Working for the Marin IJ

The past few weeks I've had several photography assignments for the Marin Independent-Journal. Marin High Schools are in the middle of the playoff season.
I photographed two soccer games that in the MCAL, one between Marin Catholic and Terra Linda and the other between Drake and Redwood that were both exciting to watch and fun to photograph.
Also I photographed the MCAL water polo playoffs as well and got to check out an intense match between Tamalapais and Terra Linda.


I had a couple of assignments covering the lives of Marin residents.

One was of filmmaker Michael Anderson of San Anselmo. He made a movie on the gritty streets of San Francisco's Tenderloin District. His movie, "Tenderloin," was shown at the Mill Valley Film Festival.

Another assignment had me photograph Dr. Paul Ekman. Ekman is a psychologist who
developed the science behind micro-expressions, the involuntarity physiological movements our faces make that can indicate, for instance, if we are lying. Ekman and his work are the subject of the FOX TV show "Lie To Me."

I also photographed San Anselmo's Tori Kropp, a prenatal nurse at the California Pacific Medical Center while working at the hospital in San Francisco. Kropp is author of the recently released book "The Joy Of Pregnancy."

United States Men's National Team vs. Costa Rica

I wasn't sure what to expect really from the final United States Men's National CONCACAF World Cup qualifying game at RFK Stadium. The one possibility I didn't expect was how emotional an event it was for me.

There were several mitigating reasons I suppose: the tragic accident that US forward Charlie Davies was involved in, the fact that after a long two year campaign the USA was heading to the 2010 World Cup and an exhilarating game that had the team down by 2 goals early in the game and a last second equaliser that had the US finish top of the standings.

Before the game I spent a few hours hanging out at Molly Malone's regaling in the story of my friend Andy who made the trip to Honduras. He had an amazing time and was so emotionally spent at the end of the game that he wasn't thinking when he traded his custom-made USA soccer flag shirt that he had worn for every USA game he attended since the 1990 World Cup.

If anyone knows a good tailor that can make a new one for Andy I'd appreciate any tips.

From there I made it to RFK stadium where outside the USA Fans, led by the American Outlaws were having a tailgate and partying up. In a way it was a celebration party. The USA had already achieved its goal: Qualify for the World Cup in South Africa.

Soccer mom anybody?

Heading into the stadium the fans were still celebrating.

Despite a steady downpour everyone was in high spirits and ready for the game to commence.
But as the USA men's team walked out onto the field...

And the supporters sang the national anthem, the festive atmosphere was tempered by the tragedy of the Charlie Davies accident.

As a sign of respect and support the USA fans held up signs for Davies during the 9th minute of the game. With smoke bombs going off all around I felt it was a slightly unsettled atmosphere, commingled with tragedy and celebration.

And also the fact that I think the USA team was not ready mentally to start the game. There was a defensive breakdown. Costa Rica took advantage to take a quick one goal lead.

To the credit of the DC fans, they only stopped drumming and cheering for a moment, before they started up again full force.

But Costa Rica scored a quick second goal and the jeering between the two fans was in full force. The USA squandered several golden chances before the half and Costa Rica stood firmly in charge of the game.

Now this takes a lot of skill....props!

At the half I text my brother "Glad this game means nothing." He called me up and told me that Mexico was down at the half against Trinidad and Tobago and Honduras was up against El Salvador. This game actually did mean a lot. The USA could still finish first in the group and if they could tie it up Honduras would be going to the World Cup, not Costa Rica.

In the second half the USA team and fans were fired up...

The cheers were loud and non-stop. I love USMNT games at RFK stadium. It is the true national team stadium for the USA. There is no place in the country that turns out a better support for the team than DC. Nowhere.

And the fans were rewarded! After a first goal, Jonathan Bornstein got a second goal in the last moments of the game sending the USA fans into delirium!! It was an unreal atmosphere. It was a final hurrah to a trying and testing campaign for the USA that led to them finishing on top of the group. Mexico tied T&T so the USA won the group and Honduras defeated El Salvador to book their own ticket into the World Cup.

The players were just as excited as the fans (probably even more so, after all they did all the hard work)...

and the team presented a banner to thank all the fans for their support during the Qualifying campaign.

At the end of the game my brother text me: "And u thought this game meant nothing?"

He was so right.

