What happens when a wedding photographer gets a media pass to…
NATHAN’S INTERNATIONAL HOT DOG EATING CHAMPIONSHIPS IN CONEY ISLAND, BROOKLYN, NY!!!
That’s right.
I somehow got a media pass to the Hot Dog eating Championships on the 4th of July. I found myself standing amongst ESPN (who covered the event live), CNN, FOX, ABC, NBS, CBS, etc… and a cheering crowd of 35,000 spectators.
All I have to say is WOW!
….and “NASTY!” It was NASTY, like good nasty, you know? Like when people used to say, “That’s Bad”, well I am coining the phrase, “That’s NASTY!”.
Anyway, I have a ton of photos, so here goes. This was quite an event. Oh, random note: My dad was born in Coney Island! Coney Island Hospital. I had no idea. I don’t know if I should be proud or… hmmm
OK.
It started out like any great event. An old, OLD guy, singing songs about hot dogs and soda pop.
And then, of course, a little rap by one of the competitors.
Did I mention 35,000 spectators?
Who knew.
There’s my friend from the previous post. I love the sign.
Was that ESPN 8, THE OCHO??? NO. It was the real ESPN.
Of course there were trampoline teams during the pre-show.
The Master of Ceremony was awesome.
Time to meet the competitors. This guy goes by “Crazy Legs”. He is INTENSE. A fine-tuned athlete, I tell ya’s.
Not sure of his name but he is fierce as well.
Joey Chestnut is the returning champion.
One of the competitors was a body builder. So kids, if you want to grow up big and strong, eat plenty of hot dogs.
A female competitor! She is actually kind of pretty, right? Wait until you see another shot I got of her. You might think twice.
Meet Sonya, the BLACK WIDOW!!! Can you believe she can hang in this competition? I have no idea where 50 hot dogs and buns go.
Kobeashi! I know I misspelled that. This guy is like, HUGE in Asia. He won this contest 6 years in a row until last year where he got beat by the American. Thank God! I mean, this is obviously an AMERICAN sport! We own this!
Someone got proposed to. Talk about romantic!
This is my patriotic shot
One of my favorites of the day for no real reason.
She’s still pretty!
Not a competitor. It’s actually Santa! Now you know what he does on his off-season. Is that some sort of hot-dog “product” in your hair? A lot of the competitors coats had that nice, “I eat lots of hot dogs” sheen to them. You know where hot dogs really come from? You might want to ask this guy. He makes hot dogs himself, hand-shaping the meat that goes into each and every hot dog. He’s a dedicated craftsman.
Classy. I love the hot dog in the martini. Extra dirty means “add a little hot dog water”.
Another true American Athlete gets pumped up with music… and a little acne, which compliments his hot dog product in the hair.
A little pre-competition prayer. “Dear God, please let me win this competition founded upon gluttany at its worst”…?
“Dear God, Me too”.
This guy was actually going through the movements. He is focused like Tiger Woods!
THE FIRST BITE! KOBE GOES IN STRONG! Look at those jaws of THUNDER!
DON’T LOOK AT THE SIGN!!!!
Still think she’s pretty?? I’m thinking, “advertisement for Dolce & Gabbana sunglasses”
I am so proud of our American Culture. These are some of our most talented athletes. Very attractive. I wonder what he’s listening to?
Uh ma’am, you have something on your mouth”
Kobe was two hot dogs behind Chestnut. He was getting MAD.
He can’t take it anymore!!! GRAB A HOLD OF YOURSELF!
EASY….!
Gone from focused, to mad, to delirious.
Amazing. They tied. Time for a 5 dog shovedown between Kobe and Chestnut. Chestnut pushes the hot dog mush deeper into his bowels. These athletes subject themselves to pain, but it’s all for the victory!
The American Wins!
So that’s where they all went?
Second place is still not bad.
This represents about 50 hot dogs. These guys ate over 60 I think…. in just 10 minutes.
Since I had a media pass, I was allowed to get one-on-one’s with the competitors.
Crazy Legs:
The MC:
Hmmm, is he having a second wind? “Maybe I’ll have just one more!”
He didn’t win, but he looked like he did. He’s a champion in my eyes.
This guy got third place.
Anyone hungry? I was planning on having a famous Nathan’s Hot Dog after the event, but the line was incredibly long. Somehow, I already felt stuffed.
I went straight back to Manhattan where I then followed around some real crazy NYC bike messengers. Stay tuned for that!
July 8, 2008 | 
(4) |
A REAL American 4th of July (HAPPY 4th!)
I just got back from NYC. It was an amazing trip. I have so many great photos to post. Yesterday, I was up early for my first photo op, and spent the rest of the day photographing some NYC bike messengers. Stay tuned for that.
It’s beautiful out right now, so I’m going to go outside and play, but here are a couple hints of what I did on the 4th of July in New York:
and this also just happens to be my favorite photo of 2008, and one of my new all-time favorites!
I’ll post more tomorrow or Monday so check back! 
July 5, 2008 | (2) |
NYC tiny post
I just have 30 minutes until I leave to shoot engagement photos. Here’s what I have done today so far:
Breakfast: There’s a hamburger place around the corner called “5 Guys Burgers and Fries”. Today is not splurge day, but Ordinance 5B07, section 14A (Splurge Exceptions) of Commando diet, AKA the “When in Rome Clause” states, “When traveling to other states or countries, Mark is allowed to lightly splurge on non-splurge-day when presented with a food, type of food, or brand of food of which represents the place of visit, or is a signature item.”
