A Thursday night text message from a friend had me re-packing my bags for another road trip to Las Vegas on Friday morning. It worked out well, as I had some unfinished business with a model that I didn’t get a chance to connect with during the previous weekend; so the invite was well received. (thanks, Michelle)

Lisa Bay, a model that also did the westward journey from the east coast recently, and I had been talking about getting together for some test shots as she is looking to build out her book a bit and liked my eye. We headed out to a few spots that I scouted the weekend prior and toyed around. She is very toned, athletic and completely up for trying poses that were a little out of the ordinary.

While we were shooting, I could hear the faint sound of a point-and-shoot camera beep and what sounded like German male voices. We stopped for a second and looked around…only to find that we were surrounded by a group of German tourists, who, in order to get photos of us (well, probably not me), had spread themselves over the hills and cliffs above. We got a good laugh and as soon as we acknowledged their presence, they scurried out of sight. If anyone sees me in a German paparazzi magazine, I’m offering a $100 bounty. lol

Here are some of the images from that shoot with Lisa Bay. I’m certain that we’ll be working on some projects together in the future…

And here is a restaurant recommendation from this weekend:

China Grill (Las Vegas, NV) -I had actually dined here on a previous trip to Las Vegas and this time was equally good. Located in Mandalay Bay. Cool atmosphere, interesting dishes. Definitely save room for dessert or at least a glass of their ice wine.

Be sure to request the main dining area when you make your reservation or they may try toss you by the bar. I’ll be checking out the location in LA soon.

A friend from back east popped in for a visit this past weekend and we wound up getting some great shots around Las Vegas and Malibu. This was the first time that I did the LA-LV drive and it wasn’t all that bad. (I guess the company helped a little) We left in the evening and got to experience 99 degree weather at midnight in the desert, which was pretty cool. (pun intended)

We had access to a sweet house (thanks, guys) and the weather was, of course, beautiful. We were both big fans of the dry heat…getting up to 111 degrees at one point in the afternoon out in Red Rock Canyon. When we got back from Vegas, we took advantage of a beautiful afternoon up in Malibu at one of my favorite little beaches.

If you’d like to see more images from this weekend as well as past work we’ve done together I created a photo set of Rania.

Totally random as it may seem, here is the first of many restaurant recommendations you’ll be hearing about as I discover them:

Canal Club (Venice, CA)- After having 3 different people tell me about this place in one day, I just had to try it out. Now I see why. This just may be my new favorite place to eat in my neighborhood. Amazing atmosphere (decor contributed by local artists), outstanding food and a surprisingly friendly staff.

Just days before I left the east coast, I worked with singer/songwriter Killian Wells in Manhattan. Killian was in need of some images for the cover and promotion of his first album, which was released this week. He had a good idea of what he wanted and the extra hands of his entourage made this shoot a breeze.

The Album Cover

Fun with Flamingos

Killian and Yours Truly

A few links to learn more about Killian, see more of the photos in action and of course, hear his music. If you like the photos, by all means, let him know…(hint-hint)…

Killian Wells on Myspace
Buy the Killian Wells CD at Amazon

As you may or may not know, I’ve been taking a break from shooting as I get settled on the left coast. The move from New Jersey to Southern California was something that I had wanted to do for quite awhile now and my trip through Baja California/Mexico earlier this year was just what I needed to realize that the time to make that move is now.

After almost three months of going back and forth between coasts, I’ve found a place to live, picked up a new ride and even managed to make a few new friends. (I also achieved “Elite” status through my frequent flyer program, which allows me to get dirty looks from an entire line of people as I zip through the security checkpoint and board the plane)

So here I am, writing from Venice Beach, CA, settled into my new surroundings and ready to pick up the camera again. My hopes are to not only find new people, places and things to explore; but rather to see them all in a new light. In changing my surroundings, I can only hope that it will change my perspectives. With that, I redesigned my site, as you can see ‚to include more features that will help me share my images and experiences, while getting feedback from those that enjoy viewing and hearing about them.

I’d love to hear from you if we haven’t talked in awhile and I apologize if I was a bit of a stranger over the past months. I’d especially like to know what you think of my new site, so feel free to leave me a comment before you move on. (the link is just below the title of this post)

Make it a great day!