San Francisco Photojournalist Douglas Zimmerman

Devo at the Fillmore

2012-01-17T15:57:00.001-08:00

In the 1980's I wasn't a Devo fan. After watching them at the Fillmore I will always be a Devo fan.
I photographed the concert for Tamara Palmer's excellent review on the SF Weekl y. I'm glad I was able to be there.

Besides playing their amazing songs and tons of costume changes...
...they brought an amazing amount of energy you might not expect from a group full of members pushing 60.

But as the standing ovation at the end of the concert attested. Devo can still rock it. Once again, the SF Weekly review does a much better job of explaining it then I could possibly do.

The Upset: Marin Catholic loses in NCS football Final

2011-12-12T17:46:00.000-08:00

Upsets. They do happen. Just ask the players for the Marin Catholic football team playing against underdog Campolindo High School in the North Coast Section Division III football championship Saturday night.
Marin Catholic (MC) were heavily favored to win the game and play for the California State championship game next weekend in Los Angeles. But from the beginning Campolindo attacked MC from the start of the game, getting them out of their groove. MC played some tough defense...
...and tried to stop the quarterback from gaining large yards, but Campolindo held the lead at half time and through most of the second half.
MC had their chances to take the lead. A couple of passes in the end zone were dropped...
and their star quarterback Jared Goff did throw one beauty of a touchdown pass.
But after they took a one-point lead, Campolindo drove down the field and hit a winning field goal with time expiring.
The Marin Catholic team were crushed at their defeat.As the Campolindo fans and team celebrates their victory...
...all the Marin Catholic team could do was console each other...
...and wonder what might've been. I guess that's why, as the old cliche goes, they do indeed play the game.

For more photos and story of the game, here in the Marin IJ story of the game.

Black Friday

2011-11-25T15:15:00.001-08:00

I had never experienced "Black Friday" first-hand before photographing the madness last night and this morning for the Marin IJ. I guess I've always been the type of person who never really saw the need to go and camp out at 4 in the morning to buy something.
This year was a bit different for most companies. A group decided to open either on Thanksgiving night or right at the stroke of midnight on Friday. Best Buy was one of the big chains who had a line hundreds deep sneaking almost to the street in San Rafael.
Toys-R-Us has a jump on the competition letting in its first customers after 9 pm.The lines quickly grew long...
And the confusion for the shoppers only grew larger as they tried to find the great deals in the store.In Novato, Jennifer Abarca, 19, and her goddaughter Jennifer Lopez stood first in line since 2 pm on Thursday to buy a 46" inch LCD TV for $298 dollars at Target in Novato, Calif.
She wasn't the only one who had that idea.
Soon lines were crazy also at Target...
And traffic jams were common in the aisles.
While some celebrated getting the item they wanted...others were exhausted, as were Marco DeLa Rosa and Isela Hernandez after shopping at Kohls.
Some stores stuck to traditional early Black Friday openings. 11 year-old Andrea Cruz (center) smiles after she rubbed off a $300 dollar gift certificate to H&M while waiting in line for the store's 4 AM Black Friday sale opening at the Northgate shopping center. She was cheered on by her friends for her lucky find.
So all in all I can understand why people do it. It can be a lot of fun. You can get some great deals but its a completely overwhelming experience. Now would I do it again on my own if I was not on assignment? That's the question. You can read the Marin IJ article here.

MLS Cup - Los Angeles Galaxy vs. Houston Dynamo

2011-11-21T12:29:00.001-08:00

It was raw; it was rainy; it was fun. The championship was on the line and the fans were ready despite the crappy weather.
The growth of the supporters movement of MLS was on display during the MLS Cup final. As an impartial fan (well as a Metro fan, which by default makes me completely impartial) I was impressed with the passion of the Dynamo and Galaxy fans who gave it their all to support their clubs.
The Dynamo fans, a group of four different supporters organizations, held a tailgate before the game in Lot 18. Some had spent 26 hours on a bus ride from Houston to make it to the game. One fan even brought a Chucky doll dressed in a Dynamo jersey as a mascot of sorts.
Right before the march into the stadium someone lit a flare and the Dynamo chants started up.
And even Chucky got into the party atmosphere.In the first half I was with the Angel City Brigade, one of the supporters groups for the Galaxy. They had a huge TIFO display before the match.

And right before the start of the game the fans threw a bunch of streamers everywhere.
And even gave a body surf to the Galaxy mascot.
Even despite the horrible weather and rainfall the fans were urged on to cheer on the Galaxy.The tight affair was 0-0 at halftime.
In the second half I started it with the Houston fans. The passion was everywhere...
The brass band sounded amazing...
And Chucky made another appearance.
But LA scored a goal in the 72nd minute...

And soon the Galaxy fans were cheering their club's 3rd MLS Cup title.The LA Riot Squad fans, another supporters group, cheered like crazy.
And celebrated their expected win...
And the team players showed their appreciation bringing over the MLS Cup for them to celebrate with as well.

It was great to see the Galaxy fans and Dynamo fans bringing their passion to the game. It was an amazing setting and great to see. Looking forward to traveling and seeing a lot more of the supporter sections all around the MLS next season!

Occupy SF - Takeover of Bank of America

2011-11-17T08:59:00.000-08:00

Sometimes you can't avoid the news...which is what happened to me this past Wednesday. I had finished an earlier shoot and was getting my tires changed near the State building in San Francisco when the Occupy SF protest walked right into me.
Luckily I had my cameras with me so I jumped right into the fray and took photographs...
A lot of the protesters were UC students protesting more proposed cuts to the UC School Systems...
The speakers were angry...

and wanted change...
And I learned from there that some of the protesters had taken over a Bank of America downtown...
I actually thought I had finished up my shooting and was running one more errand dropping off some mail when I ran into the street blockage outside the B of A that had been "Occupied".

Police stood guard outside...
As they arrested the protesters one by one...
Inside they had pitched a tent, to symbolically "Occupy" the bank...
In the end the police pushed the viewers back from the glass windows...

And arrested protesters in the tent..

And too the tent down to end the Occupation. I wish I always had this luck running into news this way. Guess it just proves the point my old Photojournalism instructor would say. Always carry your camera with you. You never know what you are going to see.

Occupy Oakland General Strike

2011-11-03T14:00:00.000-07:00

Yesterday I witnessed one of the most remarkable events. A group of thousands of Occupy Oakland protesters (estimates of the crowd ranged from 7,000-20,000) literally shut down a large part of a downtown Oakland and the Port of Oakland.The impetus of the strike was the brutal crackdown on the Occupy Oakland protesters camp in Frank Ogawa plaza in downtown Oakland last week. The protesters there had come out in support of the Occupy Wall Street protests that started a month and a half ago in New York City against social inequality in American society.
Over the past week the camp had returned and the protesters had called for a general strike for the city of Oakland to protest the police action.
During the day protesters walked through the streets of downtown Oakland. Large national bank branches were a particular target of protesters.......especially Bank of America. At least one of their branches was vandalized.
But for the most part the thousands of protesters were peacefully assembled in their plan to shut down the city and then march to the Port of Oakland to disrupt the shipping at the 5th largest port in the United States.
After a rally in Frank Ogawa plaza that included a performance from the SF Mime Troupe......protesters walked from Downtown Oakland to the port.
Residents watched the march...

And some held signs in support of the protesters.
When the protest arrived at the port it was a site to behold.The marchers had literally stopped all the commerce of the port.
People climbed on top of tractor-trailer trucks...
...waving flags.
They also climbed nearby train signal structures as well.

Most drivers took the scene in calmly.
There were some drivers that were upset that they couldn't finish their job and return home..
And as night fell the protesters called a meeting known as a General Assembly to try and continue the blockade of the port. Ultimately the stoppage only lasted until the morning and overnight a group of violent protesters broke off and had an altercation with the police in downtown Oakland. But it was interesting to see what thousands of people working together for a common cause could achieve.

Voices of Occupy Wall Street

2011-10-24T09:01:00.000-07:00

For more than a month, Occupy Wall Street protesters have occupied Zuccotti Park near Wall Street in New York City’s financial district, demonstrating against social and economic inequality in America. The protest has sparked similar demonstrations across the country, including in San Francisco and Oakland.

I recently interviewed protesters in Zuccotti Park to interview and report on why they were taking part in the demonstration. My work also appeared on the SF Gate.

Sept. 11, 2001

2011-09-09T11:38:00.000-07:00

With the 10th anniversary of the Sept. 11, 2001 terror attacks, I recently scanned in my negatives of the photographs I took ten years ago per request of a magazine. Its amazing how much of what happened that day shaped my life.
In 2001 I was working days as a photo editor at Fortune.com and the evenings as a photo producer at NYTimes.com. The night of Sept. 10th I stayed late at the NYT Digital offices working till about 3 in the morning before biking home.

I was sound asleep when I started receiving repeated calls shortly after 9 am in the morning. I ignored the ringing phone for 20 minutes before I woke up and answered the call. It was my ex's father calling to see if we were o.k.

I asked him what he meant?

He said: "Turn on the TV."

I turned it on to see the image of the plane hitting the twin towers. I then looked out the window of my Upper East Side Apartment and all I could see was smoke coming from downtown. After texting my ex to see if she was OK. Even though I had not shot a news assignment in a few years my photojournalist instincts kicked in. I jumped at my bicycle, bought ten rolls of film and peddled south towards the World Trade Center.

I biked through Central Park past workers streaming home. I stopped by the Fortune office ("Go home" my boss said) in midtown...

...I continued biking south to Union Square where I shot this photograph.

By this point the towers were both down and the cops had started to cordon off the south part of the island...

But there was one road that they were evacuating people out on the east side and when a cop turned his head I biked past him and towards the WTC.

I could not even imagine what I saw.
It was utter devastation. In New York City.
I was shooting but I was really in shock. My initial photographer instincts were overwhelmed by what I saw before me.
People climbing over a debris and destruction...
A group of friends carrying their cat away from the disaster, only asking me how to get away...
I ended up on Greenwich Street south of the Twin Towers. Even though I was just a block away you could not see anything but black smoke...but then something appeared...
The twisted remains of the south tower of the World Trade Center. I can't say I really knew what I thought. I just stared in disbelief. I started having problems breathing a nice security guard gave me some paper towel to wrap around my mouth and help.

I was exhausted by that point. My film was running out and I figured I should head off to the New York Times website to see if they could use some extra help. I biked back uptown up the West Side and made it to the NY Times Digital offices. My boss told me to drop off my film first at the NY Times photo dept. offices which developed them for me (I still can't believe how orderly the photo department was on this day handling the disaster) and then I went back to work.

The island of Manhattan was shut down so I was the only photo producer for the website that was available to work. I ended up working a 24 hour shift from 2 in the afternoon on 9/11 till 2 in the afternoon the next day until one of the other producers from Brooklyn was finally able to make it into the offices.

