Bikes, Transit and Travel

Hello Again

2010-11-13T23:10:00.000-08:00

The observant reader will note that the last post was updated on July 29th, 2009! It was on that day that Laura and I hit the road with our fully loaded bikes to explore America as the PathLessPedaled. It feels very strange to read that entry. A year and a half has passed. A lifetime of experiences.

I now find myself in Portland. It is a little strange to be in this city that has come to symbolize so many things for us. A bike, beer, book and coffee utopia. We have visited Portland often in the last 7 years and now we find ourselves living here.

This blog was once about my work as the bicycling photographer, a bit of a freak show in Los Angeles. Now that I'm in Portland, there are bikes everywhere. This blog will no doubt take a different direction and to be honest I'm not quite sure what direction that is. I have the challenge of rebuilding a network and my business, of trying to save money so we can travel again and of re-entering the workaday world without being consumed by it.

So here I am, again. It feels like I'm writing a "first post" all over again. Hello world. Hello Portland.

On the Road!

2009-07-29T14:45:00.000-07:00

Dear Readers,
I'm taking my eco-friendly bicycling photography on the road! My girlfriend Laura and I are doing what we've always wanted to do - an open-ended bicycle tour. I'm bringing a small (real small!) portable light kit to do work on the road. One of our goals is to find people that are living a life less ordinary. I'll be doing portraits and interviews to post on our site.

So, please point your browsers to:

www.pathlesspedaled.com
Twitter: @pathlesspedaled
Facebook Fan Page: The Path Less Pedaled

Thanks for reading. This blog o' mine probably won't be updated as often anymore. I'm still available for assignments while we're traveling - so if you want me to do a shoot zip me an email!

Best,
Russ

Goodbye Bilenky

2009-07-24T22:58:00.000-07:00

For those that don't know....I'm hitting the road. I've been selling most of my worldly belongings and am going on an extended bicycle tour with my gf. The goal is to cross the US, twice and head down to South America. Yesterday, I had to put my Bilenky cargo bike into storage. A bit sad since it has been so part of my business and my daily life.

Visit www.pathlesspedaled.com to learn more about the trip I'm going on.

Sweet Spread!

2009-07-22T13:50:00.000-07:00

Miller Children's Hospital

2009-07-20T21:49:00.000-07:00

Just a slideshow of images from a recent shoot at MCH. It was a heartbreaking assignment because of some of the sad stories of the kids. Emotionally difficult, but I think I got some great shots.

First Photo Book!

2009-07-20T10:17:00.000-07:00

Ok, it's not Phaidon (yet) but it's still a nice looking book! A photo essay from my bike tour through the Carrizo Plain. Order yours today!

Photographic History

2009-07-11T19:14:00.001-07:00

Ladies and gentlemen, the darkroom has left the building. Today, I say goodbye to a formative part of my photographic development. Gone is my 4x5 enlarger, negative drying cabinet, 20x24 easel, an entire box of obscure negative carriers, grain enlargers, etc.,

All of it. It sold to a friend of a friend. A budding photographer who took a few classes and wants to get serious. It's a great tool. I hope she uses it well.

I also gave away this poster that probably has no value except for the sentimental sort. It's a poster of Photographic Truths. It use to hang in Terry's Camera - my favorite camera store of all time - until it closed and the city unceremoniously demolished the building. I spent many a weekend there shooting the breeze with Leigh and Maurice. I would always look up the poster and laugh.

A few days before it was to close, I asked them for the poster. Sure. It wasn't worth anything and they were probably tired of it themselves. For me, however, it reminded me of those Saturday mornings drinking coffee and eating doughnuts and talking lenses and cameras. I passed it on today too - an end of an era.

For your benefit, I will transcribe some of the photographic truths:

-The Post Office folds all parcels containing photographs.
-Camera straps never fail above soft surfaces.
-Spotone bottles are designed to tip over when the cap is removed.
-You will never, EVER, receive an N.E.A. grant.
-No two lightmeters agree.
-A good photograph cannot be made in Fresno.
-A new Hasselblad would take better pictures than your present camera.
-Color slide viewing cures insomnia.
-When Man creates a sharper lens, Nature will create a fuzzier subject.
-Falling lenses are attracted to rocks.

Sign of the Times

2009-07-08T18:13:00.000-07:00

Apologies for my crude Illustrator skills. But this or something like this is what I think the city should put up on either side of 2nd Street and in pamphlets at all the businesses. It gives instructions! There seems to be a general air of confusion down there. Some people think the stripe is a bike lane, some think it's a bike path (a recreation path like the on the sand), some think cars aren't allowed there.

I've discovered that the green sharrow really is a Rorschach test.

For bike commuters and vehicular cyclists that understand the rules of the road it validates what they already know. Bikes can be on the road! Legally! No one ever need to fear being given a ticket for supposedly riding too far in the center ever again! Yay.

For roadies and club riders who aren't vehicular cyclists, it prods them into a better lane position. When I participated in the bike count on 2nd Street, I was shocked at how many club riders rode in the door zone! Worse yet, they would duck in and out of empty parking spaces rather than riding in a straight, visible and predictable pattern. Observing the sharrows the last few weeks, I've noticed the biggest improvement from this class of riders

With timid sidewalk riders and door zone riders who absolutely fear being in the middle of the lane and would rather choose to duke it out with opening car doors and close passes the results have been mixed. I've spotted a few that probably would have hugged the curb but are now hugging the right edge of the green paint. An improvement of sorts. However, there are still quite a few that for some reason won't ride in the middle of the lane - EVER. No amount of paint is going to help them see the light.

Some motorist feel that it is a bike only lane and move immediately to the left lane. Some motorist understand the concept and will ride patiently behind a cyclists when one is present. Some motorist think their god given right to the road has been pulled from beneath them and are internally seething.

Some business owners are supportive. Some think that bicycles will somehow slow the 5mph weekend traffic to 2mph. Some families think it's great, they can now safely ride bikes with their 6 yearolds on the street. Some residents think it is a bloodbath waiting to happen.

Rorschach test, know what I mean?

What do I think? I think its better that it's there than if it wasn't. For one, it does provide a higher level of visibility and safety for cyclists riding on 2nd Street. Secondly, it shows in an amazingly graphic way how every cyclist can ride on EVERY STREET in Long Beach. If you had some cool cycling glasses that incorporated the latest augmented reality technology that showed you where you could legally ride - every street would have that big ass green stripe.

If I were going to be in the LBC for much longer I'd take photo of the big ass green stripe and carry it around with me everywhere I go for my next conversation with a police officer, especially if it's officer Wharton. I'd also take along the City of Long Beach's Sharrow FAQ with me too.

I'm planning to make one last sharrow video....a How To of sorts for motorists and cyclist. If the city won't do it, WE have to.

DIY PSA!

Grab a DW...Nice cover : )

2009-07-08T15:24:00.000-07:00

Let's Go Touring - LONG BEACH

2009-07-07T16:06:00.000-07:00

Day in the Life of BeachGreens

2009-07-05T22:56:00.001-07:00

I had a fun opportunity to go to the Santa Monica Farmers Market with Aliye from BeachGreens.com. She runs a company in Long Beach where subscribers receive at their doorstep a box of organic fruits and vegetables that she picks out.

Wednesday, 9:00am, their delivery van is empty and we hit the road to Los Angeles.

At the first stop, Aliye picks up boxes of grapes and watermelons.

The next stop is the Santa Monica Farmers Market that is buzzing with activity. There she picks out the produce and talks to the different farmers she works with.

The once empty van fills up with a rainbow of colorful fruits and vegetables that are all organic and locally grown.

Check out BeachGreens.com to learn more!

Stuff I'm Selling

2009-07-05T18:22:00.000-07:00

Dear Long Beach,
I'm leaving you in 3 weeks! I will miss you dearly. In the interim, I'm trying to get rid of all my stuff. Some of it is quite nice. Contact me if you want any.

Simplex 750 Matt Cutter + Accessories - $200
For the price of getting one picture professionally framed, you can have all the tools to matt your own!

Matching Pair of Cool Retro Orange Chairs - $80

Surly Steamroller Townie - 52cm - $300
Surly Steamroller in townie config. MKS touring pedals. 3 Speed rear wheel. Campy + Velocity front wheel. Sugino cranks. Velo-Orange seatpost. Practically new Brooks B68 (no longer made in this color)!

Polaroid 195 Land camera and 7 packages of 665 - $500

Alfine 8 Speed rear hub + shifter - NEW - $180
No photo.

Miller Children's Hospital slideshow...

2009-07-02T22:45:00.001-07:00

MCH has been a great client of mine over the last few years (that photo of the runner in Rangefinder was shot for MCH). I'm wrapping up one of my final projects with them - a multimedia piece talking about their new expansion. I had to combine some stills I shot with renderings and other photographs as well as sound. I spent a day conducting interviews and recording some audio to mix in to the presentation.

The hardest part was cutting down about 1.5 hours of audio to less than three minutes, then splicing everything into a cohesive narrative. I'm pretty happy with the product. It feels a little more thoughtful and engaging than just regular video.

Rangefinder Magazine

2009-07-02T18:39:00.000-07:00

July is looking to be a great month! Not only do Laura and I leave on our epic journey (www.pathlesspedaled.com), but I also got featured in Rangefinder Magazine! Out of many photo magazines, Rangefinder has to be my favorite so it's a great honor to be in there. If you're near a bookstore, grab a copy!

