santa ana, california - july 2014

Spent an afternoon in the downtown area of Santa Ana, California during my trip in July. I mainly went to get some photos of murals and to look for some unique reflection photos with my Leica M6 (for a project that I am working on). Many people talk about shooting with a Leica and how you are discreet while out on the street. I somewhat agree with that, but it also attracts attention when it is hanging around your neck. I walked past this gentleman and he made eye contact with me and pointed to my Leica. I stopped to talk and realized real quick that he didn't speak English and I am not that good at interpreting Spanish. The beautiful thing is that photography breaks down this barrier. Before I walked off, I pointed to the camera and to him and he nodded his head and smiled.  I snapped two photos and we both went along our way...

kapolei, hawaii - may 2014

Spent a little time on most mornings walking along the coast of Oahu. When I am by myself, it always opens up the opportunities to approach people. This always allows me to get some time to talk with them and maybe even get a photo or two. The stories are always just as interesting as the photos. I met Al while he was fishing near Electric Beach. He was a super-nice guy that had some great stories about his fishing adventures and how to spend time as a retiree. I can only hope that I am as lively and energetic as he is at 80 years old. What a testament to staying active as we age...

austin, tx - february 2014

Captured this one in Austin a few weeks ago. This was another photo from my first roll of Ektar 100 film. The detail, colors and range of the film are pretty amazing. The photo was taken with my newly acquired M6 and a 50mm Cron lens. This will definitely be my go-to film for outdoor sunny day shots...