University of the Pacific Men's Basketball

Do you remember Michael Olowokandi? Did you know he played ball at Pacific? I didn't either until I saw his #55 jersey hanging in the Alex G. Spanos Center's wall of fame. I recently photographed the Pacific Tigers men's basketball game against the UC Santa Barbara Gauchos during some good ole Big West Conference action. In totally unrelated news, I also found out that there was a hole in my radiator during the drive to Stockton. Enjoy!

Autographed Sneakers, NBA players.

Most of the sneakers I photograph are running and jumping up and down on hardwood floors. But these...these were a little bit easier to direct. The cats over at The Mars Reel tracked down a few players who traveled the country dazzling basketball fans during the NBA lockout. John Wall, Brandon Jennings, Kevin Durant and Derrick Rose all put Sharpies to sneakers on their signature shoes for Mars Reel giveaways. I just had to sprinkle some light on them.

Eric Forcey for State Tech Magazine

Late last year I took a long trip down to Hanford, CA...home of lots of dairies and orchards. It's also home to Eric Forcey who serves as the city's IT manager. When I first arrived to the small town south of Fresno, a heavy fog was lingering. I didn't think it would bode well for the shoot, but I ended up using it as a bit character in the photo along with some leafless walnut trees. Shout out to Adam Allen who scouted locations and helped me out during the shoot.

Read about Eric's remote IT management here. You might learn something!

Full Contact, No Pads: Part II

Just in time for this weekend's Super Bowl. Read this out loud in your best John Facenda voice.

25 fearless weekend warriors arise from their slumber each Saturday morning thinking about the grit of the trenches and the glory of the end zone. The hallowed gridiron of Sutter Middle School has become caked in mud where flourishing blades of green grass once lived. The participants trudge through. Eluding defenders while working with less than solid footing is not an easy thing. They reach for anything they can get their hands on. Loose shirts, baggy shorts or a single lock of dreaded hair. The chase is on and the pursuit is fierce as each team grinds out a slow pace to victory. No pads? No matter.