For me, being in Rangefinder is particularly satisfying because they actually show and talk about my photos! I've been in a lot of press, but it's a mixed blessing. The bicycling gets a lot of attention and that's OK, but it's nice to be acknowledged for being able to take a good photo or two as well ; )

A blistering 5mph...

2009-06-28T22:03:00.000-07:00

One of the biggest objections to the sharrows on 2nd is that bikes will slow traffic during rush hour or during the weekends. Somehow, the perception is that bikes won't be able to keep up or that the traffic speeds are too great. I decided to film our ride to Trader Joes on a Saturday afternoon.

For the .6 miles through Belmont Shore, we average a brisk 5mph pace. A speed that I'm sure many cyclists can keep up. I think it's plenty obvious that its cars that are slowing cars down and not the bikes.

Official Launch of Sharrows!

2009-06-27T23:30:00.000-07:00

The sharrow/stripes have been down for a few days, but the official launch was this morning. Attendance was pretty good and there was lots of excitement in the air. There was some formal speaking from various city folk. Of particular note was Ryan Snyder who is in charge of administering the PLACE grant which funds many of our city's bike projects.

What was striking, for me, about his speech was that he really emphasized that "every street in a sense is a bike lane." This is very important. Not every road will get this sharrow treatment or a bike lane, so it is paramount that the idea that cyclists can use all roads is understood.

I do like the sharrow/stripe treatment very much, but it must be emphasized that they do nothing to change the laws that govern the road. They merely show where it is safe to ride. In essence, EVERY road in the city of Long Beach should be ridden as if you had a sharrow/green stripe.

Another notable moment in the speaking was when Police Chief Anthony Batts acknowledged my ticket as an "evolutionary tool" to help educate police officers. My ticket, if nothing else, has become a teachable moment for the police and cyclists. Of course, I STILL have my ticket and court date to contend with, of which I wish they would just expunge. Simply put, the place where I was riding is now occupied by a big green stripe. It should make any claims that I was somehow breaking the law seem absolutely ridiculous at this point (like 6-foot-wide-green-stripe ridiculous). While, I appreciate the public acknowledgment, I'd really like my ticket nixed. Hint, hint.

More from the Sharrow Cam

2009-06-26T15:15:00.000-07:00

After being rudely interrupted at my last attempt at making a Sharrow video, I thought I'd give it another try. I strapped my GoPro Hero Wide cam on the bike and rode up and down several times to get a sense of how they feel. If you haven't tried it, they're wonderful!

I also got some rider reactions about the new sharrows. So watch and enjoy the Sharrow Cam!

Not everyone is Sharrowing the Love

2009-06-25T18:19:00.000-07:00

I have to say this morning when Laura and I saw the Sharrows, I felt a strange warm burning sensation in my chest. At first I thought it was cardiac problems, but I just had my physical and checked out OK. It dawned on me that the strange sensation was civic pride. The city did good this morning...but they've just begun.

I happened to have my Flip camera with me and decided to do a little M.O.S. interview with Charlie as they were painting the sharrows. About 30 seconds in, an upset and confused Belmont Shore resident interrupted and vented his frustration at the bold green stripe. The paint isn't even dry yet, mind you.

Not everyone is sharrow-ing the love, but that's to be expected. I wrote a letter to the city on May 15th expressing concern about some backlash from the misinterpretation of the sharrows. Hopefully, the city will make these messages clear to help calm people down.

(Excerpt from letter....)
I've been communicating with DeLong's office re: the Sharrows on 2nd. I really urge that when you guys roll them out and do the press releases you make the following points very clear:

-those lanes were "sharable" by bikes before the sharrows were being put in
-the new sharrows do not take away any rights from motorists NOR do they give bicyclists any special rights, they are just very bold and large visual indicators that bikes can already be legally on the road and they invite cyclists that may not know that right to be on the road.
-the placement of the sharrows (presumably in the middle of the lane) is where the cyclist SHOULD ride, out of the door zone. (Will we have an opportunity to preview their placement to ensure they are indeed out of the door zone?)

Gary has said he has already gotten some blow back from some constituents, most likely because they feel like cyclists are being given special rights or an unfair allocation of road resources. I think to mitigate this response the existing road rights of cyclists should be discussed. This also will start to spread the idea that bikes are allowed on ALL streets in Long Beach (which is important because it will prevent others from getting unfair tickets).

I'm going to defer to Dan and Chris if they have anything to add, but I think we're all in agreement that it's important to note these things, so motorists understand that 1) we're not taking anything away from them 2)bikes are allowed to ride on roads where there isn't the benefit of sharrows as well.

Sincerely,
Russ

LBC Gets Sharrows and a Big Ass Green Stripe

2009-06-25T17:12:00.001-07:00

Today felt like Bizarro World today as Laura and I were riding through Belmont Shore. We were greeted with a big ass green stripe with Sharrows! They were still in the process of painting the sharrow symbols so I didn't get to try it out. I did run into Mr. Gandy, our new mobility coordinator, and talked a little about them.

So far, I have to say that I'm impressed. They were put in the middle of the lane so they are visible. The big ass green stripe helps too :) Now, it's time to watch the chaos unfold as Belmont shore residents, business owners and cyclists try to figure out what the heck is going on.

And just to be a nag, I'd like to say that I was given my ticket EXACTLY where the big ass green stripe is. There you go Officer Wharton, that's what I meant by sharrow and it's there because it's the SAFEST place to be on the road. And like I mentioned during our roadside discussion, cyclists can occupy the center of the lane when they feel it is dangerous (like in Belmont Shore with substandard lanes and the threat of opening car doors).

Summer Solstice @ Long Beach Organics

2009-06-21T20:11:00.000-07:00

I brought the LX3 out to a small Summer Solstice fair at a community garden around Loma and 10th. Laura had a booth and was selling jewelry, bringing everything by bike and trailer. There was music, food and a cake walk! The space was pretty amazing with lots of greenery and sunflowers. It didn't feel like we were in the middle of Long Beach at all.

Lumix LX3 in Pano and BW

2009-06-20T22:44:00.000-07:00

I sold my G10 this weekend to a blog reader and budding bike tourist. To replace the PnS gap, I ordered a Lumix LX3 a few days ago and it came in on Friday. I had the opportunity to test a review sample a few weeks ago and was pretty impressed with it. It doesn't do everything I'd like it to do, but it does several things well. Namely, give a nice wide angle and a 2.0 lens. I did a little walkabout with Laura this evening and took some snaps playing with the 16:9 aspect ratio and shooting it in BW mode. Nothing too spectacular but a good test of the low light capabilities. It does a pretty nice job.

These shots were done in ISO 400, Manual mode with the settings around f2 at 1/4th leaning against a tree or a railing. Grainy/noisy but acceptable. I've shot these exact shots with a Leica M2, Tri-X and Rodinal and printed on Ilford fiber paper. Hard to tell how well the digital matches up until I see a print, but off the screen it looks rather promising!

Architects of Long Beach

2009-06-19T15:38:00.000-07:00

Shot some portraits of some local architects in LB today. It was a pretty neat assignment meeting the people behind some of the buildings and public spaces in the city. It also made for an interesting visual puzzle to include them in the spaces they designed.

Some thoughts on photography...

2009-06-16T22:51:00.001-07:00

I got an email today from someone that was asking for some photography tips. I'm by no means an expert, but I thought I'd share a few things I learned over the years:

howdy..
hey, everyone starts somewhere...i didn't take any classes (majored in literature in college)...the best thing you can do to learn is look at LOTS of good photos...study the masters..i was heavily influenced by photojournalist...for me, I spent hours and hours looking at every photo on MagnumPhotos.com and bought up a ton of photo books...

all the technical stuff is easy, it's the seeing thats difficult. that said, any entry level DSLR is pretty good these days. I like Nikon, so I'd lean towards something like the D40x or D5000. A basic kit lens is plenty to learn on.

Heck, I'm back to using point and shoot cameras for somethings! This gallery was all from a Lumix LX3 PS camera.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/russroca/sets/72157619015741590/

the fastest way to learn is to look at a lot of good photos and shoot a lot of bad ones. just accept your first 5000 photos aren't going to be that great. what you're training is the muscle memory of your eye/brain. if you shoot digital, you don't have to be so precious with film and can shoot tons. that said, think before you shoot.

as a photog, you're never a completely passive fly on the wall. you're not just "capturing the moment" like someone running around with a butterfly net. a photo is just as composed as a painting or sculpture is...it just happens to take place in an instant.

granted, it helps when something interesting is happening. however, i've done jobs where NOTHING is happening and i still have to make a photo if I want to get paid.

anyway, I hope that helps!

Best of luck,
RR

LX3 vs G10

2009-06-10T11:27:00.000-07:00

The ultimate point and shoot showdown : ) I wrote a review of the two cameras on Epicurean Cyclist. Read it and find out which is once and for all the ultimate point and shoot.

Long Beach's New Hope

2009-06-05T12:47:00.001-07:00

Today I did a portrait session with Charles Gandy, Long Beach's new mobility coordinator.