So I heard that the burgers are top notch here. (a girl walked by, pointed at 5 Guys and exclaimed, “Oh the burgers there at 5 Guys are the BEST in the WORLD!!!”). So I exercised my When in Rome exception. I didn’t get the BIG burger though. I also got a small fry.
Take a look. I felt like this deserved a shot for my sixpeeps. The small fry is a perfect size, but the guy also put an entire second scoop of fries in the bag, which I didn’t quite understand. Anyway, if you are ever in NYC near Greenwich, Find 5 Guys! You won’t be disappointed.
Then I made my way to City Bike a shop near Time Square. This is where Squid told me to go. I got there and a couple messengers were hanging out. I asked them if they new Squid. They replied, “Of course we know Squid.” Duh! Of course they know Squid!
I asked whats up with Squid and one guy with a mohawk and tatts everywhere took the phone away from his face and said, “He’s like the guy who represents all of the NYC messengers.” OK. I guess that’s all I need to know. I am going to make a point to find Squid tomorrow and get photos of him. I already have his name in my cell phone contacts. I must say it’s fun having “Squid” in my contacts.
So here’s a sticker on a bike:
I looked up and guess who:
His name is Kennedy and he owns that bike. A real nice guy who gave me a flier for the Race tomorrow. So I have a lot more of this comin your way:
Until then…
July 3, 2008 | (3) |
Love, Bikes and ???: Viva NYC
That’s right, I’m in NYC right now. I got in yesterday morning. I spent yesterday tooling around but didn’t take a single photo. But TODAY… and TOMORROW, I have lots of fun stuff to photograph. The main reason I’m here is to photograph some engagement photos (Love). That happens this afternoon, and I can’t wait!.
In addition to that, I’m working on my photo documentary project that I started last summer, Bike Messenger (bikes). So I got in touch with this guy, “Squid” who is apparently the top dogg messenger in Manhattan. I talked to him yesterday, and he told me where the messengers hang out. And if I tell them that Squid sent me, then they are supposed to be nice to me. We’ll see! Tomorrow there is a big NYC bike messenger race starting at Madison Square Gardens, so I will be there for sure.
And a touch of randomness that I love so much, I got a media pass to cover a very very huge event in NYC on the forth of July. I will leave that a surprise for my peeps (???!). So check back!
July 3, 2008 | (1) |
Its that time again
So in ‘05 I blogged a 14,000 foot peak-bagging experience on, (sniff sniff), Mt. Sneffels.
In ‘06, we bagged Snowmass Mountain
Last year, I treated you to two peaks in one trip, Mt. Shavano and Tabaguache (pronounced “tabawash”).
CLICK HERE for somewhat of a review
Welp, it’s time again. July 27, right after my wedding out at Mt. Princeton, I will be meeting up with my 14′er wingman… or maybe I’m HIS wingman… Terence, and heading South to bag two more peaks: Challenger and Kit Carson. Here, take a looky:
We’ll be out there for about 3 or 4 days.
In the past, Terence always picked out our target 14′er. But this year I wanted to choose. It’s personal this time. I attempted these two peaks when I was in my prime, a 20 year-old raft guide. I bonked. The hike out to the base was long and arduous and we started at 11PM and hiked throughout the night, took a short and frigid nap at the waterfall and then proceeded to hit up Challenger. I lost wind. My legs gave out. Terence went ahead and bagged em and I sat on a mountain face feeling really upset.
So now 12 years later, I’m going to go for it again. We’ll hit Challenger first, then take the sketchy ridge over to Kit Carson. I’m 30 lbs lighter than last year, and I feel like I’m in the best shape of my life, so I’m ready to seal the deal on Challenger and Kit Carson. Hopefully the mountain and the weather will be nice to us.
And of course I hope to bring back a story of victory to all my peeps, complete with photos.
Also a quick note, I’ll be out of email and telephone range from July 26 - 30.
July 1, 2008 | (2) |
The sun shines just a little brighter in… ST. LOUIS!
So the other weekend I was shooting a wedding in St. Louis. One of the great things I love about my job is that I get to travel to all sorts of places! Thanks to wedding photography, I have been to:
Tuscany Italy; Playa del Carmen Mexico; Hawaii x3; Portland, Oregon; Laguna Beach, CA; Scottsdale, AZ; Carrol, Iowa (don’t laugh, that place is awesome!); Dallas, TX; Cleveland, OH; Las Vegas, NV; Jersey Shore, NJ x2; NYC; and a few others I just can’t think right now. I’m shooting in Idaho in a couple weeks.
And this place… St. Louis! I got in early that day and decided to explore. Wow, turns out my hotel is right smack dab against the Cardinal stadium and there happened to be a game. So I bought a standing room ticket and went in for a Hot Dog. (these are all taken with my point-and-shoot)
I exercised my “When in Rome” clause to my Commando Diet and had a hot dog. No comparison to the dogs at wrigley field but it was still delightful.
Hey look! There’s that arch of St. Louis in the background. And that leaning tower of St. L… that’s my hotel.
The sunset was freakin’ gorgeous.
That night I cruised around and the arch was looking very cool.
The next morning I got up at 5 AM to go for a jog and I had this to look at from my hotel room window.
I decided to bring my point-and-shoot with me on my jog. I jogged over to the Arch to see a little more of what it’s all about. I’m glad I brought it!
On my way home from the wedding I got stuck in Chicago O’hare due to thunderstorms. It was splurge day, too. I decided that O’Hare is a GREAT place to be stuck at on splurge day. I found a Dunkin’ Donuts!!!
Hey check it out, I caught some lightning.
June 27, 2008 | (1) |
Erica & Brandon, St. Louis Missoura!
