This is yet another oldie but goodie! Today's entry falls upon music, and my panic levels rise as I dig for a music shot.. am thinking I will have to remedy this by shooting some more musicians :) Luckily, I have some talented Irish ladies in mind to do a shoot with very soon... stay tuned that one is a huge project in pre-production at the moment :) (among other projects!)

Welcome to the travel entry of the week! I thought I would mix it up a bit and post something I shot while traveling that wasn't just a scenic image.

Good morning world and faithful followers! (yes I realise it is afternoon, but it is Sunday and it still feels like morning to me :) )

Every time I arrive at my "music" entry, I sort of panic a little bit..... ok confession... I panic a lot.... because I don't think I have as many options for different music/musician shots as I do for travel and food, however, I am plugging along :)

I have been known to be something of a hamburglar ;) (per the Hamburguesa portion of the food offerings) and on this travel entry.. I am finding yet again that my images are blending together and crossing over to more than one category.

So, I take you back to June 2008 in Cuidad Acuna, Mexico where I was doing a shoot for a few days. I absolutely love the colo(u)rs of Mexico, and the delights of the street food. Though this was not a working food cart at the time I shot this, I still loved the colo(u)rs and perspective against the shack in the background.

Undoubtedly, the street food of Mexico remains one of my most treasured cuisines as I half- grew up in Southern California, close enough to head for the border on the weekends and soak up the culture and cuisine just 3 hours away.

Enjoy :)

Holy-I-am-happy-I-live-in-America greasy goodness! Forgive me foodie world... I have never heard of nor have I eaten authentic Poutine... and for every minute of everyday prior to April 6th, 2011, I wonder WHY!? Why did I not know of this delightful, ultimate rainy day Sunday comfort food for sitting at home watching movies in your pajamas with some french fries in gravy topped with cheese?!

Certainly, this dish is not simply created nor enjoyed. There is a specific balance to the crispness of the french fries, the consistency of the gravy, and the type of cheese that graces the top of this dish. Chef Jeffrey Savage, of Marsh on The Bistro restaurant in Maine, is extremely talented (and the youngest chef I've ever met) was the guest chef at the James Beard House for this meal.

When choosing my assignments for the James Beard House dinners, I usually judge by the menu... so, the menu appealed, but something else was hindering me. When I first read that this chef needed a 24 hour turnaround of image delivery... my brow furrowed, and my curiosity rose. Why was he so important? ... I need to meet him. The menu absolutely blew me away, and for the first time, I enjoyed every single course. The theme was "New and Old School New England" with an exceptional approach to infusing new twists on traditional New England cuisine. Enjoy this authentic Poutine, oh goodness, I think I am still full :)

An oldie but goodie.. and of course by old, I mean something that was about a year ago ;)

I now bring you to one of the most essential parts of my personality... the alternative/indie insatiable need to rock out! I grew up listening to what my parents listened to: The Abbas, The Carpenters, The Beatles and any other "the" band... while my sisters and I tended to enjoy the 80's sounds of George Michael/Wham, Michael Jackson, Madonna, Cyndi Lauper,Duran Duran, and so on.

Needless to say, music is an absolute essential part of my everyday and my life, and somewhere in between The Abbas and Michael Jackson, I found alternative rock, and I was never the same.(read- Pearl Jam!) In fact, I often get made fun of for traveling for live music, and luckily this time around, the music came right to me.

So, my friend Phil Jaurigui owns the most rockin' recording studio in all of Hollywood, Swinghouse Studios and he manages this phenomenally talented band, The Tender Box. I recall seeing them at their very beginning stages on the day I graduated college (for the 4th time) in Santa Monica at a free show called Summer Strummer. Well, 3 years later, and a hell of a lot of more things to rock about, The Tender Box remains one of my fav new bands. Their energy on stage makes you want to get up and dance, sing, and generally shake it.... so in that spirit, they are doing just that for my very special music entry.

Check them out:
http://thetenderbox.com/
http://www.myspace.com/tenderbox

Europe, in my opinion is a photographer's/filmmaker's dream... every moment seems more cinematic than the last... with its tiny alleyways and picturesque landscape... I find myself wanting to sell everything I own and make films whenever I visit Europe.

