Learning About Hernias

I always have this nightmare scenario in mind when I'm photographing surgery: I lean over to get a closer shot or a more interesting composition, trip on my own feet and land on the surgical table, on top of the patient, and manage to either kill or maim everyone in the room.

This has never happened, and did not happen last Friday when I photographed two hernia repairs performed by a doctor that does cash-only surgeries. The anesthesiologist let me get pretty damn close to the patient though, just on the other side of the sterile drape. It made me nervous, but no one was maimed in the end.

From Russia

Vadim Bolotsky and Nikolai Melnikov are classically trained Russian circus performers. They are part of a group of Russians who came to Las Vegas in 1993 to perform a flying trapeze act in "Mystere" the first Cirque du Soliel show in Las Vegas. Many of the dozen or so performers still live in Las Vegas, doing various things and living various lives. Vadim was a flyer and Nikolai was a catcher. These days, Vadim lives rural life in Pahrump and helps out as a stage manager at the Amargosa Opera House in Death Valley Junction, Ca. Nikolai still performs. He is part of a two-man hand balancing art in "V The Ultimate Variety Show" at the Miracle Miles Shops in Planet Hollywood.

To see many more photos, read the story, and see a great video by Katie Euphrat check out the Las Vegas Sun.

The Naked Expo

Here are my favorite shots from this year's AVN Adult Entertainment Expo. It was my first time, and a very overwhelming (in a good way) experience. The expo can best be described as a visual diarrhea of pornographic imagery; an excellent challenge for a photographer. The hardest part was keeping it PG-13 rated for a family newspaper.

WARNING: Some of these photos show breasts, so don't look if you don't want to see boobs.

The Revelers and the Drunks

This was my fourth year in a row working the Fremont Street Experience for New Year's Eve. I always whine about having to work on New Year's Eve, but Fremont Street makes it all worth it. I hope you can see my joy in these photos.

Happy New Year!