President Trump held a rally in downtown Phoenix last Tuesday, August 22, at the Phoenix Convention Center. I decided to drive by on my way home to see what was going on. My plan was to simply drive past, check out the craziness and then head home. As I approached the convention center I could see long lines of people on the sidewalks waiting to get in. The streets around the center were crowded with both protestors and supporters and traffic was moving very slowly. As luck would have it, I was waiting at a stoplight, looked to my left and saw an empty parking spot right across the street. I couldn’t believe it! I quickly pulled in and parked my car. Like I said, my plan was to drive by, check it out and head straight home, but since this spot was only one block from the action, what could I do? I grabbed my camera and headed down the street. It was almost dark, just about 7:00 pm, so I quickly walked into the madness to see if I could get some shots. I stayed for about thirty minutes, weaving in and out of people, snapping photos and taking it all in. 

Yeah, sometimes Mom takes the chihuahua to work…

We recently drove out to Los Angeles for a long weekend. We went to see one of our favorite bands perform at the Hollywood Bowl and then hung out for a couple of extra days. We went up and down Hollywood Blvd a few times and drove into Beverly Hills taking photos and being tourists. It was a lot of fun!

I was at the thrift store with the boys when I spotted this cowboy holding his wife’s purse while she was shopping nearby. I thought it would make a great picture if I could catch him at the right moment so I lingered inconspicuously while he moved slowly through the aisles. There were several times I raised my camera to make a shot but then stopped because a customer would step in the way. Finally after several minutes of doing this the boys called out for me because they wanted to get going. Feeling defeated I walked slowly to the door. I was hoping for maybe one last chance. Finally, in a fit of desperation and just before walking out the door, I quickly raised my camera and snapped this one shot. As I did, the cowboy’s wife turned my way and “busted” me with a nasty scowl.

I pulled up to get a quick shot of the sign. Somebody exited the store and I made my exposure. 

I was stopped at a red light waiting to get on to the freeway and noticed this light beam spilling down from the overpass above. 

Liz and I went to a cake shop today. As we left I snapped this shot from outside the store back through the front glass window. When I saw this shot later it occurred to me how much it resembles another photographer’s work I know and how we’re always being influenced by what we see others do. Here’s to Joseph Podlesnik who I’ve never met but whose work I sincerely admire.

I was recently invited to tag along on a model shoot at an old abandoned house. I don’t have a lot of experience with shooting models so I thought it would be an excellent learning opportunity. The girls were so easy to work with and very professional. I had a really wonderful time. And thanks to the models, I came away with some pretty cool shots!