Modern Luxury Spring Cover

What a nightmare this shot!!!

I can't stress it more. I mean the condo we shot at, the company, the editor, and all were great. But the weather just didn't cooperate. I tried for this shot like four days over two weeks plus! The clouds would bunch up and give a drab sunset. We finally got lucky but the rains were just lurking over the mountains. I could feel the rain slightly falling on the outdoor lanai up on the 38th floor.

Thanks Dr. and Mrs Gallardo for letting Emmy and I abuse your place!

Thanks Emmy...its a great shot!

The end of the dollar?

Geithner 'open' to China proposal

Geithner, at the Council on Foreign Relations, said the U.S. is "open" to a headline-grabbing proposal by the governor of the China's central bank, which was widely reported as being a call for a new global currency to replace the dollar, but which Geithner described as more modest and "evolutionary."

"I haven’t read the governor’s proposal. He’s a very thoughtful, very careful distinguished central banker. I generally find him sensible on every issue," Geithner said, saying that however his interpretation of the proposal was to increase the use of International Monetary Fund's special drawing rights -- shares in the body held by its members -- not creating a new currency in the literal sense.

"We’re actually quite open to that suggestion – you should see it as rather evolutionary rather building on the current architecture rather than moving us to global monetary union," he said.

"The only thing concrete I saw was expanding the use of the [special drawing rights]," Geithner said. "Anything he’s thinking about deserves some consideration."

The continued use of the dollar as a reserve currency, he added, "depends..on how effective we are in the United States...at getting our fiscal system back to the point where people judge it as sustainable over time."

President Obama flatly rejected the notion of a new global currency at last night's press conference.

UPDATE: Evidently sensing a gaffe, moderator Roger Altman told Geithner that it would be "useful" to return to the question, and asked if he foresaw a change in the dollar's centrality.

"I do not," Geithner said, adding several forceful promises, including, "We will do what's necessary to say we're sustaining confidence in our financial markets."

Double take Ziv

I haven't seen these negatives since, well, 1992-1993? I couldn't tell you nor can I really remember. All I remember is this is Ziv Shafir, a guy from my dorm at UT, and I asked him if I could shoot him for an art project. I don't know what the hell we put on his face. Some type of cream that for some reason was green.

The photo was shot on an old Mamiya 645 camera on Kodak VPS film. The image was accidentally double exposed but made for an interesting shot.

Ziv is Israeli and the first Gulf War started when we were in college. I remember how upset he was about not living in Israel and wanting to go back and fight. I doubt he would have only because we were young and idealistic. Perfect for what militaries like to use for cannon fodder. Either way, Ziv was a great guy. He was very nerdy for being a good looking guy. Girls swooned over him.

I was trying to find my inner Herb Ritts before I understood what photography was. I have been looking at old negatives to understand myself a bit better for the future. What I mean is I didn't know what photography was...I hadn't assisted jaded ill tempered photographers, gypped by cheapskates and scammers, not paid by major magazines, played by editors, and well just burned overall.

Its nice to look back at photography when it was a cheap umbrella light, a old film camera, and a green faced guy.

no name yet--WAIT---ITS DANIEL!!!

6 lbs 11 oz. Born at 6:52. March 14, 2009. Good "sister." Really happy.

Bronx Zoo

I remember this day very clearly...date...well, its beyond me...but I remember this day. We went to the Bronx Zoo, like an hour PLUS on the the 5 train. All the way to the South Bronx. Or whatever...it was the Bronx.

Monkeys, lions, and whatnot...it was a great day. I recall seeing this shot (and I really remember not knowing what I was seeing) and I shot away. Can you believe it? A Nikon F4s, Fuji film, and patience...something the digital world cares less and less about.

Rainy day Hawaii

Once again, its rainy...cold and rainy. Yes yes I know you East Coasters laugh when I complain (moan) about my wet weather woes but its cold and wet! It is currently 71 degrees with a low of 66. Yes, this sounds like a great day in New York or LA in late winter/early spring but when you live in perfect temps most of the year round, you get thin skinned and thin blooded. I rarely wear long pants, long sleeves, or socks. Really, life has become slippers, shorts, and sunglasses...but not today...or rather this entire weekend...lost to the rains.