I have some serious blog catching up to do! Things are really busy here these days, seems we are up to our necks with consultations these days. I had 5 yesterday, including two in Arizona. Then 60-something weddings in the books to look forward to between now and April.
My recent wedding in St. Louis was so much fun! I was still feeling the jet-lag from Italy, but whatever!
Following this post, I’ll show you that not only did I have fun at this wedding, but I had fun off the clock in St. Louis, too.
This wedding came as interestingly as most out-of-state weddings do. A St. Louis photographer recommended me to this couple. Apparently the first verdict was that I was a little out of their budget for photography, but Don, the photographer in St. Louis promised them I’d be worth it. Talk about pressure! 
But when I got there, Brandon and Erica were just AWESOME to work with. They trusted me completely and allowed me to get right into my zone and I felt I had their trust the entire day, which is a big thing for me and how I perform.
Meet the dashing couple!
Now let’s rewind and let me tell you how the day went down.
This is the first creature I met when I arrived at the bridal suite. I believe he was an armed guard or bouncer or something.
Erica is an Italian so we had lots to talk about. I like Erica because she laughs a LOT
!
Don’t worry, there’s a toddler
I actually took this shot of the shoes a little later inthe day at the St. Louis Fine Art gallery
Here’s the Brandon, getting ready for the big walk.
One of the groomsmen had Obsessive Compulsive Disorder. His wife loves him because he vacuums furiously all day long. I couldn’t believe he brought a rake to clean up the deadfall for the photos. You’re hired!
Time for a wedding. These two totally cracked under pressure! And it was soooo cute.
Brothers
Now I have to run for a meeting but I just wanted to get some shots from this wedding up on the blog.
Thanks again Brandon and Eric for treating me so well out there! And thanks Don for sending me their way, I look forward to seeing you later!
How about one last look of the B&G!
CONGRATS YOU TWO!!!
June 26, 2008 | (0) |
Bike to Work Day!
Today is Bike to Work Day, and I’m proud to say that I ride my bike to work every day (no I don’t work from home, I actually have a real office to go to!). I rode to work all winter long here in CO and some days I had to wear ski goggles because of the snow! Riding to work is great because:
1. You don’t have to deal with sitting in traffic jams!
2. Free parking wherever!
3. You don’t have to look for parking!
4. Fresh Air!
5. Sunshine!
6. Exercise!
7. Panoramic views of the sunset on your way home.
8. Gas savings, CH-CHING! $$$$
9. Exciting adventure!
10. Less pollution.
Oh good I was able to come up with 10 reasons.
June 25, 2008 | (2) |
Lazy Blog Post
Well when NBC writers were on strike, the station pulled out lots of old Conan O’Brien episodes and aired them. Some were really funny.
I’m not on strike but I am very busy right now, so I am going to do the same. Don’t worry, this is one of my favorite blog posts of all time… from June 2006. That’s two years ago!
I met a photographer in St. Louis who told me he had been following my blog since 2005. Wow! I didn’t even know I had been blogging that long… but I have!
Anyway, here’s one of my favorite blog posts to tide you over for a while. Stop being so dang impatient!
June 23, 2008 | (0) |
Hear Ye Hear Ye
…instead of posting “part 2″ of Louise and Oliver, I decided to just complete the thing so scroll down and see how their wedding ended up!
Hmmm I suppose I better post SOMETHING here. OK.
Here’s a shot of myself in Laguna Beach CA when I got stuck in a phone booth. I survived off of red licorice for three days until a 5 year old girl released me. Photo by Jenny on day one.
June 20, 2008 | (0) |
Louise & Oliver, Castello de Modanella, Tuscany (PART 1 & now TWO)
The reason I stayed so long in Italy was because this couple from Australia found that I’d be in the area and asked if I’d be willing to stick around to shoot their wedding at the very same Castello di Modanella. So wow, it all worked out! And I got to meet them just a few days before their wedding and knew I had a great couple to work with.
Let’s get to business here, I have lots of blogging to do!
It started in the Castle, just a few apartments down from mine. I love this shot of the dress with the Father of the Bride in the mirror.
These boots were made for walkin’, and that’s just what they’ll do, one of these days these boots will walk right down the aisle… to YOU! (Oliver!) Wow! That might have been one of the cheesiest lines I have ever typed into a blog post! Go me!
Oliver was very excited to see his bride (at the Siena town Square)
Here she comes!
You may now…
I really liked this guy. He was a photographer, too so we were able to chat about camera stuff. I showed him my 50 1.2 lens, and he could not believe it. “I bet that’s a fast lens”, he commented. “Very fast, it’s a 1.2″, said I. “1.2?!?!? he exclaimed!”. I like when people ask me about my lens, rather than “megapixels” which is a pretty over-rated camera feature.
Off the go… Hey wait up!
Super cute grandma!
They got the rose petal shower.
There were a few people who enjoyed a chance to throw things at this innocent couple!
It was starting to get personal!
THe weather was so variable in Siena that week. One day it would be super sunny (not ideal for photos), then super duper rainy (great for photos, bad for cameras), and we just happened to get lucky with an hour of the most PERFECT hazy light. PERFECT! So our shoot in the Siena Town Square was awesome.
Some people already know this about me… I LOVE to photograph good lookin food! One of my dreams is to photograph food for restaurants in NYC and SF and all those big cities with the cool food.
Castello di Modanella’s catering is top notch, too. And the cheese in Italy is really cool to photograph.
Don’t worry, there’s a baby.
