Updated Website Design

I have been working over past several months on a new layout and design for this website, which I finally completed this evening. The overall look and feel of the website has not changed significantly. However, I have completely reorganized the images in the portfolio galleries and added new information about photo shoots in the Houston area. While the main portfolio galleries include serious photographic work, I will continue to also use this site to share many of my personal and travel photos, which are now found under the “other” menu link.

New Photos Added

Along with the design update, I have also added numerous new images throughout the portfolio galleries as well as many new personal photos from Melbourne. I still have a voluminous amount of work to organize from my trip earlier this year to New Zealand. I will continue adding new photos from New Zealand as I work through those remaining images.

I originally intended to work chronologically through the photos from my recent trip to Australia and New Zealand, but I decided to skip ahead to Christchurch after the devastating earthquake that struck the city last month. Christchurch is the largest city on the South Island of New Zealand and was my first stop in the country. It’s considered one of the most “English” cities outside England and was named after its founder’s alma mater, Christ Church College at Oxford University.

Prior to my arrival, Christchurch had been hit by a 7.1 magnitude earthquake on September 4, 2010 and a 4.9 magnitude aftershock on December 26, 2010. These events caused serious damage to a number of buildings in the central business district. Some structures were partially collapsed and others had bricks and masonry knocked onto the street. Remarkably, there were no direct fatalities resulting from these two earlier events. However, when I arrived in the city last January, the damage from these tremors was still very apparent, and numerous streets, alleyways and sidewalks were cordoned around the damaged buildings. Fortunately, most of the city was still generally accessible and its landmarks, including the iconic Christchurch Cathedral, were still standing.

Although I was only in Christchurch for two nonconsecutive days during my trip, I immensely enjoyed walking the city and learning about its history and architecture. It was heartbreaking after my return to Houston to hear the news that this city had been devastated by yet another earthquake on February 22, 2011. This quake measured 6.3 in magnitude but, unlike the earlier events, had a shallower epicenter that was closer to the city. It also struck on an early weekday afternoon when the central business district was at its busiest. It caused widespread damage and nearly 200 fatalities, making it the second deadliest natural disaster in New Zealand’s history.

Many historic landmarks were lost or severely damaged, including the Christchurch Cathedral. Below are two “before and after” images of the Christchurch Cathedral and the ANZ Bank Chambers Building, comparing a photo I took from my trip with an image from the news after the February earthquake. Sadly, I may have a few more of these comparison photographs to come.

I feel extremely fortunate to have been able to experience and photograph these landmarks before they were lost, and to have not been in the city during the quake. My heart goes out to the people of Christchurch, as well as to the people in Japan who recently suffered an even more devastating earthquake and tsunami.

Most of these images are located in the Christchurch gallery. I also added one image from Christchurch to each of the Animals gallery and the Abstract and Manipulation gallery (now included in the “miscellaneous” gallery).

Click an image above to view the gallery

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I recently visited Sydney, Melbourne and the South Island of New Zealand on a three week “get away from everything” trip. I had an amazing time exploring new places, meeting new people, drinking my weight in beer, and―of course―taking a ton of pictures.

My first stop was Sydney, where I stayed for four days. It’s an aesthetically wonderful city, with a dense and architecturally diverse urban core surrounded by a stunning harbor, eastern beach communities and walkable inland suburbs. As exciting as it was to start exploring this unique place, it was a near photographic disaster when, on day three, an internal mirror in my camera fell loose rendering it completely unusable. Luckily, I was able to “swap” my EOS 5D camera body for an identical one at a local camera shop called George’s, which allowed me to keep shooting without skipping a beat.

Back in Houston, I’ve been trudging (slowly but surely) through the voluminous mass of images I brought home with me. I’m processing them chronologically, and just today made it through Sydney. After Sydney, my next stop was Melbourne, and I hope to have those pictures posted very soon, followed by the Great Ocean Road and finally (saving the best for last) New Zealand.

