truly), and Beatles and Beach Boys songs are sung 'till the sun goes down.
Needless to say, I was looking for ways to keep things fresh and generally not get bored. Therefore I decided to attack the party as though it were a wedding or other large-scale event. Photojournalist style. The result? I had a great time, met some new friends, shot some tight frames, and got to enjoy music by the sea. It doesn't get any better than that.
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