Cherry Blossom Time in DC

The skies were a deep blue, the clouds bright white, and about 65 Degrees, so we couldn't resist a quick drive to the Tidal Basin, surrounding the Monuments in our Nation's Capitol.  The Annual Cherry Blossom Festival is in full swing, and the blossoms are at their peak.  It's quite the sight to see.  Enjoy.

Bella out at the Park

When the water bottle is pulled out of the kitchen cabinet, Bella jumps up and starts to talk, almost whining, that translates into "Let's GO, and let's GO NOWWWWW". She loves the Dog Park, and is one happy dog when she's out there running, playing, and romping with the many other dogs that are out there. It's a blast for her, and us.

Goodbye Natasha Richardson

Actress Natasha Richardson died earlier this week from a Skiing accident. She was 45.  I photographed her with her husband Actor Liam Neeson at the 2006 Kennedy Center Honors in DC.  Awful tragedies remind me that I should feel lucky each and every day.  

Super Bowl XLIII & the Super Bruce Halftime

David & I at our 9th Super Bowl

First off, let me say how truly wonderful it is to be able to spend quality time with my son, David at what has become a tradition. This was our 9th Super Bowl. It was and is always a blast!
Super Bowl Sunday began at 1pm, boarding the Media bus from the Sheraton Suites in Tampa headed to Raymond James Stadium...The stadium is about 3 miles from the hotel, and it only took 40 minutes for the driver (who must have been imported from another state) to find it. Once there, and after making it through security, we immediately hit the field to get that 1st glimpse in daylight of what was about to be filled with 60,000 Steeler fans and maybe 15,000 Cardinal fans....Tampa was Black/Gold all week.

What is being touted as one of the best Super Bowl games ever, was just that...So exciting, even for us Redskin fans that bleed burgundy & gold.

So, OK, the game was great....but when the clocked ticked down to 1 minute in the 1st half to go, the ropes came up around the sidelines, and 500 red jacketed rent-a-security idiots lined the field to keep the media away from the impending Springsteen halftime show. Within 5 minutes, the stage was rolled out, the lights went on, the fireworks began, and Bruce launched into 10th Ave Freezeout...The sound in the stadium was terrible, well not that bad I guess...but not what we're all used to. I did the best I could to get as close as possible, but if you've ever experienced the General Admission tickets for any of the Springsteen tours, multiply that by 10 as to how many people they put on the field for his 12 minute Super Bowl show. I'm looking forward to watching it in HD on the DVR when I get home. What you probably didn't hear was, in the stadium, just after they finished playing, the music blasted Southside Johnny's version of "The Fever"... loved that. PS...Saw Nils on the sidelines, and even took his picture with his wife

A few hours post-game, we hit the Media bus again, only to find out that they are not taking us back to the hotel, but to the Media Ctr in downtown Tampa, where we had to get another bus to the hotel. The NFL totally F'd this up...One hour 45 minutes to get back the 3 miles to the hotel on another bus with a driver who should have had a GPS that spoke Spanish, because he only understood make a left turn...

YBor City - Super Bowl XLIII week

YBor City just outside of Tampa is definitely the hot spot this week, leading up to the Super Bowl.  There's no question that the Steeler fans outnumber the Cardninal fans by a long shot.  The entire city looks like its black & gold.  Kinda was like Bourbon St, bars flowed into the streets, and people screaming and having a blast...

Pepsi Smash Concert - Super Bowl XLIII

Jerry O'Connell hosted this 1/2 taped, 1/2 live on VH1 concert last night at the Florida Fairgrounds, just outside of Tampa.  Performances by Lifehouse, Fall Out Boy and Rhianna went pretty well.  Its amazing that when there's a live TV event, such as a concert, its all so staged, timing is everything.  Pete Wentz of Fall Out Boy (pictured here) and Rhianna (also pictured here) were the two shining stars of the night...

Bruce + Super Bowl = Way too much fun!!

Here in Tampa (yes, it is sunny & warm) for Super Bowl XLIII, and I think there is more excitement surrounding the halftime entertainment, than the game...Well at least through my eyes, or should I say ears...Had the opportunity to shoot Bruce Springsteen & the E Street Band's press conference at the Media Center, which was standing room only.  As soon as Bruce was introduced, he thanked everyone for coming, and then immediately said that if anyone had a Football related question, ask the Big Man, as he pointed to Clarence...

