Race to LA

Recently I was commissioned to fly out to LA and shoot a bike-a-thon sponsored by Adecco for the charity, Win4Youth. This whirlwind trip lasted a whopping 30hrs and included a full event, interviews and b-roll of Los Angeles. Somehow we survived and managed to get some great material.

Oregon: the First

Here are some photos from my recent family trip to Oregon. With my limited amount of time to post, this is the best I can do for now, but rest assured that more are on the way.

The vineyard where my cousin was married.


Foggy forests on the Oregon Coast. Perfect for portraits.



The top of the Table Rocks with my family off in the distance.

When it's not raining or foggy, you get treated to view like this one.



My sister on the dunes. Despite how it looks, she now hates the sun.

Sunsets on the coast are stunning.

Not so Oregon-y, but I love this photo taken outside of a hotel room one night.

Toys

I've been increasingly busier and busier these days, making it hard to post. However I am finally able to post this spec that I finished a while ago for a toy company called Wild Planet. My first foray into the world of speed ramps. I'm hooked.

Are You Still Waiting?

This Sunday I had the great pleasure to work on a music video for the very talented Heeyoung, pictured below. Directed by the lovely miss Yaara Sumeruk and shot by the talented Corey Eisenstein, the video is sure to be a great success. How could it not be with yours truly making a cameo...

Heeyoung


Director: Yaara Sumeruk


DP: Corey Eisenstein

Yoshi, rockin the steadycam.

The wonderful talent that came out on a Sunday to make this video a reality.

How do you keep it Classy?

Here is a promo spot I shot for Jack Daniels. They were looking for submission on how they could rebrand the term "Drink Responsibly". Here's what I came up with.

Ringo

Here are some behind the scenes photos from RINGO, a short film directed by my friend Yaara Sumeruk and shot by my other good friend Corey Eisenstein. This play converted into short film features a young male prostitute and the awkward woman that has paid for his services. Stills were shot by yours truly.

Portraits

Over the last year I have transitioned mostly into the world of film, but a couple of my friends have asked me to take their portraits. Here are the results.

My very talented actress friend Jeri Silverman:

El Director Jorge Valdez Iga:


Make-Up artist Francesca:

Back to the Front

So I've given the blog a new look and I'm dedicating myself to once again posting on it. To kick it off, here are some videos that I directed at the beginning of this year. The first was a spec commercial for Netflix, meaning that we made it in the hopes of Netflix purchasing it. Though we were unsuccessful, we did receive an editor's choice award from Poptent.



The second video was done for a company called CheapCaribbean.com and was purchased! If you haven't seen them yet, let me know what you think.

Jones New York

So, I must be the worst blogger ever. I just get too busy and then I get all backed up. Regardless here is something that I worked on that just came out. I was an electrician for an Annie Liebowitz shoot for Jones New York. The gaffer was Brian Harnick and I think the images came out beautifully.

Click to enjoy!

Canon 1D Mark iv Tests

This is the video that Corey Eisenstein and I shot for the Canon 1d Mark iv which should be coming out later this year. We did all night shoots and tested the low light capabilities of the camera. Here are our results.

Canon 1D Mark IV - Camera Tests - New York City at Night from Corey Eisenstein on Vimeo.

Production Stills

Here are some shots from a couple of projects I've worked on recently.


These shots are from "The Zax" music video.

Directed by Jorge Valdez-Iga
Shot by Corey Eisenstein



These are from a web series entitled "The Guardian".

It was a kind of vigilante cop drama.

Directed by Jay Rodriguez

Nicaragua!

Life has been hectic, and going to Nicaragua for a month and a half certainly didn't make things any easier. The first week was spent with my family traveling. The subsequent weeks were just me and my sister, living in her site in the middle of nowhere and making weekend excursions. Here are some of the highlights of my trip.

A central part of the Nicaraguan experience is the meet-n-greet. This is where you drop into people's houses and get to know them, which often times means long periods of awkward silence. Above is when I met Don Chepe, who showed us his greenhouse full of tomato plants.


While in my sister's community of El Coyolito, I tried to help her meet new people. Here is a man who dubbed himself "El Pobre Viejo" or "the Poor Old Man." A true cowboy.

Entertainment is sparse in small Nica villages, so people love to go to a Sunday cock fight. Here two birds fly at each other as the kids look on.


This treehouse was my favorite place I slept in Nicaragua. Set in a cloud forest, this house perched atop a strangler fig was quiet and unexpectedly bug free. The fog in the morning made for a great wakeup.

Nicaragua's festivals are colorful and loud. Throngs of masked people take to the streets dressed as conquistadors.

It is no wonder why Nicaragua is called the Land of Volcanoes. Concepcion, one of two volcanoes that comprise the island of Ometepe, is a beautiful sight. This island is the largest lake island in the world and a true wonder.

As my sister and I climbed the other volcano that makes up Ometepe, Maderas, our guide paused and snatched a hummingbird out of the air. This was the high point of the trek. The low point was realizing that I had too much camera gear and having my legs cramp up horribly, almost causing me to turn back.

My trip ended on the gorgeous beaches of the Corn Islands. Wish I had had my scuba certification with me, because the waters were crystal clear and teeming with life. From the tranquil beaches back into the hectic New York life.