Appearing on Monterey On Tonight for a Live Interview!
Recently, I had the opportunity to appear on Monterey On Tonight, hosted by Gary Morris, and talk about my photography and drone work, my path to Pacific Grove, and the role visual storytelling plays for local businesses and individuals on the Monterey Peninsula. I submitted a bio and was told the interview would be about 10 minutes long, but that is all so I did not know exactly what to expect. Gary was most curious about the drone portion of my business so one of his producers pulled up my recent drone video of a surprise engagement and played it! Gary loved it and I loved having the drone video itself play on the air. I really enjoyed the overall experience of being on Monterey On Tonight and hope to be on again some day. Thank you to Hannah (who I met doing a radio interview 5 days earlier) for asking if I wanted to be on the show and for Gary for having me on!
Check out the full 3-hour episode of Monterey On Tonight streaming from KMBY TV
Read MoreA Fun and Thoughtful Conversation on Photography with Don Brooklyn
I had a great time this week joining Don Brooklyn on his KMBY radio show for a lively and thoughtful conversation about photography, creativity, and a few unexpected personal connections. One of the biggest surprises of the interview was discovering that we are both originally from Rhode Island, which led to some laughs about how far from home we both ended up here in Pacific Grove. We talked about the ongoing question of phone cameras versus “real cameras,” and I shared my perspective that phone cameras are good for quick snapshots in ideal lighting, but there is still no substitute for professional photography when it comes to controlling light, freezing motion, and working in challenging conditions. Don also shared that he recently picked up a new camera himself, so we may be continuing the conversation soon with a photography lesson. I really appreciated the opportunity to speak directly to the local community through KMBY, share some practical insights, and enjoy a genuine moment of connection with a fellow Rhode Islander.
Read MoreWhat is was like judging the 2025 Pacific Grove Rotary Concours Auto Rally
This summer I have been an invited guest to the Pacific Grove Rotary Club luncheons. After getting to know what the club is more about, I have decided to join, and even before becoming an official member, the club asked me to be a judge for its annual Pacific Grove Rotary Concours Auto Rally during Monterey Car Week! I am a car enthusiast and know a lot about a lot of cars, but I have never judged a show before. Luckily, there were not that many criteria to judge each car on. Basically there were 17 categories, 13 specific ones, and 4 overall “grand prizes” to consider for each car. Of the 250+ entries, it was on me to judge the even numbered entries, along with one other judge doing evens, and two other judges doing odds, so that each car had two judges assessing it.
Well, that was in theory, ha!
Read MoreAlways interesting to think and talk about photography
I was contacted by Bold Journey to share some of my thoughts about different aspects of becoming and being a professional photographer. Like, how does one get the confidence to be a professional photographer? What qualities are the most important to develop? It was a fun challenge to think on these questions and answer them in some detail. Thank you to the team at Bold Journey for this opportunity!
Check out the full interview!
Read MoreA new studio in ABQ with a friendly owner and cool equipment!
Through the photographer’s grapevine, I heard of a new studio opening up in the Nob Hill area of Albuquerque. The owner, Campbell, invited me to come check out YDS Studio for a personal tour. Campbell was so friendly and the studio space was so great, I used my own money to book it for two hours for me and another photographer friend, Tiffani, to go try out and basically just have fun in with all the different photography options only a bigger studio like YDS can provide. We started out with some headshot style photos of Tiffani showing her my usual setup. From there we got out the gels and chairs, as seen here, both orange for some personal branding photography. We finished with actually jumping around the studio! It was a great time getting to use the YDS Studio space and to be able to get creative with a friend in the studio, without the pressure of working with a client. I have already since used YDS Studio for a client and am now offering it as an option in addition to the JCP Home Studio. Thank you Campbell for having such a great space for photographers to use, and to Tiffani for being so great in front of the camera, and showing her photographer skills by actually getting a halfway decent photo or two of me!
Read MoreColorado mountain driving is fantastic
A recent visit to Colorado did not go exactly as planned, but we were still able to take in some views on the famed Million Dollar Highway that is north of Silverton. What a fantastic driving road with views that go on for miles. At least in the summer, there are no lack of amazing mountain towns to visit in a sports car to take advantage of all the sweepers, hairpins, and twisties on the roads in between all nestled in stunning setting after stunning setting.
Read MoreJumping into the Blue Hole of Santa Rosa
Waking up Saturday morning and not wanting to spend a hot weekend in Albuquerque just sweltering, I headed to Santa Rosa with intentions of swimming in the natural spring they have there, called the Blue Hole. I actually first saw the Blue Hole five years ago, but returning from a 2 month road trip, I just wanted to make it back to ABQ dry. This time I was ready with swimsuit on from leaving the house! However, it was overwhelmingly busy upon first arrival, but after 5pm there were only a few people left and I finally had my chance to make the jump. People of all ages were jumping in, including kids, and I am a very strong and confident swimmer. Nevertheless, upon standing on the rocky overhang, which of course looked much higher up once actually on it than it did from the angle you see above where I took the photo, I felt a bit of hesitation. It is definitely not nothing jumping in from up there! I jumped in feet first and the 61F felt refreshing as I made my way back up to the surface then swam to the steps.
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