Could this mean brighter days for bicycling in Long Beach? I hope so. Many know I've tried to be involved with the city in several ways that haven't come out to much. I hope Charlie can be the agent of change the city needs. I've met with him a few times and he seems to "get it." When I visited him at his cubicle he had his bike parked inside and it wasn't there just for show or to trot out at the occasional bit of political theater.

He rides. He commutes. And for once, in a long while, I have hope. Let's see if he can pull it off.

(For the strobists out there, I shot it with two Nikon SB-28s on two separate lightstands, one slightly lower than the other so I could get full body coverage. Strobes were dialed to about 1/8th power, D300 was at its lowest ISO setting, shutter was around 250-400 to overpower the sun. I positioned him with the sun to his back to add as a rim light.)

Carter's 2nd...

2009-06-04T14:02:00.000-07:00

Finished the post, yay! Lots of great images to choose from (doesn't help that Carter is pretty cute to begin with!).

Some photos from the middle of nowhere...

2009-05-30T16:45:00.000-07:00

Gone tourin'

2009-05-19T22:26:00.001-07:00

I'm going to be out on the road for the next week in a half. See ya then with some more bike travel pics!

Goodbye silkscreen stuff...

2009-05-18T14:10:00.000-07:00

I bequeathed my silkscreening gear to a friend and talented artist. Watch out Long Beach for the madness he'll create.

A dog owner for 15 minutes...

2009-05-17T22:09:00.000-07:00

While waiting for a sandwich at Sipology on Broadway (the first one was given to the wrong person), someone coming from some Pride festivities came up to me and asked, "Can you do me a favor?" Sure. "Can you watch my dog while I get an iced coffee?" Sure.

Thus, I became an accidental dog owner for 15 minutes.

The owner came out, resumed ownership of the dog and bade me a "Happy Pride!"

Cutting out All Bike Projects?

2009-05-17T19:20:00.000-07:00

A Repost via LACBC

CITY TO CUT ALL BIKE PROJECTS!

URGENT ALERT!!! LADOT THREATENS TO CUT ALL BIKE PROJECTS, EVEN THE WHOLE BIKEWAYS DEPARTMENT!!

NEED CYCLISTS TO ATTEND AND GIVE PUBLIC COMMENT TO CITY COUNCIL MEETING MONDAY May 18, 10 am! Get there by 9:30am to sign up for public comment.

WHEN: Monday, May 18, 10:00AM
WHERE: City Hall Council Chambers. 200 N. Spring Street 90012, Room 340

Background:

Los Angeles is facing a perilous budget crisis. All city departments are being asked to submit plans on how they will cut spending, and LADOT have proposed to eliminate the entire Bikeways staff. Not just lay off some people, but cut it altogether.

A May 4th Inter-departmental Correspondence titled Shared Responsibility and Sacrifice signed by LADOT General Manager Rita Robinson and addressed to the Budget and Finance Committee, contains the following text under the heading, Transit Capital Programming:

"Discontinue bikeways function, including bicycle path maintenance, bicycle programs, and school bicycle and transit education. Discontinue work on Safe Routes to School."

Numerous bicycle projects are underway which will be curtailed or compromised by this short-sighted move, including:

• The update of the city's bicycle plan, already behind schedule.
• Numerous bike lane projects.
• The Expo Bikeway, in which the city must complete its environmental review by the end of the year (to keep pace with the light rail project) or the bikeway may be delayed for years.
• The Sharrows study, which should lead to an implementation plan for this much-needed bikeway enhancement.

Some talking points:
• With more people riding bikes than ever before, with a vibrant cycling culture developing and with congestion and climate change consequences screaming at us, this is exactly the wrong time to cut the entire bikeways staff
• If you think cycling doesn't get enough attention in Los Angeles now, wait until we have no staff at all to look out for our needs.

ATTEND THE MEETING ON MONDAY!!! NEED TO BE THERE IN NUMBERS!!

Open Letter to City regarding 2nd Street Sharrows

2009-05-16T10:05:00.000-07:00

Inspired by the administration's new transparency, I have decided to make public my communiques with the city regarding bicycling infrastructure and bicycle programs within the city. This is done in an effort to show that I am actively trying to engage the city and give them input and to monitor how responsive they are to the input. Tony is Tony Cruz the city's Bicycle Ambassador, Sumi has been the city's ad hoc bicycle coordinator, Charlie is Charles Gandy, the city's new Mobility Coordinator.

Sent 05/15/09

Tony, Sumi, Charlie,
I've been communicating with DeLong's office re: the Sharrows on 2nd. I really urge that when you guys roll them out and do the press releases you make the following points very clear:

-those lanes were "sharable" by bikes before the sharrows were being put in
-the new sharrows do not take away any rights from motorists NOR do they give bicyclists any special rights, they are just very bold and large visual indicators that bikes can already be legally on the road and they invite cyclists that may not know that right to be on the road.
-the placement of the sharrows (presumably in the middle of the lane) is where the cyclist SHOULD ride, out of the door zone. (Will we have an opportunity to preview their placement to ensure they are indeed out of the door zone?)

Gary has said he has already gotten some blow back from some constituents, most likely because they feel like cyclists are being given special rights or an unfair allocation of road resources. I think to mitigate this response the existing road rights of cyclists should be discussed. This also will start to spread the idea that bikes are allowed on ALL streets in Long Beach (which is important because it will prevent others from getting unfair tickets).

I'm going to defer to Dan and Chris if they have anything to add, but I think we're all in agreement that it's important to note these things, so motorists understand that 1) we're not taking anything away from them 2)bikes are allowed to ride on roads where there isn't the benefit of sharrows as well.

Sincerely,
Russ

Chris Quint is a regional cycling safety trainer for the League of American Bicyclists.

Received 05/16/09

I support Russ' suggestions for all the reasons stated. Road users of all kinds need to understand these issues so all know the rights and responsibilities we all share.

Chris Quint

A Letter to Councilman Delong RE Sharrows

2009-05-15T10:39:00.001-07:00

Dear Councilman Delong and Anne,
I saw the post in LBPost this morning regarding the sharrows on 2nd. I don't think this is in the city's plan when they roll it out, but I really would like you to communicate that all lanes are sharable lanes by bikes (as per CVC 21200) and the "sharrow" adds no special privileges to bikes nor does it strip any rights from motorists. You will hear a lot of flack from motorists asking why cyclists are getting "special rights" on that street. They're not.

It ONLY makes visible the California Vehicle Code which already allows for bikes to legally be on the road. Bikes already have the right to ride where the sharrows will be, this special striping is only a really loud visual indicator of this and invites bikes to use the road (which they can legally do).

What is frustrating, is I was riding EXACTLY where the sharrows would be when I received my ticket. I even tried explaining this to the citing police officer that there were going to be sharrows in a few months (not that would have affected the legality of what I was doing) and he didn't care.

I guess, what I am asking is that when you begin your roll out, you really explain this point. Nothing is being taken away from motorists. It's a right that has always been there. Otherwise, as a cyclist, I will no doubt be the subject of ire and abuse. Further, I would ask that you please ask the city to devote some funds and resources to educating law enforcement and public about the rights of cyclists. This will have a much more PROFOUND and lasting effect on whether a city is bicycle friendly or not. If the police had been educated, I would have not received the complete and utterly incorrect ticket I did get.

As a post-script. Nothing has happened regarding my ticket. I'm still waiting to hear from Lt. Levy and Gray Morrison from PD.

Best,
Russ

Bike Haiku Submissions

2009-05-15T10:14:00.000-07:00

Keep them coming...

It's “Bike to Work Day”
Happy cyclists on the road
Should be every day
-Keith M.

wind blowing my hair
sunshine warming, legs cycling
happy to be live.
-Jeanine B.

A bad day cycling
Beats any day in a car
Get out and bike now!
-Jamie F.

Bicycle Haikus

2009-05-15T08:24:00.000-07:00

Submit your Haiku!

I ride in the lane/
Avoiding terrible doors/
Someone tell P.D.

Policeman told me /
"You can't ride there." "Yes, I can!" /
Two Twelve Double-O

Bikes are traffic too/
The first roads were for bikes, man/
So quit your honking

Soccer Mom's of Death/
On the phone while driving fast/
Hope YOUR kids ride bikes

Lawless cop on bike/
You're riding on the sidewalk/
You muddle my rights

Get on the sidewalk!/
Roads are for cars you moron!/
Thanks for the advice.

Spring gently breezes/
Crackling sounds of bike on road/
Why would I drive ever?

Biking stuff to Bike to Work Day...

2009-05-14T17:11:00.000-07:00

Today is Bike to Work Day, though I'm sure you wouldn't know it by looking at the 405. However, there is hope. In population centers around the country, small contingencies of intrepid "bike commuters" are riding their bikes to their places of employment (or in these tough times, to the nearest bar).

Here in Long Beach, the bike advocacy group that I volunteer with put on a pit-stop for said cyclists. We carried stuff, of course, by bike in an amazing bike parade of cargo bicycles ranging from an Xtracycle, Bob trailer, flatbed trailer, front loading Bilenky cargo bike, panniers and the backpack. Talking the talk AND biking the bike.

Food photography at the LBMA...

2009-05-13T23:17:00.000-07:00

Some more food photography, this time at the LBMA. I arrived and it was after hour's at the restaurant. One of the most striking features of the outdoor seating are the bright yellow umbrellas. They were closed at the time, but the writers I were with opened them up so that I could get a nice background (thanks Jenny and Greg).