In the meantime, I hope you enjoy these images from Sydney, most of which are located in the Sydney gallery. In addition, one image (thumbnailed below in the middle) has been placed in the Abstract and Manipulation gallery (now included in the “miscellaneous” gallery) and two pictures (one of which is thumbnailed at the bottom of this post) are located in the Animals gallery.

     

Click an image above to view the galleries

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Updated Website Design

I further revised the aesthetics in the website design. I’m not a professional web designer, so any suggestions on improving the look and feel of this site are always welcome.

Revised Categorization

I expanded the three previous photo categories into the following six: *

• Urban and Architectural
• Abstract and Manipulation
• Rustic and Naturescapes
• Animals
• Macro-photographic
• People

 
While my interest in architecture initially attracted me to photography, over time I have come to enjoy a broader array of subject matter. To better reflect this variety, I reorganized old and new photos within the above categories. I have also increased the online image quality and resolution (though still presented at relatively low resolutions for viewing and security purposes).


* These galleries have since been reorganized into new portfolio galleries, which are displayed on the main portfolio menu page. Most of the older galleries are still available in the section entitled “other”, primarily for personal viewing purposes.

New Photos Added

I added some new photos, samples of which are thumbnailed below (and are linked to their current galleries, which have been revised since this update was originally posted).

              

       

Click an image above to view an updated gallery   

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As of this update, I have lived in Houston for exactly three years, so it's a little sad that I've just recently begun exploring this city with my camera. For now, I've posted seven dusk / night downtown images taken with an old Leica SLR in May 2008, plus one additional picture taken by another individual, Daniel Santamaria (Daniel’s picture is of my Leica sitting on a tripod with skyscrapers in the background, taken as I was setting up for long exposures).

Houston is a diverse, fascinating and underrated city with in-exhaustive photographic possibilities. I plan to add many new H-Town images in the future.


Click to view the new gallery

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After another long hiatus of neglect, this website has finally undergone a much needed update in design and organization. I’m pleased with the overall look and feel, but plan to make further refinements as I continue to learn more about the new web authoring software I’m now using.

New images will soon be added covering a variety of subject matter, including Houston architecture.

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These photos were taken in late March 2005 when I traveled to Savannah for my sister's wedding. The wedding was held at Mickve Israel synagogue, which is the third oldest Jewish congregation in North America, as well as the only gothic style synagogue on the continent. Over the weekend I was there, I managed to take these few pictures. I had a wonderful time at the wedding, but need to return to further explore this picturesque and historic city.


Click to view the new gallery

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These are images from early March 2005, when I drove eight hours from my then home in Austin to meet my sister and her friends in this small, eclectic, ranching town in the west Texas desert. We all had an amazing time exploring the area and hanging out at the retro Thunderbird Motel (which, incidentally, is the sister property of Hotel San José in Austin). No fleeting glimpses of the mysterious Marfa Lights this time, but I’ll return to hopefully see that and much more in and around this amazing and beautiful place.


Click to view the new gallery

Additional images of desert landscapes near Marfa are displayed in the Nature Gallery.

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If you’re paying attention to the dates of these entries, you’ll notice that I have not updated this website for about four years. In that time, I moved from Los Angeles to Fort Worth to Austin to Houston, and in between, photography slipped through the cracks. However, I am now settled in Houston (been here exactly one year) and hope to again regularly update this website with new work.

For now, I have tried to give the website an aesthetic facelift, utilizing a new visual scheme which I believe is more conducive for viewing photography online. In the near future, I plan to add some new architectural and landscape work from Savannah, Marfa and Houston.

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A place I once called home — if only for a brief time — I had not returned to San Francisco to visit in over a year. Driving up from L.A. for the weekend earlier this month to spend time with friends and family was long overdue and made me remember how much I enjoyed living in the Bay Area. These new photos are the product of several long hikes over the course of that weekend spanning the Mission, North Beach, SoMa, and South Beach neighborhoods.


