Hayward Photo Blog

Italian Broccoli Romanesco

2012-01-10T21:42:00.000-08:00

Today I took Sophie to the Pike Place Public Market and a strange vegetable caught my eye. Romanesco is a variation of cauliflower from Italy. It looks like it's from another planet. I brought it home to eat it and found myself compelled to get a bit artsy fartsy with it first. I broke out my new Elinchrome Snoot to light it and snapped off a few pics while the oven was pre-heating. Got the shots, chopped it up, baked it at 400 for around 20 minutes with some butter and garlic on top and voila! Then I broke out some Photoshop recipes to come up with these...

Eagle Watch 2012

2012-01-09T21:22:00.000-08:00

Driving through Rockport and Marblemount along the Skagit River anytime during the months of December and January is one of my favorite things about living in Washington State. This years trip was no exception. Lea and I woke up the girls (and Hudson) at 4am and on the road we went. It was still dark at 7am when we arrived so we stopped in at the Eatery for one of their famous cinnamon rolls. As the sun came up so were the eagle counts. We probably saw around 40 all day making our rounds up and down the Highway. Well worth the trip and I recommend it to anyone and everyone!

Florence and the Machine

2011-12-13T10:52:00.000-08:00

Florence and the Machine played before a sold out crowd at WaMu Theater on Thursday night with Head and the Heart and Mat Kearney.

Let me start with a story...I told my wife Lea that I was shooting Florence and the Machine and she said "Who?" I said "Oh never mind, Head and the Heart is playing too." She said "Who?" "Oh forget it" I said. Then I said "Matt Kearney is playing too." She freaked out! "Oh my gosh I love Mat Kearney!" She screamed like my 12 year old niece talking about Justin Bieber. I had never seen her get excited about a musician I was shooting before.

That being said I felt added pressure to get some good shots of him :) Mat opened the show and was super entertaining. Charming, funny and a great repertoire of songs. Not only that but he spells his name with just one T like yours truly and he is from my home town of Eugene, OR. How can you not just love this guy?

Head and the Heart came out next for their last show of the year. It's been several months since I last photographed them and I can tell you with pure honesty that I was blown away by their evolution as a group. They were so much more well-rounded and polished with their stage presence. Before they seemed to be almost in disbelief that they had become so popular. They now seem to me to feel very comfortable in the spotlight but in a very humble way. I was very impressed with their performance and look forward to seeing them again.

Last but certainly not least was Florence and the Machine. I had shot Monday night, Tuesday night, all day Wednesday, while working my day job all week including Thursday and I am not too proud to admit I was tired! Florence came out and that was immediately forgotten. Halfway through her first song I almost dropped my camera in disbelief. My body was covered head to toe in goosebumps and I couldn't help but say "Wow!" over and over again. She has this ethereal presence about her and seemed to almost float across the stage. Her voice was powerful and strong yet beautiful and delicate simultaneously. I was awe-struck and continue to be. It was such a privilege to shoot that concert. I hope you like the photos.

Deck the Hall Ball 2011!

2011-12-11T12:07:00.000-08:00

Link to all the photos from Deck HERE!

WOW! The Show of the Year! 107.7 The End put together an unbelievable line up with Mumford and Sons, Death Cab for Cutie, Cage the Elephant, Foster the People, Young the Giant, Two Door Cinema Club and Group Love!

Every band was amazing to say the least! I had full access to the venue and was fortunate to get set up in the KNDD blogger room right smack in the middle of all the artists dressing rooms. It was a surreal experience the entire day. Members of Mumford and Sons warming up in the hallway before their show, Matt Shultz of Cage the Elephant was checking out pics on my computer right after his incredibly intense performance, Seattle Sounders star Kasey Keller was hanging out back there, GroupLove was loving every minute of it, singing songs and playing guitar.

Nothing short of an incredible experience!

To see all the photos from the day and to purchase prints please click the link below. I'll be adding pics as I edit them so check back often!

Online Gallery for Deck the Hall Ball 2011

Matt Shultz of Cage the Elephant dives into the crowd. There was about a 7 foot gap between the stage and the crowd...This was a huge jump!

Marcus Mumford of Mumford and Sons

Ben Gibbard of Death Cab for Cutie

Death Cab for Cutie

Last shot of the night! Mumford and Sons walking off the stage.

Motley Crue, Poison and the New York Dolls in Tacoma, WA 2011

2011-08-14T16:58:00.000-07:00

Exciting, Frustrating and Humiliating. If I had to describe in a nutshell my experience photographing Motley Crue those would be the words I would use.

EXCITING: Not long after I turned 11 years old Motley Crue released the album Shout at the Devil. Against my Mom's better wishes she let me buy the cassette and my life was never the same. I played that tape until the ribbon snapped then I bought another. I was rarely seen without my Motley Crue hat on until I was around 14. It was a borderline unhealthy obsession with a seriously bad ass band. Fast forward to 2011 and I'm presented with the opportunity to photograph their show at the Tacoma Dome on August 12. For the better part of the night I was backstage at a Motley Crue show walking amongst an army of busses. It appeared that each band member had his own bus in addition to a fleet of trucks for the massive stage they had set up. Vince Neil and Nikki Sixx were strolling around. Vince with the swagger and smirk that told a story of confidence after a lifetime of living the life that says all the chicks want to do me and all the dudes want to be me.

The bass player for the New York Dolls Kenny Aaronson was came by and grabbed my massive 400mm f/2.8L IS lens to check out the weight. He said it was heavier than his bass :) Myself and the other 4 photographers with credentials for the night were placed in a holding area where the EMT's were staged in preparation of the inevitable waterfall of vomit which we also got to witness. All in all it was very, very exciting to be there.

The New York Dolls opened the show to a shockingly empty Tacoma Dome. They have been playing for 40 years and pioneered the punk era. An iconic band to say the least but the crowd didn't seem to give a shit as they were milling about outside...what a wasted opportunity for them. Up next was Poison . What can be said about Poison that hasn't already been said. I was a fan of theirs as well back in the 80s so shooting them was a great bonus to the night. The two songs I saw were a bit on the cheesy side but lets be honest, it hasn't always been about the music with this band. The show itself is a big draw for many and they didn't disappoint. At the end of the 2nd song Brett Michaels took the microphone and in a scratchy voice apologized for being off-key. "Hey guys..sorry about my voice tonight..I tell ya, I've got one heck of a flu goin on here but I wouldn't have missed this show for the world!" I was reminded of his shamelessly honest and candid approach to playing Celebrity Apprentice and I must admit I really like the guy. My wife has her own Brett Michaels story from the 80s that I won't repeat here but I still like him :)

Up next was Motley Crue...They shuffled us photographers back in the dome at the last minute. While we were setting up the curtain dropped to a massive explosion of huge fireworks and the show had begun! Holy shit did I have to react and fast. The stage was enormous. Tommy Lee's drum kit was like nothing I have ever seen before. I only saw it on the ground and I was blown away...look at this video he has on his site to see what I missed! http://tommylee.com/tommy-lee-roller-coaster-drum-solo-video/. Nikki Sixx came out looking like a mad man with crazed makeup and fierce intensity. He is as good a photographer as he is a bass player...check out his art here...http://nsixxfoto.tumblr.com/. Mick Mars was a freaky dude in the 80s...he has taken it to a new level in my opinion. I grabbed a couple shots of him during the show that when I saw them I wasn't entirely convince I wasn't looking at a ghost. Vince Neil is Vince Neil. That's all that really needs to be said. As I wrote before, he has a certain swagger about him and a contagious smile that I would imagine comes from being adored by millions of fans for over 3 decades. I remember knowing girls that were so in love with Vince Neil back in the big hair days that all I had to do was play a Crue tape and they were start taking their clothes off for me. Hey Vince if you are reading this...Thanks! :)

THE FRUSTRATING: When I received my credentials it was confirmed that I would only be allowed to shoot from the sound board and would only get to shoot 2 songs. Typically when I shoot a show I'm given a minimum of 3 songs and am allowed to get right up next to the stage. They had an escort walk us to the sound board just before the show began. We found ourselves standing on the floor about 125 yards back from the stage and directly behind every fan with floor seating. Of course nobody was going to be sitting down so to even catch a glimpse of a band member was based on pure luck. It was as if they didn't want us to get any photos. Fortunately, I had a very long lens with me as I heard stories from photographers that had shot previous shows. For the New York Dolls it was no problem because as I mentioned, the venue was not very full. For Poison it was the worst. After the two songs they wouldn't allow us to stay and watch the show so myself and the other photogs went to a nearby restaurant for a quick beer and a bite. I borrowed a milk crate from them to stand on during Motley Crue's performance and that saved my ass big time. After the show we were required to remove our photo passes and return them. They had the date of the show and the magazine I was shooting for written in sharpie so clearly they were going to the garbage. I'm not sure why we couldn't keep them and was pretty bummed as those are great souvenirs from shows. In addition, we were given very strict orders to not even think about taking a photo backstage. If we did we would be banned from shooting the Tacoma Dome for life. I was told that was Brittney Spears fault but whatever. It sucked because there were some great photo ops back there. So our two songs came and went very fast. When I got back I asked to leave my camera gear in the security room so I could watch the rest of the show...can't watch the show they said...I said I would buy a ticket...nope. Can't do that either. Don't go away mad, just go away was the message I was hearing loud and clear.

HUMILIATING: This will fall under the category of too much information. I had to work all day in a suit. I didn't want to shoot Motley Crue in a suit so I meant to bring a shirt. Forgot it. I went to Macys in the morning and bought one. Didn't try it on. I put it on after work and realized it looked ridiculous. No problem I thought. I had my under armor spandex looking t-shirt under it. I'll just wear that in the venue and buy a Motley Crue T-shirt while I'm in the show. Worst case scenario, I'll be in the dark concert hall..not a big deal. If you don't know me, I haven't been to the gym in...well, I've never been to the gym. It ain't pretty if you know what I'm saying. Well, no venue access...no t-shirts buyin...no dark venue for any length of time...bright lit, backstage hanging out with a million people who had to have been wondering what kind of delusional person I must be to think I could get away with wearing that thing. Oh man, I cringe just thinking about it.

Now for the pics :)

Nikki Sixx looking like a crazed bad ass.

Every rock star needs a wind machine for effect. Vince Neil is no exception :)

I almost didn't see the girl on the ground the first time I was making my picks of what photos to edit.

Maybe my favorite shot of the night. This is the pic I was talking about where it almost looks like Mick Mars is a ghost.

Rock and Roll!

Tommy Lee's bass had some sort of electric pulse going through it. Easily, the coolest drums I have ever seen

New York Dolls David Johansen

My Goodness!

2011-07-27T01:29:00.000-07:00

Want to know what the buzz is about in Seattle for new music? My Goodness featuring Joel Schneider on Guitar and Vocals and Ethan Jacobsen on the Drums.

A couple months ago the day before their CD was releases I met them at Sedro Wooley for a portrait session. Both Ethan and Joel are very nice, very down to Earth guys and it was a pleasure to spend the afternoon taking their photographs.

Not long after that I saw them perform at the Tractor Tavern and I saw a whole new side of them. These guys are intense performers with a diverse mix of songs ranging from hard rock to bluesy/moody tunes. The entire CD is great and I highly recommend you click the above link and buy it. I'm telling you, these guys are going to explode on the scene and you had better remember you read it here first! :)

They opened the Main Stage at the Capitol Hill Block Party on Sunday and they were natural on the big stage. See the post below this one for more on that day. All said and done they played four different shows on Sunday including an End Session for 107.7 The End.

The End Session

Capitol Hill Block Party 2011

2011-07-27T01:12:00.000-07:00

The Capitol Hill Block Party is not your typical cul-de-sac get together with neighbors sharing soda pop and barbecued hot dogs while watching their kids race bikes up the street. Instead it's a massive festival loaded with booze and food and great music! Thousands of people crowd the streets to take in the scene. There are many places to watch bands play with the main stage featuring a select few bands.

It's a 3 day event but I was only able to make it for the final day on Sunday. This worked out for me because one of my favorite bands My Goodness opened the day on the Main stage with a killer performance.

Following My Goodness was the Posies high flying, spit filled, intense performance.

Later the Battles took the stage and performed what I was later told was called "Math Rock." Their My Space Page classifies them as experimental/Fusion Rock. Either way, they were awesome. With Ian Williams playing two keyboards and a guitar simultaneously, John Stanier destroying the drums and Dave Konopka keeping it cool on the Bass their timing was flawless and the music was amazing.

I went off to shoot the End Session featuring My Goodness came back to catch Explosions in the Sky who closed out the event with rhythmic music that had the crowd rising and falling at it's whim.