The wedding party
y
I’m personally big on high fives and I wish that it would replace the typical handshake… even among strangers. That handshake is so old fashioned! I’m glad to see that Oliver is a fan, too.
Love this shot of Louise!
I snuck inside to grab some detail shots… Dining in the Castello di Modanella. Awesome.
Then I went back outside. I took this photo of Louise and her mom exclaimed, “He’s taking a photo of your BUM!” (In her British accent). Then I was embarrassed… but I guess I sort of was! But not in a BAD, way, MUM!
Time to go in for dinner!
OK are you ready for some awesome food shots? The Castello catering was ON IT. I also met an American named Jeff, who was an intern here. He goes to school in Ohio and for his internship he simply lives on the Castle property and cooks with the chefs. Awesome!
Yep it’s dinner time.
The guys at Castello di Modanella treated me so well while I was out there. At weddings, sometimes they arrange a meal for the photographer… sometimes they don’t Sometimes while the guests eat a super nice dinner, the vendors get a box lunch (which is fine!). USUALLY I decline the offer regardless because I’m on my commando diet. But at the Castello, I was served the same 5 course meals, AND some of the Castello di Modanella’s very own wine! “When in Rome! (or Tuscany!)”.
Risotto
Spiral Pasta
Chicken and some sort of potato cake???
Maybe I ought to ask this guy
Something funny happened as they were cutting… no… SAWING through their cake. They were cutting through the base of the cake which was styrofoam. The chef had to stop them. You’d probably have to be there but I was almost crying I was laughing so hard.
I’d like to tell you how good this cake was, but I actually exercised my self control, although it looked delish!
Some shots from the toasts. If anyone knows me, this is one of my favorite three times during the day to photograph the guests who have traveled from all over!
Here’s my man, Fabrizio! I wish I had a good shot of Gabriella, too. They both run the show over there at Castello di Modanella. Very hard workers. He and Gabriella were so incredibly nice. I hope to work with you both again, and it was great meeting you! One night, Jenny and I were going to go into town for dinner, but it was an Italian holiday so we were out of luck. We had some food to cook, but next thing you know there was a knock on our door with a full meal that Gabriella sent us. And Fabrizio would make Jenny and I these amazing Cappucinos almost every morning. Amazing.
Back to the wedding… there was much dancin!
So I will end with that. Thank you Louise and Oliver for having me photograph your wedding, it was an honor and thanks to Castello di Modanella, specifically Fabrizio and Gabriella for taking such great care of us. Piacherre y Molto Complimenti!
June 18, 2008 | (1) |
Shannah & Matt, Tuscany Italy (continued)…
I’m not going to drone on about the OT I have been working since returning from Italy, but I made it a priority to show off a few more Italy wedding photos, I left my peeps hangin’ on Shannah and Matt’s wedding at Castello do Modanella, near Siena Italy! To review PARTE UNO, click here
Ok… where were we… Oh yes… the reception
Time for toasts, food, drink and partying!
Wow, the best man actually typed his toast, very organized!
Matt is an British gent so I got to learn about some British wedding traditions, like this one, where they place bets on whose speech will last the longest! Passing around some Euros…
I love taking photos of people toasting like the Best Man, here…
…but you want to know what I REALLY LOVE??? Taking photos of the guests during the toasts!
If this guy gets better shots than me, I’m in trouble. 
After the toasts, a bunch of people decided to have a paper-airplane contest in the Castle courtyard. Believe it or not, this is one of my favorite shots. I think many people would be surprised to find which photos from any given wedding are my fav’s. My favorite shots are the images that capture a super duper short moment that tells a story. The story doesn’t even have to be profound. Just fun, that’s all. I don’t think I am making sense.
Time to party. The dancing and mingling happened downstairs in the Castle courtyard. This is another one of my Cartier Bresson-inspired photos.
They had a dance competition at the reception which was really funny.
Here’s a Scot, cutting up some castle-rug in his kilt. I’m just glad he didn’t slip and fall (for more than one reason).
I once went to Scotland for New Years Eve. I was in College, so if you think about it, College guy, in Scotland, Wearing a Kilt (like a “true Scottsman”), New Years Eve… uh yeah I had a “few” cocktails. I slipped and fell in a very crowded hotel lobby and long story short, I believe my older sister is scarred for life. I thought everyone was just laughing at me because I fell… then I looked down.
Sorry for the interruption here, but this is a fun shot for my family peeps: Far left: me, then Gina (older sister); Nick (her husband); Ann (Nick’s Sister); “Kimo” (Nick was an F-15E Pilot and I believe Kimo, which is his call sign, (I don’t know his real name), anyway Kimo was his co-pilot… or “Wizzo”). (the guy walking in front of the shot: I have no idea who that was) Good times!
OK back to the wedding, Sorry, how rude of me.
Remember I went to college with these sorority girls and I used to be their “party pics” photographer, so I probably have photographed about a million shots just like this one on file somewhere.
All alone in a corner, this guy trained hard for the upcoming dance-off finals. I appreciate how focused he is on his moves.
You know, I think I’ll end this post on that.
Thanks again Shannah and Matt. I had an awesome time!!!! And CONGRATULATIONS!!
June 17, 2008 | (1) |
HAPPY FATHERS DAY!!!
What a weekend! I got stuck at Chicago O’Hare during my layover, but barely made it home in time to hit some golf with my Dad for Father’s Day!
I just read my sisters blogs and they both did a great job describing my Dad.
Here’s the man!
I think the most valuable lesson I have learned from my dad comes from a talk he had with me once in Hawaii, after I gave a stewardess a little attitude about some bad service during breakfast. The advice came in just three words: Just Be Nice.
