You know your in Michigan when...

So I am now back home in Santa Barbara after ten days in Northern Michigan (my island of course... Mackinac)that included too much to talk about ...so here's just a list and a few pics...

Just a quick overview of my trip...
Over 400 yachts invading Mackinac (100th Anniversary of the Chicago to Mac Race)
2 AMAZING weddings
Fireworks
Several Power outages
Lightening Storms
Gorgeous Rainbows
Sunny days on boats (I just noticed a lot about weather. . . figures that's Michigan)
Biking 8 miles DURING a wedding
Exploring new islands (Drummond) and wedding locations
Shooting one of my favorite hotels (Iroquois Hotel)
A drive over the Mighty Mac (Mackinac Bridge)
A fly over the Mighty Mac (shooting aerial shots... in a very very small plane)
Meeting new people
And spending time with old friends and plenty more...

Here are just a few pics... man I will never stop seeing this place in new and wonderful ways!!

Love,
A

Mai Anh.. a beautiful artist inside and out

Last week I had the pleasure to shoot Mai Anh's one day solo art exhibition in Montecito, CA. The beautiful event was hosted by Kim Kieler, owner of Kim 3.

For those of you who don't know of Mai Anh, she is an amazing artist and has been called the most influential Vietnamese painter of our time. I had seen her work published in books, and as prints but seeing the original paintings took my breath away. She creates a world of depth and lighting that is unbelievable while using only black and white. I've never seen anything like it. And to top it all off, she had the most joyous soul. Her smile ran deep. You could tell she is a woman who does what she loves and loves to share what she does.

Thank you Kim and Mai Anh for allowing me to be part of this special occasion.

Statemynt. . . the latest and greatest place to be!

I just wanted to take a second and send a huge congrats out to my friend Matt and his partners for opening the newest bar in Santa Barbara, Statemynt (519 State Street).

It's got a great vibe, with awesome music, and amazing artwork all over the walls. It's the perfect blend of bar, lounge and dancing (which is always my favorite). And to top it off the people that work there are all super cool and friendly from the bouncers to the bartenders to the owners-- like Cheers with music and dancing... no Woody Harrelson (but Casey's a close second).

Here are a few pics from their opening night (packed wall to wall I might add). They had an incredibly talented drummer and trumpet player that played live along with the DJ.

So if you get the chance check this place out...