The other challenge was balancing the light from the outside and the light on the food. I first tried to strobe it with a softbox but it looked so harsh. Fortunately, I brought a diffuser. I positioned the food so that it was getting hit with a hard beam of light that we diffused. This let me bridge the exposure difference between the light on the food and the outside and nothing was getting blown out.

So, I got my yellow umbrellas and balanced light. The next part was to play with the plating of the food with the chef. We tried a few things and settled on a more dynamic (if a salad can be dynamic) arrangement of the salad. Half-tossed with bright red strawberries sort of haphazardly placed and mangos against the white plate as a sort of visual border. It was topped off with a few vertical elements to balance the picture (in this case a mimosa and nice bottle of champagne).

The big silence...and other festering thoughts

2009-05-13T09:38:00.001-07:00

In the continuing saga of my incorrect citation the BIG news is that there is no big news. The great silence. After a few days of optimism that something would be done (receiving emails from various public officials), that THIS could be the great defining moment in Long Beach where law enforcement and bicycle advocates could work together....Nothing.

I've been assured that "something" would be done. But what? And why am I not involved in the middle of that "something"?

I have some ideas. No one asks me what they are. Even when I volunteer them, which I do often, what comes of it?

And this is what is really bothersome to me. I might as well just say it. How is it that the city can mobilize and allocate resources so quickly to have the Long Beach Bike Festival, but not do the same to address bikes and law enforcement when the latter would have a much more PROFOUND affect on the city in terms of being bicycle friendly?

Don't get me wrong, I like to watch a bike race as much as the next guy, but I'm skeptical as to how "aware" it made people of bikes in the city. It made them aware that they could race on a closed course or do skids down the street, but for me, it felt like there was a real lack in any "hey man, cyclists are people too and they're not doing anything wrong so lay off the horn." It made them aware, perhaps, of the new bike lanes and bike infrastructure, but it certainly didn't make anyone aware of the cyclists MOST BASIC RIGHT to ride on the street lawfully.

I wish the city would show as much verve and enthusiasm towards these more fundamentally important ( and admittedly less sexy) issues as they do to things such as festivals and races.

I could be wrong. It might be the fact that while watching the racers gracefully swoop around the corners with ease and aplomb, a few spectators had a thought, nay, a quasi-religious moment thinking, "watching this race has affirmed in me the belief that cyclists do indeed have a legal right to the roadway that should be respected. I should treat them with the common courtesy as is due any other roadway user....OUCH! Dude did you see that crash! He totally ate shit!" And maybe, there were several spectators that had this epiphany despite the distracting carnage on turn 6, but I can assure you that the officer that ticketed me last week was not among the converted.

Bike to Work Day in the Press Telegram

2009-05-12T22:06:00.000-07:00

Near the eve of Bike to Work Day, Tim Grobaty of our finest local news source wrote a piece on why he's poopooing Bike to Work Day. You can read it here.

Executive Summary:
-What!? I have to ride my bike to work again?
-We're the media and I can make a big deal out of nothing cause that's my job.
-Lots of whiny quotes by cyclists.
-A positive story about cycling is just boooring.

With friends like these...

My response to Tim with some writing to tips to enliven a bike story.

Dear Tim,
Well, the offer to give you a personally guided bike ride around the city still stands. An enjoyable bike ride of the "oh look at the birdie" sort probably would make an uninteresting piece. But maybe one where we dispel the myths of how difficult and dangerous it is (see above comments) would be more interesting.

Or perhaps a piece on how cyclists have the the same rights on the road but are treated as 2nd class road users would be more interesting. Or more interesting still, how about the fact that the police in our city aren't aware that bikes can ride lawfully on the street and ticket cyclists for a right that is clearly spelled out in the California Vehicle Code. Or how they ride on the sidewalk and against traffic violating the CVC, while lawful and educated cyclists get harangued for trying to do a little good.

Or perhaps you could frame the piece in such a way that it points out the fact that the plight of the urban cyclist is a transporation civil rights issue (+1 for historical references), where a group of people going about their lawful business are constantly harassed, illegally ticketed and besmirched in the media.

That wouldn't be SO boring and closer to the mark, no? So let's take Orangey for a ride.

Russ

More food shoots...

2009-05-12T19:45:00.001-07:00

Busy again today. Got to shoot one of my favorite restaurants of all time, Beachwood BBQ in Seal Beach! They prepared some Buffalo sloppy Joe's and smoked hot wings, topped off with a Drake's Double Hopped IPA. Amazing as usual. I also shot at Michael's on Naples, a super nice fine dining restaurant that is a fusion of Northern and Southern Italian cooking -- so the owner tells me. What that means, I'm not so sure, but if the ink squid lobster ravioli and the prosciutto wrapped scallops are any indication, then fuze on!

Xtracycle...sold

2009-05-11T15:21:00.000-07:00

The Xtracycle is gone and off to her new home. The new owner is also a photographer/cinematographer who lives in Westwood. Although he has no plans to make an Xtracycle-exclusive business he does plan on using it to replace short car trips and the occasional commutes to work.

Along with the Xtracycle he also bought some cranks, some Albatross bars and my CETMA rack. Glad to see all these things go to a good home. We chatted for a while and I recorded some audio and will cut it up into a video in the next few days.

Saying goodbye to the Xtracycle

2009-05-10T15:48:00.000-07:00

I took apart my Xtracycle this weekend. A little sad since she has served me well and lauched my career as a bicycling photographer. It came apart easy enough. I hope the next owner does great things with her as well.

The Indignity of Bike Commuting in Long Beach...

2009-05-08T06:58:00.000-07:00

Just received in my email a photo from an anonymous source (to be known as "Deep Vs"), a photo of myself getting the ticket! The wonders of the internets never cease to impress. After applying some CSI magic, it is pretty clear that the bike I was riding 1) had fenders 2) had a transverse bag and red Ortlieb on the right. I'm not sure of how many brakeless riders ride with fenders or like to put English bike luggage on their bikes in Long Beach, my guess would be none.

This would be the bike in question. My touring bike and yes, it has brakes, two of them in fact.

I have to admit, my first reaction when I got the photo was a real sense of humiliation and frustration. I was doing nothing wrong and got pulled over and taught my lesson in public. I have more sympathy now and will make less assumptions of others that I see that are getting pulled over.

I'm also frustrated at the message this public dressing down gives to motorists. I'm sure quite a few drivers and people at the restaurant were thinking, "oh finally, those crazy bicyclists riding on the street are getting what they deserve...they shouldn't be in the street anyway" Hey, it's a fair assumption. We all think these things to greater or lesser degrees.

When those in the position of authority don't know the laws, it becomes pretty much impossible for any lawful cyclist to defend their rights. We depend on those in authority to KNOW what is right and to be the just arbiter in a dispute.

Let's complicate the situation a little further. Let's say my incident involved a motor vehicle. I was riding lawfully in the street and there was some sort of accident. The motorist keeps shouting "he was riding in the middle of the lane, he can't do that, it was HIS fault!" If I get stuck with an officer or a judge that knows nothing about the laws and bikes, then I would be as they - S.O.L. I would have no one to appeal to without going through the hassle and expense of hiring a lawyer.

I have no doubt that this happens more often than we suspect. It is critical that law enforcement be involved in creating a bicycle friendly community. ABSOLUTELY critical! It makes no difference if Long Beach has 10 or 10,000 miles of bike lanes if the most basic and fundamental rights we have as cyclists aren't respected or understood. What good are all the stripes, if you turn down a street without one and are automatically put in the position when your rights are questioned, where you are treated like a 2nd class road user, where you are ticketed and ridiculed for doing nothing than lawfully riding your bike in the middle of a day trying to do some shopping?

Not a Country Kitchen..

2009-05-06T18:42:00.000-07:00

When I wasn't busy fighting the man, so to speak, I was shooting food today. This assignment was at the Wednesday's Farmer's Market at Marine Stadium. The vendor is RedOak BBQ and let me tell you, it was tasty. I was salivating the second I saw the giant BBQ grill and that they were using wood logs and not charcoal to cook and flavor the meat.

The lighting was a bit tricky since it was midday. I decided to shoot under the shade of a large truck so I could control the light better.

I cropped in close, lit it with my softbox and a hand from Jenny with my lucky piece of ragged matt board. Shooting tight and with the nice wood board and table cloth it felt like a country kitchen. Of course, when you pull back it is anything but!

Open Letter to Chief Batts

2009-05-06T09:26:00.000-07:00

I received an email from Chief Batts to call the office and describe the incident. After doing so, I wrote this email to the Chief:

Dear Chief Batts,
I called and spoke with a Sergeant regarding the citation and he is looking into it. With regards to your incident, I don't think that is the same "gentleman" we're talking about. This incident occurred on Anaheim as he was commuting to work. He is also a trained cycling safety instructor.

What I hope to come from all this is the start of a dialogue between the bicycle community and the police. I know that there are many lawless cyclists out there and they SHOULD be ticketed. Cyclists riding the wrong way. Cyclists blowing through red lights. Cyclists on the sidewalk. Cyclists under 18 riding with no brakes and a helmet. They should be ticketed. I think we have so many with an utter disregard of the law because there is NOT ENOUGH enforcement.