Three words. Easy, right?…. Not quite! But they are words that have impacted me the most. To Just Be Nice is an art, a trait, and a way of living each day that both my Dad and his Dad always seemed to do so well. I admire them both for that reason alone. And I strive to be more like them in that way, more than any other.
I love the story of my grandfather, back when they lived in New York. I don’t remember the exact details but it has to do with a guy who came to look at their car, which was for sale. The sale price was $800 or something like that (remember this was in the 60’s). The guy had his family with him. He explained he was under some hard times and could only afford $500.
My grandfather replied, “$300 dollars, and that’s my FINAL offer!”.
My dad is also known for his loving generosity and simple caring. There are a million stories out there, but for some reason the one in particular I remember was back when he lived in Washington DC. It was HOT, HUMID and miserable out. My dad noticed a woman who just looked to be a little stressed out outside. He slammed on the brakes, reached back in to a cooler that had our lunch packed into and grabbed an ice cold coke, rolled down his window and with a smile handed the coke to this lady and said, “You look like you could use one of these!”. Could have been a great commercial for Coke, huh?
Here are some more of the little things I love about my dad:
1. Awesome cook.
2. Wears tennis shoes when he plays golf. (Hey, they are cheap, comfortable, and who cares what other people think!) You can also find him tee’ing up in the fairway! The only rules he plays by are his own!.
3. Loves flying kites.
4. Grilling on the smokey joe when I was a kid. I miss the smell of charcoal!
5. He’s a hugger!
6. The old Fiat convertible and the road trips we took in that thing as a kid.
7. Thrifty. Speaking of road trips, I remember when we’d be on a long trip, his favorite thing to do would be to stop at a .25 cent hamburger stand (Now “Hamburger Stand”). He’d roll up and order 16 hamburgers! It would be my dad, myself, and my two sisters in the car. He’d pass out the burgers and every 3 minutes later, “Hey who wants another!” and he’d laugh as he passed them out as if he just couldn’t believe he just ordered 16 hamburgers for only $4.00!
8. When I was really little my dad and I would sometimes play hookie from church on a Sunday afternoon. He’d drive me around in his fiat, and suddenly exclaim, “Mark! The car!!! It’s trying to go somewhere!!!” and he’d grab onto the steering wheel, grimacing as he struggled to control the car. He’d continue… “Agghhh, it wan’t to go into this parking lot!!!”. He was overpowered! As a kid I thought WOW! I really thought the car was driving us somewhere, as the car pulled itself into Dunkin Donuts! “Ahh man, Marky, I think this car wants us to have a donut!”. I was all smiles as we’d leave the car and have a donut.
9. Sometimes we’d just drive out to the Air Force Academy and watch the cadets skydiving and have a little picnic.
10. This could be my most favorite memory of my Dad, but it’s hard to say. The year I ran the Pike’s Peak Marathon. I had just run over 25 miles up to the top of Pike’s Peak and back down. The sun was beating on me with no way to escapt and I would rather just keel over and die. But I could see the finish below, a crowd of people. I continued to make my way down to the finish and there was my dad, who proudly jumped out from the crowd of spectators, out on to the course and ran next to me as I finished my last 200 yards or so. Making my dad proud has been one of the biggest motivations in so many things I do and is more rewarding than anything I can think of.
So Happy Father’s Day, Dad! And to all of the other dad’s out there!
June 16, 2008 | (3) |
I’m back, Blog is fixed, Hello from St. Louis!
First a huge thanks to Cory Grunkemeyer for fixing my blog, which has been BROKEN due to all the spam that has flooded into my database over the past few months.
Italy was amazing. I feel really lucky and blessed when I think about some of the experiences I had during my month out there and the amazing people I met. I have a lot of blogging to do from that trip still, including more images from the first wedding and also a whole bunch from the 2nd wedding that I photographed out there at Castello di Modanella.
Also a thanks to Fabrizio and Gabriella from the castle for all their generosity while we were there. I’ll tell you more about the castle in a later post!
As for now I have been right back into the mix since getting back. I photographed a wedding 3 days after returning and now I am in St. Louis shooting another wedding here today.
So needless to say I have been very busy, but I am going to take advantage of this week to try to get a little caught up on my blogging, too!
I’m off for a jog - I’ll be running by the famous Arch of St. Louis and down the riverfront. Should be a fun run!
For now, here’s a photo I took in Lucca, Italy. If anyone here knows me, they know I love puddle photos and this goes down as one of my favorites of all time. This is going to make a killer canvas print which is just what I plan on doing with it!
So start stopping by more often!
Mark
June 14, 2008 | (1) |
Being Americani Touristi Tipico!
Guess what Jenny and I did yesterday…
Not sure? OK here’s a hint:
(My apologies for the quality of these photos, I just brought my point and shoot.)
Still not sure? OK here’s another hint:
STILL don’t know?!?! Another hint:
STILLLLL?!?!?!?!
We went to Pisa and propped up the leaning tower! Jenny did real good
Being a professional, of course I had to “one-up” all those amateurs
I propped it with just one finger
OK I will do it like everyone else… except on this one I was pushing it over. How mean!
In addition to this, Jenny and I ate melanzana sammiches that I packed for us and drank two huge birra Moreti. And we had Gelato. I have been running each morning for about an hour and fifteen minutes, but I think I am still gaining weight. When in Rome!
May 29, 2008 | (3) |
Shannah & Matt, Siena, Italy
So if you have been wondering why the heck I have been spending so much time in Italy, this is it! My first wedding (and the next wedding I will shoot here in about a week) took place at the amazing Castello di Modanella, just on the outer tip of Siena, located in the rolling hills of Tuscany.
