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15
Mar
2013
PAVED Magazine: George Hincapie Gran Fondo
Riding my bike around my town of Greenville I can’t help but hear the name George Hincapie twice on any given day. He is one of the most well known and friendliest figures in cycling; most notable for competing in a record 17 Tours de France, and having the craziest legs in any peloton. So when Hincapie announced an 80-mile Gran Fondo in the mountains of upstate South Carolina, with HUGE cycling names such as Tour de France winner Cadel Evans, Tejay van Garderen, Ted King, Christian Vande Velde, and Dave Zabriskie… I had to get involved. This is the type of event that if I wasn’t behind the camera, I’d be throwing a leg over my Scott CR1.
PAVED Magazine, in my opinion one of the most beautiful publications that focuses on the art of cycling, picked up the story and was proud to provide the images you see below. The lovable and always honest Neil Browne not only wrote the article, but suffered through the gran fondo as well.
The ride started and finished at the Hincapie-owned La Bastide Inn where the stories and beer were flowing. Hincapie’s farewell to his professional cycling career was the center of attention, but by the end of the day all of the riders were thinking more about what the 7,000+ feet of climbing did to their battered legs. Hincapie said “Cadel (Tour de France winner) thought it was a lot harder than he expected”… now that’s saying something. No wonder George and Hincapie Sportswear call Greenville, SC home.
11
Jan
2013
Dario Franchitti and his Porsche 911 hot rod
Blankly staring at my flickering monitor, eating a PB&J sandwich, while listening to my favorite creative music (Ellie Goulding, Daft Punk, Kid Cudi, Lupe Fiasco), I simply can’t think of a witty fun way to begin this blog article. And it’s driving me crazy! Why is this happening?!? I got plenty of sleep last night, and it’s even raining outside so I’m not (that) tempted to ride my bike. Is it because this article is about Dario Franchitti–one of the most decorated racecar drivers in history?.. A truly humbling genuine man that is so accomplished, yet so modest and friendly, that it’s hard to evoke in words?.. Yea I think it has something to do with it.
I got the call from Panorama (Porsche Club of America) to ask if I could make the drive to Tennessee to shoot Dario and his insanely immaculate, but well driven 1973 911E hot rod. Of course these conversations are always humorous because how could I possibly turn that down? This is the kind of car you KNOW that you’re driving. No ABS, no power steering, no cushy suspension, raw. It’s not as fast as a Porsche GT, but it certainly feels like it at half the speed. Did I also mention Dario Franchitti is the owner? Thought so. Pack my gear, I’m on the road.
When meeting Dario as he was pulling his 911 out of the driveway, you could tell this Porsche isn’t just another car in his garage. We made eye contact for a few seconds, then his attention was immediately back on the car, triple-checking every detail to be sure every millimeter was spotless. “Only one cat in the world can do that” as he pointed to the hood. Looks like his fearless feline can’t distinguish a priceless 3.7 litre 325hp 2,150-pound fire-breathing piece of history and a cardboard box. Rolling over the Tennessee mountain roads in the backseat, listening to the melodic sounds from the exhaust, it was very refreshing to witness someone so famous with the means to buy any car in the world, so attached to a classic car.
A few shots of me working the camera, or is it Dario telling me HOW to work the camera? Photoshoot styles for Porsche mags are usually less processed and more natural. This feature was no exception, so a lot of attention goes into composition straight out of the camera. Over the 3hr time period we got some great shots, thanks largely in part to my very lovely assistant Sarah…OK she’s my girlfriend! 
. The entire experience was such a joy. The weather was perfect, the scenery was beautiful, and we even got to chat about one of my favorite shows South Park.
David Conklin did a superb job with the article, yet I’m afraid to say that the magazine can only be picked up if you’re a Porsche Club of America member, or know someone who is a member! How convinient, my writer’s block is going away and now I’m finished… Oh well, I guess I’ll go ride my bike!
25
Dec
2011
Derrick Rose – 2011 NBA MVP
Last year I got the call to shoot Derrick Rose for Power Balance, and since it’s the start of the new 2012 NBA season I thought I’d show off a few images. Needless to say before Derrick was named the youngest ever NBA MVP, he had achieved a long list of accolades and I had to hold back my child-like enthusiasm for having Rose in front of my camera.
The location was the HAX Athletic Club basketball courts south of Los Angeles. Like most shoots with high-profile persons, this one was short. My lovely assistant Lauren and I had roughly 15 minutes of shooting from first shot to last. No worries, I had more than enough images to mess with when I got home.
Despite the short time-frame of the shoot, Derrick was very kind enough to personally come over to me while I was packing up my gear and say a genuine “thank you” and pose for a picture with me. Definitely a moment I’ll never forget. The Chicago Bulls instantly skyrocked to my 2nd favorite team, and DRose easily my favorite NBA player… C’mon I can’t be a bandwagon jumper, go Suns!
7
Sep
2011
Bahati Racing photoshoot
Upon news of one of my frequent visits to LA, pro cyclist Rahsaan Bahati hit me up to see if we could squeeze in a shoot of his new kits. Last year’s kits were the best in the biz, and now this year’s kits are even cooler… Not to mention Bahati’s fro is a bit shorter this year. Of course I took him up on the offer.
Rahsaan also brought along local cyclist Stella Tong as well to model the women’s outfits. She was like the Asian MacGyver, she had a reflector (reflective car sun shade), flashlight and a bike shop in the back of her Xterra. Also big thanks to Roxie for assisting, Nick Saglimbeni for letting me borrow his AMAZING Canon 85mm 1.2L lens, and my boy Luke Munnell for letting me borrow… everything else! That’s right I didn’t even use my own camera or lights for this shoot.
A few items are available to purchase here.
On a serious note… on the day of the shoot, Rahsaan got word that his first cycling coach that brought him out of trouble, and on to a bike of limitless opportunity, had passed away. The cheetah marks on his uniform are symbolic of his coach nicknaming Rahsaan “little cheetah.” Pedal on big cheetah, you’re an inspiration to myself and many others.