The months after in NYC seemed unreal. I still get a pit in my stomach thinking about it. I realized that day I wanted to be someone who told the story through their photographs. I realized that I wasn't prepared that day to be a real photojournalist and cover such an important story. That made me decide to leave the website several months later and start out from scratch to become a professional photographer. Its a decision I never have regretted.

Backstage with Performer Madeline Minx

2011-08-22T03:19:00.000-07:00

I've always wondered what the life of a performer is like. Luckily a few weeks ago I was offered a glimpse with musician Madeline Minx as she performed at a show at Nine Lives in Gilroy.
Madeline Minx is a performer based out of San Francisco and her music is funny and raw. Here is a video of her performance of her song "Sushi".

Before the show Madeline Minx and her two backup dancers took a look at her play list for the show. Her performance was part of a larger show, and the headline performer was metal rock band Maxx 12. It would be an interesting contrast.
Before the show, Minx and her dancers did a dry rehearsal of their routine...
which even included Madeline's boyfriend giving some pointers on how to perform on stage.
Before the show, the performers got ready in the cramped room backstage.
Putting on their final touches as the Maxx 12 guitarist warmed up as well.
After striking a quick pose...
The Minx crew mixed it up with the other performers at the show.
Maxx 12 metal-rocked it out at the Gilroy club.
When Madeline Minx appeared on the stage it looked like it was going to be an entertaining performance.

However sound problems started messing with Minx first song...
She even got off the stage to talk with the sound guy to try and get the music right...
They were able to power through her first song "Sushi"...
But the crowd, which was mostly a metal-head crowd to see Maxx 12, wasn't really into the music and only one soul got up close with the performer to check out the show.

And perform they did with full costume changes....

With Madeline singing with everything she had..
And an entertaining performance.

Afterwards Madeline and her crew could only wonder what would've happened with her performance had there not been technical problems.

And after deciding to rock it backstage with the bouncers in attendence...

They packed everything up. Although not a perfect night it was a lot of fun and an interesting chance for me to see what its like to be backstage with a performer.

Here is another Madeline Minx video to part with:

The South Ward: Home of the Metro (Red Bulls) Supporters

2011-07-27T11:02:00.001-07:00

On a trip back east to attend Soccer Camp (I've been working rather seriously on my soccer skills this year to become a half-way decent player) I attended the NY Red Bulls vs. DC United game at Red Bull Arena. Before this most beautiful soccer-specific stadium in America was built, the hardcore supporters of the Red Bulls (previously the Metros) were stuck trying to support their team in cavernous Giants Stadium in the Meadowlands.

Some fans gave a friendly wave to the Port Authority cops that had been called in to support the Harrison cops with security since their forces have been cut. Apparently they didn't appreciate this fan's wave.
Red Bull Arena, with its roofed-in stands is the pefect stadium for a supporters group to make a lot of noise and really influence the players on the pitch.

The supporters groups also had a large TIFO display at the start of the match which was really amazing in its presentation, but lacked a little bit in its effect.But with the start of the game the flags were waving...
These days the Metro (eh, excuse me Red Bull Supporters) are located in the southern lower bowl of the stadium, afffectionally called the "South Ward" by its inhabitants. The ESC has been joined the past few seasons by two other supporter groups, the Viking Army and the Garden State Supporters. Each group is a bit different, but they have really unified to bring a coherent, loud and racous support to the Red Bulls on the field.Of course, when the Metros (ok going to keep using that term) supporters face one of their most hated rivals, DC United, it doesn't take much for the fans to be ready to sing full-throttle the full 90.
But with the start of the game the flags were waving...
The keeper was thanking the fans for the encouragement...
And it was difficult to contain the energy...
The biggest cheer out of the ESC in the first half was when Tim Ream saved a sure goal from Charlie Davies.
Who was reminded of his reputation of being a "diver."
In the second half the fans cheered...
Got down deep and let their voices roar..
And even enjoyed a quick smooch...
Between cheers of..."New York."
But a goal by DC in the second half...
Along with a few missed opportunitied by the Metros sealed their fate.
And even though the Metro fans could celebrate winning the Alantic (make sure) supporters cup after winning the season series with a superior goal differental, it left a bitter taste in the mouth.
Leaving nothing more than putting the banners away for another match...
And enjoying a game of kick-around in the parking lot of El Pastor after the match.

Gold Cup Final - USA vs. Mexico A.K.A. I Can't Hear You USA

2011-06-27T11:19:00.000-07:00

I've been going to and photographing the fans of the USA Men's National Team for 11 years, and I've never been as embarrassed by the American fans as I was on Saturday for the Gold Cup Final. My first USMNT mach was World Cup Qualifying: USA vs. Guatemala in 2000 in RFK, followed by USA vs. Honduras in 2001. At those games the American fans were just as outnumbered 9-1, just as they were at the Rose Bowl in Los Angeles, but they never stopped cheering for their team the whole 90 minutes. In all the years since the supporters section has always cheered the full 90 no matter what the result. On Saturday, the fans quit on the US Men's team. When Mexico scored their second goal they crossed their arms, and didn't cheer, and stood silent in the most important match for the team this year. Its an absolute disgrace, and every American fan at the game should be ashamed of themselves.
Although a lot of people compared the Gold Cup Final like playing in Azteca; The Azteca Norte if you will. But compared to the reception the US fans that went to support the US team in 2009 for the World Cup Qualifier, the atmosphere was not that hostile during the pre-game. In-fact a bunch of Mexican and USA fans ended up kicking a ball around playing an impromptu match between parked cars.
But the crowd outside the Rose Bowl was definitely pro-Mexican. Probably around 90 percent Mexican fans, 10 percent USA fans.
When the US Supporters walked into the stadium they received a ton of jeers from the Mexican crowd.
Some fingers thrown in their faces...
And some pushing and shoving between the USA and Mexican fans, even the female fans.
The supporters group was afraid of the heckling...

and tried to enter through a locked gate but were turned away by security and the police officers.
Finally they made their way through the gates into the stadium.

And into the supporters section which was patrolled by security to make sure only ticketed US supporters made it into the section.
Before the match it was easy to see the USA fans were vastly outnumbered by the Mexican fans.
But that's to be expected in Los Angeles.
While some fans were supporting the USA...

...plenty of Mexican-Americans have still close ties to their homeland sports team.

And the Rose Bowl was majority green.
Even though the Mexican team attacked from the start, the USA got a surprise goal to go up 1-0.
A few minutes later the USA was up 2-0 and it looked like it would be the USA's day.
But just as quickly, Mexico scored a goal and the jeers turned into cheers....
Some scuffles broke out between the Mexican and US fans in separate sections and but once Mexico tied the match up, the American supporters essentially shut up.

The USA team marched out in the second half...
But hardly a cheer was heard from the US fans, especially after Mexico scored their third goal.
USA fans had their hands in their mouths...
Looking on quiet...
Not doing anything...
When your team is down that's when they need to hear you. That's when the USA fans should have been at their loudest. But except for one American Outlaws fan and a few of his friends from Orange County the supporters section remained silent.
And Bob Bradley had the deer-in-headlights look as he watch his strategy for the match fall apart and the USA lose 4-2.

Afterwards the US fans looked stunned by their loss.
And some good natured cheering for each side ensued.
both ways...
But I was shocked at the poor support for the USA team. How can you not go to a match like that and cheer the whole 90 minutes???

As the Mexican Coach said after the game:

""The supporters get my respect," Mexico coach Jose Manuel De La Torre said. "I don't know what it was, maybe 90 or 95 percent of the fans were Mexicans and that means something. When we went down 2-0, they were still cheering, still supporting. The team gave everything they had."

In all honesty, can the USA fans at the match say the same thing? Did they give everything they had??

Emerald City Soccer

2011-06-24T16:08:00.000-07:00

My trip though the soccer supporters led me to Seattle Washington on Thursday night for the Sounders vs. New York Red Bulls match in front of 45,000 fans.
Seattle, which has only been in the MLS for 3 seasons, has really put together a great fan experience to get the whole crowd before the game. About an hour before the start of the match a brass band get the crowd fired up...
And then the Emerald City Supporters lead a march towards the stadium....
Which is a large football stadium the Seattle has consistently filled up since the team joined the MLS three seasons ago.
The whole way into the stadium the supporters chant and cheer...
And continue in their position behind the south goal.

The group has fans of all ages who lead the cheers....And Seattle is unique as it is one of the only stadiums where the whole lower bowl of the stadium stands to watch the match. In most stadiums the security is telling people to sit down. That is never the case at a Sounders game.
Even outside the supporters young kids are enjoying themselves...
...and when the team scores all fans get into the celebrating.
And the Emerald City Supporters bring their cheers all game long. They never stop for the whol 90 and fill up the stadium in sound.

When the scored the winning goal it was a great celebration.
And the party went on after the game. Now its off to Los Angeles to check out the biggest, craziest fans match in the USA: Gold Cup final between Mexico and the USA. Can't wait!!

Soccer City U.S.A. - A Day With The Timbers Army

2011-06-21T15:24:00.000-07:00

Although my favorite MLS team has always been the Metros (Red Bulls), the team closest to my heart was the California Victory, a USL team that played in San Francisco in the second division of soccer for one season in 2007. I was part of the 1906 Supporters, the Victory's fan group and I always remembered the Portland Timber's fans that came down that year to support their team for a league game. They were passionate, they were animated, they were loud, and they were fun to hang out with after the game at Kezar Pub. Since they made it into the MLS this season I was fortunately enough to come up to Portland and experience what a home game with the Timbers Army was like.

The MLS soccer fans in the Pacific North West are changing the long standing view of soccer in America as a game for soccer-moms and kids. Even the Associated Press wrote a story about it. However, soccer has been huge for a long time in Portland, and the Timbers Army has always brought their passion to the matches, even when they were a second division side.

The first half the Red Bulls scored early leaving a lot of fans stuck to their seats..

Even at half-time the "scarf cart" vendor was looking like it would not be a positive result for the Timbers.

But Portland threw in two quick goals a the start of the second half which shocked most everyone in the Timbers Army section.
But they quickly celebrated their fortune.

With smoke bombs and deafening cheers, the Timbers Army was rocking.
And the Timbers mascot, "Timber Joey" sawed of a slab off a log following each time the team scored and held it up high to the cheers of the fans.
Portland had a chance to extend their lead to 2 goals with about 15 minutes left in the game...but missed a penalty kick to the dismay of the fans.
...but it still seemed like it would not matter and Portland would come out with the result.
To fans of all ages...
Flags waved and fans cheered.
But as time was about to expire, the Red Bulls' Dwayne DeRosario kicked a ball into the box that was handled by a Portland defender which set up a penalty kick that literally allowed the Red Bulls to escape with a point from the game.

