spring

were the cherry tree totally absent from this world,

how carefree would the heart be in spring-time

-ariwara no narihira

krista & matt

i've got a thing for beach weddings and cole haan shoes.

can you figure out which one is johnny?

they don't taste like they smell.

sometimes the photographer gets shot.

a little bit casa...

a little bit tourist...

a little bit trashy...

a little bit beachy...

a little bit wet...

i followed suit and shot the reception barefoot.

krista and matt were great sports giving us plenty of time to photograph out in the sun and heat. their reception was held on the beach at casa marina in key west. many thanks to todd laffler for having me join him on this shoot.

24˚33' N 81˚45' W paradise

paradise exists here on earth about 1,399 miles away from me. i can drive my car there and i don't even need my passport. you are probably asking yourself... if i know where paradise is, and all i need is my car to get to it, why aren't i living there already?

i asked myself that same question.

sometimes to get to paradise you have to go through miami.

but don't count on seeing the golden girls' house from this high up.

if the propeller stops, that is not a good thing.

if you need a place to stay in paradise, you'd be missing out if you didn't stay at the angelina guest house. you'll feel the warmth of the angelina's charm and character, gracious staff and friendly cats the second you walk in the door.

ps in paradise there are warm cinnamon buns for breakfast every day and a hammock that will make you smile.




throughout my entire life, any time i heard roosters crowing all night long and ambling mindlessly around...it was because i was someplace that warmed my heart.

in paradise they celebrate the sunset every night with entertainment and art...
and sailboats....and sunset views...
the last thing you see when you leave paradise may very well be this...

believe it or not, there are actually people that live in paradise. and i'd like to thank each of them for their kindness and conversations.

look kids, big ben

this is my favorite london 'city' shot.

sometimes you are given signs. i thought toto's 'africa' playing at the airport was enough of a sign, but then i saw the 'uganda house' in trafalgar square.

and then another sign? 'wind the cab?'

sometimes a picture is more poetic than i care to articulate.

reclaim love

my life has been filled with moments where i look around and wonder how the heck i got there. i've found myself in some very strange places, with people unlike myself, but yet... maybe not so much unlike myself.

i had a very bad cold when i arrived in london and after photographing lovers in trafalgar square i was tempted to go back to the airport, but something told me to go to piccadilly circus. after minding the gap, i emerged right in the middle of piccadilly circus. it only took a moment for me to see the 'free hugs' being given out. i thought this was a nice gesture being that it was valentine's day and all. i did not realize i was about to be a part of a hippy love fest for the next few hours.

soon there were many more people gathering around. people of all kinds. i soon realized who the leader of this love fest was when i saw her speaking to the police about 'reclaiming love because love is brilliant' while a wizard videotaped the interaction.

the crowd kept getting bigger. and also... somewhat weirder, but in a way that i found refreshing.

even young skateboard dudes were reclaiming love.

our purpose was soon explained by venus who told us that in many other places around the world, at exactly the same moment, people would be holding hands in a big circle and chanting 'may all the beings, in all the worlds, be happy and at peace'.

for a moment i wondered if i'd just inadvertently joined a cult.

the message was simple and non-religious enough for me to decide that i was going to be a part of this circle of love reclamation because valentine's day is my favorite holiday and i was lucky enough to stumble upon a group of people who were celebrating the idea of love. we formed a ginormous circle and all held hands and began chanting our message of love. londoners walked through the circle, smiling at the ridiculousness of what they were witnessing... and i smiled back at the ridiculousness of which i was a part.

i held hands with this kind gentleman.

after the circle turned back into a crowd, the dancing and singing began.

the pavement was festooned with messages of love...

and the setting sun cast a magical light...

i knew i'd been a part of something bigger than myself. i stumbled upon another strange place and i knew it was my exact destiny. i might never really know the full story of what i was a part of, but i do know that for a few hours i smiled and laughed and felt the love.

and yes... i did receive a free hug.

(you can't make this s@#t up... www.reclaimlove.org)