It was my first time at the Capitol Hill Block Party but definitely not my last!

One thing I forgot to bring was extra Sunscreen!

Ethan and Joel of My Goodness on the Main Stage. See the post above for more pics of this performance.

The Posies

I told you spit was flying during the Posies performance!

I also told you the Posies were high flyin!

Ken Stringfellow of the Posies

The Battles

The definition of ambidextrous

Love the mustache!

The Battles

I love it when the drums are close to the edge of the stage. This is a fun new angle for me.

Ian Williams of the Battles backstage.

Explosions in the Sky

Explosions in the sky

Explosions in the Sky

The Tubes at the Triple Door

2011-07-03T01:10:00.000-07:00

Old School! The Tubes took the stage at the Triple Door in Seattle for two nights. Countless costumes, countless classics, constant entertainment! Fee Waybill was the ultimate gentleman outside the show when we met and the ultimate bad boy on stage. Maybe my favorite moment of the night was him calling a guy out saying "There's nothing like watching some dude eat noodles and text messaging while I'm singing a fucking song." Ouch.

Many classic hits were played like White Punks on Dope and She's a Beauty

There were some props I probably shouldn't talk about in the blog but you can see in some of the pics below. One of my favorite photography techniques is to paint with light. Basically you set up a long exposure and use a flashlight to "paint" your subject with light were you want your subject to be illuminated. Maybe one of the coolest concert moments ever: The lights went out so Fee grabbed a flashlight and painted himself with light. He was wearing a spiked leather thong and mask and I'm pretty sure nothing else at the time. Rock and Roll!

Decades before Marilyn Manson and Lady Gaga were wearing outrageous costumes and creating art on stage, the Tubes were laying the foundation for shock rock at it's finest! Here are a few of my favorite pics from the night. I hope you like them.

Dropkick Murphys in Seattle

2011-06-28T01:58:00.000-07:00

One word can summarize the Dropkick Murphys and their fans: Rowdy!

The Dropkick Murphys took the stage at one of my favorite venues in Seattle the Paramount Theater. Some of you may not recognize them by name but the moment you hear one note from "I'm shipping up to Boston" you'll immediately go back to the last time you watched the movie The Departed.

I was taken back to my punk rock days at this show. The first three songs I was enabled to photograph came and went really fast so I made my way to the balcony to watch more of the show. From up there, I could see the pace was fast and the pit was fierce! It looked pretty aggressive so I wisely chose to get into it as thick as I could. There I was reminded that while intense mosh pits can be aggressive and perceived as violent there is also a sense of brotherhood. I made my way to the outer rim of the pit with my gear and almost immediately a guy was shoved to the ground at my feet. Before I could react, 3 guys were on him, scooped him up, shoved him back into the action and went about their merry way.

As for the band...they were fast, they were loud, they were intense and for lack of a better word...they were awesome. I was told they'd take the stage at 9:30 and almost to the second the curtain dropped and from moment #1 it was on!

Naked and Famous End Session

2011-06-04T20:45:00.000-07:00

New Zealand rock band Naked and Famous played and End Session in Seattle for 107.7 the End. There were less than 20 radio contest winners in the crowd. At one point the band literally asked the audience if they like it because they couldn't tell. It was a bit awkward but really a cool opportunity to see a very popular band in such an intimate setting. Here are a few pics from the show.

Burlesque at the Triple Door Theater in Seattle.

2011-05-27T11:26:00.000-07:00

Pasties and Personality! You can't go wrong with that combination.

Sexy, mesmerizing, charming, funny, provocative, witty, energetic, charismatic, shocking, outrageous, fun, stimulating, GREAT! Just a few adjectives I can think of to describe the burlesque show playing at the Triple Door this weekend. The show is produced by Lily Verlaine who shares choreographic credit and the general vision of the show with Kitten LaRue and Olivier Wevers.

Eye candy at every turn this show is one of the most entertaining burlesque shows I have seen. I believe tickets are still available for tonight and tomorrow night so if you don't already have plans call the box office right now!

If you've never been to the Triple Door to see a show there isn't a bad seat in the house. The food is nothing short of incredible and there is a wine list that I would challenge any other restaurant in the Northwest to rival. Tell them Mat sent you!

Henry Rollins at the Triple Door

2011-05-26T09:19:00.000-07:00

Henry Rollins took the stage at the Triple Door in Seattle to perform "Spoken Word" where basically he goes off about pretty much everything and anything.

Politically he and I disagree in most ways but I can't help but admire his passion and his articulate method of making a point. He is in your face, he is well-read, very intelligent and very opinionated. He would be about the last person on planet Earth that I would want to debate but dang it's fun to watch him go off.

Citizen Cope at the Triple Door

2011-05-25T09:18:00.000-07:00

Citizen Cope played two nights at the Triple Door in Seattle a couple weeks ago. Tickets sold out fast as his loyal fans flocked to to watch him perform an acoustic set. Here are a few pics I grabbed at the show.

DEVO!

2011-05-24T11:18:00.000-07:00

What can be said about DEVO that hasn't already been said? These guys are iconic legends. They kicked off their 2011 tour in Seattle at the Moore Theater. This was the first time I had seen them live and I really hope not the last. Non-stop energy, excitement, silliness, costumes and genuine fun is the best way I can describe the show.

Cage the Elephant and Hugo in Seattle

2011-05-23T06:43:00.000-07:00

Yes, I know I am a terrible blogger as far as punctuality is concerned but as mentioned in a previous post Facebook had taken away my focus. I'm going to try to catch up over the next couple of weeks..

Back in January, 2011 rock bands Hugo and Cage the Elephant performed to a very limited number of invited guests of 107.7 The End at the EMP. I've been to most if not all the End Sessions over the past year and a half or so and I would have to say this one was my favorite.

Hugo performed a several of their songs including their hit 99 Problems (and the bitch ain't one). The sound was tight and they were very entertaining.

After their performance I had to run backstage to upload my photos before Cage the Elephant took the stage. There was a man and woman sitting in front of my computer playing Connect 4. The board was nearly full and the girl won the game. The started over and she beat him much quicker. "Dang dude, she is kicking your ass!" I told him as my pics started to load. I ran back out to get my spot at the stage in time for the Cage the Elephant performance. Moments later the Connect 4 guy took the stage and I realized he was the lead singer Matt Shultz! Backstage, Matt was very mellow and low key. The second he grabbed the microphone it was on! The dude can seriously rock! He very much reminded me of Kurt Cobaine in both his appearance and his uninhibited stage presence. I was blown away and ever since the show I've become a big fan. Their newest CD Thank You Happy Birthday is a lot rowdier than their single Shake Me Down had originally lead me to believe it would be but I like it...a lot. Kind of a Butthole Surfers/Suicidal Tendencies vibe to a lot of the tunes and each is diverse. It seems hard to put Cage in any one category so don't even try.

Social Distortion in Seattle

2011-05-22T03:01:00.000-07:00

A few months back..February 13 I had the opportunity to shoot a private show featuring Social Distortion at the Crocodile

Just a handful of guests invited by 107.7 The End. Here are a few shots from the show.

If you watch closely in this video you can see my bald head popping around the stage..

Yelle in Seattle

2011-05-15T22:05:00.000-07:00

Saturday night in Seattle and it was dumping rain. Puddles deeper than my shoes had formed in a manner of minutes. I opted to leave my umbrella in the car for the 1 block walk to Neumos where Yelle would be performing in front of a sold out show. Sadly, the guest list hadn't been updated so I had to wait in the rain for confirmation that I could shoot it. My gear was getting soaked and so were my spirits. I hiked back to succumb to the elements and get my bent and torn umbrella someone had borrowed from Maggiano's and never returned.

My pass came through and I walked inside the club. Immediately I felt old. Those that were inside at the time were decked out in so much neon/pastel that for a minute there I thought it was 1986 and that I was back at Springfield Middle School with my feathered hair featuring a rat tail, my Parachute Pants and my Ms. Pac Man half shirt on. I snapped out of it, remembered I was almost 40, overweight and bald.

I claimed my spot at the front of the stage as soon as I saw there was no barrier for photographers. Last time I shot in that type of environment was at the Showbox Sodo for Awol Nation and I got my ass kicked by the crowd. "It's going to be a long night" I thought to myself as Euro-Pop is not a style of music I listen to on a regular basis. In fact, I haven't listened to Euro-Pop since I was in the outfit I wrote about above and Samantha Fox was singing "Touch Me!" Even then, I didn't care so much about the music as I was a 13 year old hormonal boy mostly entranced by her gigantic boobs.

The sold out crowd poured in and I hunkered down fully prepared to defend my spot at the stage for at least 3 songs no matter what. Yelle' had no limitations for photographers but I set my mind on 3 songs. As it got more and more packed I kept waiting and waiting for the inevitable crush. I looked around and saw an ecclectic mix of young and old, gay and straight, boys and girls all with one thing in common..huge smiles on their faces. High fives, hugs and genuine happiness was abundant. "Weird" I thought to myself. Still I waited for the crush. It never came. Usually in a club like this there is an urge to get as close to the stage as possible. The back third of the room is vacant while the front two thirds are packed as tight as can be. In this case, everyone appeared content with keeping a respectable space between each other and I can't think of one time I was even bumped into. The energy in the room was...well, for lack of a better term: nice.

Then the lights dimmed. Onto the stage walk two men in safari outfits with stoic expressions, deep visors and defined movement. A woman covered in an elaborate costume that reminds me of the Meet Me at the Center of the Earth display at the Seattle Art Museum jumps on stage and takes the microphone. You can't see her face but you can't miss her voice. It penetrates the room and freezes the crowd. I literally got goosebumps. She sang a song in costume then showed her face. The first thing I noticed was a radiant and completely contagious smile. Her voice was powerful and even Randy Jackson couldn't have found a pitch problem.

After a few months studying French in High School a million years ago I was able to pick up a few words in the music but honestly it didn't matter. The energy was where it was at. She never once stopped dancing. Clawing at the air, jumping, gyrating..constant, intense...awesome.

The third song came and went..I was mesmerized. No way was I going to leave. She went back stage while the two men sharing the stage with her beat out an intense rhythm clearly designed to keep the crowd amped. Moments later she reappeared in an outfit that you had to see to believe.

I couldn't help but enjoy myself. Yelle is awesome. At one point I found myself dancing to the music, I felt a hand tapping my shoulder and turned to see a short girl beaming with a giant smile..she pointed at Yelle, pointed at me and gave two giant thumbs up. I suppose it was obvious I didn't fit the profile of the typical Yelle fan but also obvious I was having a good time. I'm still not entirely sure what the gesture meant but it was cool.

The show ended, I was going to buy a CD but the line was so long and I had to get back to work so Amazon here I come.

Yelle made me want to start studying French again.

Here is her website: www.yelle.fr

View more photos of the show in my Facebook Gallery by clicking here.

My favorite pic of the night.
Wild outfit, wild drums..who knew the French were so cool?

awesome intro to the show!
beau à ravir

This photo caught my eye..doesn't it look like she is captured by the light? Almost as if she's being abducted by aliens.

Skagit River Eagles

2011-01-03T20:20:00.000-08:00

During the cold winter months in Seattle the Salmon run up the Skagit River about an hour and a half north of the Space Needle. When that happens one of the largest gatherings of Bald Eagles in the United States takes place. If you get a chance this year or next either late December or early to mid January is the best time to go. The scenery is breathtaking and the Eagles are magnificent. Here a few shots I snapped this morning.

The XX in Seattle

2010-09-26T20:34:00.000-07:00

What's better than watching The XX perform live in concert? Watching them perform twice!

On Saturday afternoon, the intensely popular band The XX performed in front of a very small crowd of lucky listeners who won their tickets through 107.7 The End. The XX played 3 songs at the Gibson Show room then later traveled up 9 blocks to play to what appeared to be a sold out crowd at the Paramount.

I have to tell you, I am a fan. Watching them at the Paramount I was very much reminded of Pink Floyd. I also picked up a Cowboy Junkies Vibe and even at one point in time they had me thinking of Chris Isaac. Odd I know and this is why I am not a Rock Writer but rather a photographer :)

They were very entertaining, the sound was flawless and their stage presence was phenomenal. I hope you enjoy the photos.

These feet belong to one of the girls in one of the opening bands but I think the pic is pretty cool so I had to add it.