After the game the Timbers Army members found the Empire Supporters Club fans (the supporters group for the New York Red Bulls) that made the trip out for the match from New York and invited them for drinks after the game. A class act by all involved.

I'm traveling up to Seattle for the match against the Red Bulls on Thursday evening and looking forward to seeing how the atmosphere ends up there. But I think its fair to say that after attending a match in Portland, it does live up to its moniker of "Soccer City U.S.A."

Can A Championship Baseball Game End in a Tie?

2011-06-08T14:19:00.001-07:00

You never know what to expect when you watch a baseball game, whether its a Major League game or a High School game. But the one thing you always expect is that in the end of the day there is a winner and a loser. Well, yesterday, for the first time ever, I watched a baseball game, a championship baseball game, that ended in a tie.
San Marin was playing Acalanes High school for the CIF North Coast Sectional Division III Championship game on Tuesday evening.
It was a tight affair with both teams going for it. Acalanes took a two run lead into the bottom of the 7th inning (High School baseball games go 7 innings).

But San Marin put a couple of base runners and Mitchell Ho doubled them in to tie it up.
Ryan Schalch scored the tying run and was mobbed by his teammates. Acalanes got out of the inning and the game went to extra innings. From there each team had a few chances...
Acalanes had a chance in the top of the 10th inning but San Marin catcher Mitchell Ho tagged out Acalanes Aj Welsh who attempted to score at home.
Fans watched the game go into the bottom of the 10th where San Marin was unable to score. At the end of the inning the sun was starting to set and the umpires conferred with the teams head coaches and told them per California Interschoolastic Foundation rules they had to postpone the game because of darkness.
The San Marin team was irate. They were yelling, throwing gloves to the ground and yelling at the umpires.
The Athletic Director of San Marin and Acalanes tried to figure out a time to make up the game. At first they tried to resume the game on Wednesday afternoon, but it soon became clear that it wasn't possible.
Coaches stood around in frustration...
...and as the negotiations went on it became apparent that it would be hard to reschedule the game because both schools are in the middle of finals.
So the San Marin players had to sit around and await their fate. Later on it was decided that the teams would not be able to find a place to play again and they were awarded as co-champions of the Division. I was hoping to photograph that final celebration, or distress, for the team that lost the game but in the end, after watching the two teams battle the way they did, I could live with a draw. Just like an excellent soccer game.

For a more complete write up of the game, click on the Marin IJ story.

Last Rainfall of the Season??

2011-06-06T09:21:00.000-07:00

I was on assignment for the Marin IJ on Saturday for an evacuation drill. The rain started to pour down during that event. I wanted to grab a shot of possibly (hopefully) the last rainfall of the season and took this on a street in downtown San Rafael through my driver's side windshield.

Re-engineering Journalism: 2011 Knight Fellows

2011-05-31T12:44:00.000-07:00

I recently photographed the presentations of the 2011 Knight Fellows for the John S. Knight Journalism Fellowships program. The 2011 Fellows are some of the brightest minds in journalism. Each one were asked during their fellowship at the university to focus on how to bring innovation, entrepreneurship and leadership to a rapidly changing industry.
Before the event, the fellows were given instructions by a Stanford drama professor on how to deliver their presentations and be comfortable on stage.
Each of the fellows gave their ideas on how to pursue journalistic innovations in a presentation titled "Re-Engineering Journalism: 20 Visions from the 2011 Knight Fellows."
Fellows from all over the world gave their presentations...
...and the crowd paid close attention.
After the event...
...there was a meet and greet outside the Cemex Auditorium at the new business school on the Stanford campus.
To learn more about the Fellows presentations and see video clips, check out the Knight Journalism Fellowship Website. They also have a link to more of my photographs of the event on their flickr page.

Bay to Breakers Turns One Hundred

2011-05-16T10:45:00.000-07:00

Despite dire warnings of the death of Bay to Breakers, the one hundred year anniversary was still a fun, unique San Francisco experience. The big change this year was the booze and alcohol were hidden away (for the most part) in plastic bottles or paper bags.

Its been years since I attended the Bay to Breakers. Back then I lived on Divisadero and Fulton and could roll out of bed, walk two blocks, and join in.
This year I got up at the break of dawn and started photographing on Howard Street where some smurfs were cheering on runners...
...yes, people actually do run the Bay to Breakers.
Some people can just never get away from facebook...
This year carts were banned from the route, but this go-cart was able to briefly get in on the fun.
And Bay to Breakers was a lot of fun...
...with crazy costumes...
...audience participation...
...impromptu twister games...
...and inter-species boogie downs!
However, not everyone was impressed.
And yes, of course, there were naked people. Heck, it wouldn't be Bay to Breakers without them!

You can see some more of my photographs and the photographs of Chronicle photographers on the SF Gate Bay to Breakers photo gallery.

Earth Day

2011-04-20T11:12:00.001-07:00

I covered for the Student Conservation Association their Earth Day event at Diamond Park in Oakland this past Saturday. It amazing to see what a group of volunteers can achieve in such a short amount of time.
The SCA members were tasked with pulling out an invasive non-native species of blackberries that was choking off life for native plants in the park.
Kids of all ages helped out...
with tools in hand.
It was hard, but rewarding, work.
And the volunteers were able to get rid of a ton of the invasive plants to help restore the creek area of the park to a natural state. Truly amazing to capture their work.

You can view more of my images, and other SCA Earth Day events on their Flicker account:

The 105 Year Old Survivor

2011-04-19T09:49:00.000-07:00

Bill DelMonte is one of the final survivors of the 1906 San Francisco Earthquake, and the sole survivor to attend the Commemoration at Lotta Fountain in San Francisco on Monday for the 105 anniversary of the quake that destroyed much of the city.
I was assigned by the Marin IJ to cover the event which involved a moment of silence to honor those who lost their lives during the quake and subsequent fire that devoured much of the city. The fountain was the meeting point of old San Francisco, and was the location to try and find loved one's in the days after the quake.
A fire siren was played at exactly 5:12 AM, the moment the quake struck San Francisco 105 years ago.
Del Monte was only a 3-month old baby when the quake struck, and doesn't remember the event. Everyone wanted a moment with him to talk, thank him for coming, and ask him for advice how he has lived all these years (his answer: I don't know.)
But as a crowd of a few hundred (some gathered in period costume) gathered to past respect to one of the largest tragedies in the history of the city the question lingering in every one's mind was would this be the last year a survivor of the quake would attend the ceremony.
I know DelMonte told the Marin IJ he won't be back next year. I hope he does make it back.

You can view more of my photographs and read about the event on the Marin IJ website.

UConn Post-Championship Celebration at the JW Marriott Galeria in Houston

2011-04-05T08:22:00.000-07:00

More of a personal post for me, but being a huge UConn Huskies fan I was there to enjoy the post-celebration of the UConn team and fans at the JW Marriott hotel in Houston, TX.
Fans cheered the team bus when they arrived...

Kemba Walker gave a cheer to the fans...

And inside the ballroom the fans packed in and cheered for the team as they were honored with the NABC Championship award.
Jeremy Lamb did the "Lamb Shake" for the fans...
And Calhoun gave thanks for the "Best Fans in College Basketball."
The party continued in the ballroom...

And in the hotel lounge friends and family gave Calhoun congrats as he kicked back with a beer.
The players mixed in with the fans...
And then Calhoun 3 made is way from the party...
A great way to end a great night. UCONN BABY!

Recent Work for the Marin IJ

2011-02-28T10:40:00.000-08:00

Working at the Marin IJ the past few months has reminded me why I love doing newspaper photography. Every day is a new challenge and a chance to learn something new:
For example I photographed New York composer Rob Kapilow and learned he has been commissioned by the Marin Symphony to write for a piece of music to be composed in honor of the Golden Gate Bridge's 75th birthday in 2012. He is visiting community groups in the Bay Area asking them "What does the Golden Gate Bridge Sound Like?" Kapilow visited the Marin City Community Center in Marin City to meet with students about the sounds, images and emotions of the bridge. The composition will include the sounds heard everyday on the bridge.

As fun as that assignment was, a challenging assignment was photographing the public memorial service for popular Terra Linda high school English teacher Debra Schmitt. She was found dead in a creek bed near her house in Ross, Calif. after leaving a goodbye note on the blackboard in her classroom. A standing-room crowd of hundreds of people packed St. John's Episcopal Church for a public memorial service.
I feel you want to be respectful as possible of the people you are photographing grieving while doing your job, including Stephen Smith, the husband of Debra Schmitt, who hugged Patricia O'Brien, a teacher at Terra Linda high school, after the reception. You can read the Marin IJ story here.
I also learn about a new green technology being introduced into the marketplace: hydrogen fuel cells. In this photo, Mark Colby, Vice President of Clear Edge Power (second from left), shows a 5KW hydrogen fuel cell to David Liu. The fuel cell supplies some of the electricity needs to Bruce Raabe's home in Kentfield. Hydrogen fuel cells, which runs off natural gas, can reduce utility bills, reduce carbon emissions and are a more productive source of alternative energy than solar. You can read the Marin IJ story here.
And a fun assignment being able to view some of the amazing artwork of Alaagy, an artist from Ghana. His work was on display at the De Young Museum in San Francisco.

And of course in February its playoff season for high school basketball.
The love the effort and emotion of high school playoff basketball.
It might not be on the grandest stage...
...but rafters packed to ceiling the energy and atmosphere is electric.
Everything is put on the line..

And when you win its pure joy...
...ecstasy...
...and a time to celebrate! You can view a slideshow of more of my basketball images on the Marin IJ website.

NYC Chinatown Parade

2011-02-07T09:35:00.000-08:00

I was lucky enough to be in New York City for the annual Chinatown New Years Parade.
I've been to the San Francisco one several times, but this was my first one in New York.
Safe to say the parade was intense as New York City is.
It was a celebration for the year of the Hare, or the Rabbit or the Bunny...
Before the parade in the staging area the energy was fantastic...
everyone was ready to have fun.

And when the parade got started...

...and confetti started to fall down...
and the lion and dragons filled the streets...
kids of all ages took it all in with big smiles on their faces.

I actually had so much fun at the NYC Chinatown parade that I am thinking of checking out the SF one as well. As I say, you can never have too much of a good thing.

USA vs. Chile

2011-01-24T09:23:00.001-08:00

After a 5 month break, the USA national soccer team returned to action for the finale of "Camp Cupcake" playing Chile at the Home Depot Center in Los Angeles. The team and the USA fans were ready for the game.
The crowd at the game this year was by far the largest pro-USA support group I have ever seen for the January friendly. Thanks largely to the organization of the American Outlaws, a group of around 200 USA fans marched into the stadium.
The chanting and cheering started well before the game...
...and the supporters were singing their guts out even before the action started.
It was a fun game, between the nation's two "B" sides; essentially a bunch of young players trying to impress their head coaches and make it onto the national team's roster.

