editorial

Zihua on Film.

When I went down to Zihuatanejo to shoot for the New York Times (yes I still love the way that sounds) I brought along some film. Zihua is lucky enough to still be fairly undeveloped since Ixtapa is right next door and has all the large, imposing hotels one bay can use. Here’s to hoping that’s the way Sayulita and San Pancho stay. Fingers crossed.

The first shot is of the beaches in Michoacán as seen on the drive South. I will never get tired of that view.

Gracias a Bola por manejar conmigo de San Pancho a Zihua y ser modelo.

St. Lucia on Film.

I find myself going to other tropical beach paradises and longing for home. I just don’t want to go to the beach on vacation anymore. I live in my own tropical paradise and it is amazing and it’s going to be really, really hard to beat. I’ve traveled up and down the Mexican coast and although there are some beautiful beaches, whenever I spend more than a few days I always find myself thinking of San Pancho. When I went to St. Lucia I was surprised by how similar the landscape is. Also I would be an incredible driver there because it’s as crazy as it is here only on the other side of the road. Also people honk when passing which I find helpful especially since a majority of the passing is happening on hairpin turns.

I stayed in the heart of Soufriere for a few days following the wedding I shot at Stonefield Estates. It’s always a bit of a shock to go from resort to town, but since I live in the latter normally I feel so much more at home there. Malcolm who ended up being sort of the local guide for the wedding party was nice enough to hang out for a bit and introduce me to his friends and family who were all pretty involved in the local elections. They would be the ones decked out in yellow. It was very surreal drinking Piton and getting the details on the local politics while watching Chicharito play for Manchester United on tv. Since spending years just listening to Spanish being spoken around me (before I could speak myself) I am strangely comfortable around people speaking a different language that I don’t understand at all.

I met these kids below on the town dock doing some late afternoon fishing. Fishing is the same in all the small villages in Mexico I’ve been to as well as here in Soufriere. Line wrapped around a board or a finger. Screw poles.

Oh and all Kodak Portra. A mix of 160 and 800.

show hide 4 comments

Rodrigo y Gabriela

I got an email a few weeks ago from a photo editor at the New York Times. I freaked out. The New York Times? For me that’s big. I have always had this dream to work for the Associated Press and travel the world documenting life, news you name it. Unfortunately for me magazines and newspapers have been on a downward slide combined with cell phones and personal photojournalism taking over. Actually it’s pretty fortunate for me because I love what I do and wouldn’t change it for the world and I get to shoot editorials like this on the side. For this assignment they needed someone to shoot two Mexican musicians who I also happen to be a fan of. Rodrigo y Gabriela are phenomenal guitar players who are incredibly famous internationally, but little known at home in Mexico. I traveled to their studio in Ixtapa/Zihuatanejo to shoot them for an article timed to print with the release of their new album Area 52 recorded with the band C.U.B.A. To read the Times article click here.

I’m not going to lie. I don’t think I could ever get tired of seeing Jillian Mitchell for the New York Times. Ever. Here are some shots of the studio and some outtakes from the shoot. I’m waiting on getting a hard copy of the paper brought down.

show hide 2 comments

Acorde On.

This kid is going to be famous some day. Mark my word. Just one of several shot in Guadalajara over the weekend. Expired Polaroid film on a Holga.

Yesterday.

The whole weekend I had an awesome time hanging out with the crew from Vallarta Adventures while shooting for the new Frommer’s Guide. From the canopy tour and Dolphin Adventure to Las Marietas and Yelapa each trip was amazing in it’s own way and definitely worth it if you are coming to the Vallarta area for sure. Here is one of the mountains on the South side of the Bahía de Banderas as seen from the boat yesterday.