The castle was built about a thousand years ago, and you can tell that it hasn’t been modified too much, they are very careful about preserving the castle for history sake, and it has some of the most impressive views ever! Even the door that you enter the castle is a short, military design that you sort of have to duck under to get inside. But the rooms are beautiful and there is a restaurant that I will be taking photos of next week that is really amazing.
On the property you will find some really cool lemon trees.
Castello di Modanella:
Shannah and Matt, the bride and groom. Shannah and I went to the same college. We didn’t know each other TOO well, I actually knew a lot of her friends a little better as I was a photographer for a Greek Event Party Pics company - I would go to all of these Sorority Parties and photograph them. Tough job for a college guy, right? Well some of the Delta Zeta girls were at this wedding so it was really fun to see some familiar faces wayyyy out here in Italy. And now most of them are married with kids which to me is amazing. For the record, Shannah wasn’t actually a DZ… or were you Shannah? Anyway… meet Shannah and Matt.
Oh and Shannah lives in Switzerland and so does Matt, but they met in Germany at some sort of beer festival called “Octoberfest”… or something like that? Matt is from London
.
Now that you have the setting and the characters, lets hit rewind and let me tell you a little bit about the day. Come sit on my lap. That’s it. (OK, that sounded creepy)
It was a long day! I started shooting bright and early at 8:00 AM and I stopped at about 1AM! But I will give you the short version. Check out the little place where Shannah, Matt and their wedding party stayed… just down the road from the Castle. It’s all owned by the same property.
Quaint, isn’t it?
Matt and his fellas (they are not “Grooms Men” Matt is pretty independent!!!) were all on the track team in college. They invited me to join them. I had to be shooting at the time, which is good because I would have been left in the dust! Something tells me these guys are FAST.
I like this shot after their jog of the guys giving Matt their good wishes as they leave to go get ready. Look at the back drop! What a place for a jog!
Meanwhile, Shannah was getting ready for the first of two ceremonies: the Civil Ceremony, held in an Art Museum in the Siena Time Square.
Dress #1 of 2 That’s Tucker, their dog, who made it out for the wedding, too. Easy when you are just coming in from Switzerland. He was taking it easy that morning. (Got a little carried away the night before at the rehearsal dinner)
I love the details
Don’t worry, there’s a baby
Matt brought his special Civil Ceremony Oakley’s.
The civil ceremony was a very small ceremony, a little less formal, but necessary to make everything “official”. It was very cool and took place in a really cool Museum in Siena Town Square. Just immediate family and the wedding party attended.
After a quick ceremony, Matt and Shannah were “official!”. This was taken right outside, in the Siena Town Square, where thousands of tourists were checking out the sights!
We didn’t have a lot of time, but we managed to get some nice shots of them both!
I love the random little kid. I think some photographers would stress about all the random people who were at the location, but I enjoy the documentary point of view, which is why I am a huge fan of Cartier Bresson
In no time, everyone was doing the hustle to get ready for the church ceremony at the small chapel located right outside the Castle.
Decorating the getaway car was easy!
The dress (2 of 2)
I can’t tell which of these three smiles I like best! So I will just post all 3. I love catching candid portraits. So many times these end up on the wall, versus the ones that are posed. The other reason I like shots like these is that it’s a rare moment amongst the hustle and bustle of prepping for a wedding that anything slows down, even for a quick smile.
Stepfather of the bride, rehearsing his toast
A quick shot inside the church…
Matt was taking photos of his own. I could tell that he is passionate about photography… either that or he was worried I’d miss something! Regardless, I can definitely respect a person who loves his camera!
In the church, one of my favorite times to photograph people is right before the wedding as guests are being seated.
I used to take photos of all three of these girls at parties back in college. They are still a lot like I remember them, only employed!
Everybody loves a cute flower girl!
Or, excuse me… flower girlS
I like this shot of Shannah’s bouquet as she walks down the aisle. Matt in the background
I see a lot of these at weddings. Did I mention there were three flower girls?
Mother of the bride is happy about her new son-in-law
Time to celebrate
I climbed up this really sketchy latter to the top of one of the castle towers. Fabricio, one of the head guys offered to let me up there, although for safety reasons they usually don’t allow photographers to go up to the top of the tower. I assured Fabricio that in America I am a professional stunt man and that this was nothing in comparison to my daily work duties.
The drinks were looking so good, I decided to include them in the photos. I am such a rebel wedding photographer like that.
Shoot, I even posed a couple of drinks for a shot of their own! Ciao Bella Ciao Bella!
Don’t worry there’s a baby again. I love this little series.
ROLLER COASTER! 
NOW YOU’RE A TIGER! RARRRR!
The mother of the bride. A fine portrait.
That’s better.
OK I have more coming but I am tired. Remember I worked for 16 hours that day, which means I need to break this up into tw blog posts! Check back later. Ciao Ciao
May 29, 2008 | (0) |
Giuseppi and Anna
WOW… I don’t even know what to say about our past week here in Italy! We will just say that I will not be able to post enough blog entries to justify how much our lives have been enriched in some of our recent experiences.
The highlight of our trip so far, aside from the awesome wedding I photographed (one of two), which I will post later, has been our trip to Arpaia-Airola. Ever heard of it? It’s on the way to Benevento, just a 50 minute train ride outside of Napoli. It was not touristy at all which was great. People there were amazed to meet Americans and couldn’t believe we actually went out of our way to see the town. They seem really excited, and everyone was so nice!
