The Back Bay Salty Dogs

I think it's pretty safe to say that as a photographer, being let loose to shoot a project as you see it is the dream job - period.  And recently a friend of mine, Alex Peltz, hired me to do just that.  Alex, who runs his graphic design/branding business out of his home in the East Kensington neighborhood of Philadelphia, recently hired me to shoot a project for his client,  Heritage Shellfish Cooperative. The objective was simple, document the day-in-the-life of the New Jersey Bay area clammer.  Projects like these are always a blast. Not only cause I got to shoot whatever I wanted, but I got to spend the entire hour day eating clams on the half shell right from the bay!

Below are a few images snapped during the average day of a New Jersey clammer. 

Friends Who Inspire - Keith Greiman

The man eats candy and doughnuts for dinner and somehow doesn't look it. Keith Greiman is my: neighbor,  hip-hop show +1, bartender, baby-daddy, lead singer in a band that may or may not be retired, and friend. 

I met Keith over four years ago and If I'm telling the absolute truth, we met in a bar. It probably took a few times of us making small talk, but I would have to imagine he asked for my number first. Keith tends bar at Memphis Tap (which is the closest, best bar/rest in my immediate area) and home of the best hot-dog cart in Philly. He's also an amazing painter/illustrator who's work has been shown in galleries all over Philly (I would also say other cities but I never got to that question).  Keith's band, Prowler threw a retiring show at Johnny Brenda's a little over a year ago then immediately accepted a gig for a month later. I believe he does it for the attention, and he agrees. 

Keith and his lovely wife, Rita (also an artist) just had a baby who recently took up residence in Keith's studio. He's adjusting. 

Urban Surfers Update

By now most of you reading this post have been picked up and swallowed by the Polar Vortex. With temperatures hitting ZERO in areas around Philadelphia, NY and even as far as Baltimore, many of us couldn't imagine stepping near a beach. Well that's what separates us from these special folks I've been busy shooting lately.

Urban Surfers went on a bit of a hiatus during the last week of September  through the first week of November. I purposely didn't shoot any during that time since I had a backlog that I wanted to hold off until the weather started to really change. I wanted to get a diversity of seasons and the only way to see it would be to wait until the trees shed their leaves, and snow hit the ground. 

When I started this project back in June of last year, I started to a Google doc to keep notes on everyone I shot. The details I would keep were locations of the shoot and exact times in which we started shooting. I also kept mental notes. Mental notes on who surfed year round and had all the gear necessary to stand up to freezing temperatures. Lately I started calling on those brave souls to meet after snowfalls, and near zero degree conditions. Here are a few from the past month that I've shot: 

(please pass this this link along to anyone you may know who lives in the Phila., NY, Baltimore, or any East Coast city. I'm keeping my journal stocked so when I'm on the road, I can keep this going in cities across the US) 

To Canada or Bust!

Another one of those posts that I waited too long to finally share! These are some shots from our Canadian adventure during what, even the locals were saying, was a severely cold January. We were met with summit temperatures hitting minus 20 degrees Fahrenheit. 

There were winter hats that became part of the pavement, howling huskies, snow, giant snow blowers on wheels, snow, ice skating, and more snow. 

Urban Surfers

There's nothing quite like the motivation of a beautiful woman to get you to try a sport that you've always wished you could do but never thought you could pick it up past your 10th birthday. This is the motivation that I felt three years ago when I met the woman of my dreams that would become my best friend and wife. 

I always knew some of my friends surfed but I never REALLY knew what that meant. Being from Philly I knew people surfed at the Jersey Shore, which is pretty obvious if you hit the beach each summer.  But not knowing the culture and the passion that drives some individuals to wake up at 4-5am and drive 1+ hours each way just to get a couple hours in during a swell (which the best surfing in the Northeast is from Fall - Spring), I was basically clueless what surfing really meant to them. 

This project is directly inspired by three friends of mine: Adrian Castillo, Chris "Cakes" Savaiano, and Jim "Hammer" Hammell who took me under their wings and suffered with the humiliation (that I still bring when I go out with them) of helping a newbie. Their dedication to teaching and insisting I go out with them whenever they go, helped me confidently say to that beautiful girl I met for coffee three years ago that, "I surf". 

(Stay tuned for more info regarding this project as I have big plans for next Spring/early Summer)

Farm Shoot

I'm finally able to share a short motion piece that I captured in March during an editorial still shoot. We had about two hours to shoot on a beautiful 50 degree day at the 7TH Heaven Farm  in Tabernacle, NJ. Farm owner, Carla Growney was gracious enough to allow us to shoot with full access to the farm and animals. 

Models:  Nicolette and J Lynne ( Reinhard agency)

Editing: Bruce Pinchbeck 

Music: The Bees "I Love You"  

All footage was captured with a canon 5D Mark ii and edited in FCP with Lightroom and VSCO color grading

AP29 - American Photography 29

I had to sit on this news for a while now but I am finally able to share - I had two images chosen to be included in the AP29 this year! The link to see all images chosen hasn’t been released yet (end of May) so stay tuned. 

These images were shot for the cover of the September 22nd edition of the UK’s Guardian Guide. Thanks so much to photo director Nikki Hatchet for calling on me from across the pond. Also thanks to Wonderful Machine (where Nikki says she found me) :) 

Stay tuned for more work that I recently shot for The Guide and some new motion work. 

I met this dude today flying a GAS POWERED helicopter while driving through Queens on my way to Rockaway Beach. Needless to say I pulled over, grabbed a few pics, asked to fly it (denied) and found out dude has a bit of an obsession - he’s got 10 of these things. 

As I was about to leave he asked for a copy of the picture, so I kindly surrendered a business card and now pray he emails me. Since this dude has 10 of these guys, there’s obviously way more pictures to get!