Event

Albuquerque Roller Derby Last Bout of 2018

Albuquerque Roller Derby Last Bout of 2018

Toughest action on 8 wheels!

I had the opportunity to photograph the last ABQ Roller Derby bout of the 2018 season due to my connection with Sonja Dewing who hosts 1 Million Cups and is also the owner of Plot Duckies. She invited me to photograph an upcoming bout which I gladly agreed to as I had never photographed a roller derby before! I did not, and still do not, know a single rule or strategy about roller derby, but by the second half I was starting to figure out when the best action takes place and where on the skating rink. I could not believe the collisions and how many times people get knocked right on their butts! You can see the action up close in the gallery below.

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Greater Albuquerque Chamber of Commerce APD NYPD Lessons in Crime-Fighting Event

Greater Albuquerque Chamber of Commerce APD NYPD Lessons in Crime-Fighting Event

NYPD visits ABQ

It is not every day one gets to photography the New York City Police Commissioner, the Albuquerque Chief of Police and the Mayor of Albuquerque! However, that was exactly what I got to do in photographing my second signature event for the Greater Albuquerque Chamber of Commerce. The NYPD commish spoke to a packed ballroom on the theme of Lessons in Crime-Fighting From One of the Safest Big Cities in the World. Before that there were roundtable discussions with Q&A sessions. I was busy covering it all at the beautiful Albuquerque Marriott Pyramid North!

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Aki Matsuri 2018 Japanese Fall Festival

Aki Matsuri 2018 Japanese Fall Festival

Shin Shin Shin, Shinjuku-ski

The annual Aki Matsuri Japanese Fall Festival in Albuquerque, New Mexico gives me a chance to remember my 6 years living in Japan. You might think a festival cannot recall anything specific since it covers a spectrum of cultural displays from music, to dance to karate demonstrations. However, my neighborhood in the Shinjuku area of Tokyo had its very own annual festival complete with its own song with lyrics about how much we all like Shinjuku! Even though this was my second year in a row attending this festival, it still surprises me to be able to get a glimpse of live, Japanese culture here in the desert, in Albuquerque.

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Cottonwood Dog Park Rio Rancho Ribbon Cutting

Cottonwood Dog Park Rio Rancho Ribbon Cutting

Rio Rancho doglife just got better!

I have been taking my dog, Kiki, to dog parks across the country for all her 9.5 year life. Having a good dog park is a key feature of any place I choose to live. Therefore, the opening of more dog parks is always welcome, and especially ones in urban areas. Such a dog park opened right in the middle of the Cottonwood Mall parking lot in Rio Rancho, New Mexico! Before the ribbon cutting event hosted by the ABQ West Chamber of Commerce I had a hard time imagining how a dog park could be in a mall. Whoever the designers were deserve great praise for making a fantastic dog park, with obstacles, shade and easy access to water for both dog and human alike! I have never seen such a large gathering of dogs with all dogs getting along so well either! We live far from this dog park, so will not be regulars, but when on the west side I look forward to visiting again!

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UNM Red Rally September 2018

UNM Red Rally September 2018

Red Rally 2018 with more fire!

This was my second Red Rally on the UNM campus, which is the burning of the Aggie from rival school NMSU before the football game. It is quite the spectacle because it is not every day one sees something 40 feet go up in flames, and this year there seemed to be a lot more flames for a lot longer! The pyrotechnics team must have learned something since the 2017 Red Rally.

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Floor and Decor Albuquerque Grand Opening Chevy Truck Giveaway Event!

Floor and Decor Albuquerque Grand Opening Chevy Truck Giveaway Event!

Wizard Wins a Truck!

What an event at Floor and Decor of Albuquerque, New Mexico!  It seems people did not believe them when they said they really were giving away a brand new 2018 Chevy pickup truck!  Well, with sales tax even paid too, they gave it away and Wizard won!  I was talking with him just minutes before his raffle ticket number was called to be one of the five finalists for a chance to win the truck.  He is a very nice guy and his motorcycle club advocates for children so he is a very deserving winner!  This also made it seem more exciting to me having just met him a few minutes prior so it was not a completely anonymous winner to me.  There were lots of other prizes, and I even won a Yeti cooler!  Amazing job by Floor and Decor.  This was one of the top events of the year in Albuquerque!  

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Mayor Tim Keller Speaks at 1 Million Cups ABQ 4th anniversary!

Mayor Tim Keller Speaks at 1 Million Cups ABQ 4th anniversary!

Have your cake and listen to the mayor too!

I have had the opportunity to photograph Albuquerque, New Mexico Mayor Tim Keller many times, including making his official portrait for when he played arena football!  The latest time to photograph the mayor was at the 4th anniversary 1 Million Cups ABQ event at Fat Pipe.  1 Million Cups ABQ is a fantastic weekly event every Wednesday morning at 9am where an entrepreneur speaks about her/his business and asks the audience for input.  This Wednesday was extra special as not only did we get to hear from Kerry Brennan Bertram of Stride Inc., and not only did we have great cake, but also we got to hear Mayor Tim Keller's plans for increasing volunteerism in the city and more about the One Albuquerque concept.  Even though there will not be cake nor the mayor next week, I hope you still join us for the next 1 Million Cups!

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