Screaming Girls

At this point in my career, I’ve had a wide range of assignments that have taken me to different parts of the world and I’ve had world leaders, celebrities, sports icons, and everyday people in front of my camera.

I can’t say I’m accomplished, or wealthy, or satisfied but I have done alright. 

Today’s challenging market for photography is changing rapidly, and in many ways, for the worst. This means I have to do many jobs I don’t necessarily care to do or where I find myself too overqualified to do them. 

For instance, the photo editor at the local newspaper occasionally to do assignments his already overworked staff can’t cover. And most recently I’ve been covering high school sports. As no professional sports teams are in Hawaii, many locals support and follow high school sports religiously. Attendance at some games can be into the thousands so the newspaper takes their coverage seriously.

And while high school sports isn’t necessarily something I care to photograph, it turns out I have enjoyed covering the drama and passion that comes along with these young athletes. 

Luckily the assignments have been state championship games and the turnouts are huge. The athletes also give it their all. I’ve covered water polo, softball, and soccer. Its very exciting to see their young faces light up when they win but its equally heartbreaking to see the tears when they’ve lost. 

The Mililani Trojans react after losing to the Campbell Sabers in sudden death during the OIA Girl's Soccer Division 1 Championship.

Patterns in Life

I haven’t written in my blog for quite some time. I’m sorry to have ignored this aspect of my creative self for such a long time and now it’s time to do a little catch up. Over the time I was not posting, lots of personal matters fell from the sky crushing me and my creativity but we must all move forward and continue the journey.

I want to start the new year with a post about how patterns appear and repeat themselves. It’s all around us…you just have to be ready to catch them.

When I hit the streets with a camera, I will stare and observe everything around me. Most of the time, these fleeting moments will happen in the distance and end as I arrive but luck plays a major role in capturing a splendid moment.

Tokyo street, August 2023.

The hair trend in Japan this past fall of 2023 was bangs. While walking around Tokyo, I noticed many girls constantly arranging the bangs around their forehead. As this woman stood in front of me in at a Harajuku crosswalk, a large truck bearing an advertisement popped into frame. I simply lifted my Leica and snapped a few shots off. I never would have imagined catching this type of image.

You can see more of my Tokyo gallery here.

Golf course in Honolulu, January 2024.

While covering a golf tournament, I found a woman standing out in the crowd of thousands. As I used a long lens to zoom in on her, a person walked into the frame much closer to me repeating the same motion. The shot alone of her was nothing special but when the man interrupted the image, it became something different. I was shooting with a Sony A2 and a 100-400mm lens. I think I was maxed out at 400mm.

I’ve come across these patterns throughout my visual life.

Swimmers at sunset. Honolulu, January 2022.

The beach shot took place at sunset. I only had my Iphone and as I watched these girls enter the water, they oddly repeated the same pattern. The original is in color but I thought the black and white makes the viewer see something else. Black and white took away the girls individually forcing them into shapes and forms….into patterns.

I even have a photo from circa 1990 or from my college days.

College mimes. Austin circa 1990-92.

These college kids were entertain people on campus at the University of Texas. I just so happened to be there with my camera and snapped this shot. It was captured on film with a Nikon. When I developed this picture, I realized I didn't see this shot forming. I just happened.

Sometimes, it just happens…right in front of you. All you have to do is capture it.