1960’s Pink Elephant Neon
A Mid-Century Modern neon sign, iconic to the Palm Springs area. Since the 1960’s a favorite for visitors and locals alike. The Rancho Super Car Wash is certainly better known as the Elephant Car Wash. Nostalgic, but I personally find it somewhat boring until now having photographed it at night. I especially like the video with the sound of the cars and trucks going by in the background.
My Friday Morning
Doing the start up and watching the run up on the P-51 Mustang “Man O’ War” at the Palm Springs Air Museum. Rob shot the photo, good call!
In The Gym With Randalene
Looking forward to going back to doing photo shoots in the gym. Randalene Sergent in a photo shoot we did for Bodybuilding.com and Iron Man Magazine.
Scenery Around The Salton Sea
The Salton Sea is 15 miles wide and 35 miles long. With so much shoreline and interesting places, there is always something wonderful to photograph. By example I happened to find this random model on a pole at an abandoned gas station and store.
Well maybe not so random. Nora from NYC came out and shot with me for the day all around the Salton Sea. Makeup and Hair Styling and Styling by the Estee Lauder featured artist Blanche LeBeau.
Photographed on a Hasselblad digital camera system.
Last Gas
Thinking there is no Tesla charger here. On a wall in Amargosa on a photo excursion in Death Valley.
INDIANLAND
The 45 ft letters of “Never Forget” references the famed “HOLLYWOOD” sign which originally was “HOLLYWOODLAND”. Hollywoodland was established in 1923 destined to be a segregated whites only community. A large scale exhibit by Nicholas Galanin for Desert X 2021.
Street Scraping
I thought this was interesting. The first steps in street repair and re-surfacing in front of our house.
More Please
Looking forward to going back to doing photo shoots like this one with my very creative friend Gabriella Muttone.
Desert X “The Wishing Well”
One of two cubes in this large-scale installation “The Wishing Well” by Serge Attukwei Clottery for Desert X 2021 in Palm Springs California. For some reason it reminds me of the mysterious Monolith in “2001: A Space Odyssey”.
Interior Jack Rabbit Homestead
The interior of a Jack Rabbit Homestead exhibit by Kim Stringfellow for Desert X 2021. I have photographed many actual Jack Rabbit Homesteads throughout the desert above Palm Springs for a number of years. I first found out about and motivated to photograph them by Kim’s book “Jack Rabbit Homestead”.
How many of us would know what to do being isolated from the world, no internet or television. A bed and a typewriter in a small room.
My Watch Flew The Reno Air Races
It is getting a little tired looking now but it flew the finals at the Reno Air Races in 2017. A story that is fun for me so just thought I would share it. I bought it about a week prior because I wanted a watch that I could actually see the hands quickly.
I went to the National Championship Air Races Reno with the team for the Palm Springs Air Museum. I flew up in the P-51 Mustang “Bunny” with pilot Tom Nightingale. I was the second person there for the Museum only because Tom had to get out of the airplane first before I could get out. The next day the rest of the team started arriving.
A week later Tom would be flying “Bunny” in the finals. He said to me “I need a watch where I can see the seconds better”. I said how about mine and the answer was yes. Tom put it on his wrist and flew the finals.
I have been wearing it daly ever since for flying in all kinds of airplanes, photo excursions and other adventures. Runs great but does not clean up anymore. Time to retire it and get another. But I am going to keep it and remember it’s “history”.
USAF Thunderbirds
Photographed by me during the Thunderbirds flight demonstrations at the Reno Air Races 2019.
Mailbox Danger
Best to not pick up the mail in the dark. Art installation at Bombay Beach at the Salton Sea.
Free Can Soda
At first I was just intrigued by the sign. Then the simple old look, run-down, of the restaurant drive-in itself in such a nondescript location. How many places like this exist without ever being seen as we drive by.
I “Googled” the place when I got home. Not to my surprise I found that it has rave reviews about it’s food. Actually I found no shortage of little places like this on the maps of where we were out on a Photo Excursion in the Jurupa Valley area in Southern California. El Colima Mexican Grill.
Flabob Express
On Photo Excursion last week was near the Flabob Airport in Riverside California. So stopped and happened to see a friend, the Flabob Express DC-3. I have been lucky enough to have flown in the Express a few times.
George’s Drive-In
On Photo Excursions we always look for great places to eat that are not the usual we see in the year 2021 now. George’s Drive-In in Riverside on our Jurupa Valley Southern California excursion. A family roadside stop since 1974. Huge menu, food serving sizes off the scale and just great. If you are on some kind of diet, just forget it. You need the experience of eating this food!
Tea And Mufflers
For those days when you would like to have a soothing afternoon tea with friends while getting your muffler swapped out. On a Photo Excursion in Jurupa Valley, Southern California.
All Gone At The Salton Sea
It was at the North Shore near the Yacht Club. I photographed what was left in 2010. Nothing there now at all.
Windmill Tours
Here in Palm Springs we have windmill farms and they offer tours. I prefer to do my own. Here with my good buddy and fitness icon Sherry Goggin.
Returning to…
Looking forward to getting back to photographing people, fitness, fashion and more. My buddy Ashley in one of our photoshoots. Here after her appearance at the NPC National Figure Competition in Las Vegas. Makeup and hair styling by Natalie Lyle.
The Bus
This was a big shoot. One of the print advertisements planned for the year for Bodybuilding.com. One of the largest health and fitness retailers in the country and all online. I will only say that ultimately their sales did not reach one billion dollars per year, but it was a reasonable goal.
First I needed to rent a city bus. Went to Regional Transit Service “The Movie Bus People” in Riverside California and picked one out. Arranged for it to be driven to our location, the back parking lot at Gold’s Gym Venice.
Also arranged, a power generator for the lighting. The lighting was all along the length of the right side windows of the bus. Trucks, SUV’s and other vehicles along the left side of the bus to make it look like it was in traffic. Fitness people arranged ahead of time, and I knew if I needed more I could run into Gold’s where I knew many and could hire more. I had someone writing checks on the spot. We had wardrobe on hand for everyone which they got to keep. I had an automobile glass company on standby, if I wanted to pull the front windshield off the bus to get a different angle. Film L.A. delivered my film permit by courier that morning.
It was great fun seeing the early morning start from an empty parking lot, fill up as everything and everyone arrived and went into place. And then see it all leave and at the end of the day and return to an empty parking lot.
EAT
A scene that would seem otherwise mundane but for an interesting sign. As the Sun was setting in Cabazon California. On a Photo Excursion.
All The Best Foods
Donuts, Chinese food, fried chicken, all within steps of each other. Americana on a Photo Excursion near Rubidoux California.