I managed to get as close as possible (can you imagine that?), front row, just off to the right, and was able to make some fun images.  The entire band was very relaxed, and seemed to be totally enjoying the experience.  To say I can't wait for 1/2 time is an understatement...

'Good Night, and Good Luck' at the Newseum in DC

Actor George Clooney joined his dad, former journalist Nick Clooney at a screening of "Good Night, and Good Luck", at the Newseum in DC Monday night....

Next Stop...Tampa....Super Bowl XLIII...Stay tuned

Inaugural Events - Tuesday January 20 2009

Wyclef Jean and Gen. Colin Powell

Wyclef Jean rockin the house

Debra Lee, Chairman & CEO BET Networks and Mary J. Blige

Inauguration Day.. An amazing time in all of our lives, serious change is happening in front our eyes, change for the better, change for all of us.  Early Tuesday, I was speaking with customers of mine across the country from New York City to Indiana to Nevada, and it was evident that the excitement of what was happening in our backyard, downtown Washington, DC was enormous as it is/was.  Maybe I take it for granted, growing up and still living in the DC area, having the White House, US Capitol, Smithsonian Institution, and all of the Memorials so close by, but when I was on the phone, the question  I got was, "So, whats up with you today?"...Well have ya turned on the TV? Have ya read a paper?  Get with the program, 2 million people expected in DC. I was glued to the TV all day, till we had to adventure out into the masses for tonight's event, the BET Inaugural Ball.

The ball didn't begin till 9pm, and we decided to head out at 4 (5 hours should be OK, right?), just to make sure we got there.  Every report had horror stories of traffic jams, Metro closures and warned you to leave early.  We hit the Metro at 4:15, arrived at L'EnFant Plaza around 4:45, found out that L'Enfant Plaza was an ENTRANCE only station today, and not an EXIT.  No way we were dragging the gear back down the non-working escalators, and going to the next station...so, we exited through an entrance, and walked to the top, and then 6 blocks to the Mandarin Oriental for the party.

The Hawaiian Ball was in the ballroom next to the BET Inaugural Ball, and rumor was that President Obama was coming...never happened.  BET knows how to throw a party, great food and lots of Grey Goose...Jay-Z, Mary J. Blige, Larry David, Soledad O'Brien, and Ashanti were some of the guests..General Colin Powell was REALLY enjoying the tunes of Wyclef Jean, who was fantastic and rocked the house...Party ended well after 2am, Metro closed at 2, so we had to cab it back to the car...Justa $100+ cab ride, pulled in around 3:30am...Great week, lots of long late hours, lots of fun, and some cool images.  Enjoy.

Inaugural Events - Monday January 19 2009

Jay-Z

Ashton Kutcher, Demi Moore

Judith Light, Sharon Stone

Shakira

Larry David

First stop on Monday was the pre-show reception for the Jay-Z show at the Warner Theater.  David & I left in plenty of time and got to the Warner with hours to spare.  My contact wasn't there yet, so we walked aroung the back to the "Stage Door", and got waved right in, NO credentials, NO questions.  Guess we looked liked we belonged.  The second we got to the door, David heard Jay-Z doing sound checks and rehearsing the show....We walked in, via backstage, sat in seats in the theater, and just to our right was Beyonce, just hanging out alone, watching.  Pretty cool.  Beyonce was soon escorted out by two guys that made me look tiny. Couple hours later Jay-Z hit the red carpet at the reception, so I was out the door.  Beyonce performed during the Jay-Z show, as well as Mary J. Blige...nice line-up

Second stop - I then headed down PA Ave to the Newseum for the Huffington Post/My Space Pre-Inaugural party.  The celebs and guests poured into the building, and I mean poured in.  I had no idea where they were putting this many people, tho they were piling in to see Sting, Will.I.Am and Sheryl Crow perform.

