Little Cupcake

Blue Bird Bake Shop has become one of my favorite places to get sweets in Orlando. Every once in a while I will stop by to grab a cupcake on my way home from work. One of my favorite flavors is Peppermint Bark.

With cupcake in hand I made my way to a seat near the window. The little cupcake was almost too pretty to eat. Soft, ruffled frosting with crunchy peppermint pieces, the glossy plate on top of the loosely patterned marble table. A composition rich with texture.  

But my favorite thing about this photo is the reflection of the lights. Tiny golden flecks that dance across the table highlighting the shine on the plate. 

For more information on Blue Bird Bake Shop please visit there website: http://bluebirdbakeshop.com/index.html

Blazing Reflection

One day I decided to go to Dandelion Tea for lunch. I ordered my food and picked a table outside on account of the beautiful weather. I placed my glass of water on the table a proceeded to read the Orlando Weekly. I was beginning to get annoyed with the bright sunlight reflecting off the newsprint so I searched around for a spot to rearrange myself. When I looked up I saw this:

Stunningly simple metallic reflection made even more brilliant by the pristine lack of ice. The sunlight that was bothersome only a few seconds ago was blazing over the table artfully creating a natural grey scale ranging shimmering whites from to charcoal. Suddenly I'm no longer waiting for my lunch; I'm stretching my arms and maneuvering in my seat trying to hold on to this perfect timing.

My favorite photographs have a way of sneaking up on me.

Lake Ivanhoe

Sometimes getting up early is worth it.

I took this shot while driving to work for a 7:00am shift. Even though I was rushing to get there I still made time to pull over and enjoy this moment.

Facial Planes

I made this self portrait with the goal to define facial planes. Facial planes are the areas that the skin changes direction based on the underlying bone structure. It is an interesting way to compose a picture because you are not necessarily depicting what is there; you are constructing an image based on shapes and forms.

This was a valuable illustration because it became the basis for my digital portraits. To see examples of my digital portraits please visit the following link:

http://currentsandcolor.blogspot.com/2010/08/digital-art.html

Grounded: The Art of Looking Down (Part 4)

This photo was taken during a tour of my friend Matt's apartment. I was climbing down from the attic when I took this photo. The view extends into Matt's bedroom looking at the piano he received as a gift and a chair that had previously been in the attic.

Cool blue toes in the jade pool at Wekiva Springs. 

Sitting on the dock at my aunt and uncle's house at Thanksgiving. 

At some point I was taking out the trash at my apartment when I looked down and noticed how colorful my feet were compared to the dead fall leaves on the ground. It my have been cool outside but my feet were still in summer. 

Ankle deep in some delightfully messy DRIP photo shoot materials. Coincidentally, my toenail polish happen to match the dye we were using. 

These feet actually belong to my friend Freddy. He swears by his toe shoes and wears them all the time. He is usually in the wilderness off on some adventure, but on this particular occasion we were shopping downtown for a Christmas gift for a friend. After we left the store I remarked at how funny his feet looked. I love the juxtaposition of his shoes, still covered in burs, on the pavement of downtown Orlando. 

DRIP Backstage (2009-2011)

I got involved with DRIP during their 2008 show WET at the Orlando International Fringe Festival. I feel in love instantly and have been honored to be part of the company for so long. With a new permanent show on the horizon I went back through my photos and picked my favorite backstage shots from the past few years.

Our musical director David with videographer Josh after one of our performances at Blank Space in Downtown Orlando 2009. 

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Samantha performing in the water box piece at Blank Space in 2009. 

Creative engineer Evan at our Winter Fundraiser in 2009 with ice from one of our installations. 

Performers Darci and Nikki applying makeup in our warehouse. Shortly after we moved our supplies into the warehouse we began rehearsing for our FRESH show. Being the creative people that we are; we set up a mirror in the bathroom and doodled over it with a dry erase marker. I got a kick out of watching the girls applying makeup between all the art work. 

Darci rehearsing for our FRESH show in 2010. 

Evan constructing some of the FRESH set in the workshop.

Performers Ashka and TinTin waiting outside during FRESH in 2010. They were covered in dirt for one of our installations but had to wait outside the backdoor at one point during the show. It was cold outside so I brought them a towel. They were excellent sports and remained in good spirits until their cue. 

David refilling ice for our fountain in our white room during FRESH. 

Performer Michael after a FRESH show. 

Micheal, Darci, and Steven at out Rock Out With Your Cocktails Out fundraiser in 2010. As part of the fundraiser patrons could participate in a live human body paint by number. 

Creative engineer Ben working on one of our installations for a private performance at the Isleworth Country Club in 2011.

Looking back over the years I can't believe how much working with DRIP has influenced my life. I feel much more in tune with my own creativity and the arts community of Orlando. I can't wait to experience all of the new adventures that our next show will bring. 

Driving While Inspired

I was taking I4 to get home when it began to rain. The storm was behind me and catching up fast. I was fascinated by the two different view of the same sky. Speeding down the highway with on hand on the wheel and the other on my camera I was able to capture this moment.

The atmosphere behind me was dark and muddy. People were racing away from the downpour with there lights on; searching for clearer skies. As I steadied my hand to take the shot I thought about how powerful the metaphor was. 

You may not be out of the rain yet, but as long as you're moving you will get there.