Chile scored a goal early in the second half, to the dismay of the USA fans....
...but the cheers of the Chile fans that made it to the match.
But with the introduction of Juan Agudelo...
...and Teal Bunbury up top, the USA put the pressure on the Chile defense.
It finally cracked when Agudelo broke through the penalty box and was fouled by a Chilean defender.

And received congrats from his teammates.
The fans celebrated Bunbury's penalty goal and the game ended up a draw: 1-1.

A good result and a great chance to see some of the new talent on the USA Men's National Team. Afterwards Mikkel Diskerud said thanks to the fans who made it out for the friendly. A good showing for the team and the USA fans to start the new year. When is the next game again?

Lights on Market Street

2010-12-10T03:20:00.000-08:00

It's not every day you get tipped off to a fun assignment to shoot but that happened to me yesterday. The news editor at the SF Gate pointed out an article about several new art installations that went on display in the Mid-Market area of San Francisco on Thursday evening.
The event, dubbed “Lights on Market Street,” is an initiative aimed at revitalizing the Central Market Street area, which is plagued with vacant storefronts and is not a friendly, or fun, place to hang out.
The artwork, including this piece by artist Robert James, made people in the area stop, touch and explore. It was interesting to watch.
During the ceremony there was a walk between the exhibits that was fun and full of lights.
I even saw Top Cat, who is a saxophonist player that was the subject of one of my first photo essays when I was in school at SF State.
But by far the coolest and biggest drawing instillation was Faces by artist Theodore Watson.
You just couldn't stop standing in front of the "capture station," wait a few seconds, and then see your face across the street.

A lot of fun. An interesting experiment, and well worth the time to check out!

For more of my photographs from the event, check out my photo gallery on SF Gate.

Union Square Menorah Lighting

2010-12-02T11:20:00.000-08:00

I love photographing the annual Union Square Menorah lighting, commemorating the first night of Hanukkah.
The ceremony starts with the lighting of a large torch by Rabbi Yosef Langer which he brings around the crowd and lets everyone touch...
...although some don't want to get to close...
...and the Rabbi shows he can dance as well.
From there they climb the staircase behind the large menorah.
And from there its lighting the first candle.

As the crowd below watches.
At the end, the Rabbi gives his wishes and the celebration begins. If you happen to be in downtown San Francisco the next several days, there will be a nightly lighting ceremony for the remaining days of Hanukkah. Its an experience to remember!

You can view more of my photos in this SF Gate Photo Gallery

Giants Fans Celebrate the World Series Win

2010-11-02T09:49:00.001-07:00

After 56 years, and never in San Francisco, Giants fans have waited to celebrate winning the World Series. All those years of pent up frustration burst out last night on the streets of San Francisco. It was insane...
Earlier fans by the thousands watched the game at the Civic Center
Fans were hoping for a celebration...
And when Edgar Renteria scored a 3-run home run it looked like the party was about to start.
At the end people were streaming around honking horns and hi-fiving..
Samba bands appeared out of nowhere...
And the party began..
Some San Francisans had to work and couldn't join the party...

A group of around 1000 fans marched from 5th and Market...

And celebrated on the steps of the old Mint at 5th and Mission.

Making their way to AT&T Park jumping on any car in the way...

Even if it was a police car.
And lit and jumped through bonfires at 3rd and King St.

Firefighters doused some of the bonfires.
And the party just kept going and going. Congrats Giants for an amazing run and bringing the party back to SF. Can't wait for the celebration parade on Wednesday!

Marin County Triathlon

2010-11-01T12:09:00.000-07:00

One of my favorite yearly events to photograph for the Marin IJ is the Marin County Triathlon...
I am always amazed what people go through to compete in the race...
After the brutal 1.5 km swim there is a 22 mile bike ride...
22 miles...
At least it always helps to have a supporters section cheering you on.
Then at the end an "easy" 6.2 mile run...
Up...
and down hills to the finish line...
Where you raise your hands in triumph.
And celebrate with your loved ones. To see all my photos from the day click on the slideshow in the Marin IJ article .

Giants Fans Celebrate Game 1 Win in Marin

2010-10-28T10:08:00.000-07:00

I was on assignment for the Marin IJ shooting fans reactions for Game 1 of the World Series.At the beginning of the game it looked like I was going to be taking a lot of photos of unhappy and worried Giants fans...
And I was also taking photos of how well sports bars were doing cause of the Giant's run...
But in the end after a wild and crazy game the Giants fans were able to celebrate a game 1 win. A good start, but only a start.

First rain of the season

2010-10-18T12:15:00.000-07:00

I was covering the Tiburon Mile for the Marin IJ on Sunday (will post that tomorrow) when the first significant rainfall of the wet season happened on Sunday. So I went into weather feature mode.
Trying to stay dry I walked around downtown Sausalito snapping shots.
And got to take in the view of the bay as well. It was nice to have rain here but I do hope there is one more warm spell before the rain sets in for good!

Mill Valley Film Festival and Giants Game in One Night

2010-10-08T14:15:00.001-07:00

Thursday nights was one of those nights that makes me love being a photojournalist: mixing up photographing film stars and than catching the end of the Giants vs. Braves opening playoff game.

I was assigned by the Marin IJ to photograph the opening night of the Mill Valley Film Festival. The opening night was sponsored by Wells Fargo so the director of the festival and the mayor of Mill Valley were given a ride by stagecoach to the Sequoia theater for the opening.
Sam Rockwell was the featured Hollywood star at the opening night of the film festival. Here he poses with Pamela Gray, the screenwriter for "Conviction," which Rockwell stars in. The Marin IJ story is here.

After talking to the media I took photos of Rockwell talking with Bob Weir, from Greatful Dead fame, and his daughter talking about acting and baseball. Weir was excited about the Giants game, as was I...
(and no its not Weir at the film festival and the game) ...so after filing my photos into the paper for the deadline, I took advantage of my media credential to get to AT&T Park for the last inning of Tim Lincecum's amazing performance in game 1 of the NLDS playoffs. I love photographing fans of all sports, in case you didn't know.
Fans of all generations were waving their orange rally towels, and I camped out in the left-field bleachers were some of the most hardcore Giants fans are.
The fans celebrated Lincecum's celebration.
And the fans texted all their friends after the game to tell them about their experiences. A fun night of shooting!!!

Fire vs. Earthquakes

2010-09-30T16:02:00.000-07:00

Made my way down to San Jose on Wednesday night for the Earthquakes vs. Fire match. It was a tense encounter.
Chicago scored first with a well struck header by Steven Kinney.

And with Freddie Ljungberg playing well it ended up being a tough night for the Earthquakes.
The highlight of the night for the Quakes fans was the induction of Ronald Cerritos into the San Jose Hall of Fame during halftime.
Cerritos was always a great pro and probably was underrated during his playing days so it was great to see him get the respect he deserved for his great career.
Hope to be able to make it to another MLS game this season, and I 'm really looking forward to the playoffs!

My First Time Photographing the "Other" Football AKA Gridiron

2010-09-21T10:56:00.001-07:00

After photographing the World Cup lots of people ask me if I take photos of other professional sports. I have shot baseball before but I usually only shoot soccer, or football as it is know all around the world. Well that is, of course, except in America where football is, well, football (or Gridiron for you other folks everywhere else).
So I got my chance to photograph my first NFL Gridiron game as the San Francisco 49ers played the defending Super Bowl champions New Orleans Saints.
I was on assignment for the Marin IJ which was doing a feature on Travis LaBoy, the Marin Catholic standout who just got signed by the 49ers a few weeks ago.
In between shooting LaBoy I was able to grab some other shots. Of course there cannot be Gridiron without the cheerleaders...
... and there was a ton of fireworks before the start of the match, er, game.
The Saints kicker had to work on his practice through the smoke of the fireworks.

And a bunch of Air Force soldiers brought out a huge American flag and held it during the national anthem. It was funny because the whole time they have soldiers running around below the flag to make sure it did not touch the ground and so it looked like it was "waving."
And with the crowd waiting, the game started.
The first half started out with the Saints looking like they were going to run away with it, but the 49ers defense tightened up.
Alex Smith threw to Frank Gore for a touchdown.
At the half it was a close game, 9-7.

During half-time the 49ers honored Jerry Rice and retired his jersey. The photographers were herded into a pen to take photos of the presentation.
And on his way out Jerry Rice got to shake hands with some fans.
In the second half the 49ers took the lead during a drive that had a big reception from Michael Crabtree.
And the 49ers coach Mike Singletary was barking at the refs all half.
And at the end the 49ers drove down the field late to score.

With Gore scoring the touchdown.
But with the score tied, the 49ers game up some easy yards, much to the dismay of the faithful fans at Candlestick Park. The Saints kicked a field goal in the dying seconds to win the game.

So all in all it was a fun experience photographing my first NFL Gridiron, er I mean, football game. Soccer is still my first love but it was a great time and I hope to shoot another NFL game soon!

David vs. Golaith AKA Russia vs. Andorra Euro 2010 Qualifier

2010-09-07T09:59:00.000-07:00

I was lucky enough to be in Spain for the first round of Qualifying for the Euro 2012 games and close enough to view one of the more unusual matches: Russia, one of the largest countries in Europe, versus Andorra, one of the smallest.

Click here for a larger size of the panorama photograph image above

It was an unusual contrast with the stadium seating just over 1300 people total. In Andorra, most people live in a small river valley between two mountain ranges and land is at a premium. Just finding the space for a soccer stadium is incredibly difficult.

With the sacristy of seats available, hundreds of Russian fans cued up in line to make sure they got a ticket before the match sold out.

Click here for a larger size panorama photograph image above

Inside the seats most of the Russian fans were not in the grandstands, but behind a track and other items which made it difficult to see the game.
The enthusiasm of the fans who made the trip was not dulled...

But the game was rather a snooze fest. The Russians scored a goal on an Andorran mistake early in the match and the Russian fans were never worried.

In fact between taking sips of liquor they snuck inside the stadium, they also lit some flares to the delight of the Russian fans.

Actually the best seats for the game were outside the stadium. Against one side of the stadium was a tall wall. On top of the wall there was a place up above for fans to watch the match and take in the beautiful scenery all around them. It was a great place to chill, steal a few apple from the orchard nearby and watch a European qualifier match. It was definitely one of the more unusual games I have ever been to, and something I'll always be glad to have been able to check out.

USA vs. Brazil, A.K.A. Thanks USA for a fun World Cup!