Personalized Health and Fitness

2010-09-10T00:47:00.000-07:00

Saturday 7/7/07 was the biggest wedding date in history for many reasons. Many for the date, one in particular because Shelby and Chelsea tied the knot. It was my privilege to shoot their wedding and tonight my privilege to shoot Shelby doing what he does best 3 years later...whipping people into shape! In an off the beaten path, private gym in Woodinville, Shelby and a couple of other trainers have a state of the art gym where a limited number of clients are welcome to be tortured...errr, I mean physically trained to reach their optimal state of physical condition. Young and old, fit and not so fit..all are assigned a workout perfect for them. It was exhausting shooting tonight as my camera is so heavy. I scoffed at the more than 400 pounds professional bodybuilder and trainer Dominic was squatting. Try firing off a few hundred shots with a 1D Mark III I shouted! Well, not really but I did sweat a bit. :) These guys are serious and if you want to get into shape I strongly recommend you book a class. Personalized Health and Fitness

Vampire Weekend

2010-09-03T11:11:00.001-07:00

This past Sunday, Seattle radio station 107.7 The End was cool enough to invite me to the new Gibson Guitar Showroom to grab some shots of the New York based Indie Rock Band Vampire Weekend while they performed in an intimate setting for a very small number of radio contest winners. The video can be seen on the home page of the End.

Seahawks vs. Packers

2010-08-24T13:32:00.000-07:00

Seahawks vs. Packers

2010-08-22T05:27:00.000-07:00

Those of you that know my family know my brother is obsessed with the Green Bay Packers in an almost unhealthy way. My favorite team is of course the Seahawks. This made it particularly bad-ass that I had access to the sidelines for the game tonight. I'm posting one of my favorite pics of the game for now and will post more as soon as I get a chance to tackle them in the PC.

Running Back Julius Jones making a big play right at the endzone.

San Juan Orca Whales

2010-08-18T19:11:00.000-07:00

I had a great time on the Western Prince II out of Friday Harbor yesterday. Just about an hour north of home is the Anacortes ferry which takes you on a beautiful ride to Friday Harbor. Just off the dock is the Western Prince shop where even though it had been a couple of years since I've been there the amazing Chris (Kris?) remembered me. When I called to book I gave her my name. She said "Mat Hayward the Photographer?" I could not believe she remembered. I walked in the shop and again.."Hi Mat!" As though it were only yesterday I was there. That is a gift. Anyway, the ferry was a bit late so I was able to walk right down to the boat, hop on and away we went. There were reports of some transient Orcas in the area (the seal eaters) as well as resident Orcas (the Salmon eaters). Captain Hobbes opted for the residents. We got there and there were tons of fishing boats as well as whale watching boats in the area. Everyone on board was excitedly looking and at last we saw the black fin of a male orca appear in the distance. There were members of the L-Pod in our area. They were spread out very thin swimming in groups of just one or two whales which presented a challenge. The Captain invited me up to the cabin for a better photo opportunity which I was eager to do. It was a great opportunity listening to the the different whale watching boats communicating with each other on the radio. They are clearly a tight community that has a deep passion for these magnificent animals. We saw quite a few whales throughout the day, most were pretty far away unfortunately. Near the end of our trip however we were running parallel with a 19 year old male Orca named Mystery. He was about 75 yards away then took a turn right for us. He dipped under the water and we could see his white spots about 10 feet below in the clear Pacific water. He popped out for a great photo then off he went. We called it a day at that point and headed back. All in all a great trip. I'm told September is the best time to see them so I'm thinking of going back then.

This is 19 year old "Mystery" swimming right at us.

I like this one as if you didn't know it was an Orca it could be a bit ominous looking with the Jaws music playing don't you think?

On the way out we stopped to view the massive Stellar Sea Lions sunning on a rock. These guys way in excess of 2,000 pounds! They arrived in the San Juans a month earlier than normal...lucky us!

Snoop Dogg and Ice Cube

2010-07-15T02:58:00.000-07:00

A great show at the Paramount Theater tonight featuring Snoop Dogg and Ice Cube. The bass was thumping, the crowd was screaming...it was an all around good time!

A quick brag

2010-01-28T20:23:00.001-08:00

I thought this was too friggin cool. On the Fender Web Page Blog found here they have a link to Nirvana's video Smells Like Teen Spirit. Just under it is a link to the photo's I shot of the guitar replicated from the video for our new sign at the Seattle Hard Rock Cafe!

Bad Ass!

Hard Rock Cafe Seattle!

2010-01-25T16:24:00.000-08:00

With my obsession with Facebook I admit that my blog has taken a backseat to frequent posts. I can see at least one of you spitting hot coffee out of your nose as you read that. OK, so maybe frequent is a word I shouldn't use in this context.

I have an excuse! Honest, I swear! Don't hold it against me!

As many of you know, I spent most of 2009 out of the State and have been spending 2010 gearing up for the Grand Opening of the 21st Century! I am proudly one of the Managers at the brand new Hard Rock Cafe in Downtown Seattle. This place is going to be so bad-ass I can't even describe it!

Cutting-edge, state of the art technology, an amazing layout that covers 3 floors. Live shows several nights a week on our second level and an unprecedented view of the Pike Place Market from our roof top terrace. We've got a great staff to start things off right and trust me y'all, this place is going to be smokin hot!

After this long process I thought this time would never arrive. It's getting real now! They just hoisted the Hard Rock Sign and mounted it today. It's a Kurt Cobain Fender Mustang replica and the first inverted guitar sign in Hard Rock history.

I slapped on a hard hat and hung outside all morning waiting to get these shots. Check it out!

This shot gives some perspective on how close we are to the Pike Place Market...Just a Fish Throw away!

This nice guy was hanging out across the street smoking his pipe and watching the excitement. I felt compelled to grab a shot and he busted out in his best rocker pose for me.

Buena Vista

2009-12-08T23:21:00.000-08:00

I'm not a big bar hopper but I have been to a handful of different saloons around the country. I have come to the conclusion that one particular bar stands out above the rest as my favorite. San Francisco's Buena Vista found at the bottom of Hyde Street. When I was living on Hyde Street during my first run in SF this Spring/Summer I would wander down the hill and grab a bite to eat and their highly recommended Irish Coffee. Little did I know I had accidentally discovered an American landmark. The bar has been around since the 1800's but in the early 1950s they really put their name on the map by bringing Irish Coffee to the US. They have perfected it and have served millions over the years. I read in a newspaper article hanging on the wall that one of their bartenders won the Irish Coffee World Championship Competition hosted in Ireland. The secret? Two sugar cubes, good coffee, Tullamore Dew Irish Whiskey and cream aged 48 hours and frothed to precise consistency to give it the very tricky ability to float on top.

I knew I was on to something big when I visited Universal Studio in Orlando. They had a San Francisco ride featuring a mock version of the Golden Gate Bridge and the Buena vista. Can't beat that advertising eh?

Anyway, I wandered down tonight to grab a couple of shots so here they are....

People wait in line a long time to catch a ride on the cable cars right next to the Buena Vista...hint to visitors..they only fill it about 60% on the bottom..walk up one block and they'll stop and pick you up.
You can feel the history of this place just standing near it. If the walls could talk...

The famous cream floating on the top...mmm mmmm good

San Francisco Shoot

2009-12-08T01:22:00.000-08:00

This is a shoot I am particularly proud of. I flew down to San Francisco a month or so ago and brought with me a minimal amount of gear with the intent of snapping a few photos here and there but not anything too serious. I have with me just one flash, no umbrellas, no soft boxes, just a small diffuser that looks like a Tupperware dish to stick on top of my flash and two pocket wizards to fire my flash off camera when necessary.

I was approached a few days ago by a friend that had a school emergency. She had mis-timed her deadline for her final assignment in fashion design and needed a model and a photographer at the last minute. The girls she had originally lined up to model couldn't make the pushed up deadline but luckily her best friend Debbie was. She asked me if I would do the shoot and I explained my gear shortage in SF. She did not care and so I agreed to help out. I was concerned about my gear shortage and the lack of planning but the light was cooperative and the one flash provided just enough of a boost to give the photo's the look I was after. I think it worked out better because of the pressure. Her entire grade is dependent on this one shoot. She was tasked with creating and accessorizing a number of outfits and had chosen an urban theme.

We hit the town early Sunday morning and let me tell you something...I was wearing a pair of jeans, hiking boots, thick socks, a shirt, a sweatshirt, a coat and a stocking cap. I was friggin freezing! You can see what Debbie was wearing in the shots and I can only imagine how cold she must have been but hardly a word of protest. A real testament to their friendship was shown there. Debbie isn't a professional model but she should be. We covered a lot of ground, used a lot of different looks and had a great time. Here are a handful of pics for you to check out.

This was an alley hidden deep within China town. I worked at a Fish House for over 20 years and I can tell you the fish smell in this alley literally gagged me.

So much great graffiti in SF. The cops stopped when we were shooting here. I thought we were in some kind of trouble but no..they just wanted to watch.
This old Chinese guy was leering from about 50 feet away the whole time we were here with his big toothless grin. Since I couldn't ask him to leave, I asked him to move closer to make this shot possible. Awkward.
Deb literally stopped traffic on this busy street.
Hyde Street with Alcatraz in the background.
We found these bright red doors leading into a large Catholic Church.

I love some of the houses in SF and incorporated one in this shot.
Graffiti near Haight Street.

This was not one of Ashley's fashion designs but rather a shot I asked to set up for my own portfolio. I don't know why, but I really like it.
I'm not sure what's up with the bananas in this graffiti but it works.

Colorful Kids!

2009-10-19T19:34:00.001-07:00

We know how to have a fun photo shoot at the Hayward House!

What a mess!

A few more from Robb and Alanna's wedding

2009-10-05T00:55:00.001-07:00

This one speaks for itself ;)
A moment of levity during the ceremony.
Robb having some fun before the guests arrived.
The Rings
Many more to come..stay tuned!

Robb and Alanna Sneak Preview

2009-10-03T22:28:00.000-07:00

One of my favorite people on the entire planet Robb Crabaugh found the girl of his dreams and today he married her. The ceremony was one of the most unique weddings I have ever had the privilege of atteding. It was a great pleasure to be there and to see so many friends that I haven't seen in as many as 15 years.

Just one photo for tonight but more to come shortly I promise!

This shot is of Robb and Alanna moments after the ceremony ended giving a fun, energetic and loud performance to the beat of a Marilyn Manson Song. Confetti and many other items were flying! The crowd went wild and the fun was just starting!

Congratulations Robb and Alanna!

Girls of the Grille

2009-09-16T16:28:00.001-07:00

I love this alley! It reeked of urine but sure was cool looking.

Loving the S curve, Chelsea was a natural model and did a great job.
This picture is going above the urinal in a public restroom :)
I went ahead to set up my lights and grabbed this shot as they were making their way to where I was at.
I keep thinking a Vampire would hang this shot in his kitchen.

Somebody should feed this poor girl, she was starving!

Continuing to work on next years calendar for my friends restaurant the Vista Grille I went to Reno with a couple of the servers. Here are some of the shots.

Sparks and Quincy

2009-09-16T16:18:00.001-07:00

There is a picture of this horse that I took years ago hanging up in my daughters room.

Hungry Horse.
Dave
Peaceful, quiet, calming. I love coming here.
Years ago when these benches were just days old Dave, another friend Alan and myself branded this at around 4:30 or 5:00 in the morning. A night to remember (though I didn't remember much)!
Does this look like a great place to drink a cold beer or what?

My friend Mark singing a hit tune "Crusty Member" on his porch overlooking all of Sparks and Reno.
One of my favorite places on Earth is the Greenhorn Ranch in Quincy, CA. Traveling to Sparks to visit some friends and shoot some pics I convinced my friend Dave to drive out to the Ranch to grab a cold beer and some photo's. He begrudgingly accommodated my insistent whining to get me to shut up about it and he enjoyed himself. I love road trips, I love beer, I love nature and I love photography...what wasn't there to love about this trip?

Sonoma Part Deux

2009-09-16T15:24:00.001-07:00

Shortly after this shot was taken I stripped out of all my clothes and ran through the vineyards jumping, skipping and singing the whole way. My butt is still purple! Is that too much information for the blog?

Ferrari Carano
These grapes will probably be used for Two Buck Chuck at Trader Joes :)

Fat Mat in Hog Heaven

Sonoma

2009-09-16T02:20:00.000-07:00

A portion of the view at the incredible Ferrari Carano winery.
Can't you just picture yourself sitting on a hay bale in the loft with your feet dangling out the window reading a good book and drinking a nice glass of Cabernet?
I love how the color of the unripe grapes match the changing leaves.
I took a day trip out to Sonoma today to shoot some picture of grapes. I fell in love with the place. Near a town straight out of a Norman Rockwell painting called Healdsburg on a road called Dry Creek as well as small, rural roads beyond I found thousands of acres of grapes. Some of the leaves were just beginning to change color. Here is a small sample of the pics I shot.