I found a guy named Guiseppi on www.couchsurfing.com. Remember when I stayed for free in Switzerland? Well the only bummer about that trip is that I never got to meet Thomas, the Swiss guy who let me stay at his apartment.
The purpose behind couchsurfing.com is to get to experience the lives of the people you meet in other places. Giuseppe looked interesting and it wasn’t until after I had contacted him that I found that he is a former wedding photographer. So it all worked out and he offered to let Jenny and I stay at his home.
He provided us with a very nice apartment in his home with our own key and bathroom. But that’s just the beginning. He and his wife, Anna, drove Jenny and I around their town, and showed us the sights: the wedding garden that Giuseppi designed himself, which is now serving as a Bed and Breakfast; their teeny tiny baker that I will post a video from later; a beautiful old chiesa with the most amazing looking mountain in the background; and more!
Anna, his wife cooked for Jenny and I both nights which was something I was not expecting at all. And let me tell you, that no “fine dining” will EVER compare to an authentic home-cooked italian meal. (Photos are coming from THIS, too!). Even better, I was telling Anna how my Noni used to make us a special dessert called Strufoli. Anna got really excited and the next day she surprised us with Strufoli and it was exactly how I remembered it! (That was our dessert, after having Spaghetti a Vangole (spaghetti with fresh seafood from their local fisherman - mussels, clams, etc) and a side dish of the most fresh and beautiful octopus, with olive oil and lemon juice. MORE ON THIS LATER!
OK… photos. I am just going to post a few. Jenny and I are about to head out for some apertifs at the local bar, then dinner. So I gotta keep this short.
Sorry, these are all kind of random, but like I said we gotta go…
Meet Giuseppi, who I met on couchsurfing.com. He was showing us a wedding garden that he designed back in his wedding photography days! It was AMAZING. BELISSIMO!!! He found a big weed.
Here he is with is wife, Anna. Jenny and I can’t say enough about either of them and we plan on staying in touch with them forever! What I respect about them the most are their priorities. Giuseppi spoke much about why American’s priorities seem so skewed. American’s work work work so that they can drive big cars. But they often forget to live. These two savor every moment of every day. “We don’t like big cars in Italy, but we love good food” — Giuseppi Viola. It was really cute when Anna gave us a tour of their home and showed us the Chicken (she meant Kitchen). It was really funny.
This was another friend of theirs who is a farmer. Just driving by, I caught this image:
We also got invited to have an early evening espresso with their neighbors. The families are really close out here. They do this espresso thing every day, complete with the grandparents and everything!
Like I said, consider this just an apertif. I have TONS more coming. Also stay tuned for Sorrento, Meta, Napoli images, photos from the wedding, and more. I have a lot of blogging to do. Tonight we feel like just chilling out, so that’s probably what I’ll do.
Ciao!
May 26, 2008 | (4) |
Sorrento
Hey Peeps,
Just stopped into an internet cafe to touch up on some workstuffs. Sorrento is where my grandfather is from. My Nona (aka Noni) is from Napoli, which is known for pickpockets so given that I have tons of expensive equipment on me, we decided to set up camp in Sorrento for now and make Napoli a day trip.
The lady from the church (see below) is right. I can tell this is where my family is from. Not only is my hair the same color as everyone, but we all have big eyebrows and even the coarseness or fullness of the hair is the same. I was on a packed train from Napoli to Sorrento and I felt like I was at some sort of wierd family reunion.
I don’t have time to post photos right now but I want to invite everyone to Jenny’s blog. Finally she started one! CHECK IT OUT (and leave her a comment, she loves comments!)
Finally a great shot she took of our boy Gary. Man the only bummer about this trip is seeing all the cani and missing our own! Don’t worry G-Unit, we are coming home eventually!
And this is Palma, Jenny took this of us hanging out after my AM jog up to Fiesoli. She’s no Gary, but a real sweet German Shephard. Gary and Palma could probably speak German to each other.
Andiamo a mangia!
May 20, 2008 | (2) |
Parte Quattro, Vive Italia!
Every day, in our non-touristy happenings, Jenny and I run across things that money can’t buy. The first was our Italian Dinner with Federica and her famiglia. Then we found ourselves in a tiny chapel with a bunch of old Italians in a small town. Every morning on my jog up into the town of Fiesoli, I just can’t stop thinking about what a great experience this is, and I just try to savor every second of every moment here.
So then today, Jenny and I woke up to the sound of chickens, and the rain outside. We spent the AM trying to plan out the next part of our trip. It looks like Napoli and Sorrento, which is part of my home land. I can’t wait. There’s a Cafiero who owns Conca Beach, and apparently there’s a ristorante that this old guy, Peppe (short for Guiseppe) spends his mornings. Every day, in his seveties, he walks the beach, and has a cafe. We also hope to meet Angela Cafiero, another family member (who knows how) and another guy.
I did some surfing via “couchsurfing.com”, Global Couch Surfing and maybe we have a place to stay with a real Italian family, rather than just another touristy hotel.
After our planning, we needed to get out. It cleared up, so Jenny and I walked into town to get a bottle of wine to have with dinner. After a little walking, we kept hearing car horns. I decided we needed to follow the sounds. The sounds got louder and before you know it, we could hear the shouts and singing of soccer fans celebrating a victory! It LITERALLY echoed through the streets. I wish SO MUCH that I could have had a sound recorder on me, it was such a cool sound. Finally we got to the stadium and I didn’t hesitate to jump right in there. It was so loud and so awesome. Here are some photos
I have never experienced celebration with such intensity! And they only made it into the quarterfinals. I’d love to see what happens when they win the championships!
