Last Friday morning the Navy brought home the super carrier the USS Ronald Reagan. The carriers are usually deployed for many months and sometimes over a year. This particular deployment was a seven month mission that included being the first on the scene of tsunami disaster in Japan. While doing their jobs, the brave men and women that make up the crew leave behind their families. The Navy Continue reading USS Ronald Reagan, enter stage left →

This is a project I’ve been working on off-and-on for the last seven years. I’ve shot it all with the Graflex D using film, Polaroid and digital backs. The Silent Electric Flyers San Diego is mostly comprised of retired military but there is also some young blood in there. They all take their hobby very seriously as you often hear heated discussions regarding “motor amperage draw” and whether or not 1/4 oz. of lead tape 2/3 of the way back on the fuselage will solve a vibration problem. Many of the planes are hand crafted from the ground up while some are kits. Authenticity is widely respected in everything from construction to the actual piloting—an unrealistic approach to the runway and you’ll hear chatter among the crowd.
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Most of our commercial shoots require meticulous planning and prep work beforehand. Sometimes we even spend two to three months scouting, casting, arranging, permitting, etc. so that we can achieve that perfect shot for our clients. Those images go on to serve our clients but also get put into the portfolio to be shown off. Once in a while I get a portfolio piece just by dumb luck. Continue reading Building your portfolio with dumb luck →

By California standards, I live in a very small town. A big part of our community is the United States Navy as they have a base here with everything from nuclear carriers to F-22s to SEALs to trained dolphins. Along with the Navy, you can also find members of the Air Force, Army, Marines, Coast Guard, Homeland Security, Border Patrol and Secret Service. Pretty much everyone here has family or friends that are serving our country. Continue reading Fallen Warrior Procession →