Napa Valley

2009-08-17T20:15:00.000-07:00

As you may know, I have been in Sacramento, CA for a while waiting for the Seattle Hard Rock Cafe to open in Seattle, WA shortly. It's been torture to be only an hour away from Napa but committed to keep a promise I made to my wife Lea that I wouldn't visit America's Premier Wine Country without going with her first. So instead I would just drive down to Safeway and buy a bottle of wine or two to consume in my little Sacramento Apartment imagining what it would be like to be in Napa.

Saturday night while working I walked into the dining room at the Cafe and was shocked to find my beautiful Bride sitting at the bar waiting for me. She had driven for 2 days straight for a one day booty call...er, I mean to see me. The first...er, well..the second thing I thought to do was to hop in the car and drive to Napa Valley so that's what we did. Here are the photo's...

The Barrel room at Sterling Winery.

The more wine we drank, the friskier Lea got..funny how that happens ain't it?
HAWT-EEEE
Mmmmm, imagine how these grapes are going to taste crushed, fermented and bottled
One of my very favorite white wines introduced to me by my Uncle John years ago was filling the shelves at the Franciscan Estates Winery!
If you are ever in Napa, Mustards is the place to eat!
Ahi Tuna on homemade crackers..scrumpdiddlyumptious.
How lucky am I to get to sit across from this hot babe at dinner?
This Pork Chop might possibly be one of the greatest meals I have ever eaten in my life...seriously.
Yummy
A white wine taste
A red wine taste

I want to come shoot this scene when the light is better.
To get to the tasting room at Sterling Winery you had to ride in one of these cool things.

Ingrid Michaelson

2009-08-13T22:08:00.000-07:00

Teaching the audience a bit of sign language here (this means stop clapping by the way)
She was very expressive in a great way throughout the entire performance, whether she was singing or not.

A couple of her fans had Victoria's Secret bags with them, Ingrid showed that she isn't only a musical artist by "enhancing" the bag :)
After all the hooplah, I got in one of the shots, not sure how this pose ended up this way but it was kind of a pseudo dance pose in my awkward, uncoordinated way :) Damn, am I really that fat?
Tonight fans were treated to a seriously kick ass show by the amazing artist Ingrid Michaelson at the Hard Rock Cafe in Sacramento, CA. She took the stage and started with one of my favorite songs "Be OK" and continued to perform throughout the night in a way that had the packed house going nuts. After the opening song, Ingrid seemed almost embarrassed by the huge ovation she received as the crowd was ear piercingly loud!

In between songs Ingrid was incredibly entertaining. She was as funny as any stand up comedian I have seen in some time, not shy to make fun of screaming babies, talk about the thunderous boom felt throughout the Cafe (made by free weights being dropped at the gym next door) by commenting it sounded like monsters having sex behind her, she even threw a few poop jokes in there. I was trying to take pictures but couldn't help but crack up at her humor!

She is starting a 46 date North American Tour followed by some shows in Europe. The dates can be seen here...tour dates. If she is coming to your neck of the woods I highly recommend you go! You will not be disappointed.

She has a new album called "Everybody" set to be released on August 25. I plan to buy it for sure and you should too!

After the show, she signed autographs for fans that waited in a very long time for quite a while. Standing nearby I overheard many people telling her how much her music means to them in many different ways. It must be a humbling experience to have such an impact on so many people and Ingrid seemed to be taking it all in with grace and style.

Once the lines were gone we were able to grab a few photo ops including her donation to the Hard Rock Cafe's incredible Memorabilia Collection by sending a sweater she wore during her latest video in style..you'll have to check out the pic to see what I mean :)

This show was put together within the impossibly short time span of one week by the Sacramento Hard Rock's very talented Sales and Marketing Manager Kim Templeton along side our very kick ass partners at Sacramento's premier radio station The Zone 100.5 FM!

The fine print...as always, these photo's are copyright protected, do not copy them or use them for any use in any way, shape or form without my written permission. Danka!

Last day in San Francisco

2009-07-11T17:03:00.000-07:00

I'm heading down to Sacramento in the morning. I left my heart in Seattle, but San Francisco has had an impact on me too. For my last day, I hopped across town and grabbed these shots. I hope you like them.

Leah with an H

2009-06-24T13:48:00.000-07:00

I love that the whole in the giant rock is shaped like a heart.

Alex the Greek, my partner in crime and roommate in SF.

I love how she is completely bathed in light from the sun setting behind her in htis shot.

Look at how tough she is! That water was ICE COLD!

LeawithanH! Leah from the San Fran Hard Rock Café is one tough chick! She picked up me and my partner in crime Alex at the Café after we got off work and drove like a bat out of hell in a race to beat the sun to the beach!
She had seen some of the photo’s I shot of Lydia the Ballerina and it turned out she was once upon a time a photography major with a great eye. During her time as a photography major she was also working as a model for her photographer boyfriend as well as some very nice self portraits.
We talked about where we could shoot and decided to head out to a bath house. !?! you might be saying? Well, I should have thrown this disclaimer out there…the ruins of a bath house built in the late 1800’s called Sutro. A beautiful view of the ocean was provided as the sun was slowly setting. We started at the top and with Alex working the lights like a pro for me we began to make the treacherous hike down to a small, semi-secluded patch of sand getting pounded by the surf. As the sun was setting we were distracted with getting the shots when a decent sized wave crashed into the shore, drenched the uber tough Leah and knocked my second friggin light stand with a Canon Flash and a brand spankin new Pocket Wizard into the fresh salt water. Turns out that stuff doesn’t like the water too much as was indicated by the AhhhhhAHhhhWAhhhhhhhhhheeahhhhhhh sound the flash started to make. Cool. One light it was. Alex was safe on a bank of rocks as he ran at approximately 75 miles per hour holding his pants over his ankles with one hand and my main light with the other.
The sky started to grow darker and Leah was literally blanketed with a golden glow of light. It really was a beautiful setting and she made a spectacular model. The tide kept creeping in and Leah kept getting surprised with the surf. She must have been absolutely freezing but she carried on. As you can see from the photo’s her smile and laugh are about as contagious as is humanly possible. We had a great time getting these and many other shots.
For a funny side note, after we called it quits I insisted that Alex and Leah take the very long and very vertical hike back up to the car while I gathered my salt infused gear and packed up. On the way out you have to cross over the ruins of the bath house which in some spots are very narrow blocks of concrete creating a sort of maze. In the middle of the mess a woman was bent over a large male Rottweiler that had his front paws hanging off one side of a concrete slab and his rear paws over the other. I asked her if she needed help and she sheepishly admitted that her giant dog was petrified with fear and could not move. I dropped my gear. ..literally..good bye umbrella  and balanced my way over. She was right, the dog had peed all over himself and wasn’t moving a muscle. I used to work at a Veterinary hospital so I was familiar with the look of fear in his eyes. The lady insisted he was friendly which I believed, but I also know that a scared dog can and will act different than normal so I was very careful. I tried to coax him with his leash to no avail. I wound up scooping the 100 + pound dog into my arms and walking the tightrope back to safety. For some of the steeper drop-offs I had to set him down, scoop his front end and have his owner carry his back end. It must have been quite a sight for any onlookers. We got to stable ground and the dog was jumping up and down with excitement as if to say “Can we do it again? Can we, can we huh?” It was pretty funny. I went back to gather my gear, realized the umbrella was in no position to be retrieved so I hiked the hill back out and we all headed back to the pad.

Ballet

2009-06-16T00:04:00.000-07:00

I had the privilege of photographing an amazing dancer Lydia in front of the Golden Gate Bridge late last week.

It goes to show there is no such thing as an original idea! Last night my Bride and I watched the Curious Case of Benjamin Button (a great movie by-the-way) and in it the woman was reflecting on her past life as a ballerina. She was showing photo's of herself and several others in a ballet dance move that was shot in virtually the exact same spot these were taken! It blew my mind.

For you photogs out there you may be interested to know that there was a good chunk of wind out there. Fortunately, Lydia's sister was there to have her photo taken and was able to help by holding a light stand for me. Because I only had one extra body to hold a stand, I only brought one down. It got dark very fast and I was only able to light her face and arm with the one light so I took another flash, hooked up a PW, dropped it to the ground and 100% guessed on the output power to keep the exposure right, I think I lucked out! I can't wait to shoot her again with a little more flexible light!

Hitchin a ride

2009-06-01T22:35:00.000-07:00

Here is a cool shot of Jennifer on a train loaded with cool texture taken above the town of Truckee, CA taken yesterday.

Sneak Peak from Reno

2009-05-31T22:12:00.000-07:00

A last minute trip to Reno to see my very good friends the Powell's resulted in some amazing pics of some great people! I have to get up for work in a few short hours but I promised to put a couple pics on the blog. There are many more to come within the next couple of days as well as the story.

Until then....

Many pics from the Bay Area

2009-05-23T20:15:00.000-07:00

Elton John is really upset he can't find his outfit right now.

smells like Eugene around here..

A very appropriately named event
LOVE the socks!

This guy was INTENSE!
uhhh, OK
The veggie section.
No comment.
If she doesn't scream Eugene, I don't know who does.
There was tea and crumpets served as well as pot and hash. What the heck is a crumpet anyway?
This girl was insane with the hula hoops!
A funky dance scene to say the least. I started to do my whole "Stayin Alive" disco shaking/gyrating thing and the DJ scratched the record as soon as he saw me, it was followed by an awkward silence, the sounds of crickets, a baby crying and my heart pounding out of my chest. Awkward.
Welcome to the Haight!
Alex used to come to this bar when he worked in the bay area. It had a great feel to it.
This is a great way to spend a lazy day off...seriously

I was sooo close to buying Lea a set of matching pasties and underwear here...luckily I had the voice of reason Alex with me to tell me that it would have been more a gift for me :)

Do they know how to do graffiti in San Francisco or what?

Ducking into the opera house to pee I grabbed this eerie shot in the hall. I am genuinely curious what you think of it.
A lot has been going on this month. I haven't been able to post much as I simply haven't had much time. This post will represent an accumulation of photo's from a couple of "trippy" experiences in San Francisco. A common theme in these places are strong reminders of my home town Eugene, OR. I shot pics at the Weird Fair and on Haight Street. Both places were "aromatic" in an herbal and B.O. type way. Funny stuff.

Back in San Francisco

2009-05-09T21:46:00.000-07:00

Rock 101 Class of 2009

Just got back from an incredible week in Orlando at Rock 1o1. I learned so much, met so many great people including the top executives for Hard Rock and had an all around great time affirming the fact that I work for a seriously kick ass company!

After a long round of study time, I started to veg out in front of the TV when I heard a loud explosion outside the window. I thought I was going to have to make a run for it when I realized I did, but not for safety...for my camera!

There was a big Fireworks show happening and I had a great view. Scrambling to get a memory card, tripod, pocket wizards for a long exposure I managed to fire off this last shot of the finale. It was an added bonus to have the full moon in the shot too.

Orlando

2009-05-04T04:27:00.000-07:00

Had a burger here yesterday..yum
I didn't know I would be at Universal Studios this week, let alone meeting my heroes :)
Spending the week in Orlando for Rock 101 at the amazing and beautiful Hard Rock Hotel. Here are a few pics..

Saturday in San Fran...Golden Gate

2009-04-25T18:48:00.000-07:00

Do you suppose the shoes are code for something?
Alcatraz

I loved the pattern these wind tools made.

Which did you see first? The ladies or the pillars?
A cool 1941 Pontiac in the parking lot at the beach.

Yep, it's confirmed...I'm in California. No Palm Trees in Seattle (not to mention the Golden Gate Bridge)
Gettin down and dirty to get the shot.
The wind was so intense when I was taking this photo I was clutching my camera with white knuckles while looking straight up. Talk about vertigo!

I was about done shooting the bridge walking across it when I looked back and saw the sun creating this cool halo effect. Had to shoot it.

Did you ever wonder what the underside of the Golden Gate Bridge looks like? Now you know!
This dude was having some serious fun in the high wind.
Whew! A seriously long walk today took me from Russian Hill to Golden Gate and back. Me very tired. I don't remember the last time my feet hurt this much!

Today's Pics from San Francisco

2009-04-24T22:52:00.000-07:00

A day off today inspired a very long walk that took me through China Town where I saw live frogs being decapitated (sorry, no photo's allowed..yuck!), turtles awaiting the next slaughter, fish flopping on counters, live chickens, guinea fowl, quail, a pig sliced down the middle and much, much more...mmmmm makes me hungry just thinking about it :)

From there I went through the Financial District, near the Bay Bridge, back up the water and all over the place. It's great exercise and there are so many super cool things to look at. I wonder what tomorrows adventure will bring!

A long exposure shot from my apartment window late at night.
I love the cool houses here
I had breakfast at Curly's this morning and it was fabulous!