I was extremely fortunate to have done an independent study class while I was still in studying at Brooks Institute of Photography. I decided to make up my own class, and get credit for it, by sending my mentor professor photos that I was shooting on a weekly basis. The trip initially was meant to take me to 7 countries in 2 months, but when I found out that my favo(u)rite band on the planet, Pearl Jam was touring there at the same time... I couldn't stop myself from following them. Now, I know what you are thinking, "that is stalkerism at its best!"... but the rest of Europe did it, too as Pearl Jam hadn't toured there in a while :)

So, 2 months, 13 countries, and a minimum of 7 Pearl Jam shows later (may I add with over 100 different songs and sets each time I saw them) I present this cinematic type image of a plaza in the middle of Madrid, Spain. I will never tire of the arches, the architecture and the 3-D views that Europe provides.. a delicious delight for the visual people of the world. :)

I now interrupt my regularly scheduled blogging to spread the love about a very talented friend and colleague, Sebastian Smith. I met Sebastian in January of this year at a networking party for photographers, and we have become fast friends.

I give to you my Sebastian Smith Photography interview including deep thoughts, insights on life, and the general musings of an artist... check out his brand spanking new website www.sebastiansmithphoto.com (it looks amazing!)

MZ: How did you become a photographer?

SS:I became a photographer while I was Military Police in the Air Force. Through circumstances, I met this photographer and I was quite taken with the fact that someone could make money by taking pictures. I thought, "How brilliant! Making a living by traveling the world with a camera." This photographer opened my eyes to all different types of photography and eventually to Helmet Newton; and my world was changed. I had never seen images like this. I didn't know someone could create images like that. I was shocked and inspired. I was smitten.

MZ: Where do you find your inspiration?

SS: Mostly in everyday life, because little things I see or hear, if I pay close enough attention, speak to me. These little things tell stories that go far beyond the surface. I also pull from the strong women figures from my childhood. If you look at the women in my work, they are not weak or docile. They exude strength.

MZ: What's your life philosophy?

SS: Get up early and stay 2 steps ahead of the sun.

MZ: Best advice for young photographers?

SS: If photography isn't the first thing you think of when you wake up, and the last thing you think of when you go to bed, find another career. Because if you don't have the passion of a thousand burning suns, you'll starve to death. I promise.

MZ: What equipment do you use?

SS: I have tried every camera and lighting system out there...but what I decided works best for me is this: I currently use the Sony A900. I feel it's the overall best camera on the market for commercial / advertising / fashion shooters. It has the best and sharpest lens' out there and when you couple that with the huge image size and how utterly easy it is to use, it's a no brainer. Everyone that has picked up my camera to "play" with, is instantly sold. That itself speaks volumes. My lighting kit is the Profoto D1 airs. Again, a no brainer system to use. I follow a pattern of not wanting to worry about the difficulty of my equipment. I just want to shoot, so I use equipment that works with me and not against me. I live in a plug and play world and I love it. The Profoto D1's provide a surprisingly beautiful light. This Sony / Profoto combination is one that I find works so well, that I couldn't think of using anything else.


MZ: Your fav part of each day?

SS: Waking up at 5 am and realizing that I have another amazing day ahead of me!

That's all, folks! :) (below is a fav image of his and a photo of him, too)

said in Homer Simpson's voice... mmmmmmmmmmmmmmm.......doughnut.....

My family consists of major foodies, and I thank them for instilling in me a love of food and culture as prep for my career. They are Food Network/ Travel Channel/ Best Thing I Ever Ate doughnut enthusiasts... I, however, being the incredible sweet tooth that I am, am not a huge fan of doughnuts. Now, don't get me wrong, I do enjoy the lighter bodied ones like zeppole or churros; and after transporting $60 worth of Doughnut Plant doughnuts to my sister's 40th birthday party in Vegas, I found a new appreciation for the organically made, fresh doughnut.

This shot is a macro-fabulous obsession of mine, I literally can't get enough of the details of life, and most especially when it comes to food. Enjoy these warm and melt in your mouth doughnuts from Seattle's Pike Place Market shop called the Daily Doughnut! And if you are lucky enough to live in Seattle, I bet this will make you go out and buy some :)