not the barbarian

last weekend, my best friend and i had the pleasure of being among the few that witnessed conan obrien's 'legally prohibited from being funny on television' tour - initially a little skeptical about watching conan do stand up for a couple of hours - we were pleasantly surprised - it turned out to be a show full of sketches, musical performances, great comedians, and old conan friends and inside jokes - one of my favorite moments, pictured above, was a sketch where conan wandered aimlessly around his house in a robe, showerless and beardy, drinking far too much wine - all set to the tune of 'all by myself' - a possibly too-close-to-home depiction of his life since being fired from the tonight show

wacky tobacky

in addition to parades, another common traffic-stopping spectacle downtown are the many protests that occur, both peaceful and not-so peaceful - there was one of each last week, and while both carried validity, i decided my blog expressed too casual a tone to convey serious journalism, so i photographed the more peaceful/entertaining of the two - the legalization of marijuana - a diverse group of people came together to march, both young and old - pot head cliches, conservatives, hippies, artists, and even grandparents walked the streets of downtown dallas, carrying clever signs and chanting 'free the weed' - the cops monitoring the protest were in good spirits, which was lucky as many of the protesters were openly smoking the not-yet legal drug...i'm pretty sure i got a contact high

i am a warrior, hear me roar

click here to see the whole race

this weekend i participated in the craziest race to ever come through texas - the warrior dash - a 3.5 mile race through uncharted woods and farmland, with insane obstacles along the way - some of the obstacles included fighting my way through gale force winds (enormous fans at top speed - they called this one 'the texas tornado') climbing up and over a cargo net, sliding down a muddy river bank - crossing the river - and climbing back out the other muddy side, jumping over fire pits, swimming across a bog while pulling yourself up and over several huge logs floating on the surface, and crawling through a mud pit under barbed wire - at the end of the race, we were all hosed off by a powerful fire hose - and then it was on to the free beer, music, and turkey legs, all while adorning our newly acquired race medals and viking helmets - it was so awesome, i'm thinking of following it to another state and doing it all over again!

happy birthday to me!

click here to see the whole night

this weekend i celebrated my 28th birthday - after 21, birthdays seem to be mostly a let down - but this year was, by far, the best birthday i've had since childhood (you know, when mom was still in charge of the festivities) - the night started out with an amazing meal at a sexy restaurant with live music - then we headed back to my place, where we set up a full bar/balloons/cupcakes/the whole nine, on the roof of my building downtown - the weather was perfect, the company was perfect, the city lights were perfect - and just when i thought it couldn't possibly get any better...my friends surprised me with one of my favorite musicians - who serenaded us all for the rest of the evening - what a magical night!

we built this city

you know you're growing accustomed to life downtown when the sound of the traffic outside lulls you to sleep like ocean waves - the ebb and flow of the city begins to sound like music - and just this morning i was listening to the squeal of braking buses, and a chord emerged...i think it was c minor

'a flurry of groin-hugging spandex'

click here to check out the rest of the photos

last night i made my way out to the house of blues to catch a band called steel panther - it was literally like being in the movie spinal tap - take every 80's hairband cliche...exaggerate it - then add a lot of leopard spandex and incredibly offensive lyrics, and you get steel panther...so bad, it's good - there was actually a moment when the guitarist whipped out a mirror to check his lip gloss, and then proceeded to douse himself with hairspray - but antics aside, these guys are actually pretty amazing musicians - and it was one of the most hilariously entertaining rock shows i've ever been to

don't look down

i was reminded this morning about an aspect of city life that i had forgotten about...window washing - i awoke to a 'squeaky squeaky' at my window, only to find a man suspended from ropes just outside - i've been repelling before, but these guys take it to an extreme - it was pretty fascinating to watch them in action, but there was definitely a sigh of relief when they safely reached the ground

roll out the red carpet

my most recent photo session was with a young actress, who just finished wrapping up filming her first independent film - it is scheduled to premiere in new york, la, and dallas - and has recently become a contender for sundance - though her career seems to be taking off, she was really down to earth and fun to work with - and by the end of our session, she insisted on sharing my name and contanct info with the producers of the movie - so hopefully, the next time i see her, i will be photographing her on the red carpet at that dallas premiere!

