Rolex 24hrs of Daytona 2022

Here we go….again

Firefly '19

Had the amazing opportunity of capturing Firefly Music Festival for Highlark Magazine! Be sure to check out the coverage at https://highlark.com/re-live-firefly-music-festival/

East Coast Bash '19

Opening Moves '19

Been a long time but back to the greatest place on earth!

State Champs

Rolex 24 Hours of Daytona

A gift to my dad for Christmas/his birthday this year was flights and tickets to the 24hrs of Daytona race. One of the most iconic races in America that marks the beginning of the racing year around the world. Being there was more about enjoying the race with my dad but I couldn’t help but snag some shots of course.


Californiacation

I had only been counting down the one year of working my current job until I could go on vacation and I knew exactly where I wanted to go, CALIFORNIA. I have yet to venture off to the west coast so once given the oppourtunity I wanted to be sure to go. A long time friend that I grew up with Jess joined me on this adventure. Our trip was nothing short of some amazing ups and downs that neither of us will ever forget.

Well to start off the trip we slept through our alarms (or I forgot to set mine) and missed our flight. Luckily the airline set us up on the next flight out free of charge. This new flight gave us a little layover in Denver which was a nice leg stretcher rather than the non-stop flight we would have had.  To add to the great morning my allergies were pretty bad and caused aerosinusitis. I had severe sinus pain and headache until we landed and even then my head hurt for a few days after. Following our landing in San Francisco we drove a little over an hour to Modesto where we would be staying our first few days

Following our landing in San Francisco we drove a little over an hour to Modesto where we would be staying our first few days. On our drive I began to realize how drastic California's climate and terrain is. After passing the Bay Bridge into the mainland with every mile it seemed the temperature went up a degree. We went from 80 to 100 in a matter of 20 minutes. From palm trees to giant yellow rolling hills then to vast orchards that filled a giant valley. Entering Modesto we first thought about how we seemed to be in the middle of nowhere, second we sighed at the scorching 115 degrees it was going to be everyday. Luckily we would be spending little time here. It was time to see what California had to offer. 

Yosemite

As we passed through the winding roads of the Sierra National Park I could feel the jitters engulf my body as I awaited the sites the day had to offer. Towering Evergreens lined the two lane road and pushed you along the mountain sides to the famous Tunnel View. Seeing that first gorgeous overlook of Yosemite Valley reminded me of that scene in Jurassic Park where the doctor welcomes the park goers. In my head I could hear "Welcome to Yosemite National Park" as I looked over the valley floor lined with waterfalls and enormous rock formations such as Half Dome and El Capitan. Once making our way down into the valley we first came across Bridalveil Falls roared off a 365ft cliff. This was my first time seeing a free-fall waterfall and it was more amazing to see than I though it would be. The fall was even so high that when walking through the woods you could feel the water refreshingly mist down on you.   

Monterey

One day we made our way down to Monterey and Pebble Beach. I only have 2 things to say, most beautiful coast I've seen and the aquarium is NOTHING LIKE IN FINDING DORY! that is all.

San Francisco

first off, who decided to build a city on such big hills? San Fran was a very laid back city, that was full of diversity. Did the usual touristy things like Lombard Street, the piers, the Painted Ladies, and the Golden Gate. To be honest the city was kind of disappointing, not that much to do but was cool to check out. Id rather spend more time back in the woods. 

 

West Coast : 6 out of 5 stars

 

H2Oi : A voice beyond the hype

Before reading this I want you to understand that the events in Ocean City are no part of the actually H2Oi show. People just commonly refer to that week in Ocean City as H2Oi.

For those not involved in the car community, H2O International (H2Oi) is a car show hosted yearly right outside of Ocean City, MD that is most commonly known for the activities that occur in the beach vacation spot. The show is held Sunday but people begin to roll into town the week before to enjoy the coast.  

H2Oi for many like myself is an event we look forward to every year. Once it is over the countdown for the next year begins. There is one issue I see with H2Oi that greatly bothers me though and it is the hype. For some like myself H2Oi is not a car show, it is more of a vacation. For some it is just a time to act reckless for the internet fame mixed with intoxication. Once Friday night comes around until Sunday morning the streets are lined with people yelling and encouraging drivers to drive recklessly. Drivers start to give in to the pressure as they are wrapped up in the nostalgic week and rev their cars, drive at high speeds, and spin tires. This causes accidents as well as many people being ticketed because the police department comes well prepared and staffed for the week.  

Along with people being ticketed for reckless driving many are pulled over for what the law has deemed unsafe vehicles for the road. Excessive camber and suspension modifications will easily get you ticketed and impounded. Each year a not so lucky few are impounded. Once the tow truck rolls up crowds gather and the internet goes wild. Now I have never been able to understand the excitement behind this but what bothers me is the disrespect for authority that is shown while a car is being impounded. Crowd members yelling at cops, arguing the rules of the roads and yelling vulgar words. This happens every year. The laws in Maryland have never changed and they will not. Drivers know that and at their own risk bring their cars to show. Many of the owners just want the situation to run smoothly and get their car back but it can be difficult with a energy filled crowd intervening. Officers from Ocean City and surrounding counties take a lot of their time to keep people safe during the week and do not deserve the treatment they sometimes receive. They are simple following the rule book and us car enthusiasts cant be mad at them for that. 

