Do you have any bandaids?

Because I'm CUT!! Okay, horrible joke, but good lead into talking about a shoot TRP assisted on yesterday at Northcutt Physical Therapy and Wellness in north Phoenix.

Northcutt is a well-rounded facility that offers a varied menu of wellness and conditioning services from chiropractic, conditional training, yoga classes, massage, all from a very highly-trained and caring staff.

Their facilities really are quite inviting and warm, and would make any patron or patient feel welcome! Even better they offer products from hand-made jewelry, comfy T-shirts, and even Energy Muse pieces, a personal favorite, that I have ordered from directly and worn for years.

It really was a pleasure to work with the Northcutt staff, as well as the models, Boutwell Photography, and Professional Punch Marketing. Northcutt really has the right idea with a holistic concept towards health and wellness, and TRP wishes NorthCutt PT the best with their business!

Creative Endevours

It's got me thinking why anyone would ever choose to decide to take on the responsibility as a "creative" for their vocation. I guess it's the same sense why most people choose to express themselves, in their own way....to release, show emotion, or bring to life what they see in their minds eye.

Sometimes I look around and see so many things I would just love to grab and bring back through my camera (figuratively speaking, of course...the actual logistics of that are mind-numbing). I even see people sometimes and can see them in an un-natural element, in the way that it would be surprisingly strange and beautiful (think, Vogue model in a $5,000 dress in a barn. Who goes to a barn in a $5,000 dress anyway?) It's all subjective, but there's truly beauty everywhere.

But I guess that's the fun part of being a creative, to bring to this dimension something that was not here before, or compositing several different thought-processes into a medium of choice. It's the end product that really gives a "high" for artists I guess, to having imagined and pondered on something for months, sometimes even years, and then to really put it together, produce it, get the shot, and see the end result, and release it to the world. There's really nothing like it and I know why I fall in love with every shoot I do...it's so engaging and challenging and different every time that I can't imagine not being able to create in this way!

So as I sit here and edit, maybe it's the Rockstar, Rubios supreme tacos, or cookies (now I REALLY feel bad about the lady at the convenience store asking me how I stay so thin!) talking, but I guess that's why most artists will do most anything and go through hell and high water to keep their dreams and ideas alive....because, you're either growing or you're dying, and to create really breaths you new life every time.

Hot girls and Fast rides...

Last weekend Ducati in Phoenix hosted their second annual Ducati Fashion Show, which has made it's way into the United States in almost 30 states hosting their own Fashion Shows, each having its own creative twist. TRP was lucky enough to be the sole photographer for the Arizona event.

Quoting SuperBikePlanet.com..."The 2009 line is Ducati's most cutting edge yet, and it will steal the show on runways nationwide. Ducati is an icon that embraces Italian design, and the fashion weekend will bring out the new apparel in style." - George Colvin, Ducati Apparel Manager.

With DJ Noah Wylie spinning live, hot models strutting their stuff in Italian designed motor and lifestyle gear, The Ducati Superstore in Phoenix did just that.

So what did this Italian think? Molto piacevole! (Delightful!)

Ciao!

Smoke THIS

TRP got our first taste of "corporate sponsorship", meaning, what it means to work on location with corporate drones running around telling you what you can't and can't do, in this case C*mel C*garettes.

CC: Your not allowed here.
TRP: I've been contracted to be here for over a month.

CC: You can't take any photos anyside with our logo in the background.
TRP: You've decorated every wall and TV in here with ads, but no problem.

CC: We're kicking you out again.
TRP: I'm not leaving, I'm suppossed to be here. (sulking off to another part of the bar).

CC: You're not using your camera are you?
TRP: I'm a photographer, why would I do something silly like that?

CC: We don't want pictures of people here with our logo in the background.
TRP: So, every person in here with a digital camera thats been taking pictures all night that will (gasp) be posting them on myspace? What about them?
CC: Well.....we do what we can.
TRP: (Shaking head).

CC: Hey you're still here.
TRP: Yep, doing my job, just like you.

CC: Can you take a picture of me with Carey Hart?
TRP: As long as it doesn't hurt his corporate branding.

You paid a grip to sponsor an event and don't want pictures to be taken, because of corporate branding? What about corporate brain washing? This has Michael Moore stalk-u-mentary written all over it.

Trust me, the TRP logo is a tree...meaning, grassroots, healthy, progressive, strong, and grounded.....like I would ever want to support a multi-billion dollar suicidal conglomerate that whores a carcinogenic lifestyle. As if.

TRP shout out to PJZ

I think my ears are still ringing a bit from the hymnn of "Phunk-e Phuunky, I am a JUNk-ee". To all you desert dwellers that probably rings a bell from locally grown, gone international band Phunk Junkeez. These guys are still throwing out sick tracks with lead singer DJ SOULMAN at the helm.

Joe and the crew were cool enough to help me battle with corporate spies (more of this to follow in another blog) and let me hop up on stage to capture a west-side crowd go insane (as always) to their well-known song "Going down to Buckeye." (Buck-eye, Buck-eye, goin down to Buck-eye) See how catchy it is? Awh man these guys always know how to rip it up and show the crowd a good time.

Thanks for watching out for me guys, goes to show I don't take "no" for answer, especially not from corporate drones. Can't wait to get my Junkee fix again soon!

Shot to the Hart

Well, kinof. Dodging gouls and goblins, naught nurses and painted women, I got the chance to shoot a well-known Carey Hart. For those of you who don't know, Carey is the first moto-cross rider to every pull and land a full back-flip, bringing the industry standard of freestyle motorcross to insane new heights.

And although I didn't see Carey pulling any sick tail whips or gnarly superman seat grabs, he does have another talent for causing women to scale couches, use their friends (or any surrounding male) to inch towards him. But hey Carey, if I was defying gravity and getting paid to show up at parties to make out with costumed hotties... (Visualizing something opposite of my life here...), well, let's just say, I'm not mad atchya.

Giving a blog, er, shout out...

My good friends and mentors Steve Boutwell and son have finally unvieled their talents on the world, and launched their website. Steve and Kevin are a father/son team to be reckoned with, each shooting in their own individual way but with precision and detail.

Kevin especially has the luxury of exotic location...his backyard is Oahu, Hawaii, where he resides with his beautiful beach-bod ready girlfriend, Katy (shameless plug....see the couple on the beach on my website when you first click in?? That's them! :)

Steve runs a very close second of "exotic" scenery by being able to shoot (mostly) nude women with his ever ready and gracious assistant / fiance', Elena.

But don't take my word for it, you should check 'em out yourself!

http://www.boutwellphoto.com/

P.S. Kevin, I am ready to come crash on your couch again and wake up to vivid green and cloud cover :)