Click to view the updated gallery

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Obtaining permission for a shoot in the L.A. subway is an irritating process, to say the least. It required at least fifteen phone calls to the MTA (Metropolitan Transportation Authority), faxing several ridiculous permission forms that I’m sure no one even looked at, and engaging in mind-numbingly irrational arguments with both MTA officials and even a few subway drivers. Eventually, I received the required permissions for a brief shoot in October 2002 of my favorite station at the corner of Hollywood and Highland.


Click here to view the updated gallery

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Three new photos have been added of downtown Dallas from Ross Avenue near the Fountain Place Tower and the Dallas Museum of Art at early dusk.


Click here to view the updated gallery

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I had the opportunity to rediscover Austin during the better part of this past July and August of 2002. The city experienced an unprecedented population boom during the late 1990’s which many feared would forever alter its uniqueness. However, the essence of what has always made this city a unique oasis of disorganized cultural spontaneity is still very much in place. Even a "Keep Austin Weird" campaign recently emerged, reflecting the population's resolve to maintain an embrace of the anything-goes, friendly, laid-back, engaging atmosphere that has for years shaped this city into a progressive concentration of genuine cool. Some additional photos of Austin are also displayed in the Abstract and Manipulation Gallery.


Click here to view the new gallery

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Designed more in the European tradition, the city of New Orleans is one of the most aesthetically beautiful urban centers in the world. This gallery is the result of a four day exploration of the French Quarter, downtown, the Garden District, Tulane and Loyola Universities, city parks, cemeteries and a nearby plantation. Additional images from New Orleans can be found in the Abstract and Manipulation Gallery.


Click to view the new gallery

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Images on this site are now arranged among the following three categories: *

• Urban - Architectural
• Abstract - Manipulation
• Nature - Animals

Although my focus remains on compositions of the American urban landscape (found within the first category), I thought it would be useful to separate those photos which are sufficiently different from my primary emphasis.


* These galleries have since been reorganized into new portfolio galleries, which are displayed on the main portfolio menu page. Most of the older galleries are still available in the section entitled “other”, primarily for personal viewing purposes.
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I added three new photos of Burnett Plaza, Landmark Tower, and the Water Gardens.* It has been a long time since I have been able to add new work to this website, but I will hopefully have the opportunity to add new images from Austin, New Orleans and elsewhere over the coming months.


Click to view the updated gallery


* The photo of the Water Gardens is not currently available, but may be added again in the future.
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Information has been added under "Prints" about acquiring prints of photos displayed on this site, as well as information on headshot and portrait sessions.

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New photos of Venice Beach, California have been added in the Metropolitan Los Angeles Gallery.

Originally founded in 1905 as a "West Coast" version of Venice, Italy, by the 1960’s Venice Beach had been incorporated into the city of Los Angeles, its water canals had been filled in, and the first wave of "Hippie Invasions" altered the cultural landscape of this beach community forever. Today it remains one of the best places in California for "people watching" — a bohemian neighborhood bursting with scenes reminiscent of its short yet colorful history.


Click to view the updated gallery

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Downtown Dallas has developed into an urban center with an outstanding concentration of architectural excellence, and unquestionably lays claim to some of the most phenomenally designed commercial structures in the southern United States. Because I had very limited time in the area, the majority of these pictures focus on my all-time favorite skyscraper — I.M. Pei's Fountain Place tower. I will hopefully have an opportunity to photograph more of Dallas in the near future.


Click to view the new gallery

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This building caught my eye while I was taking exterior photos of the nearby Temple Beth-El. Although I grew up less than a mile from the area, I never took much notice of this building before. Being there at sunrise, however, made me notice for the first time its interesting shape and reflective qualities. For the most part, its design is a pie-shaped footprint with reverse stair-stepping elevations along a cylindrical axis. However, its relatively basic geometric shape doesn’t detract from its unique and interesting style.



(not currently available; however, images from this gallery may be displayed again in the future)

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The East Texas Piney Woods is one of the most beautiful regions in the state. These pictures were taken around towns known to few outside the region, including Athens, Seagoville and Frankston. Although these pictures capture outdoor scenes during a mild Texas winter, I hope to return to the area in early autumn when the landscape's colors really come to life.