This year following H2Oi I saw something new. Car media publications were posting about H2Oi being the most ticketed car event in the states, if not the globe. This might be true but these outlets were praising it as if it was a trophy held high over our heads. I say it's sort of an embarrassment. It shows that every year we come out and try to test the law, we cant just come and behave. Then there are other very large outlets praising all these cars burning out and being ticketed for camber. To those who have never been to H2Oi I'm sure this looks like a total shit show. This event is something more than that. This is a time to enjoy friends, amazing cars, and a perfect place to cruise up and down the coast. Now it seems to be a place for people to get wasted, act reckless, and trash the place.  

On the last week of September I travel across the state to Ocean City, some of my friends travel across the country, and thousands of others comes from all over the world to enjoy cars and good times in Ocean City, Maryland. For those like my friends and I we don't want such a great event to catch a bad reputation. Many locals already find us a nussence and continued negative behavior will not help calm relations with locals. This time is an opportunity to create memories with people you don't get to see often and show off the amazing cars you spend so much time working on. I am hoping many reads this and we can come out next year and have a great, safe time together. Cheers. 

To view all my H2Oi photos click this link: https://flic.kr/s/aHskG3Gvk8

Urbex: My First Experience

Urban Exploration, commonly referred to as UrbEx, is a form of street photography that has grown great popularity over the past decade. Artists venturing out into urban areas and abandoned structures to capture what marks humans leave on this great planet. UrbEx is not a style I have delved into but I do greatly admire it on social media as many of my friends were avid street photographers. A few weeks ago I was granted the opportunity to go out and give UrbEx a try and I could not pass it up.  

 

I first learned the name Herb Allen through the car scene a few years ago as he was an EvoX owner and a superb photographer. Fast forward a couple years and a few conversations on Facebook and I was invited by Herb to come up and hang out for a couple days in New Jersey. So I made my nearly four hour trek up to Jersey for a time I figured would be filled with deep conversations on photography, business, and cars. The usual. Well pretty much as soon as I got there Herb filled me in on some possible exploring going on in New York, not too far from his house. Once we had plans set and our mutual friend Anthony Purcell arrived we grabbed our gear and took off for NY. 

 

We did not have a ton of info on the location we were going to be exploring but we did know it was once a women's prison that was then a homeless shelter that was abandoned over 10 years ago. We met up with the two scouties Steve Gindler and Matt Smith outside the gates as we made our way onto the property. In my mind before seeing the prison I pictured a Eastern State Penitentiary-esque building we would be entering. Instead it was a compound, one large multistory building placed on the right shrouded in graffiti and overgrown weeds. to the left,  two white wood buildings that reminded me of an old school house.  All of this was shadowed by a large white water tower that stood front and center that read in spray paint "And in that moment I swear we were infinite". 

 

As we made our way into the large building I could not help but feel eerie wondering what could be lurking in there with us. Luckily no person, animal, demon, alien, or moth man allowed us to be on that nights 6 o'clock news. The jail had a few cells on the upper floors but was mainly large rooms used for bunking and mess halls. You could easily get lost in the building as it was like every floor looked exactly the same. Several times I think we confused ourselves thinking we were on the same floor though we were not. After taking in all the jail had to offer we checked out the two smaller school house like buildings. Once entering you could definitely notice these were the oldest of all the buildings. The floors were starting to cave in and decay. Paint was simply falling from the pillars, walls, and ceilings. What seemed like what was once a beautiful wood front porch now decayed and fallen victim to ivy. 

We lurked around in amazement for a few hours, seeing what we could find, sharing stories, and capturing a few photos here and there before we made our ways back to the cars. My first UrbEx experience left an impression on me that will never be forgotten. The thrill of being somewhere you really shouldn't be, the wonder of what stories lied in the graffiti layered walls you walked along, and to see how nature was reclaiming its area that was once taken by human structures. I now could really see what draws people to UrbEx now. I'm hoping to add more exploring to my future. To turning internet friends into reality friends, and to new experiences I say cheers. 

 

Follow these great artists on instagram.

Herb Allen ( @herb.allen )

Anthony Purcell ( @halcyonphoto )

Steve Gindler ( @cvatik )

In My Mind. Through My Eyes.

Over the past several years I have often asked myself if people see the world as I do. Which I know the simple answer to that would be no. People have varying opinions, likes, and even in the physical sense differences in color recognition and visual perspective. But I guess when I ask this question I do it as an artists stand point. Do other artists view life in this crazy masterpiece that I do? 