That said, the police should also be sensitized to identify what is lawful and safe riding. Riding as far to the right as you can is NOT safe. Riding closer to the middle of the lane IS safe, it increases visibility, lets the rider avoid the door zone, etc., The phrasing in 21202 allows for this, cyclists only have to ride to the right as long as it is "practicable" (a big difference from "possible"). "Practicable" allows us to claim the lane when we deem it unsafe to ride to the right. Many cities make this point clear with signs that say "BIcyclists allowed full use of the lane."

I believe that the police is one of the most important keys to making Long Beach bicycle friendly. Without proper enforcement we will just see a rise in unlawful cyclists and more hostile interactions between motorists and cyclists that will escalate into violence (there are many incidents of this happening in Los Angeles right now). That is why it is paramount that officers on your force that work in areas with a high concentration of cyclists (downtown, Belmont Shore, CSULB) should receive training to differentiate when a cyclist is lawfully riding in the street (claiming the middle of the lane when need be) and when they are putting themselves and others in danger. Further, I would also like to see the bicycle mounted police follow the CVC. It is very difficult for me to defend my rights to a motorist who is yelling at me to "get on the sidewalk" or "you don't belong here", when the bicycle mounted police can often be seen riding on the sidewalk, against traffic or in the door zone.

If you are willing, the bicycle advocacy group I work with, The Long Beach Cyclists, has trained bicycle safety educators from the League of American Bicyclists. We would very much like to set up a program with the police department to slowly train the force with issues regards to bicycles in traffic. The League offers a curriculum specially tailored to law enforcement. I think this would more quickly and efficiently make Long Beach more bicycle friendly than any thing else we can do.

Thank you once again for responding to me personally. I hope you will seriously consider bicycle training for some of your force.

Sincerely,
Russ Roca

What it's really all about...

2009-05-05T22:04:00.000-07:00

I've been ruminating over my recent ticket and while in the larger sense it really is insignificant, what is really frustrating is that I feel it speaks to what is at the core of this whole "bicycle friendly" debate. On the coattails of Long Beach being awarded being a Bronze level Bicycle Friendly City, it really makes me question how bike friendly it is.

Yes there are bike lanes (many that are poorly striped, I might add...ahem PCH), bike paths, bike parking and even a small bike-share program. But is that enough? It looks good on paper, these xxx amount of miles of lanes and stripes, but does the city feel any friendlier to me as a bicyclist?

Well, since about 11am this morning, I would have to say NO.

My basic fundamental right (and all the responsibilities that go along with it) have yet to be respected. I still feel like drivers don't know that I have the right to be on the road and now I know that the LBPD isn't aware of that right either.

I recently saw a special on Bhutan, a small Asian country that in the 70s decided NOT to measure the success of the country by the GNP (Gross National Product) but by GNH (Gross National Happiness). I would like to submit, that bicycle advocates, city planners, bicyclists and the League of American Bicyclists adopt something similar.

In addition to just looking at the raw numbers, the miles of bike lanes or bike paths or sharrows, that they also seriously take into account the road culture of the city. Is the animosity between bike and driver so thick that you can cut it with a knife? Are the police/authority figures trained to understand bikes in traffic and sensitized to what cyclists face?

Given the choice of riding in a city with no bike paths but a healthy road culture or a city with 400 miles of bike paths but with a climate where that if you happen to turn on a street without a bike facility you feel like prey -- I would choose the former.

Bike paths are like the chaparone at the school dance. Of course everyone is going to behave when they're around. There's no virtue in that. The true test is when the chaparone leaves. Does it all revert into some state of nature?

And what would help with creating healthy road culture? Well, the same things that I have been trying to tell the city nearly EVERY single chance I get. Education and enforcement.

With the case of my ticket, a little of both -- educate the enforcement.

To obey the law, people must know the law. An aggressive PSA campaign, strong pro-bicyclst rights messages (none of this "share the road" crap anymore...I want in no uncertain terms that bikes have the rights and responsibilities of other road users) from the Chief of Police, mayor, City Manager, Bike Ambassador and Mobility Coordinator.

The LAW should follow the law. Bike Police should ride on the street and not on the sidewalk and not against traffic. People look up to them as the barometer of acceptable behavior (for better or worse), and if they ride on the sidewalk, what chance does a lawbiding cyclist on the street have?

Education. Education. Education. You can only control so much of a person's behavior with urban planning (remember the chaperon analogy?). The goal should be to engender good behaviors in both cyclists and motorists even when no one is looking, even when there isn't a drop of paint anywhere on the road. Isn't that really what bicycle friendly should really strive for?

Wrong Citation?

2009-05-05T16:04:00.000-07:00

I got an email from someone with keen eyes (thanks Gary and crew!) and they note that the citation on my ticket is incorrect. I was cited for 21201(a), which states:

21201. (a) No person shall operate a bicycle on a roadway unless it is equipped with a brake which will enable the operator to make one braked wheel skid on dry, level, clean pavement.

But the description says "Must right to right of roadway" (sic). I don't know the semantics of ticket writing, but is this automatic grounds for dismissal? I clearly have 2 brakes on my bike. I don't even own a fixed gear bike.

Is there a case of fixed gear profiling going on in Long Beach? Maybe the cops are familiar with law, but not the basic ones that govern lawful riding?

I just got a ticket! WTF?

2009-05-05T12:05:00.000-07:00

Middle of the day. Hardly any traffic and I just got pulled over for not riding on the "right side." I'm no racer but 15mph on 2nd Street isn't going that much slower than car traffic through there.

I tried to explain to the officer that any closer and I would be in the "door zone." He seemed nonplussed.

I cited the vehicle code and told him that it said I was to ride to the right as "practicable" which is a big difference than "possible", because it was up to me to determine if there were any hazards. He didn't seem to care.

I told him that I was riding exactly where the new sharrows would be on 2nd street in a few months. The new wha? I don't see them now.

I was holding him up. Although I was on the right travel lane and he was on the left and he wanted me to know about it.

I'm about as law biding a cyclist as you can get in Long Beach. I ride in the correct direction of traffic. I don't ride on the sidewalk. One of the first things I keep trying to advocate for is that we have to educate the enforcement on the laws regarding bicycling. Maybe NOW might be a good time to start.

For those that are curious, the CVC as pertaining to bicycles is the following. I was exercising my right (3) because I was avoiding the rather unpleasant "fixed object"...aka door, but also because when I ride as far as the right as practical, I always get buzzed too close. Hence, riding more "practicable."

21202. (a) Any person operating a bicycle upon a roadway at a speed less than the normal speed of traffic moving in the same direction at that time shall ride as close as practicable to the right-hand curb or edge of the roadway except under any of the following situations:
(1) When overtaking and passing another bicycle or vehicle proceeding in the same direction.
(2) When preparing for a left turn at an intersection or into a private road or driveway.
(3) When reasonably necessary to avoid conditions (including, but not limited to, fixed or moving objects, vehicles, bicycles, pedestrians, animals, surface hazards, or substandard width lanes) that make it unsafe to continue along the right-hand curb or edge, subject to the provisions of Section 21656. For purposes of this section, a "substandard width lane" is a lane that is too narrow for a bicycle and a vehicle to travel safely side by side within the lane.

Let the good times roll...
Russ

A goodbye to some dear friends...

2009-05-04T19:06:00.001-07:00

If you've been following my story on PathLessPedaled.com then you probably know that I'm selling all my belongings to finally go on my epic bike tour. We've gotten rid of cupboards full of mugs and wine glasses and I've narrowed down to just two pairs of shoes.

Now, for me, it's getting to the tough stuff. I spent many years patronizing my local camera store, Terry's Camera, a victim to redevelopment. I got to know the owners really well and I learned a lot about shooting and darkroom work from them. It was during that time that I also amassed a pretty good collection of cameras.

I experimented with everything under the sun. Holgas to Hasselblads and Leicas to Linhoffs. I've shot, developed and printed 35mm, 6x6, 6x9, 4x5 and Polaroid Type 55. Sheet film to roll film. I've let go of many bits of equipment already, but have always hung on to a few that I dearly enjoyed. Now (unless I get a sudden influx of money somehow), it's time to let go of some old friends that will enable me to go on a new adventure.

It's really weird to sell these guys. I've done some good work with them - portraits of KRUMP dancers, portraits of my brother in the army, etc., To me, these cameras, the old forgotten farts of the camera world will always be "real cameras." Blasphemy, I know. I shoot with digital and it pays the bills, but I'll always have a soft spot for a smoothly running Rolleiflex.

Bike Parking by Bike

2009-05-03T08:22:00.000-07:00

Yesterday The Long Beach Cyclists set up bike parking at the Art Theater again. We have 5 portable racks that we have figured out how to carry to location by bike. Bikestation has an Xtracycle and a few of them get loaded on there and I carry a few on the Bilenky.

Using 4 toe straps and 3 bungees, I was able to secure a pair of the racks down pretty well (amazing what you can do with toe straps!).

Sadly, no one came to park so we ended up just having an impromptu meeting at Portfolio Annex and then dinner at the brewery. Our CSULB members have passed out hundreds of flyers, there were flyers at the Art, it was sent out electronically via MySpace and Facebook...I'm beginning to wonder how it is we can more effectively reach cyclists.

We're suppose to offer bike parking one last time on June 6th. I'm going to try to make a more concerted effort to spread the word. Posters maybe? Or going on the weekly rides and handing it out directly to cyclists?

