The bikini you didn't see

Last weekend I posted a link on Facebook to a gallery of photos from the International Bikini Team Aloha State Finals. Please don't ask me to explain what actually happened at this event. I left there more confused than when I arrived. After viewing the gallery online, I noticed that one photo had been deleted by the online editors. Was this detail photo too scandalous for online publication? Probably. So here it is on my blog. Let the people decide!

Food Shooting

I recently started shooting food. Not just shooting food, but shooting food for people that actually gave a shit about how the photos turned out. With the pressure on, I called my friend, the amazing food and "stuff" photographer Levi Brown to find out how the hell to make food look edible. He gave me some sage advice. It was something too simple to think of myself, though I employ the exact same technique for everything else I photograph whenever possible. He told me to find a window and put the food near it. That's it. The big secret is out. Obviously, food photography is a lot more nuanced than that. But, I've found, window light is the best ever. As usual, Levi was right. I hope he's proud of my fledgling food photography.

Photo-Op

I guess I'm a sucker for "photo-ops" at the children's hospital. When Elmo and Cookie Monster are making sick kids smile, I can't help but feel a little bit happy too.

Click here to see more photos on the Las Vegas Sun's website.

The Iranians

This is story about two Iranian refugees. Both fought in the Iran/Iraq war, both have lost family to the Islamic regime in Iran, and both have struggled immensely. This is also a story about kindness, loyalty and friendship in a city where it's hard to find. One man is homeless, and the other is not. I've been working on this story for a while. Please check out Las Vegas Weekly for Tim Pratt's accompanying article.

My First Viva Las Vegas

As a born and raised east coaster, rockabilly culture has always been kind of a mystery to me. After attending Viva Las Vegas Rockabilly Weekend, the largest annual gathering of said counterculture, for just a few hours on Friday night, I learned two important things: I need to buy some cute rockabilly dresses and learn to dance.

Ballet

I love shooting the ballet. The lighting is already sublime and the subject is beautiful and graceful. I hardly need to do anything to make it look good!

See more photos and Joe Brown's review in Las Vegas Weekly.