2010-08-11T08:54:00.000-07:00

Suffering from World Cup withdrawal, the USA vs. Brazil game at the New Meadowlands Stadium was the perfect elixir to deal with the blues and for the fans to get their cheer on.
The New Meadowlands Stadium is rather impressive looking from from the outside.
And a lot of fans enjoyed the view while drinking a cool brewskie on a hot muggy summer day.
Inside from the top rows of the New Meadowlands Stadium it was an impressive site, seeing so many fans there for the friendly match. Over 77,000 viewed the action on the pitch.
The New York fans were there to cheer on the team...
And it was a large, loud, supporters section for the game.
Even Bill Clinton, the newest soccer fan in the USA made a guest appearance.
But the Brazilians out classed the USA on the field. So much so that the relaxed Brazilian fans (or fans wearing Brazilian shirts) decided to start a wave during the second half.
Michael Bradley came the closest to scoring a header for the USA in the second half, but was ruled offsides.

And the USA fans waved their flags and cheered throughout the second half.
But in the end it was a disappointing result for the fans.
They still cheered the players off the pitch.
And proceeded to carry the large American flag outside the stadium they had hoped to wave several times during the game after some goals, but never got a chance.
And when they finished folding the largest USA flag around...

They worked on folding the smallest USA flag around.

So all in all it was a not a great night for the US fans but it was a chance to see the World Cup squad one more time and thank them for a fun ride this summer. It will be nice to have a few months to remember the Cup, and then its the start of the long road to Brazil for the 2014 World Cup. I'm looking forward to it.

World Cup Finale

2010-07-12T12:51:00.000-07:00

And so the finale. The end of the biggest sporting event and the largest party in the world. The event that places every one's life on hold. The finale. The end.
I made my way to Jozi from Cape Town for the final match and from the moment I touched down at the airport the colors and pride of the Spanish...and the Holland fans were on display.
A ton of Spanish fans had just arrived at the airport from Spain ready to support their nations quest for their first World Cup trophy.
As were the Dutch fans who had already been traveling in large numbers but thousands more also arrived at the airport the morning of the final match.
Dutch fans even added a little orange color to a band playing at a local shopping complex in Johannesburg.
And when I arrived at Soccer City it was literally a sea of Orange as far as the eye could see. The Holland fans had become one of my favorite nations during the Cup. They were passionate, fun, wacky, and a pleasure to hang out with and party.
And the smaller numbers of Spanish fans were also ready getting ready for the final.
Perhaps the fans were getting a little too close with each other before the match.
But in the end of the day there could only be one team that would not be crushed.

The game itself, well, I can't say that it was the most exciting soccer match I have ever watched. But having followed the Orange fans this far deep down I was in their corner hoping for a Dutch victory. I ended up finding the one location in the stadium where the Netherlands fans were actually able to stand and support their team. Almost everywhere else the fans had to sit down, per FIFA regulations. ( In my opinion having dedicated fans be forced to sit in their seats ruins the atmosphere of the game, but that is a separate post at another time.)

And as time went on and Holland missed some golden opportunities, it just began to feel like it was not the Netherlands day. Then extra time, a red card and the goal with 4 minutes left to effectively seal the game for Spain.
The Holland fans, many who I had partied and took photographs of long into the night after the semi-final were devastated. It was tough to behold and even harder to take photographs of such sorrow and sadness.

Tears flowed freely...
Glassy, watery eyes were the norm...
And once again a party that seemed would never end came to a quick, brutal ending met by an inconsolable sorrow.
Like a broken vuvuzuela.
But as the Holland fans hugged and thought about what could have been...
the long suffering Spanish fans were able to finally taste the sweet smell of victory.
And enjoy being the champions of the world.
Seeing such joy on the Spanish side tempered how bad I felt for the Dutch fans..
And their absolute pure joy was infectious as well. Congratulations Spain and your fans for a job well done.

Well this is it for me. The end of the World Cup. I am still just starting to go through my photographs and edit them down and try and put together a last collection of my favorite images. But I am afraid that might take at least a week.

But after spending the last month doing nothing but eat, drink and watch soccer I am glad to have a chance to come up for air, catch my breath and have a moment to decompress and savor all the memories.

However right now I can tell, in my mind, I am starting to plan out about the next World Cup in Brazil in 2014. After all it is only 4 years away!! :)

Der Oranje Invasion

2010-07-07T20:58:00.000-07:00

Thank you Oranje! Photographing so many matches the past few weeks I had chosen who were my favorite fans this World Cup. My top choice was the Ghana fans, but a close second were the Holland fans. They were passionate and intense, but given the chance to party, not a moment would be put to waste.
I met up with the Netherlands fans and other fans in Cape Town which was a great place for a match.
Unlike Jo'burg where there was no central meeting point or possibility to walk to the matches, Cape Town had created a "Fan Walk" where after fans met up at the festival, they could walk the 2.4 km to the stadium.

It was a great place for fans all over the world to interact.
Blow their vuvuzuela..Grab a seat and a beer...
or 5 or 10....
and make their way down...

with the handful or Uruguayan fans who made the trip.

At the stadium the spirits of the Holland fans were sky-high before the match.
After a tense opening 60 minutes, when Holland scored their third goal the Dutch fans could not sit in their seats any more but had to get up and start dancing throughout the stadium.
When Uruguay scored a late goal there were some tense final moments....
But then the Netherlands fans erupted into celebration!
Carried their clogs sky high...And could feel the World Cup trophy within their grasp.
Even the Oranje General, who has been a fan since 1974, could taste the sweet scent of victory within his grasp.
From the hour long party outside the stadium, the Dutch fans danced all the way out of the stadium...
And partied for a bit with other fans along Long Street in Cape Town...
Before ending up together once again to celebrate their victory.
The Dutch fans also are a bunch of family. Some have been attending matches for years and the celebration was special.
A former secretary of state for Netherlands and the goalkeeper from the Netherlands Euro winning 1988 side partied with the fans...
But the moment, was sweet...
...the emotions, were pure, and the fun was nonstop. My best wishes to the Dutch on Sunday. I hope their long wait for their first World Cup will soon be over.

A Week Worth of World Cup Matches

2010-07-06T02:48:00.000-07:00

I was not able to update my blog as frequently toward the end of the first round and second round matches, so here are the several matches I took photos of and had not yet posted on my blog:
First was the South Africa vs. France match. I went to the Sandton fan festival to watch this match and catch what looked like would be the final game for Bafana Bafana.
But with a couple of early goals and a favorable result in the Uruguay-Mexico game it looked like South Africa might go through!
People were watching in anticipation...

But in the end Bafana Bafana fell short but South African's could still be proud with how there team bowed out of the competition.
The day after the USA lost to Ghana, was the Argentina-Mexico match once again in Soccer City.
Fan of all colors had fun at the match...even Brazilians and Argetinians could call a truce for a bit.

By the end the Mexicans had abandoned their head gear.
And the fans were celebrating...

Well not all of the fans.

The next night was the Brazil-Chilie match.
The samba whistles..
and drums were in full effect...
And the Chileans came ready to suppport their team as well..
But in the end it was a romp for the Brazilians, with the fans celebrating 3 Brazil goals.

And the.n finally the Japan- Paraguay match. It was a tough match for the Japanese fans' because they had so many chances to win the match..
And their fans were constantly on, Um, television...
Most of the crowd was supporting the Japanese fans and behind them till the end of extra time.

But with the end of time it came to the crap shoot of penalty kicks...
It was interesting watching the reactions of different fans during the kicks.And the result to some fans turned out exactly as they hoped.

Well that my quick round up. Now on to Cape Town and the semi-final match!

USA vs. Ghana A.K.A. The Quick, Brutal End to the Dream

2010-06-28T18:32:00.001-07:00

For a World Cup that seemed to be becoming a song and a dance for the US Men's National Team, It sure came to a quick inglorious ending. Oh well...

It started out brightly enough. Before the match I was hanging out with Mr. Soccerhead, Zack Phillips who always cuts his hair with the pattern of a soccer ball. Everywhere he goes, people what to know who he is...so he tells them...he's a soccer fanatic like all the rest of us who enjoy soccer with a passion that is unexplainable.
At the beginning of the USA v. Ghana match it seemed like the spirits here high of the US fans and the players.

But a horrible giveaway by midfielder Ricardo Clark once again forced the USA to start out the match down by an early goal.At halftime the USA fans looked doubtful for a comeback.
But then Clint Dempsey was brought down in the box...And Landon Donovan calmly delivered the goal from the spot to even the match and breathe new life for the Americans.
But despite pressing the USA didn't score the magical goal and the game went to extra time.
When Ghana scored a goal to once again take the lead.
And deflate the USA's once grand dreams of making an amazing run deep into the tournament.

And despite some desperate attempts to score a goal, including Tim Howard coming all the way up field to try and get a header on goal.

It became clear to the fans there was no magical ending today.
And the USA players were deflated...The fans consoling each other..

The Ghana team celebrating their victory...
And a bunch of Americans sitting in their seats long after the final whistle the blown chance for the USA to go far into the tournament.

Well now its over. Its taken a couple of days since the game for me to get this post out. Been busy but also trying to deal with what happened. A long road since qualifying started in 2008 and so many highs and lows, a amazing run in the World Cup and then the quick ending.

All I can say is it is the World Cup. It can teach you some harsh lessons including: Enjoy the good time while they last, cause you never, ever, know when they are going to end.

Japan vs. Denmark

2010-06-25T10:06:00.000-07:00

Leave it to the Danes...they are a fun loving bunch of fans who know how to enjoy the World Cup. Before their match against Japan they were enjoying themselves at a bar across the street from the stadium in Rustenberg. They had played well and it looked like Denmark had a good chance to advance.
But after two goals in the first half it was the Japanese fans that were feeling good.

I was enthralled by a huge flag a bunch of Japanese fans had brought to the stadium. It was about 20 regular sized flags that were tied together and the fans stuck their heads between holes in the flag. They would stand up and wave it around over a bunch of seats.

And there were also people below the huge flag that were helping push it up as well which was a cool photo...
And it was also fun to shoot through the holes at the smiling Japanese fans.

When the final whistle blew the Japanese fans, and a ton of South Africans that had adopted the team as their own for the night erupted in celebration.
And one fan, dressed up as a sumo wrestler decided to bare how much he loved Japan and the World Cup.
On the way out South African's were hi-fiving and cheering on the Japanese fans who on their way to the second round. I'll be able to photograph them next Tuesday again.

And the Denmark fans??? Well there were not as many of them after the match at the bar across the street. But the one's that made it there decided a little loss was not going to ruin their World Cup experience.
After all: win, lose or draw, its all about experiencing the magic of the World Cup.