A beautiful Church
A detail shot of the church
My wandering led me to China Town in San Francisco
A quick snack in Chinatown
Dried Octopus...yummy!
Daffy, Daisy and Donald RIP

Another cool alley in China town
Fish Head or GeoDuck anyone?
This was one of the smaller shops where I was allowed to snap a quick photograph
I am loving all the super cool memorabilia at the San Francisco Hard Rock Cafe!
Detail shot of a guitar owned by Lenny Kravitz

Tonight in San Francisco

2009-04-20T21:45:00.000-07:00

It is hot in San Fran today! Over 90 I heard and I felt it. Twice I walked down to Pier 39 and back. The way there is not a problem, the way back is pretty much straight uphill. I'm going to drop at least two pant sizes by the time I'm done here for sure!

So I got back in the evening and was ready to flop down and chill out when I looked out my bedroom window to see the amazing sky highlighting the Golden Gate Bridge. That pic is shot from my room!

Well, that got the photo bug biting so I loaded up the tripod, the pocket wizards and hiked the 20 feet from the apartment to Lombard street to do some long exposures. I'm pretty happy with the result. What do you think?

What a view!

2009-04-20T07:28:00.001-07:00

I've been spoiled by early morning beauty for some time now. For the past 14 years or so I have awoken to one of the most beautiful sites in the world...my bride Lea.

This morning I couldn't sleep very well so I got up in time to check out the sunrise. This is the view I had of the Bay Bridge. It's not as pretty as the love of my life but it isn't too shabby.

Back to school

2009-04-18T16:14:00.000-07:00

The title of this post really applies to my life right now.

To warm up for the education I'm about to undertake I accepted an invitation from my oldest daughters 2nd grade teacher to speak at her class. The class had been studying animals of the Savanna and so I shared some photo's from Africa as well as some stories. The kids were a great audience.

Great Wolf Lodge

2009-04-13T20:47:00.000-07:00

The Hayward clan had been overdue for a family vacation. I've had a little bit of time off recently so Lea and I discussed it and decided to surprise the girls with a trip to the Great Wolf Lodge just south of Olympia, WA in a town called Grand Mound.

We didn't tell them where we were going, only that we were going someplace fun. They had a million guesses ranging from McDonald's to their final and most definite guess...rollerskating in Hawaii. That would have been fun too, but the girls love to swim so Great Wolf it was.

First of all, let me say this. I have never felt more self confident about my physique in my life! Over the years my metabolism may have slipped a bit and my middle could be described more as a belly than a stomach so it isn't often I wander around with my shirt off in public unless I'm intentionally trying to scare people. Not the case here baby! I looked like the Governator compared to most of these guys :) For example, I saw a man with nipples over one inch long! I won't mention the woman that stopped shaving her legs when she reached the top of her knees...yowza!

The good news is that you can carry cocktails around throughout the entire hotel and pool area so we all started to look better as the day went on! :)

The truth was, we still don't know who had more fun. The girls or the grownups. Lea and I both felt like kids again! We were splashing, shouting, running, sliding, dunking and just having an all out great time from start to finish!

We paid for one nights stay which gives you unlimited access to the pools and slides from open until close the day you check in and the day you check out. Because only guests of the hotel can use the area it isn't overcrowded so you never have to wait more than 5 minutes for a popular slide and often there was no wait at all!

We can't wait to go back! Heck, I probably won't even shave my back next time.

Check this place out!
The room offered Mom and Dad a bit of privacy by stuffing the kids in their own "wolf den" equipped with bunk beds and their own flat screen tv!
She never stopped screaming the entire way down every slide she went on :)
All sorts of fun activities like this for the kids.
This was our favorite slide. We must have gone down it 40 times!
Lea is the only woman I know that can go down a waterslide and not get her hair wet :)
Savannah loved the slides!
Every couple of minutes a giant bucket of water dumps over and soaks anyone beneath.

Sent off with style (and a big mess)

2009-04-05T11:43:00.000-07:00

To recap my last week at McGrath's...Thursday I found the live Roosters in my office, Friday I found my car covered in Saran Wrap and filled to the top with packing peanuts and feathers so I knew my last day Saturday I was in trouble.

All day I walked with my back to the wall. I spent a lot of time in the office with the door shut and every time I caught a glimpse of movement within 10 feet I jumped in the air and shouted karate Hyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeaaaaaaaaaah! to scare away any potential attackers. Wow did I freak out a group of old ladies stading up from their tables to go to the bathroom when I did that to them. Hey, it saved them the trip to the bathroom anyway.

So the day was coming to a close and my guard was slowly being let down. I was told that after the two days before they were very rough on me that today was going to be "all good" and I actually started to believe them.

One of the Managers Kim told me the group of staff had gathered and they wanted to give me a gift. I was touched and went out to see them. Sure enough they had a gift bag loaded with amazing presents for both Lea and I including engraved wine glasses, a very nice bottle of Cabernet and a Gift Card for the Mariner's.

While Kim was talking, a crazy bartender (one of the culprits in all the previous pranks) shook my hand and thanked me for having a good sense of humor. While I was distracted, the Executive Chef Geoff had snuck up behind me with two big containers of beer batter. You can see the photo's to see how it went from there :)

It was a lot of fun this week and I am very grateful to everyone who sent me off in such style. It was a privilege to work with you all!

I am now ready as ever and incredibly excited to start the next chapter in our lives at the Hard Rock Cafe!

A day later I am still pulling globs of beer batter out of my ears!

the glamorous time after the jokes over :)
Shaking hands with my replacement...little does he know ;)
A great group of people!
This couldn't have been easy...I'm not a lightweight ya know.
So long McGrath's...Hard Rock Cafe Here I Come!

Dawgs! They Got Me Again!

2009-04-03T20:54:00.000-07:00

The Rooster Prank

2009-04-03T14:46:00.000-07:00

For my last week at the Fish House some of my co-workers took our fake rooster prank to a brand new level by capturing and leaving in my office two live Roosters to scare the crap out of me first thing in the morning!

At the time I thought I was completely alone in the restaurant. It turned out I wasn't. A bartender, server, Manager and Executive Chef were hidden in small, uncomfortable places totally out of site and totally hidden! The videotaped my response and I am a bit embarrassed about the language I used throughout the ordeal so I won't be posting it here I'm sorry to say. I need to put some soap in my mouth..seriously. But it did freak me out so I'm sort of excused.

What a great prank! My hat is off to Kim (the apparent mastermind, Geoff..Mr. Devious, Nate...psycho videographer and Paul the Rooster Wrangler. Great job guys! You really did get me!

Geoff is on the bottom of this pic...my arch nemesis in the prank department...guys..you really got me good and I'll never forget it! Never...watch your backs :)
The Rooster in the chair you may remember from an earlier blog post. The one on the floor on the left was HUGE!
From what I understand they were all fairly relieved when I started to laugh.
Man! They really got me good!
Crazy Nate
Paul, the Rooster Wrangler
Kim on the right was apparently the mastermind behind this great gag.

Happy April Fools Day

2009-04-01T17:59:00.000-07:00

Those that know me, know I love April Fools Day. My patient wife Lea was kind enough to even marry me on April Fools Day. Yes, today is our 9th Wedding Anniversary. It's hard, no..it's impossible to imagine that anyone would stay married to me that long but Lea is a determined woman. Anyway, I've got a funny idea for a picture to represent our Anniversary but we're about to head out for some Sushi to celebrate so it'll have to wait.

In the mean time, I was just reminded that I forgot to post my Octopus Pics here. It's sort of an April Fools theme. Every Month for the past billion years or so I have produced a Calendar to be sent out to all the McGrath's restaurants in the company with necessary information for the appropriate month..paydays, restaurant anniversaries, deadlines for projects, specials and whatnot. I've always tried to get creative with the images but wanted to do a good one for my last month. So, they got a big fat shot of my mug with a slimy octopus on my head. I will say for the record..it tasted friggin gross!

I couldn't let the opportunity to terrify my children pass me by of course so I set up my lights and told Savannah I had an awesome surprise for her to eat so close your eyes and get ready....

To my awe and admiration, she didn't even freak out a little bit. It still made for a good photo op though :)

Randy Kepple Featured Photographer..

2009-03-20T10:28:00.000-07:00

I had to share this link. My friend Randy Kepple gave a great interview as the featured photographer here....http://bfstop.bigfolioblog.com/

Well done Randy! I hope you do not find the time to get a tan this summer :)

My Kids Crack Me Up!

2009-03-18T22:18:00.000-07:00

So the kids and I are set up to do a stock photo shoot the other night. We've got a bag of confetti, 4 lights, seamless white background and we're ready to make some noise and a mess. Easy right?

It took forever to get a look of fun and joy on both their faces. Granted, it got tougher to put on a happy face when I kept making them scoop up all the confetti :)

BUT....there is always a but...I ask them one time to "act" like they are fighting and mad. One take! What actresses :)

So Long, and Thanks for all the Fish!

2009-03-14T21:26:00.000-07:00

This is the location of the new Hard Rock Cafe. Just one short block away from the Pike Place Market, right in the hub of all the action!

As many of you know, I have been the General Manager at an awesome, beautiful and fun restaurant in Lynnwood, WA called McGrath's Fish House for some time now. I started working at McGrath's more than 20 years ago at the age of 16 in Salem, OR where they hired me as a punk kid with a very long, purple mohawk to wash dishes. I knew I was at a good company as even though I was a rookie Dishwasher, the owner of the company John McGrath would walk through the kitchen, recognize me and always offer a friendly "Hello Mat!" To this day, it means a lot to me that John took the time to remember me back then. He's no different now even though there are 20 restaurants in the company. I stayed in Salem a year and moved back to my hometown of Eugene, OR where I worked my way up through the ranks for Dishwasher to busser, to server, to Associate Manager and finally salaried manager. I'll never forget the way I was promoted. I had been approached by the GM (still there by the way) Steve Turner to become a manager and I was able to resist his offers. One day on Mother's Day, by far the busiest day of the year the Vice President of the company Jim Marshall and Steve forced me onto the patio outside and cornered me. "You will be a manager for this company!" I was told by Jim. It was clear he was not going to consider "no" to be an acceptable response so I simply and tentatively told him I didn't want to.

"Why not?" he asked.

"Because I know it will hurt." I responded.

"What will hurt?" He asked looking a bit confused.

"Everyone knows that in order to become a restaurant manager you have to have a hole drilled in your head and have at least half your brains removed." Was my answer.

Little did I know how much my life would change from then on. I did accept the position (if I wouldn't I seriously think they would have beat the crap out of me!) I was wrong about my brains being removed though I am sure many of my employees would disagree :) as I have learned so much since then I can't even begin to comprehend it. After my smart-ass response I think I got on Jim's good side as we have become great friends ever since and I do not expect that to change ever.

While I was a server and Associate Manager at McGrath's, John McGrath's daughter Krista was going to the University of Oregon. Every Saturday during football season John and his amazing wife Debbie would drive down for the game with a group of their friends and family and somehow I wound up as their server every single week. To this day, John talks about what a good server I was to the point where I get embarrassed. One of the scariest moments in my entire career at McGrath's happened when they came in with a larger than usual group. Around 15 or so (today we would require 2 servers for a group that size but this was a different time). John told me right off the bat to skip all the formalities and get down to business as they were running late for the game. No server scripting, just get the orders and get the food out. I got all the drinks out, took the orders, ran back to the kitchen and made all the salads, cut the bread and served it all in record time! I was feeling pretty good about myself as it was going so well. They were just about finished with their salads and I went into the kitchen to hear the Kitchen Manager shout "Hey Mat! When are we gonna get the order for John's 15 top?"

"Holy Shit! I forgot to ring it in!" I shouted in a mad panic! I started screaming the orders to the kitchen and they fired the food as I was shouting unintelligibly. It was an absolute miracle as they produced the food in no time flat. I trayed it up and ran it out. The group was having so much fun they didn't even notice the delay. At the end of the meal John slapped me on the back, handed me a fat tip and told me how great I did at not screwing around and getting their food out to them. I didn't tell him or Debbie that story until years later.

Anyway, I've gotten a bit distracted here. The slap on the back reminded me of the time we were all down in Cabo San Lucas for an amazing trip that John flew all the GM's down for. I had a couple (dozen) cocktails in me and was feeling like a massage. There was a girl working next to the pool so I climbed/staggered onto her table and got a great rub down. Keep in mind, I am a red headed, freckle face pale skin man whose dermatologist reminds me every time I see her that I am the poster child for skin cancer so I was bathing in sun screen religiously in the intense Mexican sun. Well, I got this massage and lost track of myself. I didn't stop to think that I should have re-applied the sunscreen afterward. It turned out the baby oil she was using worked like cooking oil on my back and within hours I had literally hundreds of fluid filled blisters covering my entire back.

