Fleet Week 2020

Fleet Week is one of the highlights of the year in San Francisco. Thousands gather along the shore to watch fantastic airshows, salute the military and of course, watch the infamous Blue Angels fly jaw-dropping formations across landmarks such as Alcatraz and the Golden Gate Bridge.

This year will be different though. The pandemic means there will be no planes, no crowds and no parades. Instead, Fleet Week has been taken virtual encouraging people to learn more about the aircraft, ships, vessels and other things usually showcased in person from the comfort of their home.

I’m usually commissioned to photograph the airshows. This year I’ve had fun digging through my archives and found this image which is one of my favorite shots from the last few years. Enjoy!

Hawaii Sunsets: Moody Maui

I can’t believe it was only a year ago, that I was capturing these stunning and mystical sunsets in Maui, Hawaii.

Hopefully, these landscape shots brighten up your day while in Shelter In Place!

Photographing Joshua Tree National Park

Joshua Tree National Park is so different to any other National Park I’ve visited in the States. For much of the time, It’s vast, arid and other-worldly landscape makes you feel as if you are in Mars. However, the park is incredibly interesting and has plenty to explore and photograph with its diversity offering ample opportunities for landscape photographers: there are areas where cool cactus formations are clustered together and other regions where enormous and interesting rocks formations have been formed from seismic activity and sculpted by hundreds of years of erosion structures. In fact, I could even imagine it making a great backdrop for a fashion shoot! And then, of course, there are the Joshua Trees. These trees, twisted and contorted in their appearance, have a Medusa-esque look and despite apparently falling in number still stretch in many parts of the park further than the eye can see.

Entering Joshua Tree National Park

Desert Sunset - Joshua Tree National Park

A classic Joshua Tree at sunset - Joshua Tree National Park

Barker Dam in Joshua Tree was the only place I found water in the Park. I was told by some locals that it was extremely rare for it to be this full so I stuck around and was rewarded with an amazing sunset! See the photos and video below.

Behind the scenes with my trusty Gitzo Mountaineer tripod photographing Barker Dam.

One of my shots from the amazing sunset at Barker Dam in Joshua Tree National Park!

And another sunset at Barker Dam.

A cholla cactus garden in Joshua Tree National Park

Skull Rock at Midnight. This creepy rock formation that sits right in the center of Joshua Tree and clearly resembles a skull I shot at midnight on Halloween! Thought it was appropriate.

Arch Rock - Joshua Tree National Park which reminded me of a mini version of the arch in Canyonlands in Utah.

Couldn’t help but pull over at the side of the road and capture a field ofJoshua Trees at dusk as I was driving out of the park.

Tidal Pools

I found these really unique tidal pools on the outskirts of La Jolla whilst on a trip to Southern California last week. I loved how the rock formations and pools of water gave the beach an almost lunar-esque appearance and it provided plenty to work with in terms of interesting foreground subject and composition. Given that it was the holidays, I was fortunate that the beach was relatively empty and although I didn't quite get the sunset and clouds I was hoping for, here are two of my favourites from a great location. I'll definitely be heading back here soon! 

Kenmore Camera Show Workshops

I just taught a series of photography workshops at the Kenmore Camera Show just outside of Seattle. The show is the largest photography show on the West Coast of the USA and it was great to teach so many enthusiastic people on how to improve both their landscape and macro photography. Many thanks to Manfrotto for sponsoering my workshops! 

Happy 4th July!!

Over The Golden Gate

With just one day off from my commission to shoot the Super Bowl in San Francisco and all of the razz ma tazz that goes along with it, I decided to escape the throngs of football fans and get out of the city to the quiet oasis of the Marin Headlands just over the Golden Gate Bridge. Indeed, one of the things I love about San Fran, is that in just a couple of miles you can be surrounded by stunning natural scenery, soaring, peaceful Redwoods and such clean fresh air making it incredibly easy to unwind. Here's a couple of my favourite shots from the day: 

Fancy a dip?

It's not often you encounter an abandoned swimming pool when urban exploring so this was quite a find...not sure whether I would have fancied taking a swim though? 

Abandoned High Schools

As part of my ongoing "Abandoned Spaces" project, I have began to incorporate more and more abandoned high schools;  they are both visually rich and eery in terms of their aesthetic as well as a poignant remark on the collapsed urban geographies of some of today's post-modern cities. Further, it is a space that everyone can relate to. We all went to school at some point so seeing abandoned lockers, strewn books, disused science rooms and empty assembly halls reminds us that everything is temporary; both our lives and these often grand and sprawling spaces. 

Two Hours In New York with the Fuji x100s

Sometimes you just don't want to lug around a hefty SLR with you and recently while in New York I experimented shooting some street photography with the incredibly stylish Fuji x100s. However, this pocket powerhouse has more to it than just a retro shell and packs some impressive sensor technology behind its exterior. 

Veering away from my usual style of shooting landscapes (primarily HDRs) of large skylines and buildings and inspired by the blog Humans of New York, I took to the streets for a couple of hours and explored the Lower East and West Side to shoot some street photography...Cartier-Bresson style. 

It is always fun to set assignments and challenge yourself to shoot new things especially as the Fuji I was using had a fixed focal length lens of 35mm which, makes you really think about composition and framing on each and every shot. 

Below are a few of my favourites from some of the characters I met on my walk. 

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