USA vs. Algeria A.K.A. Pure Insanity

2010-06-24T11:03:00.000-07:00

Now this is why I love soccer! I never thought I would feel any feeling more crazy than the USA's win over Portugal in 2002 to start their dream run into the Quarterfinals of that tournament. But the USA-Algeria game was even more intense.
Before the game I felt that the USA had to win to go through. But with so many opportunities blown by the USA had in the first half it looked like it might be one of those days.

And the fans could feel the pressure building as well.
With Dempsey missing goals and hitting the woodwork and several chances going for naught, as the game got past the 80th minute it looked like a World Cup with so much promise for Team USA was about to come to a disappointing end.
And the USA fans stood waiting for the improbable to happen.

And then late in the game Donovan made a run, passing the ball to Altidore, and getting it back in a scramble in front of the goal mouth to put the ball into the net. 1-0. From the depths of despair to the heights of ecstasy in the matter of a second.
It was absolute insanity in the stands...

And when the game was called the team went crazy.
Altidore was beat up but enjoying the moment.
And the teammates were hugging everywhere.
And the screams of joy...
And chants of USA rang throughout the stadium during a pure moment of Insanity and pure joy..
Some fans stood in disbelief.
While everyone else enjoyed the moment.
A fairy tail ending to a difficult first round of the World Cup.

Even the Algeria fans gave a thumbs up to the USA's efforts.
And the cheering went on long after the game was over.
And the party continued on and on.
What else can this team do? Moments like the USA vs. Algeria game are why I fell in love with the World Cup and is why I will always be at every World Cup. It is indeed the beautiful game.

My Elephant Sighting, A.K.A. Ivory Coast vs. Brazil

2010-06-21T04:06:00.000-07:00

I was excited to photograph Brazil playing Ivory Coast at Soccer City on Sunday night, but I ended up being fascinated following an elephant. In 2006 I just assumed that Brazil would make it to the semi-finals and I would have plenty of time to take photographs of their fans. When they were eliminated by France I missed my chance. I thought the Brazil fans would be crazy and fun and intense, but at Soccer City they were rather mellow and besides a few samba players were not really vocal. So I ended up walking around the stadium and followed the trials and tribulations of the Ivory Coast fans that made the trip to South Africa.

A group of about 50 Ivory Coast fans entered the stadium and two of them helped escort the "The Elephant of Ivory Coast" to his seat. It must have been really hard to walk in that outfit and unfortunately the fans did not know exactly where they were seating. They went up and down two ramps and around half the stadium before they found their seats.

Meanwhile the Brazil fans found their seats, with their eyes solely on the grand prize: The Copa del Mundo trophy.
As I wandered back to see how the Ivory Coast fans were doing I came upon a surprise. They had been kicked out of their seats and were standing behind them unsure what to do. A lot of confusion reigned supreme because the Ivory Coast fans only spoke French and they had to wait to find someone else who did. Luckily one of the volunteers at the stadium did and the story unfolded:
Apparently the fans had all bought their tickets individually and had ended up with tickets all over the stadium and not together. One of the volunteers explained to me that you need to buy the group tickets to ensure you are all together. There ended up being a lot of finger pointing and upset Ivory Coast fans with drums and costumes unable to cheer on their team. They spent about 20 minutes trying to find seating together but eventually it became clear that it was a hopeless pursuit and they ended up drifting off to their own seats leaving the lonely Ivory Coast elephant all alone by himself, as his costume was too large to fit him into one seat. And after going down 2-0, the poor elephant had little to cheer for...
I wandered off again and was looking for more crazy Brazil fans but only ended up finding this skirmish of fans after Brazil scored their third goal. Not sure what it was about but I believe the action in the stands was more fun then on the field in what ended up being a rather easy game for Brazil to win.

I went back to see how the lonely Ivory Coast elephant was doing and got there right when Drogba scored a goal for them to give them one back. Several people standing near the elephant patted him on the shoulder in appreciation...

And the Ivory Coast elephant gave out one quick roar for this one moment of happiness for him.

But as expected, the Brazilians won, and partied out of the stadium having qualified once again for the second round. It seemed like the Brazil fans were really holding back their celebratory "guns," having come to expect to get this far and looking forward to partying harder when they get further in the tournament.
And for the South Africans, the party hopefully will continue as well, as will the call of the Elephant, er, I mean the vuvuzuela!!!

USA vs. Slovenia

2010-06-19T06:40:00.000-07:00

Now that was a crazy game to remember. I was looking forward to the USA game vs. Slovenia. A win and advancing to the second round looked like a safe bet. A loss and kiss the USA goodbye.
I started out the day photographing some USA fans that were meeting up at a bar about 4 miles from the stadium. It was great to see a place full of American waiting for the game and partying it up. Getting faces painted or ignoring the street hawkers outside while drinking some local brew.
At half-time of the first game of the day a bunch of USA fans waved down a mini-van and paid to have it take us to the stadium. It was a fun ride to the game.
We got dropped off about 1/2 mile away from the stadium and from there had to walk to Ellis Park where the game was.On the way there were people waving to the USA fans and hi-fiving them as they made their way to the stands.
Right outside the stadium was a little bar where some Americans, including Mr. Blue were getting their last local brews before heading into the stadium.

Inside was an amazing atmosphere for the USA. One half of a whole side of the stadium was full of American fans cheering and whooping it up and making amazing amounts of noise. I have never seen a World Cup game that had that many American fans and the USA fans were louder than the other team's fans.
Unfortunately, despite the atmosphere, the team came out flat and the USA gave up an early goal. Par for the course lately for the team. The US got their game together and kept pressing the rest of the half but the goal eluded them.The the USA fans were getting testy...
Especially after Slovenia scored their second goal. The USA's chances of advancing to the second round seemed to be slipping out of their grasp.
I never thought I would say this, but thanks to the leadership and guts of Landon Donovan the USA fought back early in the second half and Donovan scored a brilliant goal.

Sending the USA fans crazy! It seemed as if it was the start of the comeback. The USA never will give up!
And after Michael Bradley scored a second goal to equalize the match, it looked like when Maurice Edu headed home the third goal the USA was coming back in one of the most improbable comebacks ever in World Cup history. But a phantom foul call by Mali referee Koman Coulibaly inexplicably ended the hopes of the amazing come back.
At the end of the game Jozy Altidore let the official know how he felt about the call as did several other USA players but to no avail...And in the stands there were mixed emotions. Disgust at the play of the team in the first half, euphoria over their amazing comeback, and horror and disbelief of being robbed 2 points by an incompetent referee.

But at the end of the day the USA still holds their destiny in their own hands. If they manage a win against Algeria they advance. No matter what happens. I can't wait for Wednesday!!

South Korea vs. Argentina

2010-06-18T03:54:00.000-07:00

Once again I ended up at Soccer City for a match. This time is was one of my favorite group of fans the South Koreans vs. the Argentina fans who I have never photographed before.
There is definitely a difference in the soccer cultures of the two countries. In the Korea they had one fan leading the chants with a microphone and the fans were loud and united with their voices.

In the Argentina camp it was much less organized. A lot of fans wore Argentina jerseys along with their club team jackets as well.
An impressive site was the South Korea flag flying during the national anthem for the country.
The passion was intense on that side, as it was clear that with a win they would go through to the second round.
And for the Argentine fans there was a lot to celebrate with two goals before the first half.

South Korea got one back just before the half to make it a match again.
But two second half goals had the Argentine fans going crazy...

The world cup for them will continue. And South Korea is still in a decent position to go through with the win in the first round. I hope they do so I can photograph them again....
Along with the Argentine fans!

One of my favorite images I took after the game was a South African girl that was taking part in a Korean Drum during the game. She looked so happy eating this Big Mac after the game I had to take a photo.

As far as I know it might have been the warm beam of sun that she was enjoying.

Holland vs. Denmark

2010-06-15T14:14:00.000-07:00

I got my only chance to check out the Holland fans on Monday at Soccer City in Jo'burg. They were playing Denmark.

When I got there the Denmark fans were more rocking then the Netherland fans. The Holland fans were intently watching the action without much emotion or cheering in the first half. You could tell they expected to win, but were afraid for the worst.
Their luck changed with the start of the second half.

Denmark scored an own goal to give Netherlands a 1-0 lead and the fans loosened up a bit and started cheering and having some fun.

After the second goal the Dutch fans knew for certain they were going to win the match and it looked like the team could go far in this tournament.

After the game there was a lot of hugging and excitement with the Holland fans. You could tell a lot of the fans traveled and all knew each other.
They were a lot of characters. There was the one guys dressed in an indian headdress...
...and then there was the other guy dressed in an all Orange suit with a military hat know as the Orange General.

After seeing the Dutch fans party and have fun a little bit I hope they do have a long run into the tournament so I can get more photographs of them. And the Denmark fans, I'll see you on Saturday.

Ghana vs. Serbia

2010-06-14T13:01:00.000-07:00

On Sunday I got to experience the Ghana fans at their game against Serbia in Pretoria.
They were great to photograph. Passionate and completely into the game from the start till the end. There were several drummers and brass bands in the Ghana section that were awesome to listen to and photograph.
The Serbian supporters seemed just as passionate but they were nowhere as colorful as the Ghana fans. There were some random fans at the match, including a few that held up Jesus banners during the match. I haven't seen those since I was in Korea.And a couple of them even blew their vuvuzuelas...

Along with a huge number of South African fans that were also at the match to support another African nation in the World Cup. And the Serbian fans were more aware of my camera all the time.
During the half time one South African fan made a little extra cash doing some face paintings.

And even though the Serbia fans were louder in the second half...It was the Ghana fans that exploded into ecstasy when they scored on a late penalty kick to win the match.
Needless to say the Ghana fans were ready to party all night and it looks like they might be ready to once again go deep in the World Cup. As a photographer I can only hope they do!

USA vs. England

2010-06-13T03:25:00.000-07:00

I was highly anticipating the USA vs. England match. Having been a long time USA supporter I was hoping for the team to do well. However for this match I wasn't sure when I would get a chance to photograph the England supporters again because their next two matches are nowhere close to Johannesburg so I spent my time before the match taking photos of England fans.
There was a little bar right across from the stadium in Rustenberg where a bunch of different fans hung out. It was a fun place to relax before the game...
...and to blow your vuvuzuela!
American fans were also at the game in large numbers decked out with "authentic" South African soccer fan helmet attire.
I was on the pitch for this game and got a photograph of Clint Dempsey's goal that tied the match at 1-1.

After the USA held on for the draw against England the team went to applaud the large section of USA supporters on hand for the game. It was a great way to start the tournament and today I can't wait to get back out there photographing the fans again.

South Africa vs. Mexico

2010-06-12T00:05:00.000-07:00

The atmosphere was amazing and the vuvuzelas were blowing load at Soccer City for the opening match of the 2010 FIFA World Cup.
I've been traveling in South Africa for a few weeks getting the lay of the land, and as one South African told me: "If South Africans know how to do anything, its how to party." After the opening ceremony yesterday I have no doubt about that.
The opening ceremony was a grand affair and cool to watch but what I am here for and wanted to take photos of was the fans in the stands.