I was showing off and grossing out all the girls with my nasty back including Debbie McGrath when John walked up and took a look at it. "Oh man! That is sick! It makes me want to slap it!" He shouted. Keep in mind, they were not measuring the tequila that went into our drinks and so I shouted loud "Go on! I dare you!" WHACK! He really socked it to me. I didn't feel it for a few days and we were laughing our asses off. I think Debbie was a bit mortified by the whole process as I recall but damn that was a fun time!

OK, so back on track...after 10 years or so in Eugene we opened a new restaurant in Vancouver, WA. Lea and I were not married at the time but we made the decision together to move north and open the store. It was an intense experience that capped out at around 120 hours a week and I think was really when I turned into a man. While working in Vancouver I was promoted to General Manager, I married the love of my life (who by the way I met while working at the McGrath's in Eugene), we had two amazing children born while working there and I loved (nearly:) every minute of the experience.

Fast forward another 5 years and another great opportunity presented itself. The biggest, baddest McGrath's of all time was being opened in Lynnwood (about 15 miles north of the Space Needle) with an outside Fish Bar, a boat load of dining rooms, huge kitchens, the works. It was a dream opportunity as my good friend Geoff Beckham outdid himself with the design and we were all very proud of the accomplishment. I've been there for the past 4 and a half years and it has been a tremendous experience and again, I have continued to learn so much and I am so grateful for all the tremendous opportunities and experiences that have been provided for me by McGrath's.

So here we are in 2009. We are running out of room on I-5 so I don't think I will be able to continue to move further north with McGrath's. After a great deal of thought Lea and I decided after an awesome run at the Fish House it is time to see what else is out there for the Hayward family. A great opportunity presented itself to me and after a long, intense interview process I am incredibly proud to announce that I am going to be a Manager at the brand new Hard Rock Cafe in Downtown Seattle!

This summer, at 1st and Pike, literally a stone's throw away from the Pike Place Market the new Hard Rock Cafe is going to open up and I am so excited that I am going to be a part of it. The building is two floors with more than 14,000-square feet of space, including spacious seating, a unique open-air rooftop deck and Rock Shop featuring Hard Rock’s limited-edition merchandise. In addition to a state-of-the-art facility, the cafe will also feature rock 'n' roll memorabilia from Hard Rock's iconic collection and will boast a live music space with standing room for 300 raving fans!

Everyone at Hard Rock I have met, spoken with or read about shows me that while the company is huge, they are down to Earth, real people with a great philosophy lead by the mantra "Love All, Serve All." I love that! My impression is that this is a company that cares tremendously for the people that work for them and the people they serve as well as for the planet (did you know that the Hard Rock Cafe coined the phrase "Save the Planet" before anyone else ever thought to?). The Hard Rock Cafe Seattle will be developed to achieve a Silver LEED certification, as defined by the Leadership in Energy and Environmental design Green Building Rating system. It is a cool, eco-friendly environment with jammin music, kick-ass decor everywhere you look, cool people and great food! I can't wait to start this new adventure in my life!

I will be in San Francisco for a couple of months learning the ropes before the opening so you can bet I will be updating the blog with San Francisco pics every chance I get!

One last thing before I wrap up this very long blog post. My good friend Daren Nies will be replacing me at McGrath's. I would like to wish him the very best of luck with his new career path! Make it happen Daren! You are going to do great!

Peace out,

Mat

Woodland Park Zoo...Thrive 2009 featuring Ed Begley Jr.!

2009-03-13T01:51:00.000-07:00

Last night I was honored to photograph one of my favorite annual events with my friend Ryan Hawk. The charity event was Woodland Park Zoo's "Thrive." Thrive is first class all the way. It is an important fundraiser for the Zoo and they really go all out.

Making his grand entrance riding a bicycle up to the stage, Ed Begley Jr. set the tone for the evening right off the bat with the message that there are many ways individuals can contribute to our environment in a positive way that will collectively create change. The man puts his money where his mouth is too. While he admitted he didn't actually ride his bike all the way up from LA, he did drive his wife's Prius spending just $50 on gas rather than flying up. According to his wife, these kinds of decisions aren't necessarily because he cares deeply for the environment (which he does) but actually because he is a "very cheap man." :) I thought that was pretty funny but it also made a good point, you can reduce your impact on the environment and your wallet at the exact same time.

His message was strong, poignant, funny and effective. In a nutshell, don't wait for the Government or big business to make a difference in our environment and don't assume it is already too far gone to be worth the effort, instead live life more simply and get to know your world in a friendly way. One point he made that really hit home was that kids in a study could only identify a handful of plants and trees but knew on site without words the logo's of hundreds of corporations. That's a bit bass-ackwards and really should change.

So the generous donors of Seattle were treated to what looked like an incredible dinner, some good cocktails and a good time. I hope that the zoo was able to raise a lot of money and that everyone had a good time.

I was thrilled and honored that two of the banners framing the stage featured my photo's as well as the cover of the donor book and the the paper the donations were written out on. Too cool! I know it's silly but I do get very proud when I see my work prominently displayed like that. Thanks WPZ for such great opportunities!

Guests were sat at beautifully decorated tables and given a copy of Ed Begley Jr.'s book Living Like Ed.
Zoo staff was walking throughout the crowd trying to scare everyone they could by sneaking up on them with large reptiles. Thank goodness there was a defibrillator nearby! :) Just kidding of course.
I had all of about 15 seconds to set this shot up. I think it came out pretty good.
The Zoo seriously knows how to host a charity event! Check this place out!
Woodland Park Zoo President and CEO Deborah Jensen on stage talking about the Zoo.
Here is Dan Evans Jr. showing the crowd the card for their donation amounts to be written on...isn't that a beautiful photo on the card? :)
Ed Begley Jr. making his grand entrance riding a bicycle through the crowd.

I think they did an amazing job with the plants and displays throughout the hotel but I think the branches behind the stage looked especially cool.

I love the light in this shot. It's always fun to take advantage of stage lighting. Makes my job so much easier.
I had to throw this shot in...here is Ed pointing at my photo's on the banners on display. OK, he wasn't actually pointing them out but it kind of looks that way so that's my story and I'm sticking to it :)

Hakuna Matata

2009-03-11T22:24:00.000-07:00

Every time I come across a picture of a Warthog I get the song Hakuna Matata from the Lion King stuck in my head.

Ngorongoro Crater Zebra Mother and Baby

2009-03-10T21:30:00.000-07:00

Here's a random shot of a Mother and baby Zebra I grabbed while heading out of the Ngorongoro Crater.

Random information about Zebra's...

Zebra live in family groups of up to six females and their young, with one male. They feed on grass, leaves, and bark, grazing in the daytime. Individuals recognize each other by pattern, voice, and scent.

You learn something new every day :)

Macarena

2009-03-09T17:40:00.000-07:00

Last week my oldest daughter Savannah came home and told Lea and I she wanted to be in the talent show at school. We were both surprised and curious. "What do you want to do?" we asked.

"The Macarena" she said in a matter-of-fact tone.

We didn't even know she had ever heard it.

A week later, her and her girlfriends from school were on stage rockin out and dancing the macarena in front of a standing-room-only packed school gymnasium. I don't know where she gets her courage and confidence from but I am sure proud of her.

Thanks goodness she didn't get her dance moves from her Dad :)

Where have I been?

2009-02-15T21:25:00.000-08:00

The new lions at Woodland Park Zoo are very photogenic.

I have been a horrible blogger! Ugh! Well...where the heck have I been? What's my excuse. I was reminded tonight that people do actually read this thing so I felt compelled to make a quick post.

One reason for my lack of blog updates is that I haven't really been picking up the camera much recently. Life has a funny way of keeping you busy even when it doesn't seem like you are getting much done. This is a photo blog after all and if I don't have any new photo's to upload, I shouldn't babble on too much.

I did make it to the Zoo a couple of weeks ago. There is a new pair of Lions on display out there and I was able to grab a nice shot with the two of them.

The other shot is kind of funny. One day at the restaurant, out of nowhere, this rooster appeared. He's been banged around a little bit since then but when you catch site of him from the corner of your eye, believe me it looks pretty realistic. Well, it's been used in gags for a few weeks and last week early in the morning I had to open the safe, when I did, this rooster fell out and scared the crap out of me. One of the managers I work with got me pretty good. I promised to get her back but all of my attempts had been pretty weak. So this week I get a box delivered via UPS from some random Asian man and wouldn't you know it, there's the Rooster. Ha Ha, it didn't startle me, but I've got to give the managers some credit for originality. Well, the rooster is in my possession and I need to think of something good to do with him. I'm probably going to print this photo off and hang it in the restaurant for now with no note or anything. I haven't mentioned receiving the rooster yet so the photo should put them on notice that it is definitely on. I know I have some devious readers out there so if you have some suggestions on the best way to terrify a friend using a fake rooster I am open to suggestions :)

My effort to stimulate the economy

2009-02-05T20:11:00.000-08:00

In light of the recent economic...er, what are we calling it now? Oh yeah..the economic dung pile we are all a part of I thought I would do my part to help stimulate the economy while we wait for President Obama to remove some of the pork from the "stimulus" bill he is attempting to pass right now.

I have drastically reduced the prices on all sizes of prints for sale at www.MHWildlife.com. I promise with the profits earned to spend the money as frivolously as possible just like former President Bush always encouraged us to do while he simply sent us checks to stimulate the economy.

Please take a moment to check out the site. I have a great number of images still to add to my wildlife photography web page so check back often.

Thank you!

The Rock

2009-01-12T14:27:00.000-08:00

There has been a very interesting mix of responses to the photo I posted earlier. I've been really excited about it and have sent it to pretty much everyone I know. There are some reactions of amazement, some nice comments that it's a good photo, though they don't put a lot of stock put into seeing faces in grilled cheese sandwiches, soup, shower curtains and rocks. I can say that I fell into that category until I discovered this photo.

Why the change of tune? Because I took it of course. It's probably the only way to be 100% sure I'm not being duped.

At the church we go to, the Pastor put the photo up on the big screens at all the services throughout the day. All said and done, a couple thousand people viewed it yesterday. Pastor Nate asked people if they could see the image to raise their hand. A little more than half the room did so at the service I went to and Lea said about the same at the one she attended (we went separately, I had to work all day).

Let me assure you, my Photoshop skills are I think above average but to create something like this would require some seriously advanced work if it would be possible at all. I shot this photo (and after viewing my deleted pics...5 others) in RAW format. If it came down to it I would be able to prove the validity with those files. As far as I know you cannot manipulate the base of a RAW file. I cropped the shot in to show you just how integrated into the rock the image is. I've been searching the internet looking at various images of shadows and designs people claim resemble Jesus. Maybe they do, maybe they don't. I realize I am biased because it's my shot but I have not found anything this dramatic anywhere out there. Have you?

An image within an image

2009-01-07T13:51:00.001-08:00

I posted this photo a couple of days ago and didn't think much of it other than it was a pretty shot. That was until my Uncle John viewed it and made a pretty amazing observation.

This photo was taken while on safari in the Serengeti. If you've been there before you know there are countless numbers of these rock formations all over the place. They are very dangerous to get of your car car nearby because they are home to many lare cats including Lions, Cheetah's and Leopards.

I noticed the rays of sunlight breaking through the low, dark clouds and I remember asking my driver/guide Nickson to go offroad to this rock formation so I could grab a shot. I hadn't shot only rocks before and I didn't do it again. I took the photo, didn't think much of it and went about my day.

As you may know, I've been editing the photo's from the trip a few here, a few there but the bulk of the images remains untouched. This week I finally got a little bit of time off so I was motivated to do a lot of RAW processing (adjusting color and exposure). It's a long montonous process when dealing with thousands of images. While in the process I stopped at this photograph and felt compelled to do a complete edit on it. I separated it out, worked on it, made it my desktop image, posted it to this blog, posted it to Facebook and didn't see anything until John wrote...now it's all I can see and I can't believe my eyes.

Do you notice any image in the rock on the right?

Serengeti Hippo Pool

2009-01-06T11:31:00.001-08:00

Serengeti Scenery

2009-01-05T23:58:00.001-08:00

There are many large rock formations like this around Serengeti. Many big cats like to hide out around here.