Wouldn't it be funny if...

2009-04-30T23:36:00.000-07:00

That's how most of these things start. Quick design and put it up on Printfection. Spread the humor (not the flu). What I like to call "The Offical Shirt of Swine '09." If you look closely there is a H1N1 on the but of the pig for the more politically correct.

http://www.printfection.com/theswineflew

A gem on PCH

2009-04-30T17:34:00.001-07:00

I got assigned to shoot at Sophy's Cambodian today. Yes, there is a woman named Sophy and she runs the place. We rode our bikes up Orizaba (a good street to bike on btw that runs parallel to Redondo).

She made three dishes. Beef kabobs, salmon salad and a yellow curry. The food was pretty easy to shoot. They looked great so it was just a matter of figuring out the light and how to position the plates. Someone commented and asked if I have an assistant. I usually don't. In fact, it would have been nice to have one on this shoot.

I had my camera in my right hand and my left hand was holding my lucky white matt board that is crinkled and stained from 2 years of food guides just off to the left side of the frame. That's about as high tech as I get. No assistants. No beauty dish. No ring light. Just a small softbox a used Nikon SB-28 strobe and a piece of matt board (I should take a picture of it).

Shooting a pile o' food...

2009-04-30T14:01:00.000-07:00

The Scenario:
Doing a quick food shoot I go to a seafood restaurant that is making their famous seafood menagerie. It is served....or rather, it is poured on to your table. Crab legs, mussels, potatoes, corn and brine. While it taste good, the pile o' food doesn't represent too well. It looks like carnage. Like a lawn mower was let loose through the set of The Little Mermaid and a potato garden. What to do.

Problem Solving
Photography is creative problem solving.

The first thing is find a good background. The checkered cloth looked promising but it was covered with butcher paper. The food is going to be too low and horizontal to get a good shot of the patio and window outside.

Luckily, I'm nosy.

Luckily, I ask questions.

I find out that in addition to the food being poured on the table you are given a mallet and a wooden board! Voila.

I arrange the mallet and wooden board. Sort of pre-light it. Get it close. When the food is about to be dumped, I ask them for tongs and try to arrange the food. Strong diagonals. I'm going to use the handles of the mallet to create a leading line into the photo. The crab legs are big, red and photogenic. I'm going to arrange the grab leg as the counterpoint to the mallet.

Finally I get to shoot. Head-on. Over-head. Trying to think of the food as a landscape and my strobe as the sun. Where do the shadows fall. Where is it interesting. If I saw this photo on the screen would it make me want to lick my dusty monitor.

All this in 10 minutes before the food gets too cold and the brine and the juices coagulate. Fun!

It's Food Guide Time!

2009-04-28T07:41:00.000-07:00

My favorite time of the year (for eating that is)....Do you own a restaurant or catering service in Long Beach and need photos that will make people want to lick them off the screen or off the page? You know what to do.

Now on Twitter!

2009-04-28T00:25:00.001-07:00

Yay....I've joined the Twitter-sphere....ok, a little late, I admit. It sorta feels like showing up to a birthday party after the cake is all gone.

So for those that are interested, follow me at:

http://twitter.com/russroca

If you're local tweet me everytime you see me ride by with a time/place and I'll set up a google map and do a sort of running Where's Russ?

A new post on PathLessPedaled.com

2009-04-27T00:11:00.000-07:00

Check it out at www.pathlesspedaled.com.

This is the second episode of The Path Less Pedaled. We've counted all our stuff now it's time to start getting rid of it. Laura goes through our dishes and starts picking what can stay and what has to go!

www.pathlesspedaled.com

Baby Carter turns 2!

2009-04-26T20:24:00.000-07:00

Some snaps from baby Carter's birthday today!

Behind the District Cover

2009-04-24T21:25:00.000-07:00

Shot a portrait for the DW on campus today of writer and professor, Alan Rifkin. Everything is available light. Nikon D300. Simple light.

The first challenge with every portrait is looking for a good background. Interesting but not too interesting. Simple but not boring. Find the background first, THEN the subject. Seems backwards, but too many a potentially good photo is ruined by a crappy background. Lucky for me, the room had this blue/cloud-like pattern going on that was just interesting ENOUGH without being too distracting.

The next challenge is light. I turned off the overhead fluorescents so I could get some nice directional light (instead of flat overhead light). Worked well. Didn't have to set any strobes up.

Then, it was a matter of just getting Alan comfortable. Hey, I was a literature major in college, I can talk about anything, especially books!

Bilenky + Ortlieb

2009-04-23T18:13:00.000-07:00

I've been really enjoying using the Ortlieb Shuttle Bike on my assignments this week. Here it is with my Bilenky. It doesn't use the mounting bracket, obviously, but judicious use of bungees fixes that problem. It looks (and might actually be) a little more aero than my wicker basket :)

PathLessPedaled.com

2009-04-23T17:26:00.000-07:00

A short video from the new project Laura and I are doing. Check it out at PathLessPedaled.com.

The Path Less Pedaled - Stuff from Russ Roca on Vimeo.

The Mini Rig

2009-04-21T10:42:00.001-07:00

After riding around the Santa Monica mountains with the cargo bike and a lot of loaded gear, I needed a change of pace today. Instead of the Bilenky, I took out the Dahon Speed TR and my Ortlieb Shuttle Bike case. I've written about this combination before and I still feel that it's the best set-up for multi-modal transportation.

Here are some shots of the great Ortlieb Shuttle Bike

On the deeper side of the clam shell design, I keep a LowePro backpack that adds extra padding for my gear. Inside, I'm carrying my Nikon D300, 17-55 2.8, 2 pocket wizards, 2 strobes, extra batteries and a synch cord.

On the shallower side, I've got my reflector (folded piece of white mat board, XS Chimera softbox, speed ring for the box and there's room for a small pump and patch kit.

The whole thing folds up to a nice sleek package. When I arrive to my shoot, I just pop the case off and wheel it in using the retractable handle and casters. I can use this set-up for about 80% of what I shoot. If I'm taking a lot of trains and buses, this is really the only way to go.

I'd highly recommend this setup to anyone that needs to transport any kind of equipment by bike. The weight is centered so you're not riding lopsided. The lower overall center of gravity of the Dahon Speed TR also helps mitigate any handling issues.

Dirt Mulholland - Conquered (with a cargo bike)

2009-04-19T19:31:00.000-07:00

Just got back from another nutty weekend bicycle adventure. Laura and I took the Metro to Hollywood/Highland. We then rode up a pretty steep road (Outpost Road) up to Mulholland. It gained about 600ft in a mile and some change.

Mulholland runs through the Santa Monica mountains. Our original plan was to take it all the way to Leo Carrillo, however it took us a lot longer than we thought. There was a fair amount of climbing and about 8 miles of "dirt Mulholland" to enjoy :)

Fortunately, we saw that there was a camping spot along Las Virgines (Malibu Creek State Park). The campground was full, but the rangers that were working saw that we were on bikes and let us pitch a tent at a secluded little spot.

I'll post more on Epicurean Cyclist (which has a new home at EpicureanCyclist.com) a little later.

The Bike'Stache

2009-04-17T15:17:00.000-07:00

Laura added a fun new item to her etsy store, the Bike'Stache! For sale now (you know you need one :)!

Even more Bike Fest!

2009-04-17T00:19:00.000-07:00

Even more snaps from Bike Fest. This was on Sunday when they had the Crit.

Some snaps from BikeFest

2009-04-16T08:22:00.000-07:00

Still sifting through about 3000 images of BikeFest. I got through the first day! Whew.

Meet yer maker...

2009-04-08T19:24:00.001-07:00

A historic moment! :) I finally meet the people responsible for building my cargo bike. A photo for the ages, the bike, myself with Bina Bilenky and Simon Firth.

Not related at all, but has some religious overtones. Spotted in the handicap bathroom stall at Ocean Beach, where I was changing into my bike clothes.

It's just so pretty....

2009-03-31T20:18:00.001-07:00

What a beautiful day today! Gotta love spring. I took the Bilenky out to the QM and took some pics. I noticed some wild flowers on the ground and thought they'd make a great framing device in the foreground. Shot with my point and shoot (Canon G10), not known for a narrow depth of field, but if you stick something RIGHT in front of it you can get a little foreground blur.

Kindling for the fire...

2009-03-31T13:18:00.000-07:00

The contest, for better or for worse, has really made it clear to Laura and I that we want to travel in a big way. Even if it doesn't pan out with this way, we're going to go. We had an official brainstorming session last night on how to make it happen. The decision has been made to go. In my head were the words of Lyn and Larry Pardee from Cruising in Serrafyn:

"The decision to go is the hardest part of the whole project. There always seem to be so many reasons not to go:children, aging parents, a business or job you've worked so hard to develop...But if you are determined to go, you'll analyze each of these factors and probably discover that each problem can be solved. If not, it may be just an excuse to hide your fear of heading into the unstructured existence that a cruising life seems to represent."

The spark has been lit, not here's some kindling...

“Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things you didn’t do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines, sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover.” - Mark Twain

“Our battered suitcases were piled on the sidewalk again; we had longer ways to go. But no matter, the road is life.” - Jack Kerouac

“He who does not travel does not know the value of men.” - Moorish proverb

“When we get out of the glass bottle of our ego and when we escape like the squirrels in the cage of our personality and get into the forest again, we shall shiver with cold and fright. But things will happen to us so that we don’t know ourselves. Cool, unlying life will rush in.” - D. H. Lawrence

“To awaken quite alone in a strange town is one of the pleasantest sensations in the world.” - Freya Stark

“All journeys have secret destinations of which the traveler is unaware.” - Martin Buber

“To my mind, the greatest reward and luxury of travel is to be able to experience everyday things as if for the first time, to be in a position in which almost nothing is so familiar it is taken for granted.” - Bill Bryson

“Do not follow where the path may lead. Go instead where there is no path and leave a trail” - Ralph Waldo Emerson

“A good traveler has no fixed plans and is not intent on arriving.” - Lao Tzu

“Not all those who wander are lost.” - J. R. R. Tolkien

101! But more to go!

2009-03-30T08:17:00.001-07:00

We broke 100 votes! Awesome! Thanks so much to everyone that has voted and left a word of encouragement. It means loads to Laura and I. Special thanks to EcoVelo, Team Potter Cycling, Cycleicious and Bilenky for putting something up on their sites!

We've still got a ways to go, so if you haven't voted yet, then click HERE!

And if you want to post about it on your respective site/blog/tweet, then that's just more awesomeness!

A video!

2009-03-30T00:12:00.001-07:00

Haven't made one in a while. This starts with the only footage I took from my Flip camera in Joshua Tree (battery died), but it makes such a great intro :)

A minute on the soapbox...

2009-03-28T15:41:00.001-07:00

My comment to a piece in the Press Telegram regarding a cycling friendly Long Beach.

I applaud the city's interest in making Long Beach bicycle friendly, but there are also lots of very simple, inexpensive ways in which this could be quickly accomplished that I think are being overlooked.

It is no mystery that a lot of conflict that occurs between cyclists and motorists stem from a misunderstanding of where it is bikes belong. Hence motorists incorrectly yelling at cyclists to "get on the sidewalk" and that "roads are for cars." In the California Vehicle Code, it is stated that bicycles have all the rights and responsibilities of other roadway users.

Simply put: Bicycles have the right to be on the road.

Truly bicycle friendly cities support this basic right from the TOP down and make it clear in unequivocal terms that bicycles are an accepted and valued roadway users.

What does this mean for Long Beach? I would like a statement from Chief Batts that he has his officers understand and will help protect this right of cyclists. I would like to see similar statements from other community leaders and this newspaper that bikes unequivocally have rights to the road that should be respected.

Why is this important?

While the occasional new bicycle lane or bicycle facility when well designed is welcomed, that improvement affects only that very specific area. It does nothing for the cyclists in other parts of the city who may never encounter the new improvements. However, a powerful blanket statement from our top brass and an aggressive bicycles belong campaign makes every mile of Long Beach more bicycle friendly, not just those select few blocks.

The challenge of making a city bicycle friendly is not just an infrastructure one, but also a cultural one. In this way, bicycle rights parallel civil rights. Though cyclists have all the rights of other roadway users, they are marginalized and treated as 2nd class citizens. They are verbally harassed and threatened everyday on the streets, yet there are no actions to stymie this sort of behavior.

My fear is that if the city promotes these separated facilities, WITHOUT simultaneously asserting the rights of cyclists on ALL streets, it will give the impression that cyclists must only use these facilities and are not legitimate roadway users. This happens now at Hartwell Park where there is a cycle path near a roadway. I have ridden there and have been harassed and told to use the path, even though it doesn't serve where I want to go.

I'd like to challenge the city to not only look in terms of infrastructure but roadway culture as well, when they take on the task of making Long Beach cyclist friendly.

Cargo Bike with Drops!

2009-03-28T13:37:00.000-07:00

Getting ready for an epic tour (still time to vote), I decided to switch things up with my trusty Bilenky cargo bike. I have been really enjoying the cockpit of my Surly on tour. Aside from the obvious multiple hand positions to get out of the wind, I find that I'm most comfortable climbing with my hands pulling on the flats while spinning up a hill.

The Albatross bars that I had been using don't quite have enough usable flat space to do it comfortably. The A-bars do excel however in letting you stomp up a hill with lots of hand support. They're also overall really great at letting you steer a heavily laden bike.

I was trying to imagine what it would be like to do a long tour with the Bilenky cargo and I concluded that the multiple positions and more stretched out posture of putting drops on the bike would be preferable.

The only complicating factor (not a small one at that) was that I would require two kinds of road brake levers, one with the standard amount of pull for the rear canti and another with more pull to actuate the front disc brake (Avid BB7). Or another option would be to get standard road brake levers and put in a travel agent on the front one. I've used travel agents before and found that they worked, but for me, they were an undesirable addition. I frayed a lot of cables working with them. This concerned me because 1) the front brake needed a less common tandem length cable 2) the front cabling already had a lot of twists and turns to redirect the cable to the calipers.

I opted for two different levers, both made by Tektro. I used the Tektro R100 for the rear and Tektro RL520 on the front. Side by side, the are noticeably different. The RL520 came to a point at the hood and the actual brake lever arm was noticeably larger and longer for the purpose of actuating more cable on a pull.

So far in use, the brakes work fine but are a touch squishier than using the mountain levers on the A-Bars. They don't snap back quite as fast which takes a little adjusting to. However, they appear to provide the same amount of braking power.

Overall, the position is a lot more comfortable than using the A-bars for me. I'm in a bit more stretched out position, that seems to engage larger muscle groups. The multiple positions of the drops also gives me lots of options for ducking out of the wind and climbing. Surprisingly, if I don't look down at the front of the bike, it almost feels like I'm on my Surly. I've been able to match the cockpit dimensions that well.

In the drops, controlling the bike with a large load is a little unwieldy. That is the biggest sacrifice. However, it's too early to make any definitive judgements since I may grow more accustomed to this set-up. For small to medium loads (about what I think I would take on tour), it handles really really well.

Sunset Magazine!

2009-03-25T20:39:00.000-07:00

Flickr friend cyclotourist, posted a snap of the Sunset Magazine profile I was in. Awesome! I actually haven't seen the magazine in the flesh or in color until today (except for a photo copy..thanks Ghost!). It seems like the March issue skipped Long Beach, at least all the bookstores and supermarkets I went to.

I need your help!

2009-03-25T12:29:00.001-07:00

I've entered a competition for a "Dream Photo Assignment." Here's my submission below. Please click on the link and VOTE today! The contest ends April 3rd. Not much time!

I would like to ride a bicycle through North and South America on an ambitious portrait project, photographing the work of community leaders and activists who are striving for a more sustainable planet.

I am a freelance photojournalist in Long Beach, CA and I travel to all my assignments and shoots with a specially made cargo bicycle, able to carry up to 400lbs of equipment.

I have done this day in and day out for the last three years. In this time, I've come to realize that the environment will be the crises of our times. We've become trapped in a circle of consumption that fills our air with smoke and our lands with trash.

There is hope however. There are people around us that are working for a more sustainable way of life in large and small ways.

In the spirit of the work, I want to ride my bicycle across the country and document the work of these people in multi-media portraits combining stills and recorded audio.

SEE SAMPLE:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k_XCltiEW-g

I will bicycle every mile of the journey, making it the first zero emission multi-national photo assignment.

I will seek out local environmental advocates and celebrities, park rangers, bicycle commuters, leaders of co-operative markets, small organic farmers and tell their story.

This is important.

People need to know that there is hope, that around them are others who are working in ways no matter how small or large to make our lives better.

The work will culminate in a website with a series of downloads of the stills and multi-media stories.

It will be the most ambitious zero-emission paperless photography assignment to date.

Let's make it happen.

LBMA After Dark

2009-03-24T22:23:00.000-07:00

I shot another After Dark event for LBMA, one of my favorite places to shoot in Long Beach. If you haven't seen their latest exhibit, the David Simon sculptures, you MUST go. The sculptures are haunting and their presentation at the museum is awesome. It's dark and womb-like and really adds to the effect of these floating disembodied sculptures.

Back from the desert!

2009-03-17T16:10:00.000-07:00

We're back. Exhausted. Laura and I did it. We pedaled through the big expanse of Joshua Tree! What an adventure. Lots to write about, but for now, some pics.

Going to Joshua Tree...without a car

2009-03-12T05:16:00.000-07:00

Well, it's 5:16am. Ouch. I didn't know this time actually exisited. Our bikes are packed, our gear neatly (as neatly as I could get it) organized in our panniers. 6 days of riding on our crazy adventure from Long Beach (Metrolink to San Bernadino), San Bernadino, Pioneertown, Joshua Tree, Salton Sea, Palm Springs, San Bernadino and back to Long Beach.

For those that don't know that I keep a bicycle touring blog, called Epicurean Cyclist, check it out! It details all my crazy bike touring adventures.

I've turned my email auto-responder to "on", the 21ist century sign for the self-employed of flipping the Open sign to Close. See ya'll in 6 days.

Riding in the rain....

2009-03-04T15:25:00.001-08:00

On the rare occasion that it rains in Los Angeles (like this morning), I do still go out on shoots. Here's my bike loaded up this morning and properly dressed for the rain. I was shooting some sculptures at the Long Beach Museum of Art for their upcoming show (I think my bike is the first to ever be allowed into its inner sanctum).