a birthday and an irish holiday

jj turned the big 2 - 8 this weekend...not exactly a milestone, but a wonderful friend deserving of a big celebration nonetheless - and all i really have to say about this post, is that i find my friends to be completely adorable...

click here to see more

and of course, we celebrated st. patrick's day this weekend - which, in dallas, means the largest parade of the year - a record attendance of 80,000 people and over 100 floats to observe - with bagpipes, green beer, mardi gras beads galore, and a host of other colorful characters...it crushed the christmas parade in excitement, energy, and just plain fun - i can't remember the last time i was in such a large crowd of people who were all totally drunk...before noon - you gotta love the irish!

check out my favorite shots from the day right here

i had the privilege of spending time with a very talented local film maker this weekend - we spent hours in his studio watching and discussing several of his edited pieces and documentaries - beautifully lit and well composed works of art, that for me, was like witnessing really great photography in motion - to see some of his work for yourself, visit his site right here


to keep my art buzz going, i decided to complete the evening with a little gallery hopping - the public trust and 500X had both great shows and great turnouts - several of my favorite artists were in attendance and we decided to keep the party going and the spirits flowing at a great uptown bar

click here to meet some of these characters

comedy, trucks, and chewy wine - i think i'll write me a country song

in the span of two days, i managed to drive up to oklahoma to watch craig ferguson live, down to arlington for my second monster jam in one month, and back to dallas for a wine tasting at the ritz - the little obsessions and interests of my friends, in combination with my own, have resulted in a series of ongoing spontaneous adventures - and i can't wait to see where we end up next!

trust no road

i've probably been watching neff perform for about ten years now - and i've always thought he was without a doubt, the best singer i have ever heard - after all of this time, my opinion hasn't changed, and neither has his talent - and bonus, he is probably the best looking guy i have ever seen in real life - click here for more shots from this denton good time

today, i went by ms. lindsay

well, i think i just photographed the next child superstar - he filled my sunday morning with questions, giggles, jokes, and dimples - and by the end of our session, i was ready to keep him (although i don't think his mom would have appreciated that) check out the rest of my favorite shots of this adorable kid right here!

white trash weekend

this weekend i ventured out to houston, met up with one of my best and most missed friends, and experienced my first monster jam - and what a loud, gas filled, vibrating, car crushing, truck rolling good time it was - click here to see more monsters

he takes photos too

it's great to be immersed in the art world again - free wine and great people watching aside - there is never a shortage of innovative new talent to explore and fascinating people with which to converse - and lucky me, dallas' art scene just so happens to be bursting at the seams with great shows to attend - to see some of the work from this show, check out matt's site right here

and many more

click here to see all the fun

we celebrated michele's birthday this weekend - and i'm not sure there was actually a point in the evening when we weren't laughing hysterically - while i'm sure the champagne and cupcake sugar high added to the fun - there's really nothing better than a night when all of your favorite people are together in one place at the same time

cheers!

it's all about the benjamins baby

while out at one of my favorite dallas bars saturday night, i met a group of guys who were celebrating turning 30 - as i was documenting their drunken debauchery, they became increasingly curious about my camera, my profession, and the resulting images - and before i knew it, they were shaking my hand in gratitude while slipping me $100 tip - have i mentioned lately that i love dallas...

check 1....2

...a few shots taken from behind the scenes during an arduous sound check on the saturday afternoon before the show

it was an unforgettable night - not just for me, but for an audience surging with loyal mus-tard fans - with lasers, smoke, video installations, and snow machines - this band does not disappoint - and even with all of the theatrics, the music and the talent still managed to shine through - i feel so fortunate to have been a part of it

and not to ruin their rock and roll image...but they are also 4 of the best guys i have had the priviledge of spending time with in a long, long time

click here to watch a video clip of my performance on 'friend' with ugly mus-tard WARNING:EXPLICIT LYRICS

today i made a new friend

recently i've been spending most of my free time rehearsing with ugly mus-tard for an upcoming show and i managed to get a few shots of the guys in the studio over the weekend
i just heard how many of you are planning to come to the show and i think that's awesome - i really appreciate the support

party like the past is in the past

and party, we did!