Hippo in the grass

2009-01-05T22:01:00.001-08:00

Twiga Twilight

2009-01-04T15:33:00.001-08:00

I'm in the groove on finishing up the remaining 1,500 images I have to edit from my trip to Tanzania last year. This is another photo that I didn't see a lot of potential with until I started to play with it in Lightroom. Now that I've edited it I really like it quite a bit. This was taken just moments after I watched a pride of Lion's chase down and attack a lioness that was trying to get a piece of the dead elephant the pride had already claimed as it's own. The sun had just gone down and my guide was racing the light as quickly as we could to get back to camp before dark. You are not allowed to be out on the roads after dark in Tarangire and he didn't want to get in trouble. I remember seeing this giraffe munching with the pretty sky and I coaxed Nickson into stopping so I could grab a quick shot.

Elephants

2009-01-03T22:39:00.001-08:00

Here are a couple of shots I was working on when I got home from the Fish House tonight...

Ping Pong Portrait

2008-12-29T22:35:00.000-08:00

My wife hates clutter. As I am typing this, she is approaching a nervous breakdown while cleaning up after...well, me. I have books, magazines, PEZ dispensers, coffee cups, sunflower seed shells, photo's, computer parts, DVD's, remote controls, business cards, hard drives and all sorts of miscellaneous papers ranging in levels of importance from gas receipts to tax deductions worth potentially thousands of dollars laying around in any number of places. In other words...I'm a slob.

It has been Lea's lifetime goal to minimize the amount of crap we have in the house. It isn't uncommon for me to find a pair of shoes I can't live without (granted, I haven't worn in 5 or 6 years though) buried unceremoniously in a box labeled for Goodwill. Anytime I find these little treasures I unpack them and put them back where they belong. On the floor in the bedroom.

Well, imagine my surprise when on Christmas morning I got a Ping Pong table from Lea. Before I even opened the gift, she said probably 5 or 6 times..."I regret buying you this." I couldn't imagine what it would be but my imagination did wander a bit and a Ping Pong table wasn't the direction it was going I can assure you :)

Anyway, I got this sucker put together and it looks pretty huge in the basement! I love it! I suppose I could have been a good husband and moved the stuff I needed to move for the table into more appropriate places than say...the corner of the room but what the heck, it looks good :)

I wanted to try a self portrait with my new toy so I set up a couple of soft boxes, and ended up using the timer on the camera to trigger the shot. For some reason my remote trigger for pocket wizards wasn't synching right with the camera. Any of you photogs out there reading this that may have come across the same problem in the past and knows what I need to change please feel free to drop me a line would ya?

Anyway, the shot is done, it is posted here. I will post it in Facebook in a moment with this same story and as I look back at the table I wonder if I should remove the tripod, lenses, caps, flashes, laptop, batteries and other goodies I've left on it...Naaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhhhhhh :)

2008-12-25T13:16:00.000-08:00

Christmas Eve is a special time. That goes without saying. The church service was especially powerful at New Life tonight...at one point all the lights were out and a video began playing where Pastor Nate was barely visible but was speaking with a deep powerful voice. My youngest daughter Sophie tapped her Mom on the arm and brought her down to her level to whisper to her. Lea couldn't here her at first so Sophie repeated herself a little louder while pointing at the monitor..."Is that God?" She asked :)

Then tonight, I asked my oldest daughter Savannah what she thought the chances were of Santa showing up based on how good she was this year..."Oh, for sure Dad..don't you remember? In the summertime I was really good for at least four or five days in a row!"

Merry Christmas Everyone!

Anna Poetzl opened the service with a hypnotic song that filled the room with energy and power. She is an incredibly gifted artist that plays the violin and the piano (who knows what else..I'm guessing a lot), sings opera and every other type of music you can imagine. It is always wonderful when she performs.
Here is Anna singing again with Carolyn Bath-Foster who I am proud to say is one of my Facebook friends and someone whom Lea and I have tremendous respect for. Carolyn's voice is like no other and it is matched by her amazing energy. I kid you not..when Carolyn leads worship I get goosebumps 100% of the time.
Brooks Rice oversees the high school/college ministry at New Life. I've seen him play some serious tunes at many services. He's a dynamic speaker with a great sense of humor.

Pastor Nate Poetzl is the man. From my home town of Eugene, OR (go Ducks) Nate is a powerful speaker and someone for whom I have tremendous respect. He communicates in a way that allows everyone to feel at ease, not judged in any way, shape or form and he conveys the message with passion. We are so blessed to have met Nate and his awesome wife Jennie (also one of my Facebook friends and my toughest competition in the Word Challenge).

Another amazing talent on stage at New Life...Marli Hansen is energetic, charismatic and has an amazing voice. She sang a song written by Anna that was nothing short of incredible.

They do such a great job decorating the church. It's always unique, pretty and as a photographer I must say...well lit! :)

Some serious snow in Seattle!

2008-12-21T19:40:00.000-08:00

Maybe the most snow I have ever seen in the Pacific Northwest without being at a ski resort blanketed the ground last night and today. We awoke to nearly a foot of snow on the ground and it's still falling.

Seemed like a pretty good photo op to me.

What a site to wake up to.
Sophie making a snow angel
Me and my crew
Mother and Daughter enjoying a tasty candy cane.
You had to know a snowball fight was inevitable.
Snow...soft but slick!
Check out how high Savannah is!
An advantage to owning a long lens..they missed me by a mile :)
Pretty darn cute I have to say.
For the safety of the fence, I opted not to sit on it :)

Snow Day

2008-12-15T18:51:00.000-08:00

Parenting 101: Don't put your kid on a wobbly stool while wearing a hat too big too see while wearing and give her a sharp butcher knife...unless it makes for a cute photo op :)
The cool thing is that Lea always gets this dolled up before cooking me dinner :)

The loves of my life.
So my neighborhood was blasted with snow which was converted to a sheet of ice yesterday. Rather than risk my rump and venture outside in the cold I decided to set up a few lights, dress up my girls and do a quick stock photo shoot. Here are a few of my favorites.

Times are tough, but life is good

2008-12-06T13:38:00.000-08:00

The holiday season is a joyful time of year. It can also be a stressful time of year. As the Christmas tree goes up and the light in the eyes of my children is as bright as ever I can't help but feel a warm glow inside.

This year is a tough one though. It's an understatement to say that the economy is a mess right now. I worry about my Mom who works in the auto-industry. Obviously, there is great concern for the American auto-makers though it appears that they are going to be helped out by the government. This relieves me for my Mom's sake though concerns me for the country. I hope they use this opportunity to catch up with the eco-friendly, ultra fuel efficient cars they are competing with and create something new and exciting to revolutionize the auto industry.

In the Seattle area where I live, the Boeing employees are finally done with the strike. That devastated our local economy but it didn't start or end there. My friends wife was just layed off after 21 years working for Bank of America. She is now and suddenly thrown into the job market with thousands of other bank employees recently layed off by locally ran Washington Mutual.

There are brand new houses a block away from my house that last year wouldn't have stayed on the market for a month. They've been there nearly a year now unoccupied even as the prices go down and down.

I've always said that photography feeds my soul but offered the disclaimer that the restaurant industry feeds my family. Restaurants are being hit hard and the restaurant I run is no exception. Guest counts are down, those that are coming in are spending less, wages are going up shortly and the outlook is pretty bleak right now.

That being said, it isn't important. What is important is friends, family and life. A good friend of our family died suddenly and unexpectedly yesterday shocking us all. He was on the way home from visiting his adopted family in California who loved him very much. Grandpa Bob as my girls enjoyed calling him was traveling home on a 2 day train ride when he became ill. They stopped the train for him and brought him to a hotel where he was found dead the next morning. It is heartbreaking for those of us left here on Earth though he had tremendous and inspiring faith in God and I know that he is now in a better place. His death reminds me of our mortality and our short and precious every day is. No matter how difficult life may seem at times, every day is a gift and I intend to live each and every one I can accordingly. I hope that you do the same.

Honorable Mention

2008-12-02T15:26:00.000-08:00

For the second year in a row I've been awarded honorable mention in the annual Association of Zoo's and Aquarium's Communique Photo Contest. This year my entry is going to be published in their magazine in a fairly large format which has inflated my ego to new heights. Poor Lea will never hear the end of this one. I wasn't able to make it out to the Zoo much over the summer unfortunately but this contest has motivated me to really nail it for next year so they'll be seeing a lot more of me coming up really soon.

Myself, Dennis Conner, Tianna Klineburger, Tammy Fullum and the Woodland Park Zoo's staff photographer Ryan Hawk each earned an honorable mention this year with our photo's from WPZ which is a pretty outstanding result in my opinion. You can view all of the images at the following link...

AZA Publications

Thanks again to Ric Brewer and Ryan Hawk for providing me with such a unique opportunity to photograph at the Zoo. It is something I truly enjoy.

Annie Leibovitz

2008-11-19T23:52:00.000-08:00

The crowd started getting bigger and bigger. She went from photographing the Rolling Stones getting mobbed by their fans to getting mobbed by fans of her own.
I don't know why authors always insist on signing the inside of their books..I was happy she didn't mind signing the cover.
Ryan H at the W
For some time now I've had a project planned in my mind and on random pieces of paper scattered throughout my house and office to create a book of influential people and places from my life. The plan is to go to childhood homes to take photographs, find old friends and photograph them as well as a quest to photograph people who have influenced my life one way or another over the years that I haven't met. One of those people is Annie Liebovitz. Yesterday she released her latest book called Annie Liebovitz at Work I bought it right away and read through half of it last night and this morning. Tonight she was at Benaroya Hall for Seattle Arts and Lectures speaking in front of a sold out crowd and reading stories from her book along with her amazing images of subjects ranging from Bette Midler to the Queen of England whom she had asked to remove her crown because it was too fancy. A couple of faux pas there...one was that it was a tiara and not a crown..the other was that it was supposed to be fancy and the Queen was not the least bit happy with the request to remove as shown by the BBC. Amazing portraits resulted however so I don't think too much damage was done.

I went to the lecture with my friend and fellow shutterbug Ryan. After the show we had the opportunity to attend a cocktail party hosted at the W Hotel where Annie was graciously shaking hands, signing autographs and taking photo's. She was nice enough to pose for a photo with me and due to technical problems I won't go into in this blog the shots didn't turn out too well so we went back again for another shot. By then, the group of people surrounding her was getting pretty substantial and she handled it with grace and courtesy in a way I think only she could do.

It's weird to me to think of a photographer as a celebrity. Because I live, eat and breath photography there are definitely some people out there who I really look up to. Annie being at the top of the list. Others include Joe McNally, Matt Mendelsohn..well, I could go on but I've got to get up early and need to wrap this up so I won't. My point is that as a photographer I am eager and excited to meet other photographers at the top of their game with such amazing experience under their belts who have lived lives that I can only dream of at this point in my career. The sold out crowd of who knows how many people tonight did not appear to consist of photographers though. Sure there were loads of cameras there tonight and a few were high end good cameras with some nice L glass in front of them but most were cell phone quality P&S cameras taken by people that didn't appear to know the difference between aperture and a Koala bear (sorry for the random analogy but I'm very tired :). Annie is famous for photographing famous people and justifiably so.

It must be an unusual journey to pass from photographing the famous to becoming one of the famous but she really seems to handle it very well. She had a way of speaking to the crowd that makes her immediately likeable. She seems as modest as any person could be with such an impressive resume. She doesn't appear to me to be a person that buys into her own hype which to me is a true sign of character. It would be a dream come true to have the opportunity to shoot with her.

Long Lashes

2008-11-11T19:50:00.001-08:00

Look at the long lashes on this Zebra!

If you haven't already, be sure to stop by my Wildlife Photography web page at MHwildlife.com

Tanzania Photo of the day

2008-11-09T22:36:00.000-08:00

Just got back from watching Madagascar II with the girls at the awesome IMAX Theater in downtown Seattle. Great movie, well worth watching and it reminded me to post a pic of the day from Africa.

Thursday's Africa Photo of the day

2008-11-06T20:40:00.000-08:00

Laying on the break table at the Fish House was a copy of Sunday's paper. In the midst of the stack, a glimpse of a photo caught my eye. I pulled it out and there in the Seattle Times was this great article...

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/pacificnw/2008318116_pacificpacndutu02.html

The article was written by Sandi Doughton, she articulated the African experience better than I could do in my journal. The story was so cool because she writes about her journey to a relatively obscure destination...the Ndutu Lodge which happens to be one of the places I stayed. It is a great lodge and I had written about in my journal posted in August on this blog. One thing she didn't mention that surprised me was the brutal drive I had mentioned a couple/few times :) If you click on the video attached to the article it shows a bit of their experience including a fairly bumpy road and it's worth the 3 minute view for sure.

Because the article brought me down memory lane and I mentally revisited Lake Ndutu today I decided the picture of the day should be from that area. This hyena was hanging out alone in broad daylight. Most of the other hyena's I saw on the trip were in much darker environments. Ugly little sucker isn't he?