Everyone was in a great mood at the stadium as the first African World Cup started. Smiles and flags were waving everywhere..
.

...and of course blowing their vuvuzelas!
When the players were announced the crowd went crazy.

During the match the Mexican and South African fans kept it on a fun and festive atmosphere even though they were rivals for the match.

After South Africa scored a goal it looked like it would be parties all night long!
But a Mexico goal but the South African fans back into their seats.

But with a final result of 1-1 both South Africa and Mexico still have a great chance to advance which lead to the both country's fans to continue partying all night long.

Safari Wildlife lead a wild life

2010-06-10T23:43:00.000-07:00

Going on safari before the start of the World Cup seemed like an excellent idea. Not only would it be great to see and take photographs of all the wildlife and a little bit of a different of an experience.

I thought it would be driving around taking pretty photographs of impala, zebras, elephans, water buffalo and hopefully lions as well, the Big 5 as they are known. But I ended up getting a much more intense experience in how beautiful and how brutal nature can really be.

On the 2nd day of the safari the rangers were tracking a group of 5 lions that were entering the Sabi Sands Natural Reserve which is just outside of Kruger National Park where I was staying. On the reserve there are two lions, brothers, who are the dominant lions for the region. They had been named by the rangers Mr. T and Kinky Tail and were two bad lions. Over the years they had killed 45 different lions who had tried to intrude on their territory and take it over. The fights between the lions is based on survival of the strongest for dominance and for many years the two brothers were the dominant lions of the region.

That morning there was rumors that one of the 5 brothers had gotten separated from the rest of them lions and was being chased around by the two brothers. The rangers at the reserve kept looking for them and finally we found them just as the two brother lions engaged the lost lion.

It was one of the most fearsome and amazing sights I have ever seen. The two brothers were ganging up on the lion and trying to bite its jugular while the other held it down. After awhile that didn’t work with the lost lion putting up a brave fight.

Eventually the two brothers went for the hind legs of the lost lion and basically bit and broke both of its legs so it could not walk. After doing that the lions started to yell out their call for supremacy of the area and frighten anyone else away.

Every once in awhile the lost lion would drag his body around and try and attack the two lions and they would pounce on him. It was a losing proposition.

The struggle continued throughout the day and when we returned in the evening it was a much different scene. The lost lion was laying in the grass, its legs broken behind the body and in an unnatural position. He was still breathing but it was only a matter of time until he would die.

The two brothers were not in top shape either. Mr. T just had scrapes but Kinky Tail had hurt his front paw and was limping around. They still seemed victorious in the fight but it was not over….

We drove a short distance and found the other four brothers of the lost lion and they were not far away. It looked like the four brothers would try and exact their revenge on the two brothers that night.

Which is exactly what happened. I didn’t see this fight but one of the other rangers saw it and described it to my ranger. Basically in the middle of the night they had somehow lured Kinky Tail into the open and away from Mr. T and cornered him. He charged at them at full speed running into them and knocking two of them off their feet but the other two jumped on his back and with the help of the other two eventually began to tear him to pieces. Mr. T happened onto the fight but too late to save Kinky Tail and was injured himself and had to escape to survive.

With the dominance of the two brothers gone it looked like the region was shaping up for a long period of fighting until some other lions could claim the area. The ranger hoped that Mr. T could retain his control over the area for 4 or 5 more months until some cub lions in the area could grow up enough to be able to fight for themselves, cause if they were not able to and the 4 brothers take over the region they would kill all the cubs who could be potential rivals in the future. A brutal idea indeed.

One of the most hectic sights I have ever seen.

Red Bulls vs. Earthquakes

2010-05-10T13:05:00.000-07:00

Photographed the New York Red Bulls vs. the San Jose Earthquakes this Saturday in Santa Clara. An early red card by Red Bulls Luke Sassano (32) changed the complexion of the game
The teams battled in the first half...
But a goal just before halftime by the Quakes Ryan Johnson opened up the scoring.
The Bulls tried to keep on the pressure in the second half...
But the short mannned side ended up being routed. Final: 4-0 Quakes.

How Weird Street Faire

2010-05-10T11:37:00.000-07:00

I was photographing the How Weird Street Faire for Dos Equis, the beer sponsor for the event on Sunday.
After my work for them I was able to get some shots of all the "Weirdness" around me.

You can also view the photographs on the SF Gate photo gallery .
It was a fun party with a great vibe and good music.
Looking forward to next year!

Gunnar Sandberg's Big First Pitch

2010-05-07T11:55:00.000-07:00

A lot of people know the tragic story of Gunnar Sandberg. The 16th year-old was pitching during a Marin Catholic high school scrimmage on March 11th when he was hit by a line drive hit in the head and suffered a fractured skull and brain injuries.

After being placed in a medically induced coma for two weeks Sandberg made a miracle recovery and was released from Marin General hospital this past Tuesday.
On Thursday, Marin Catholic held their league game against rival Justin Siena at At AT&T park, the MLB ballpark of the San Francisco Giants. Proceeds from the game went to the recovery fund for Sandberg and he threw out the ceremonial first pitch for the game.

For the 1800 people in attendance it was an emotional and moving event. You can read the Marin IJ story about Gunnar and watch a slideshow with audio of the game as well.

1906 Earthquake Commemoration at Lotta's Fountain

2010-04-19T12:33:00.000-07:00

A couple hundred people gathered at Lotta's Fountain at the corner of Market and Kearney on Sunday morning, April 18th at 5:12 am to commemorate the 1906 San Francisco earthquake and fire. The fountain served as a meeting point during after earthquake and fire and each year a ceremony is held at the fountain in remembrance.
Compared to the thousands that were there on the 100th anniversary (which I also went to) it was a smaller crowd. This year the only survivor present at the annual anniversary gathering was 104-year old William Del Monte.
Its a touching event, with people gathered to honor the horrible event that almost destroyed the city completely. At the end, to show their pride in the city, everyone sang a rendition of "San Francisco."

A Stroll About Chinatown

2010-04-12T12:09:00.000-07:00

Chinatown is one of my favorite neighborhoods to wander about in San Francisco.

I love to grab my camera and wander around the neighborhood and photograph whatever catches my eye.
It also give me a chance to have fun shooting, playing with different lenses, light, and my depth of field.
Everwhere you see pink grocery bags...
Everywhere in Chinatown...
Lady Liberty...

As you can see from this old gallery of my photographs on the SF Gate, I 've been doing this for years and I am sure I will always will keep coming back to the streets of Chinatown for more photos.

2010 Bring Your Own Big Wheels (BYOBW) Race

2010-04-05T10:02:00.000-07:00

Yesterday I went to check out the 2010 BYOBW (Bring Your Own Big Wheels) Race down Vermont Street in Potrero Hill.

Its my first time to the event and driving there in a torrential downpour I wasn't sure the event would be going on...
But if someone is crazy enough to race down a hill on a Big Wheel, I learned a little rain would not be enough to dissuade them.

You can view more of my photographs and videos of the race on the SF Gate 2010 Bring Your Own Big Wheels Photo Gallery

Elephant Seals of Ano Nuevo

2010-03-22T19:44:00.001-07:00

Sometimes the most amazing sights are right in your backyard. A little over an hour's drive south from San Francisco is Ano Nuevo State Park which is the largest breeding colony of the northern elephant seal.A little over 100 years ago the elephant seal was almost hunted to extinction with only around 100 seals remaining before they were protected. Today there are over 150,000 elephant seals alive today and many of the return yearly to Ano Nuevo to breed.

My trip to Ano Nuevo was late in the breeding season. Most of the female seals actually had already given birth and returned to the ocean. Left behind were their offspring, a few months old and weighing a few hundred pounds each. During the warm sunny day they try and conserve their energy sleeping on the beach and they also learn how to practice to swim in the ocean and be prepared to take care of themselves once they are off the safety of the land.Not all the seals make it to the ocean unfortunately. Along with the living are the young ones who are unable to survive...

But it is an amazing place to see nature up close and a beautiful place as well. If you want to find out more about visiting Ano Nuevo check out the California States Park Website for Ano Nuevo and some background information about the elephant seals.

High School Basketball Playoffs

2010-03-01T07:45:00.000-08:00

I was lucky to photograph the pulse-pounding Northern California Sectional playoff game between Redwood High School and Mount Eden.
It was an amazing game that went down to the wire...
For awhile in the second half it looked like Redwood would pull away with the game...
...but Mount Eden fought back and the two teams traded baskets both taking the lead in the final minutes...

...until Max Jackson drove into the lane and delivered a basket to pull Redwood ahead for good.
and the players celebrated the close victory. There is nothing better than a hard fought, well played game.
You can read the Marin IJ article on the game here.

Two Kinds of Portraits

2010-02-22T04:03:00.001-08:00

I've always felt that portraits are one of the toughest assignments for a photojournalist. To be able to convey to the reader the identity and personality of the subject is always a challenge. However, I enjoy the challenge. I recently had two different portrait assignments and I approached each in a different manner.

The first image in this blog post is of Kerner Studios Model Supervisors (left to right) Mark Walas and Carol Bauman. Within a few minutes of meeting Mark and Carol I could tell they took great care and pride in their jobs building miniature models. I thought a shot of them looking over a miniature of the Walt Disney's Space Port concept model the studio built for the new Walt Disney Family Museum in the Presidio would show their love of their art. The model was lit up and I like how the light from it fell on both of their faces as they gaze upon the model.

The second portrait is of Dominican University Lacrosse player Tai Sing Hee. The story was a preview of the Dominican Lacrosse team's first season as a Division II program and focused on Hee, their prized recruit for the season. When I arrived on the lacrosse field for the assignment I was drawn to the goal and circle around it on the playing field. I positioned Hee in the center in a strong confident pose to show the possibilities of the player and his team for the upcoming season. Also instead of just using the available light I also threw in a little bit of flash on the right to try and lighten up Hee's face a little bit.

Both portraits present opportunities and I hope these two images work to convey what the essence of each subject and help to tell their story as well.

Recent Sports Photographs

2010-02-11T21:54:00.000-08:00

The winter high school sports season is in full swing and I have been covering a lot of basketball for the Marin IJ. There have been a lot of great games I've been able to photograph, and this was my favorite image from the past few weeks.
One of the other sports I photographed was wrestling. Its actually a rather tough sport to photograph. The contestants are constantly moving around the ring and it can be tough to get a shot where you can get a feel of the strength and power some of these wrestlers have. This was one of my favorite images from the Mountain Clash wrestling tournament at Tamalapais High School in Mill Valley

United States Men's National Team vs. Honduras

2010-01-25T11:56:00.000-08:00

Like the US Soccer team I started warming up for South Africa by photographing the friendly match between the USA and Honduras at the Home Depot Center in Carson, Calif. on Saturday.It has been a little while since I had photographed a soccer game so I felt a little bit out of sorts at the start of the game, just like the USA team itself.