we started off the evening at a family-owned gem of restaurant, where the owner serenaded us throughout the evening, lounge-style - and his pianist, with a voice reminiscent of billy holiday, sat draped in pearls, fur, and sequins...awesome.

then we danced the night away at a new year's bash in uptown complete with a great band, free drinks, and an impressive balloon drop - everything new year's eve is supposed to be - and for me, it was without a doubt the best new year's since 2001, and that's too long!
(thank you for that particular night in '01, it was magical)

click here to see a few snapshots from the evening

thank you jeff

fitness can be fun

last weekend i photographed a personal trainer for advertising purposes - yep, it's a tough job, but somebody's gotta do it...
and i'm looking forward to future sessions together - but next time with weights instead of camera equipment

feliz navidad

note to self: when a french pastry chef says something like 'it's really not all that hard' - remember that they are a french pastry chef, and you are not
for christmas dessert this year i tackled the towering croquembouche(which means 'crack in mouth' in french) little caramel cream filled puff pastries, 'glued' together with caramel, and wrapped in spun sugar - definitely a labor of love, but well worth it because it was definitely delicious!

you have the right to remain goofy

this weekend i went to a cops and robbers christmas party (it's a long story - only in denton) and at some point during the night we were all 'arrested'...click here to see the rest of the mugshots

it's because i'm green isn't it

everything in the above photos is made of ice (except for my sister and my dad)

dr. seuss's life size who-ville, constructed and sculpted from over 5,000 blocks of ice - it was visually incredible and so much fun - we were given giant parkas to combat the temperature inside that was all of 9 degrees - and as soon as we entered and our breath became visible, we were all instantly 10 again - we took turns on the 20 ft. ice slide - but it was especially entertaining to watch my dad jump in line with all of the other kids for a turn - and as you can see by the look on his face, it was a good ride

puttin on the ritz

this weekend i visited a friend of mine who is now running the bar and restaurant at the ritz carlton downtown - and can i just say, it's good to have friends in high places - and in more than one way - not only did we enjoy a private tour and tasting in the hotel's wine cellar - but his literal high place of 6 feet 8 inches allowed me to feel less gigantic myself, and in heels no less!

and to top off the weekend, we awoke the next chilly morning to enjoy the christmas parade (parade count since august: 3)

make a wish

it was the first time in a long time that it was just the 4 of us for thanksgiving dinner - and we were all in agreement that it was the best meal to date - years of rehearsal brought about the perfection of turkey, sides, and desserts - and amongst the many advantages of a small thanksgiving gathering, the best is...leftovers for days!

happy thanksgiving

fa la la la la

after the cacophony of a gathering crowd and muffled christmas chords made its way into my apartment friday night, i ran downstairs to join in on the festivities - a show complete with a scrooge, a choir, a dancing santa, fireworks, the unveiling of this year's neiman marcus window, and the lighting of dallas' new 60 foot christmas tree - the perfect night for a christmas-lover like myself, and right at my doorstep - literally...i love this city

the ball is officially rolling

i booked a portrait session with a new client this weekend and had the best time photographing her three girls on what might have been the most perfect fall day - we spent the afternoon cracking each other up and running around a pretty little park - what a cool gig - i can't wait to fill up my calendar with more of the same

15 minutes

i met a lot of interesting people while shooting in victory park over the weekend - but by far the most entertaining were a group of hootin' and hollerin' ticket scalpers - i must have looked more important than i actually was, with my camera gear and tripod, because they were convinced that i was press and was going to make them famous somehow - i didn't have the heart to tell them i was out shooting for fun, but they wouldn't have believed me anyway - so i had them pose for a shot and promised to mail them a copy

dia de los muertos

my costume this year was inspired by my fabulous trip to mexico over the summer - and after an hour of makeup, i transformed into a day of the dead skeleton

my all hallows evening was a throw back to my younger and more fun/carefree days - it started at a great house party, moved to my most frequented college bar, and then ended with my favorite rock star

click here to see my adorable costumed friends and the rest of this fun night!

(don't worry, the flasher is not actually naked)