Its been a crazy two years. This trip has taken me all over the place. To Caribbean nations, Guatemala, Costa Rica, Mexico, and to all corners of the USA and now the trip was over. I guess I didn't realize how emotional a day it was for me. All the hope, all the worry, all the highlights and moments of despair. They were all over. Its been an amazing ride. I think the two following signs say everything I would want to sum up this post:and

Sunset at Stafford Lake

Even since I went to school for photography I have always found myself with my camera at the Sunset parties. They are outdoor, free electronic dance parties that have been taking place all over the bay area thrown by Pacific Sound Systems.


They are a daytime outdoor DJ event.




That continues until the sun sets.




Kids of all ages enjoy grooving the the beats under the setting sun.




Something about good beats, good peeps and good tunes that always turns out to make a good time.


That's what Sunset has always been about.


And I suppose will always be about.

One of these days I am going to have to go through my old negatives and all the digital images that I have shot of Sunset and put together a website or book of them. It would have to be thousands of images I have taken over the years.



Good times indeed....

CCSF Quarterback Darius Bell

Darius Bell is a Marin County native who now stars at the Quarterback for the City College of San Francisco. CCSF is consistently one of the best Jr. Colleges in the country.


You can read more about Darius in the Marin IJ article.

United States Men's National Team vs. El Salvador

After Mexico City, I thought Salt Lake City would not be as amazing an fan experience. But with an essential home game against El Salvador, I had to make the trip and photograph the USA fans who made the trip.

Led by a strong group of supporters from the American Outlaws, the USA had a large and good group of fans who made the trip.

A group of fans met up at a bar in Salt Lake City and took the light rail from downtown to the stadium, which is in Sandy about a 45 minute ride south of the city.

The march was led by a group of 3 friends from Allentown, Pennsylvania. It was great having a brass ensemble leading the group of fans marching to the game which numbered around fifty.

On the ride, USA fan Andy Siebenborn initiated a new USA soccer fan...

The march from the train to the stadium took about ten minutes.

When the USA fans arrived about 3 hours before the start of the game, the stadium was already surrounded by a few thousand El Salvadorian fans who had made the trip to Salt Lake City.

Some of the fans were not that friendly. But compared to Mexico City it was a cake-walk.

And most of the El Sal fans were actually good sports wishing good luck and high-five the USA fans.

Most people headed over to the USA fans tailgate that ended up being a pretty rowdy event getting ready for the big game. For me I checked into a local bar near the stadium and met up with Andy and a group of fans from Rochester who have been going to USA games since the mid 90's. Andy unfurled his banner his wife that he brought to the 1990 World Cup and has brought with him since then.

From the tailgate, the USA fans marched into the stadium

And thanks to the PA guys the USA supporters section was loud and organized in its chants.

The interaction between the El Sal fans and the USA fans was good natured inside the stadium. A group of friends from Utah dressed up as iconic American figures and stood inside a section that was majority El Salvadorian fans. A lot of barbs were traded back and forth...

And before the game the USA fans were ready and loud and chanting....

The first twenty minutes the USA produced several decent chances and it looked like a matter of time until they would score, until El Salvador sneaked in a goal after a poor clearance by Jonathan Bornstein. 1-0 El Sal.

The US fans were stunned...and a horrible thought crossed my mind at first. "Well there goes the World Cup!" but after a few moments the fans started cheering again in the supporters section and I held the thought as long as the US pulled even before the half they had a good chance of still winning the game.

Thankfully the USA did one better than that scoring two goals in five minutes sending the USA fans into delirium and renewing my dreams of South Africa!

The second half was amazing and after the USA was robbed a third goal (which I was bummed about cause I got some great photos of US fans celebrating it!) and Davies was subbed out the last 10 minutes ended up being a tense a taught affair.

Around the 86th minute even most of the fans in the stadium started chanting "USA, USA" after the cheer started in the supporters section. Its one of the first times I have actually ever heard most of the American fans in the stadium fall into the chant. It was great to hear. The El Salvador fans, which were probably about 35 to 40 percent of the fans in the stadium had been louder for sure compared to the American fans in the first half, but the USA chant was the loudest cheer of the night.

At the end the USA held on and the fans enjoyed a well earned and hard fought win that kept the USA and fans dreams alive for a date in the 2010 World Cup.

And it was fun for the US fans to wave a friendly goodbye to the El Salvador fans that made the trip to the stadium.

So with the game over all was left was to head back to Salt Lake and celebrate the victory with the locals...

Sometimes its good to be an American Outlaw indeed...