Had a good group of USA fans but Jimmy Conrad was ejected 20 minutes into the game and it went downhill for the USA after that. They ended up conceding 3 goals.
At least they got a consolation goal back from Clarence Goodson to give them a chance at tying the game up.
But in the end the game was a warm up for me and the team and it was great to be back on the field again. The World Cup will be here before you know it!

Rainy Day Photo on SF Gate

2010-01-20T15:40:00.000-08:00

With the rainy weather in the Bay Area recently had a chance to grab a couple of shots of the weather while working.

It appears on the SF Gate Weather Story for today

Tis the Holiday Season!

2009-12-25T09:23:00.000-08:00

Covered several holiday stories this season. One was about families spending more quality time together during the holidays. In this photo Ella Slatalla, 18, plays around with a whisk with her younger sister Clem, 12, after they helped their mother Michelle make a meringue crust for a lemon meringue pie.

Another was about looking for more inexpensive gifts to buy this holiday season. Jan VanVlaenderen, an employee at Two Neat, a Mill Valley store that sell inexpensive fun gifts, models a large size t-shirt that Amy Yoger (2nd from right) and Sophie Newman (far right) were looking to buy as Louise Satterfield looks on.

And I covered a story about Hanakauah celebrations as well. Shelly Sagy of Concord, Calif. puts the finishing touches on her flower menorah at The Festival of Lights at the Jewish Community Center in San Rafael, Calif.

Happy Holidays!!!

The fun of photographing high school sports

2009-12-08T09:04:00.000-08:00

Over the past month I have been photographing a lot of the playoff volleyball and soccer for the Marin IJ high schools. Its been a great time, with pulsating games, exciting finishes, great action and amazing celebrations afterwards.

All I can say is I wish playoff season lasted all year...

My photo, not MY photo in the NY Times

2009-12-05T08:40:00.000-08:00

I always wanted to have my photograph appear on the cover of the NY Times (or its website) and I finally made it!

But not exactly as I thought I would. Its actually a photograph of me cheering the World Cup Draw (I'm the guy jumping out of his seat on the left) at Danny Coyles on Haight Street in SF which has a World Cup Draw party.

Well I must say I really do like the photograph and I am really looking forward to photographing the World Cup this upcoming June!

USF vs. Dominican

2009-11-17T09:10:00.000-08:00

The Dominican Univ. team played USF on Monday evening and it was a great game. This year is the first year Dominican has become a NCAA Div-2 team and gave USF, a Div-1 team a scare for a half until they pulled away in the second half. A great showing!

Al Gore

2009-11-10T12:41:00.000-08:00

Former Vice President Al Gore made a stop in Marin county at Dominican University on Monday evening to talk about his new book "Our Choice."
In the book Gore argues that every one of us are responsible to stop climate change and global warming.
Compared to how Gore was portrayed in the 2000 Presidential election, he was a good speaker who convincingly and strongly argued his point of view about climate change and threw in good nature barbs and ad-libs about himself that made the crowd laugh out loud several times.
Since this was a guy speaking on a stage photo shoot, I tried to get several different angles for the article and hopefully some good expressions of Gore speaking.
I also tried some other shots which I am not sure totally worked but was worth the chance.

Afterwords, Gore signed books for the overflowing audience.
There actually was too many people to fit into Angelico Hall on the university campus, so they had to watch via television at an nearby building. The line for people waiting to have their book signed by Gore lined clear outside the building.
In the end I tend to agree with Gore. Climate change is a huge threat and it really is up to all of us to become active and combat it. And we need to start now.

You can read the story about it here.

Marin Triathlon

2009-11-02T08:54:00.000-08:00

I guess I must really like sports that test the character and endurance of the athletes; in particular amateur athletes.

On Sunday I had a chance to photograph the second annual Marin Triathlon at McNeer's Beach and China Cove State Park in San Rafael.

Although the event features several world class professional athletes at the top of their game...
...the amazing part of the event is watching the amateur athletes who have spent months of time getting ready for the event and having their family and loved ones nearby the whole time cheering them on. That for me is why I love covering this race.

The festivities started out with a bag piper leading the spectators and athletes to the start of the swim.
Its always a lot of fun visually to see everyone dressed the same in a wet suit entering the water to take part in the 1.5 km swim.
After a desperate scramble out of the freezing bay water...
...the athletes switch to their bicycles to start a punishing 35.4 km bike race with a steep uphill at the start.

Then, as if that was not enough punishment, the athletes have to run a 10 km cross country course race.
But as they get close to the finish line the families are there to take photographs, cheer them on..
Possibly even run with them to the finish line...
Where big hugs await them.
As you can tell I wish I could do what these athletes do. I have modest goals though. For me I just hope to be able to run a 10K or half-marathon soon again. A triathlon will have to wait.

You can view a slideshow of all my images from the triathlon on the Marin IJ Website

Working for the Marin IJ

2009-10-30T20:16:00.000-07:00

The past few weeks I've had several photography assignments for the Marin Independent-Journal. Marin High Schools are in the middle of the playoff season.
I photographed two soccer games that in the MCAL, one between Marin Catholic and Terra Linda and the other between Drake and Redwood that were both exciting to watch and fun to photograph.
Also I photographed the MCAL water polo playoffs as well and got to check out an intense match between Tamalapais and Terra Linda.

I had a couple of assignments covering the lives of Marin residents.

One was of filmmaker Michael Anderson of San Anselmo. He made a movie on the gritty streets of San Francisco's Tenderloin District. His movie, "Tenderloin," was shown at the Mill Valley Film Festival.

Another assignment had me photograph Dr. Paul Ekman. Ekman is a psychologist who
developed the science behind micro-expressions, the involuntarity physiological movements our faces make that can indicate, for instance, if we are lying. Ekman and his work are the subject of the FOX TV show "Lie To Me."

I also photographed San Anselmo's Tori Kropp, a prenatal nurse at the California Pacific Medical Center while working at the hospital in San Francisco. Kropp is author of the recently released book "The Joy Of Pregnancy."

United States Men's National Team vs. Costa Rica

2009-10-15T06:50:00.000-07:00

I wasn't sure what to expect really from the final United States Men's National CONCACAF World Cup qualifying game at RFK Stadium. The one possibility I didn't expect was how emotional an event it was for me.

There were several mitigating reasons I suppose: the tragic accident that US forward Charlie Davies was involved in, the fact that after a long two year campaign the USA was heading to the 2010 World Cup and an exhilarating game that had the team down by 2 goals early in the game and a last second equaliser that had the US finish top of the standings.

Before the game I spent a few hours hanging out at Molly Malone's regaling in the story of my friend Andy who made the trip to Honduras. He had an amazing time and was so emotionally spent at the end of the game that he wasn't thinking when he traded his custom-made USA soccer flag shirt that he had worn for every USA game he attended since the 1990 World Cup.

If anyone knows a good tailor that can make a new one for Andy I'd appreciate any tips.

From there I made it to RFK stadium where outside the USA Fans, led by the American Outlaws were having a tailgate and partying up. In a way it was a celebration party. The USA had already achieved its goal: Qualify for the World Cup in South Africa.

Soccer mom anybody?

Heading into the stadium the fans were still celebrating.

Despite a steady downpour everyone was in high spirits and ready for the game to commence.
But as the USA men's team walked out onto the field...

And the supporters sang the national anthem, the festive atmosphere was tempered by the tragedy of the Charlie Davies accident.

As a sign of respect and support the USA fans held up signs for Davies during the 9th minute of the game. With smoke bombs going off all around I felt it was a slightly unsettled atmosphere, commingled with tragedy and celebration.

And also the fact that I think the USA team was not ready mentally to start the game. There was a defensive breakdown. Costa Rica took advantage to take a quick one goal lead.

To the credit of the DC fans, they only stopped drumming and cheering for a moment, before they started up again full force.

But Costa Rica scored a quick second goal and the jeering between the two fans was in full force. The USA squandered several golden chances before the half and Costa Rica stood firmly in charge of the game.

Now this takes a lot of skill....props!

At the half I text my brother "Glad this game means nothing." He called me up and told me that Mexico was down at the half against Trinidad and Tobago and Honduras was up against El Salvador. This game actually did mean a lot. The USA could still finish first in the group and if they could tie it up Honduras would be going to the World Cup, not Costa Rica.

In the second half the USA team and fans were fired up...

The cheers were loud and non-stop. I love USMNT games at RFK stadium. It is the true national team stadium for the USA. There is no place in the country that turns out a better support for the team than DC. Nowhere.

And the fans were rewarded! After a first goal, Jonathan Bornstein got a second goal in the last moments of the game sending the USA fans into delirium!! It was an unreal atmosphere. It was a final hurrah to a trying and testing campaign for the USA that led to them finishing on top of the group. Mexico tied T&T so the USA won the group and Honduras defeated El Salvador to book their own ticket into the World Cup.

The players were just as excited as the fans (probably even more so, after all they did all the hard work)...

and the team presented a banner to thank all the fans for their support during the Qualifying campaign.

At the end of the game my brother text me: "And u thought this game meant nothing?"

He was so right.

Its been a crazy two years. This trip has taken me all over the place. To Caribbean nations, Guatemala, Costa Rica, Mexico, and to all corners of the USA and now the trip was over. I guess I didn't realize how emotional a day it was for me. All the hope, all the worry, all the highlights and moments of despair. They were all over. Its been an amazing ride. I think the two following signs say everything I would want to sum up this post:and

Sunset at Stafford Lake

2009-09-21T03:00:00.000-07:00

Even since I went to school for photography I have always found myself with my camera at the Sunset parties. They are outdoor, free electronic dance parties that have been taking place all over the bay area thrown by Pacific Sound Systems.

They are a daytime outdoor DJ event.

That continues until the sun sets.

Kids of all ages enjoy grooving the the beats under the setting sun.

Something about good beats, good peeps and good tunes that always turns out to make a good time.

That's what Sunset has always been about.

And I suppose will always be about.

One of these days I am going to have to go through my old negatives and all the digital images that I have shot of Sunset and put together a website or book of them. It would have to be thousands of images I have taken over the years.

Good times indeed....

CCSF Quarterback Darius Bell

2009-09-11T07:21:00.000-07:00

Darius Bell is a Marin County native who now stars at the Quarterback for the City College of San Francisco. CCSF is consistently one of the best Jr. Colleges in the country.

You can read more about Darius in the Marin IJ article.