Egypt - Street Photography (Desert style)

I just recently returned from a trip to Egypt to attend an artist workshop. It was an amazing trip and I was able to grab some photographs during my free time.

Whereever I travel I love to get out and take some street photography of the country.   For example on my trip to Hong Kong a few years ago.

But in Egypt I was in the the countryside and out in the desert, in particular the Sinai Peninsula which was absolutely amazing to behold...

I was excited also to be in Egypt while the revolution continues. I was able to photograph and attend a rally in Tahrir Square.

The one thing I learned for sure is that I just scratched the surface of Egpyt, and I hope to be able to return one day soon and learn much more about the country.

Sports in Marin

I love shooting sports.  Especially high school sports.

I know sometimes that it seems like most of my blog is sports shots here. It's not true. I shoot a lot of other events.  I'm not joking!

For the Marin IJ  this winter I was lucky to cover a number of games of basketball...

Regular season rivalries...

and intense playoff atmosphere.

Also mixed it up with wrestling...

and some soccer.

I also got to shoot several portraits of the high school athletes which was a lot of fun as well.

I guess what I'm saying is I love it!  Keep bringing the sports shots my way!

Motorist drives car into the Pacific Ocean at Ocean Beach

Sometimes the craziest assignments come out of nowhere.  Kind of like a car plowing into the Pacific Ocean in San Francisco.

I was working for the SF Gate when the story appeared about a driver who drove their car straight into the Pacific at Ocean Beach.  

We needed some photos, and I live right near the location so I drove over and grabbed as many photographs as I could in 15 minutes before heading back to continue my work.

It was an amazing sight.  When will I ever have a chance to see a car in the ocean again? You can see more of my photos with other Chronicle photographers on the article on the SF Gate. 

Devo at the Fillmore

In the 1980's I wasn't a Devo fan. After watching them at the Fillmore I will always be a Devo fan.
I photographed the concert for Tamara Palmer's excellent review on the SF Weekly. I'm glad I was able to be there.

Besides playing their amazing songs and tons of costume changes...
...they brought an amazing amount of energy you might not expect from a group full of members pushing 60.

But as the standing ovation at the end of the concert attested. Devo can still rock it. Once again, the SF Weekly review does a much better job of explaining it then I could possibly do.

The Upset: Marin Catholic loses in NCS football Final

Upsets. They do happen. Just ask the players for the Marin Catholic football team playing against underdog Campolindo High School in the North Coast Section Division III football championship Saturday night.
Marin Catholic (MC) were heavily favored to win the game and play for the California State championship game next weekend in Los Angeles. But from the beginning Campolindo attacked MC from the start of the game, getting them out of their groove. MC played some tough defense...
...and tried to stop the quarterback from gaining large yards, but Campolindo held the lead at half time and through most of the second half.
MC had their chances to take the lead. A couple of passes in the end zone were dropped...
and their star quarterback Jared Goff did throw one beauty of a touchdown pass.
But after they took a one-point lead, Campolindo drove down the field and hit a winning field goal with time expiring.
The Marin Catholic team were crushed at their defeat.As the Campolindo fans and team celebrates their victory...
...all the Marin Catholic team could do was console each other...
...and wonder what might've been. I guess that's why, as the old cliche goes, they do indeed play the game.

For more photos and story of the game, here in the Marin IJ story of the game.

Black Friday

I had never experienced "Black Friday" first-hand before photographing the madness last night and this morning for the Marin IJ. I guess I've always been the type of person who never really saw the need to go and camp out at 4 in the morning to buy something.
This year was a bit different for most companies. A group decided to open either on Thanksgiving night or right at the stroke of midnight on Friday. Best Buy was one of the big chains who had a line hundreds deep sneaking almost to the street in San Rafael.
Toys-R-Us has a jump on the competition letting in its first customers after 9 pm.The lines quickly grew long...
And the confusion for the shoppers only grew larger as they tried to find the great deals in the store.In Novato, Jennifer Abarca, 19, and her goddaughter Jennifer Lopez stood first in line since 2 pm on Thursday to buy a 46" inch LCD TV for $298 dollars at Target in Novato, Calif.
She wasn't the only one who had that idea.
Soon lines were crazy also at Target...
And traffic jams were common in the aisles.
While some celebrated getting the item they wanted...others were exhausted, as were Marco DeLa Rosa and Isela Hernandez after shopping at Kohls.
Some stores stuck to traditional early Black Friday openings. 11 year-old Andrea Cruz (center) smiles after she rubbed off a $300 dollar gift certificate to H&M while waiting in line for the store's 4 AM Black Friday sale opening at the Northgate shopping center. She was cheered on by her friends for her lucky find.
So all in all I can understand why people do it. It can be a lot of fun. You can get some great deals but its a completely overwhelming experience. Now would I do it again on my own if I was not on assignment? That's the question. You can read the Marin IJ article here.