It rained really really hard last night and parts of the day. It didn't wake me up but it surely did some damage. Flooding warnings chirped on late night tv and early this morning. I haven't seen the news today but I know it rained loads.

We have a large bowl outside filled with sand and sea shells and odd bits found here and there. Lo to our surprise, this morning we found it filled like our own miniature ocean. The rains pour over the Pali mountains right behind us and showered our little bowl filling it half way. Our own little Pacific, a mini-sea sand and shells sans life. Yukako said we should get a gold fish.



Poor thing would die in a week.

Power, Justice, and eventual pardons...

The new penthouse...$7 million of course.

Justice was sort of done today...I guess not much more could be done. I mean if the money is gone or hidden who has the power to force anyone to admit it. We do have a constitution and it means loads, regardless if the current regime would like to erode it further.

Yet, most of the victims will not get their cash back and by anyone's guess, ol' Bernie will get out on a pardon and rush off to Israel to enjoy the dough. Cynical? Yes...as one would hope not but someone will pull strings to let this poor man who has suffered so much out on a pardon. Marc Rich got one...

Well...to start...might Madoff have funneled mafia (Russian, Israeli, etc...) funds through his scheme? Might he start to blab about who did and what happened? Who knows...I feel there are way too many things that will never be known, said or afraid to be said. This goes very deep.

The Ides of MARC H!!!!!

Yes, I left a space btw the c and the h.

Why? Figure it out.

Well, the ides are a few days off but you get the idea.

All is quiet on the southern most western coast. The recession is slowly sinking towards us and its scary yet all is still unknown. Will the regime of Obama pull us out of the mess Carter/Reagan/Bush/Clinton/Bush put us in? Are we sinking further? Bernanke won't tell who's getting the dough. Trillions of bucks are going somewhere...but are they going to us?

How does a photographer work out a bailout plan for himself? As the news drones on about ballouts, scams, and whatnot, I can't help but to wonder about a handout coming our way in the photo industry. We, as most know, don't make enough of an impact to foster Congressional committees, Senate hearings, and labor union strikes. We carry on, holstering our depreciating army of cameras, computers, and the likes hoping the wire services, magazines, corporations, and events will call us, raise their rates, give us more jobs, and ensure we have enough jobs to carry us on through this dipping economy.

Ha! I can hear roar of the readers in the backroom! Obama's handouts don't flow this way says the hands that hold the money. We had better open a bank, insurance company, or a ponzi scheme to gain any greens that are being thrown out in absolute disregard. The stock market, along with our savings and investments, are tanking. The world is sinking.


Hmmm....I wonder.

SO how do we survive, fellow bugger off-ers? I don't know. Don't buy anything camera related is what I think. Start lowering rates and expectations as well as don't buy those once needed shoes, sofa, or six-pack if it means you don't have enough for gas, grub, and rent/mortgage. If you have a non-photo degree, start dusting off your resume and get ready...

beyond that...

I've though of ways to get a handout from the Obama regime:

1. Start a ponzi scheme. Make sure to sell to all races and colors to ensure you don't get called a dirty-"whatever." Carry a Bible, wear a kippa, or grow a beard to court and declare you are an oppressed minority and ask for a bailout to save yourself and your clients. All the while, stay in your penthouse under house arrest and defy public demands to turn over your 7 million dollar pad or your wife's multi-million dollar bank accounts (all FDIC insured, no less.)

2. Create an investment company, buy toxic debt, bundle it together (hide it) and sell it to other greedy investors hoping to make a quick buck.

3. Open a bank, make bad investments, and demand the tax payers bail you out.

4. Open an insurance company, make bad investments, threaten to sink the economy by not covering the insured, and demand taxpayer bucks.

5. Don't pay your mortgage on a house you never were able to afford (think--flip it in 3 years before the note balloons) demand the bank help and demand a handout from the gov.

6. Create a wonderful killing weapon, bomb, or missile. War is always vogue regardless of the party. "We'll get our troops out of Iraq and SEND 17,000 to Afghanistan!)

7. Get on Oprah (or similar talk show) and beg Obama to bail you out!

8. Pray to Jesus/Allah/Buddha or whomevah for some major help with that cell phone bill.

9. I ran out of ideas.

I guess best to just follow 8...and even then, who knows.