Wednesday Pic of the day

2008-11-05T21:01:00.000-08:00

A couple of lions loving the Serengeti.

Pic of the day

2008-11-04T21:32:00.000-08:00

Well, I jinxed myself. I said I was geared up and ready to get back to daily uploads and no sooner had I signed out when my computer that I purchased less than a year ago. Top of the line, state of the art..Costco's best...Motherboard went bye bye. Grrr. As you can imagine, I spend a great deal of time on the computer. I blew the dust off my old computer and hooked it up. 45 minutes later when Photoshop finally opened, I attempted to open a photo to edit. Less than an hour later (barely) I finished editing that one photo. Sheesh, what a headache. I've got a new computer to get my work done and it is oh so nice :) I was able to import all of my Africa photo's into Adobe Lightroom in a fraction of the time it took originally. While uploading, this photo of a family of baboons playing in a tree while the African sun rose caught my eye. I hope you like it.

On a side note. I try not to talk too much about politics here. Mainly because so many of my friends disagree and often accuse me of being a close minded hillbilly. I'll tell you this. I think the last 8 years under the Bush administration have been rough and we haven't had a president with our best interest in mind. That being said, I was a firm believer (and still am) that John McCain is as true an American hero as we have ever known. Long before this long campaign began I've admired John McCain and considered him one of our nations greatest leaders.

With Barrack Obama I've been filled with doubt, uncertainty and at times I can admit..fear. It wasn't uncommon for me to rant.. "Barrack Hussein Obama? President of the United States?...really?" It just sounded weird to me. It was difficult for me to get past the fact that he belonged to that horrible church for 20 years and impossible for me to believe he never heard the Reverend rant about race and the US the way he did in the videos. Kinda reminds me of Bill Clinton claiming to have never inhaled.

That being said...watching the election tonight and seeing the overwhelming majority of the country unite to elect this man made me feel optimistic about our future. While I believe John McCain was the more qualified of the two candidates and would have done an extraordinary job as President, watching Obama's speech tonight gave me goosebumps and at times brought tears to my eyes. What I see in him is a man that inspires. A man that brings hope and gives confidence where it has been lacking. While I disagree with a lot of his politics, I believe that he will do a good job in uniting the people of this great country and will renew faith in us overseas. As a man who proudly voted for John McCain I now proudly express my support of our 44th President.

Don't get me started about our evil Governor though...the race is still on. If Chris Gregoire wins again, Washington state is screwed. C'mon Dino!!! :)

Hungry Hippo

2008-11-01T20:02:00.000-07:00

Not something you want to find while wandering around the Serengeti. Well, it was actually something I wanted to find..glad I did.

Sorry for the lag in posting a pic of the day..should be back on track now.

2008-10-30T09:06:00.000-07:00

What a weekend! I spent a whirlwind 30 hours or so in Reno, Nevada on Sunday and Monday shooting thousands of photo's of beautiful women, handsome guys, amazing animals and great food in a gorgeous restaurant co-owned by one of my closest friends.

Dave Powell and Mark Hansen own a restaurant in Sparks, Nevada called the Vista Grille Dave used to work for the restaurant company I work for and he is easily the most talented chef I have ever known as well as a man filled with integrity and honor whom I am proud to call my friend. The Vista Grille is a very community oriented restaurant. They donate regularily to various charities in the Sparks community and this year Dave's partner Mark came up with the idea to create a calendar featuring their crew, the restaurant and a very cool exotic animal sanctuary called the Animal Ark. The Animal Ark was founded by a wonderful couple named Aaron and Diana (seen below). They've dedicated their lives to taking care of disadvantaged wildlife. The Animal Ark doesn't receive steady funding from the Government so all funding is through admissions, donations and grants. The Vista Grille is creating this calendar and donating all proceeds to the Animal Ark.

Special thanks to a partner of the Animal Ark, Master Falconer Martin Stiasny owner of Birds in Flight for driving all the way out from San Francisco for the day to bring his incredible birds to fly all around the crew not only giving us all a great show but giving the staff of the Vista Grille an incredibly unique, memorable experience.

The Calendar should be ready to ship by December. The price isn't set yet but should be somewhere between $15-$20 from what I understand. If you would like to order one (and I sure hope you do) please call Mark Hansen at the Vista Grille. The number there is 775-626-9922 or email vistagrille@msn.com Be sure to tell him Mat sent you!
One of two intense Asian Tigers (there is also a White Tiger seen below)

"Effie" the photogenic Arctic Fox
One of two beautiful Gray Wolves at the Animal Ark
Cheetah's have always been my favorite cat. There are two at Animal Ark and they are amazing.
Chelsea and a Cheetah.
"Whoopi" the Peregrine Falcon
Some of the girls striking a pose
Some of the crew posing with a Eurasian Eagle Owl
The African Pied Crow put on quite a show!
Naomi in front while the African Pied Crow zooms away
Megan and her friend the Yellow-Headed Vulture.
"Khan" saying hello
Aaron and DianeDiana and Aaron Hiibel, co founders of the Animal Ark and all around great people and extraordinarily gracious hosts.
On the way back to the cars I spotted this cool spot for a dramatic portrait. Are these girls natural models or what?
A very enthusiastic Vista Grille staff (check out Marks high flying in the back)
There is quite a story behind this one
Some of the crew near the entrance to the Vista Grille
Giving the James Bond pose out in front of the building
A tasty (I know first hand because I ate it) Margherite Pizza cooked in the super hot wood burning, brick oven
Jen in the front with her winning smile
Mark showing off his expertise behind the bar.
Mark and Dave...a couple of happy guys.
A quick shot of the "Biggest little city in the world" while on my way home.

Halloween Party at the Hayward House!

2008-10-25T20:43:00.000-07:00

My wife Lea loves to throw parties for the kids. She's been planning for weeks to entertain a group of girls and really outdid herself with fun games, great prizes and tasty treats!

FYI, I'm flying to Reno early AM for a shoot so no blog post tomorrow...sorry. I'll be back Monday night though, hopefully with something really interesting

Lea had been practicing all week to perfect the Barbie Doll Halloween cake. She nailed it!
Worms were freezing in ice cubes waiting to be plunked in Lea's famous punch.
Spider Web Pizza for dinner
Mummy Wrap Race
The mummy wrap game was fun but the clean up game was even more fun!
Digging through a pot filled with guts, ears, eyeballs and brains for a prize was an icky endeavor.
When one of the girls announced that she was almost sure the pot was full of spaghetti and not guts I decided to experiment and see if she was right.
These squishy, sticky eyes were the prizes found in the brain and guts pot. They were a big hit!
When I saw the kids trying to eat their owl eye cupcakes by using their hands I made an immediate correction to the party foul :)

Friday's Photo

2008-10-24T21:12:00.000-07:00

Male Lion in the Serengeti giving a nice pose. Shot with a Canon 1D Mark III and a Canon 400mm f/2.8L IS lens.

Christmas Cards

2008-10-23T21:14:00.001-07:00

This photo demonstrates why "pooper scooper" laws are important to follow. Notice the younger sister pointing and laughing in the background :)

It's that time of year! Christmas is closer than you think! Today we headed to the Seattle Arboretum for some Christmas card portraits of some very entertaining, seriously funny and photogenic kids. The Autumn colors were amazing down there!

Tembo

2008-10-22T18:33:00.000-07:00

This was the elephant I photographed coming out of the wall of dense fog in the jungle on the rim of Ngorongoro Crater. It's very exciting to know I was close enough to shoot this with my wide angle 16-35mm lens!

More from Africa

2008-10-21T21:37:00.000-07:00

I just opened Lightroom to look for a photo and my African uploads popped up automatically. For fun I scanned through a handful of the thousands of pics I have yet to edit and this one grabbed my attention.

I'm going to try to edit a couple each week to add to the blog for fun.

I remember spotting this kid in a small,town. Believe it or not, this village was considered to be one of the nicer areas I saw people living.

Sophie at the beach

2008-10-20T17:15:00.000-07:00

While her Mom was working on her buns of steel at the gym and her sister was stuffing her brain with multiplication tables, spelling tests and the names of cute boys in her class, Sophie and I found ourselves with some free time this afternoon.

We watched one of our favorite movies Ratatouille together while I edited some photo's and were simultaneously hit with a strong case of cabin fever. I had her put on her brightest sweater, we raided Savannah's hat collection, loaded up the car seat and made the 5 mile drive to the beach.

For whatever reason we hadn't been there in a couple of years and we were both thrilled to find a new playground had been built. It was a gray, drizzly day out which was great for us because it meant hardly anyone was there and the light was soft and even for photo's. I took advantage of my daughters beauty and enthusiasm to grab a few shots for my stock portfolio, we played on the swings, threw some rocks, grabbed a bite to eat and it ended up being a great Daddy/Daughter day.

On Display

2008-10-09T18:56:00.000-07:00

For the next several months I am proud to announce that I have around 35 images from my Wildlife Photography Web site www.MHWildlife.com on display throughout the Alderwood Mall. The Alderwood Mall is one of the biggest and busiest malls in the Seattle area so I am very excited for the exposure.

Kara

2008-09-15T10:52:00.000-07:00

I've mentioned my friend Randy Kepple in this blog several times. For the past couple of years we have talked about getting together to shoot. For one reason or another we've never been able to do it until now.

His daughter Kara is a senior in high school this year. She wanted her Dad to do her Senior Portraits and she has such a tight schedule it had to be this past Sunday or else it could potentially have been months before they would have been able to do it again. It just happened to work out that I had free time Sunday so I invited myself along to hold reflectors, snap a few photo's and hang out.

Since Randy made the drive up from Portland I figured his tail was probably pretty numb anyway so I recommended we make the hour + drive to Sedro Woolley, WA to shoot at the abandoned mental hospital/dairy farm/slaughterhouse. I know it sounds creepy and the fact that when we arrived, a blood and guts horror movie was being filmed at the same site complete with brains splattered on a blue lit wall, fake blood everywhere, guns and more didn't necessarily help with the first impression. We had good spots scoped out in Everett so my reputation was on the line by recommending this place :) The truth is, it's a great place to shoot with a very diverse range of locations from dark and grungy with peeling paint and broken brick to tall grass with charming barns.

Kara has clearly spent her entire life in front of her Dad's camera's and even after an unfortunate mishap when she was two that involved a stool, a Hasselblad and gravity she was very comfortable in front of the camera and made an excellent model. It was a great pleasure to watch Randy at work. He is an expert at finding light in any scenario and the light was absolutely beautiful. The apple did not fall far from the tree with Kara as their sense of humor was contagious. It was a great deal of fun as well as educational and I really appreciate the opportunity to participate in the day. Here are a few pics I grabbed.

It was a great treat to watch Randy at work.
You would not believe the size of the spider she had to shoo away for this pose.

Too much fun!
Heading back on our hike we stopped for one last photo.

Andrea and Reid are married!

2008-09-06T01:42:00.000-07:00

Friday night on one of the most beautiful days I can recall in recent history, Andrea and Reid were married at one of my favorite venues to photograph a wedding... Newcastle Golf Club. Their event was organized by a stellar coordinator Jenny Harding whom I would recommend to anyone planning a wedding with absolute confidence. The entire wedding day was flawless!

I arrived early to get some detail shots before Andrea got ready. Just to check in I found Andrea upstairs getting her makeup put on. I think she would agree with me when I say she was a little nervous though she was keeping her cool. Years ago, Andrea and her brother Ryan worked with me at McGrath's in Vancouver. We ran into each other at Alex and Trina's wedding last year and they booked me. Even back when she was a teenager working at the FishHouse, Andrea had it going on. She has always struck me as an intelligent, hard working, kind woman with a huge heart. She found her match in Reid has he seems to share the exact same qualities. Her brother Ryan was the same way, hard working, witty, and an all around good guy. Having met their parents tonight I see why. Both families were so much fun to hang around with!

They hired a killer band as well! Maurice the Fish seriously rocked it! I love getting in the middle of the dance floor and shooting wide angle right smack in the middle of all the energy. There was no shortage of energy tonight, let me tell you!

The ceremony took place outside while the sun was setting and it simply couldn't have been more perfect. Here are some photo's from the day...

Getting makeup on.

An awkward moment I stumbled upon before the ceremony ;)

Stunning view, stunning dress, stunning bouquet, stunning bride!
This little flower girl was just too darn cute not to add to the blog.
What a stunning image on these candy bars! :)

Talk about a beautiful sunset.

I love the out of focus shapes of Andrea, Reid and her Father while praying in the background.

What a view!
1st Dance
Andrea and her Dad had some serious moves on the dance floor.
Maurice the Fish...a seriously cool band!
The newlyweds are sent off in style!