Everyone was revving their motorcycles super loud and just driving right through the crowds, and everyone would get behind and push them forward. These Italians are crazy!
After this Jenny I had a sudden craving for a beer and finding one was no problem!
Let’s see how many photos I can cram into a single blog post…
I know it’s a lot of photos but I want all of my peeps to be drinking beer and running through their neighborhoods, so I want you to feel it!
Finally we moved on. We stopped by this shop for a couple bottles of wine.
When we got home I made a special dinner for Jenny: Melanzane il Parmasanne (I know I mispelled that). I like the name for Eggplant here: Melanzane, I think. Much better. I got these and all the ingredients at the market near the center of Ferenze the other day. Here’s how you make a good Melanzana il Parmesanne
1. Travel to Firenze and get some Melanzane
2. Get access to a small kitchen in an Italian cottage.
3. Make sure you have someone special to help you eat.
4. Slice up some melanzane into about 1cm slices. Normally I slice em into circles but I saw one at the store sliced lengthwise. Genious!
5. Have some wine handy. You’ll need it.
6. You will need some breadcrumbs…
7. Dip each slice of eggplant into eggs and milk…
then bread it in the crumbs
then in some olive oil, cook to a nice dark golden color
8. I need to stop right here and rave about the garlic. It’s not in dried up skin! You just peel away the fresh outer leaves. Amazing! Nothing dry! WOW
9. With some fresh parlsey and olive oil, gently saute the finely-chopped garlic, but don’t burn it! If the garlic turns brown, ditch it and start over. Trust me.
10. Add tomato sauce, some fresh basil, chopped red onion, some salt and of course…
11. Now I have to rave about the mozerella. Look at this! I am not a connesseiur, those types of people annoy me… But the garlic and cheese here are just so obviously fresh and great, that even a lay cook like myself can tell a difference!
12. Layer it up, sauce it up, cheese it up!
13. Bake it for a bit…
14. Serve! (I made some fresh green beans also from the market with small potatoes), which is one of my favorites that my dad makes. Just cut the small taters into quarters, boil, steam the fresh green beans, drain both, drizzle with olive oil, add chopped fresh parsley and salt. Baddabing!
OK, phew. That was one long blog post! Are you still with me? Any of my peeps fall asleep during that one?
OK it’s late. Time for bed. I hope all my peeps are doing great and I hope these Italian blog posts aren’t getting old for you. I have two weddings coming up soon out here so that will be fun.
Buona Notte!
May 18, 2008 | (3) |
Italia Parte Tre
What a(nother) day! Jenny and I went to another small town called Settignona (Set in Yona), near Firenze. We like doing the touristy stuff, but man, you just can’t buy some of the experiences we’ve had off the beaten path.
Today we found ourselves just walking up this random street. We just love looking at the homes, the little farms, the people, etc. These aren’t touristy places, so we really get to work on our Italian speaking. Suddenly this little old lady started talking to us… WAY too fast for us to understand. I just said, “Americani Touristi” with a smile. She laughed and just kept on talking to us, but we could tell she was really interested in what we were all about. Turns out she and some other old people were meeting up for their daily Rosary.
I asked her if I could take her picture and she said, “no no! bruto!!” but I could tell she was flattered so I took a few. She loved it. She’s 96 years old, and WOW she is so dang sharp. Amazing.
We kept on walking and on our way down, Jenny met another old lady at the exact same spot who invited us in.
This became the highlight of our day. Inside were a handful of old OLD Italians, mostly women. They were so excited to show us their little chapel.
I love this little old lady and her thick spectacles!
They were all so excited to talk to us, not a word of english was spoken. I told them that my grandfather is from Sorrento and my Nona, from Napoli. They loved it! They kept referring to my dark hair. I guess the Napoli-folk typicaly have the dark hair like mine. They asked if we were Catholic. I told them Jenny is, but I am not and they just sort of giggled about that. I’m glad they were not mad! Jenny is good at talking, too - she’s really good at Spanish, so there are a lot of parallels. Anyway, soon we had to leave. We had perma-grin the rest of the day. No tour guide could ever provide an experience like that!
Here are some shots from their teeny little chapel
Here are some more shots from the town of Settignona
I love the house numbers. They are all different
We got barked at by this vicious beast, who was also wagging his tail. Hmmmm
We only knew of one way to end the day. Pizza, wine and…
Something Dolce! This is what Italians call “Cheesecake”. Try to do THIS, Cheesecake Factory! Mmmmm, I love that they sprinkle Cocoa Powder over so many things!
Here are some shots from yesterday. We thought we were going to Venice but it didn’t work out. Its OK we still managed to have fun… some how.
This little old lady was a real Battle Axe! I mean she was MEAN!!! She missed her bus and took it out on innocent me! She gave me a hard shove and pushed me off the curb into the street! haha, what a grouch!
We did some grocery shopping at this HUGE market in Firenze. I bought some stuff for Eggplant Parmesan which I’ll make tomorrow. The produce and food is all so amazing. Dad, you and I are coming back. I need to be here with my dad.
I didn’t buy these… obviously. Who would? Sure it’s only 2 Euro, but come on.
Where to go….?
Jenny and I sat down with a bottle of wine but Jenny wasn’t feeling too great so I drank an entire bottle of wine myself. After that I was so pumped to take some photos. ha! Here’s one I took while under the influence. (when I come home I am going to ride home from work with a pipe like this guy). Man there are some OLD people on bikes. I saw a woman who had to be in her 80’s today riding a bike with groceries. Now THAT should make most young and able Americans ashamed of themselv