At the end of the arrivals at about 12:30am, I walked down Pa Ave from 6th back to the Warner at 13th.  The streets were deserted, the barricades were up at every intersection, they lined the street from the Capitol to the White House.  It wasn't an eery feeling, it was was an exciting feeling,  change was in the air... knowing that in less than 6 hours more than a million people would be covering every inch of real estate along the route of the parade to the White house from the Capitol.  

Inaugural Week Events - Saturday January 17 2009

Mary J. Blige accepting her BET Honor from Sean "Diddy" Combs

(L-R) Joss Stone, Queen Latifah, Ne-Yo, Yolanda Adams, Stevie Wonder, M onica, Anita Baker, and Wycleaf Jean

Whitney Houston

Queen Latifa performs

On Saturday night the 2nd Annual BET Honors were held at the infamous Warner Theatre. The Warner is block off Pennsylvania Ave at 13th St, where in just a couple of days will be filled with 2 Million+ people to see history in the making, and watch the parade from the US Capitol to the White House for the swearing in ceremony of Barak Obama.
The BET Honors was being taped for broadcast on Monday, and from where I was, it went off with a hitch, although Stevie Wonder did have to repeat "Superstitious" twice. The performances were great, Stevie, Queen Latifah, Anita Baker, Ne-Yo, Monica, Anthony Hamilton (Go get this guy's CD, what a voice!), Puffy P Diddy Combs, Terrence Howard, Joss "Barefoot" Stone, and surprise guest presenter Whitney Houston...More to follow....Stay tuned

Inaugural Week Events - Friday January 16 2009

Magic Johnson & Samuel L. Jackson

Gabrielle Union, B. Smith, Samuel L. Jackson

I'll be updating the blog over the next week, as I stumble in late at night after shooting Inaugural events here in the Nation's Capitol. I began on Friday at the home of Debra Lee, Chairman & CEO of BET Networks, who hosted a party for this year's BET Honrees, who include Earvin "Magic" Johnson, Tyler Perry, Mary J. Blige, B. Smith, Judith Jamison and Congressman James E. Clyburn. Actress Gabriell Union, Singers Anthony Hamilton, Anita Baker and actor Samuel L. "Pork Chopes taste Goooood" Jackson were also in attendance. Needless to say Washington DC is in lockdown mode, so for those of you reading this from afar, stay inside, stay warm, and sit back in front of your big screen TV.

A warm December night in Washington, DC

Well I got the bug.  After reading about and seeing some HDR (High Dynamic Range) images, I had to venture out to try some.  The above image is a compilation of five images into one, run through Photomatix HDR Software for processing, and the effects are very cool.  Margi & I drove downtown so that I could give it a shot...The streets in DC were quiet on the Sunday night between Christmas & New Years.

You will not see this on January 20th, 2009

While sifting through mounds of old photos, I came across one from Ronald Reagan's 1st Inauguration on January 20, 1980.  I was working in downtown DC, about 50' off of Pennsylvania Ave.  After the swearing in ceremony at the Capitol, the procession began to the White House, down PA Ave.  I remember climbing up onto a an Army flatbed truck, setting up a tripod w/ a Nikon F2 (BD-Before Digital) Film camera with a 300mm f2.8 (BAF-Before Auto Focus) and making this image of President Ronald Reagan standing through the sunroof, waving to the crowds of people.  

Ya think this will ever happen again?  No way any trucks let a non-credentialed photographer climb up on it, and  No way President Elect Obama stands through the sunroof waving...

Times have certainly changed, and keep changing...Hard to believe that was 29 years ago

New York City - Happy Holidays

No matter if you are lighting candles for Hanukkah, or celebrating Christmas, New York City this time of year is about as festive as it gets.  I was in NYC this week for the annual NY Press Photographers Assn holiday party, so I walked over to Rockefeller Plaza and couldn't resist all the lights for images. A heartfelt Happy Holidays to all!

"Bedtime Stories"

Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Washington , DC had a few special guests today, visiting troops as part of the USO.  Adam Sandler with buddy Rob Schnneider made the rounds, and then surprised a full house at the AFI Silver Theater who were there for an advance screening of Disney's "Bedtime Stories", starring Sandler, with Schneider too (who announced "Don't blink, you'll miss me").  Adam Sandler was very gracious, came by, shook my hand, couldn't have been a nicer guy-