I go by my days almost as living in a cinematic biography. Every thing from getting up in the morning for work to just simple conversations at home play through my eyes like a lens ready to capture something that would draw emotion from a viewer.Sometimes accompanied by music I feel sets the mood. Even as I look at this keyboard right now I am drawn toward the dim light piercing through my blinds and gently gracing the smooth silver keys of my laptop under my fingers. Maybe my minds not right haha.

When approaching my automotive photography my main focus is framing. Something that has taken me years to get a hang of was searching for something different. Not to just take shots of the front, rear, and at an angle like many beginning photographers will do. I look for the rays of light lighting the dash and interior. I follow the body lines looking for every small detail that makes that car unique.  The best thing to practice your framing on (in my eyes) is classic cars. They hinder so much personality and details that often do not come with the cooker cutter late models. I advice you check out your local Cars and Coffee meet. They always provide a great number of fantastic classics. I happen to live not too far from Katies Cars and Coffee in Great Falls, VA. Known as one of the great Cars and Coffee events on the east coast it brings out some astonishing cars. Yesterday I planned my morning to head to Katies and like every time I attend there is one car that steals all of my attention. This weekend it was a beautiful Ford GT40.  Here is what a captured and my thoughts when approaching these shots. 

 

Right off the bat I was drawn toward the iconic blue and orange race scheme. The colors contrasted by the dark pavement looked perfect for a topside view. 

Right off the bat I was drawn toward the iconic blue and orange race scheme. The colors contrasted by the dark pavement looked perfect for a topside view. 

Always take advantage of golden hour. Especially when it allows for amazing detail shots like this. Dont forget your CPL filter!!!

Always take advantage of golden hour. Especially when it allows for amazing detail shots like this. Dont forget your CPL filter!!!

Almost like entering the cockpit of a fighter. The GT40 dash is lined with glimmering swithes and gauges. 

Almost like entering the cockpit of a fighter. The GT40 dash is lined with glimmering swithes and gauges. 

A key factor to an interesting photo is natural framing. With the engine cover folded back the Plexiglas window allowed perfect framing for a shot of the V8 lurking in the rear.

A key factor to an interesting photo is natural framing. With the engine cover folded back the Plexiglas window allowed perfect framing for a shot of the V8 lurking in the rear.

ughhhh the details and craftsmanship <3

ughhhh the details and craftsmanship <3

I hope you enjoyed this post and have some new ideas of shots you want to try. Get out and create. Cheers!

 

 

 

Tuner Evolution Philadelphia '16 : Part Two , The People of TE

     Over the past few years I have been going from show to show taking pictures of the builds then moving on. What I failed to admire was the people. The memories being created and relationships formed all over the shared love for automobiles. This year I have been more drawn towards the crowd rather than the cars they are viewing, taking portraits of my friends and others in the crowd. Tuner Evolution provides me with a paradise for behind the scenes photos. Not only is this one of the best shows on the coast bringing all my friends to one place but it also is an entertainment showcase. There are BMX riders, B Boys, models, and musical performers.

     One thing you will learn is I hold my friends close to me. Anytime I get the chance I try to bring out my camera just for a minute to capture the great times we share. Many of my friends live out of state and with all the conflicting schedules we get to see each other only a handful of times every year. A large group of us were all under one roof last weekend and I didn't dare miss the opportunity to catch them in the viewfinder. 

      I want to give a huge shout-out to a good friend of mine Sebastian Rodriguez (@srodriguez92) who is part of the Tuner Evolution staff as their graphic artist and much more. Seb has been killing it this year. His photography has been doing nothing but grow and he has been landing graphic design jobs left and right. When it came to Tuner Evolution Philadelphia I think anyone that knows him will agree that he blew us away. Not only providing great advertising pieces and a geo-filter on Snapchat for the event, he was able to get his favorite rapper (Xavier Wulf) to come out and perform. It was so awesome to see you experience all your hard work pay off Seb. Keep it up!

Tuner Evolution Philadelphia '16 : Part One, The Upper Echelon

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In 2013 I attended my first Tuner Evolution event that was held at the Greater Philadelphia Expo Center. Every year I've attended since then has some how become better than the last. This year marked the 10 year anniversary for Jay Martinez and the Tuner Evolution staff so the show was turned up to the max. Nothing but the best of the  East filled the three-hall show floor. Whether you are into imports, lowriders, or muscle there is something there that will blow your mind. My personal favorite of the show was "Prince", Ben Harmony's RWB Porsche 993. I have always been a big fan of Porsches and Nakai's work. To see one in person is always a sight and it has been about time the north east gets one. ( Side Note: Two of my good friends Chris Petruccio and Anthony Purcell filmed a beautiful documentary on the build that can be viewed here ) Tuner Evolution is also more than just a show, it is a place to showcase entertainment. Models, BBoys, and musical performers all graced us with their presence at the show but I will cover that more in part two to this blog. For now enjoy these photos of some of the builds!