Now, That Feels Pretty Good

Today, I got a wonderful message through Flickr.

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Hi Scott,

I work at a homeless shelter in WI and we wanted to know if we could use your photo "Dan the Man" in a mailing we're going to be doing this Fall, or anytime in the future. These mailings generate the funds that enable us to rescue, rebuild and renew the lives of those who come to us for help. The photo would be attributed to you.

Thanks,
Justin Vajko
Hope Gospel Mission
www.hopegospelmission.org

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Here's Dan.



Always kind of liked that portrait. I think it's the juxtaposition of Dan's soft, seemingly kind face, and the lights of Vegas. It's a contrast you see a lot downtown. The glitz, the lights, the revelry. And feet away, people begging for money because they're hungry (or more often, thirsty).

It's nice to be able to help organizations that do the actual work of helping people. Snapping a photo or two seems easy by comparison, so how could I ever say "no"?

Best. Online. Purchase. Experience. Ever.

So, I ordered this lens not too long ago from Photojojo.



Oh, man, you totally fell for that! It's not a lens! It's a drinking cup. Looks awesome, though, doesn't it? Even better than I expected. Complete with a lid that looks like a lens cover. For a Canon shooter like me, I can't imagine a more fun tsotchke.

Having the product exceed my expectations isn't even the best part of the story, though! (And the fact that it cost half of what I would have paid isn't the best part, either.)

As I'm about to throw out the box the lens/cup came in, I see a little plastic dinosaur.



A few things ran through my mind. Maybe it had fallen in the box by accident. Maybe somebody packed it by mistake. Either way, it made me smile. It was so random, and a surprise.

Then, I looked at the receipt for my purchase.



Hysterical!

In the hotel and casino and hospitality business, we talk a lot about wanting to "surprise and delight" our customers. Sounds nice, but how often do we really do it?

Well, Photojojo did it. And I'm not the most easily surprised or delighted person in the world, trust me.

My Most Famous Capture Yet: Sylvester Stallone

Yep, it's the man himself. The one we love. "Rocky." "First Blood." When a movie's as good as those, you can forgive a guy for "Judge Dredd" or "Over the Top" or "Cobra" (OK, that one might be unforgivable).



I got pretty close to the movie icon at a red carpet event for "The Expendables" (another one that requires forgiveness) at Planet Hollywood here in Las Vegas.

He seemed like a nice guy, and aside from the toupee and eyebrow issues, I think he looks pretty darned good even at this range, even better than onscreen. Anyway, he seemed like a nice guy during our brief encounter.

I'd venture that no other photographer got a shot like this that night. The red carpet is a frenzy of flashes and jostling for position. I am lousy with flash, so while I snag a few with flash, I tend to hang out and get shots without flash as the celebrity moves down the carpet. Tracking them a few extra minutes tends to get photos less flat, and a bit more intimate. (Most pros need to get full-body shots to sell them to the tabloids, etc. Very few give this much emphasis to the face.)

I had the same experience with singer Matt Goss. After all the pros drifted off to other subjects, or their cars to head home, I got this photo, one of my favorites of all time of any celebrity. His fans seem to love it, so that's a nice vindication of my lingering/stalking technique.



Oh, and here's a random piece of Sylvester Stallone trivia: He was in one of Woody Allen's earliest, and funniest films, "Bananas."

Some Kids Just Like the Camera

This was one of those kids! She's just two, but already very photogenic, with personality to spare.



I haven't been doing too many portraits lately. Not sure why. Maybe it's the agonizing pain in my arm and shoulder from my 20-pound camera rig. Or maybe because I'm lazy. Or maybe because my growth in photography has kind of leveled off. Or maybe because I do so much photography for work now.

Oh, well, looking forward to whatever's next.

Erin and Kai

My friend Erin got married. Loved this shot of her and daughter, Kai.

I Never Shoot Weddings

Well, "never" might be too strong a term. Congrats to Erin and Brad.