(not currently available; however, images from this gallery may be displayed again in the future, and new photos from this region have since been added in the Nature Gallery)

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The recently completed Temple Beth-El represents an outstanding architectural addition to the city. A contemporary design reminiscent of the "Old Temple" of ancient Jerusalem, this structure embodies an impressive array of themes emphasizing light, space, color, comfort, spirituality and functionality. Rather than competing with one another, these numerous thematic elements blend harmoniously to create a tasteful and unique congregational center.
 


(not currently available; however, images from this gallery may be displayed again in the future)

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These skyline photos were taken from atop a Hollywood high-rise on the same morning that I shot the Rooftop Reflections* photos. The clearing of the skies after a rain storm created a beautiful sunrise behind the downtown buildings. They have been added to the Downtown Los Angeles Gallery.


Click to view the updated gallery


* The Rooftop Reflections set is not currently available, but images from this gallery may be displayed again in the future.

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The Pacific Design Center is an enormous compilation of bulky glass structures conspicuously flaunting its size and vivid colors in a manner that creates a harsh contrast with the Melrose Avenue neighborhood in which it sits. As I was leaving the recent "What's Shakin' - New Architecture in LA" exhibit at the MOCA next door, I couldn't help but appreciate the interesting visual possibilities created by this structural oddity. Although the property’s security personnel are not amicable to people taking photographs of the building, I managed to sneak in a few shots before being asked to leave, one of which I’ve added to the Metropolitan Los Angeles Gallery.


Click here to view the updated gallery

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These images were taken on the rooftop of a Hollywood building the morning after a heavy rain. The storm had cleared the all too often smoggy skies while leaving the roof covered with shallow puddles of water. These two elements came together to create a temporary reflective effect which I attempted to capture in these photos.



(not currently available -- images from this gallery may be re-displayed in the future)

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I have rearranged and added new photos to the Metropolitan Los Angeles Gallery, most of which are the product of several long strolls through the Hollywood and Hollywood Hills neighborhoods. Although there are several images of famous landmarks such as the Graumans Chinese Theatre, most of these images are intended to focus on every day scenes in the neighborhood. The gallery includes imagery ranging from densely populated stucco apartment buildings to the famous Roosevelt Hotel.


Click here to view the updated gallery

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It’s challenging to find an ideal categorization for organizing photographs. Because many of my photos are geographically specific, most of this site is organized by location. However, I wanted to experiment with at least one alternate format of display. So, I created a 10 page, thematically organized compilation. It remains a work in progress but hopefully provides a coherent way to explore the images in a manner that highlights visual concepts that are common across different locations.

(not currently available; however, this gallery may be displayed again in the future)

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San Francisco is a city of stunning visual diversity that can almost overwhelm the senses. On the one hand, it's hard to take a bad shot here. On the other hand, no matter how well a picture turns out, it can never do justice to experiencing the sights first-hand. I choose the commercial center as a fitting environment to focus my first photographic exploration of the city. I tried to discover new ways to capture overexposed landmarks like the Transamerica Pyramid, as well as to work with a variety of interesting street scenes and lesser known structures of architectural interest. With so many neighborhoods crammed into this tiny 49-square-mile peninsula, each with their own unique visual characteristics, I hope to have many more photographic adventures in the Bay Area.


Click to view the new gallery

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These enormous structures allow for a tremendous degree of play with geometric patterns, reflective surfaces and proportionality. One of my favorite images highlights these three elements, with a pedestrian dwarfed in scale by the tall, curving, reflective glass corner at the north end of the Staples Center (thumbnailed below). These photos have been added in the Downtown Los Angeles Gallery.


Click to view the updated gallery

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Website launched with the following photo galleries:

• Fort Worth (Downtown, Botanic Gardens)
• Los Angeles (Downtown, Hollywood, Mid-Wilshire, USC / Exposition Park, Subway) *
• Chicago (Downtown, Hyde Park)
• Long Beach (Long Beach)


* This gallery has since been split between Downtown Los Angeles and Metropolitan Los Angeles galleries.
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