On the bike I have my Pelican case with camera and lights, a 5 foot seamless background paper, 3 light stands, 3 umbrellas and a 3031 Manfrotto tripod. Not bad for a bike, eh?

Long Beach to Pasadena

2009-03-01T20:45:00.000-08:00

Laura and I took a nice long ride out to Pasadena today to go to Lucky Baldwin's for their Belgian beers. Truth be told, I was pretty pooped by the time we got there (it was the heat!) and just had two tasters (both from Craftsman). All in all, a great day. I've put our route on Bikely for those that are interested.

Long Beach to Pasadena

Share your bike routes @ Bikely.com

Tired but happy.

What's so eco-friendly about bicycling?

2009-02-27T11:01:00.000-08:00

I get this question a lot, believe it or not. When I first had the sign on my bike made, I thought it was pretty clear. A sort of short-hand about what I do. I needed a quick way to explain to people why I was arriving by bike. It wasn't because I couldn't afford a car or that I was destitute. I just thought it was a good thing to do for myself, others and the environment.

Eco-Friendly Bicycling Photographer.

Simple?

However, it seems to be interpreted like a strange haiku sometimes. What's eco-friendly about bicycling? Do you only take photos of bikes? Do you only take photos FROM your bike? Do you strap cameras to your bike and take pictures? Do you strap cameras to your bike and take photos of other bikes? Etc.,

Like I said, a haiku :)

Maybe I should make this graph into a sign (hat tip to Ecovelo for pointing it out) or atleast print it out and hand it to people.

Welcome Sunset Magazine readers!

2009-02-21T12:05:00.000-08:00

I just got word that the Sunset Magazine issue is out where I have a little profile (March 2009). So if you found your way from there to here, welcome! Here's a little vid of me in action. And don't forget, I'm open for assignments.

Some ramblings

2009-02-21T11:59:00.001-08:00

I took a ride up Signal Hill for the first time this morning. Posted some ramblings about it on my touring blog, Epicurean Cyclist.

Speaking of PSAs...

2009-02-19T17:24:00.000-08:00

A great find from Gary Rides Bikes.

Ack..the flu..

2009-02-18T18:07:00.001-08:00

I was getting a tingle in my throat the last few days that I wrote off as a cold or some throat irritation from trying to resurrect a campfire from small burning embers. However last night, I woke up choking because my throat was swollen and irritated! Ack. I spent the rest of the night sitting bolt upright trying to sleep because any other position was making it hard to breathe and swallow.

Today, I went to the doctor (very slowly by bicycle, of course) and he told me that I had the flu, that it was going around, and I just had to suck it up for the next week. Ugh. This is the second time, I've been sick in the last month, something that never happens. I'm usually pretty resilient, which I like to think comes from all the cycling, but I think the stress of other commitments is really taking its toll.

At least for now, I'm able to sit and type but my mind wanders and I want to sleep mostly. What a bummer.

Some snaps from the ride...

2009-02-16T22:11:00.000-08:00

(Can you tell I like the color orange? Orange wool Riv cycling cap, orange wool Kucharik headband, orange Marmot down jacket :)

Back from our trip to Ojai and thereabouts. It was a wonderful and relaxing trip with lots of great back roads and vistas. The weather was cold but manageable. We got a little rain on the last day (and some hail) but nothing that we weren't prepared for. Again, I'm a little sad that it ended so early but it was a fun trip nonetheless.

More food...

2009-02-13T16:59:00.000-08:00

Shot a 50s diner-style place last night, complete with car hops skating around with trays of food. A bit of sensory overload for me, but fascinating nonetheless.

Awareness Campaign Ideas

2009-02-13T15:30:00.000-08:00

I'm involved in the often times frustrating work of bike advocacy in Long Beach. It has its highs and lows. Its moments of feeling like you can make a change to those moments when you want to throw your hands and scream, "why bother?" It's a war of attrition. It's closer to crawling on your belly in the mud sliding beneath barb wire fences than it is a glorious and noble battle.

Anyways, enough venting.

One idea I've been floating around is an aggressive media campaign to coincide with some of their upcoming projects. I've been floating it around for the last few weeks, but little has come of it.

The concept of the campaign would be to 1) show that bicycles are PEOPLE and not traffic obstacles 2) show the wide range of users on bikes. This is in hopes that by humanizing cyclists, some peace can be made with motorists, or atleast they are more willing to empathize. Anyway, here are some rough comps I've been kicking around. Hopefully, someone will think it's a good idea.

Where the fork meets the pork!

2009-02-11T17:04:00.000-08:00

Got to shoot one of my favorite restaurants today, Beachwood BBQ in Seal Beach. It is simply the best place to get beer anywhere in Long Beach and hey, the food is great too! They have 20+ taps of craft beer that changes constantly. In fact, they have a HopCam, a little camera that is focused on their beer board so you can see what they have on tap before you come in! How friggin awesome is that!

mini bike photography

2009-02-10T15:42:00.000-08:00

I just put up a post about using a Dahon Speed TR in combination with the Ortlieb Shuttle Bike to go on photoshoots on BikeCommuters.com. When I can't bring my Bilenky, I use this combination and it works great!

The low overall center of gravity of the Dahon Speed TR balances out any potential top-heaviness from really loading up the Shuttle Bike. When I have lots of bus/train connections to make, this would be my set-up of choice. It also makes a great credit-card or S240 touring set up.

Feeling a bit lost...

2009-02-09T14:54:00.001-08:00

Going on these short bike trips is wonderful but there is always a bit of depression that sets in afterwards. Whenever I am away, I feel light as a feather. "In the moment," I suppose. The only thing I have to worry about is what is right in front of my tire.

When I return home, the weight of my responsibilities falls again on my shoulders. Rent. Bills. Taxes. Bike advocacy. My commitments to the various groups I belong to. Granted, relative to others, it is not very much. I don't have a mortgage or am a CEO of a failing institution. I have it pretty good. Kahil Gibran put it best when he wrote, "the cup of misery is always full." However big or small our burdens, they consume us.

So, I'm at my desk. Fishing through my emails that have accumulated in the three days I haven't been checking it. And a little bit at a time, that lightness I had gets heavier and heavier. I look at the photos from this past weekend to make sure I wasn't dreaming. And although I only just got back yesterday, it begins to feel like an eternity. Did I really stand around a campfire talking with friends as the rain fell around us? Did I really ride all the way from the ocean to the mountains? Was I dreaming that beautiful vanilla colored light that hit our tents just before the sun went behind the trees?

Is there a way for me to just keep "going"? I read of others that are on multi-year world tours and I'm envious. But can I really do it? Can I cut the umbilical cord and go? It gets tempting every time I contemplate it and in my head I have already started to say my good-bye's to this life as I prepare for my next.

O'Neill Regional Park...again..

2009-02-09T08:30:00.001-08:00

Some snaps from our latest trip to O'Neill Regional Park, this time with some friends! It was very enjoyable despite the rain, hail and more rain :)

Mmmmm...

2009-02-02T13:36:00.000-08:00

It's that time of year again...dining guide time! Which means for a few blessed weeks I get to sample some of the finest cooking in Long Beach :) My food shooting kit fits in my LowePro backpack is small and easy to set up. I can usually get the light dialed in about 10 minutes. Almost all these shots were photographed using an XS Chimera softbox with an old Nikon SB-28 as the strobe and some Alien Bees wireless triggers. No tripod. All handheld (or I'm using the back of a chair for support). Sometimes its a real blessed life :)

After doing a few of these, I'm convinced that bicycling to these shoots is the way to do it. You shoot. Eat. Then burn off some of the food on the way to the next assignment. Repeat. I imagine that by doing it by car you must feel pretty gross at the end of the day.

For something more uplifting...

2009-02-02T11:59:00.000-08:00

What do bike-y Southern Californians do during 80 degree January afternoons? Have a paella party, of course. Chris, played chef for the evening cooking up some paella with a paella pan he picked while touring in Spain. It was quite the event as we all watched the dish build into a crescendo (it took about an hour to cook and required a careful sequencing of ingredients.)

Maybe I've been doing it all wrong...

2009-01-29T21:09:00.000-08:00

An interesting comment left by Anonymous (all the good ones always are).

no offense, but you don't deserve kudos for eschewing the automobile in LA.

use of bicycles is admirable, but not 100-percent of the time -- that's just being foolish.

all your publicity is giving cycling advocates a bad-name.

do us all a favor and move to portland already.

sheesh.

Firstly, I've never advocated that everyone should get rid of their car and bike around. ("I'm not anti-car, but I do believe that we need real transportation options."...it's in my profile.) That's just foolish.

Hey, I'll be the first to admit, carfree might not be for everyone. You've got kids in tow or you've got a job that's 60 miles away. Fine. Some people have some constraints that they either can't change or don't want to. But at the same time, there are lots of people that hop in their car to go to a store that's less than a mile away, or work less than five miles away (a distance you could easily bike to, bus to, or walk to).

What I don't get is how all my publicity is giving cycling advocates a bad-name. How's that work? I ride like a vehicle. I follow traffic rules. I use hand signals. I'm working directly with my community to create bike-friendly events and raise awareness. I've helped educate people on how to ride safely in traffic and shown people how to commute.

I show, through my actions and not just a lot of talk, that a bicycle is a viable mode of transport.

Is it possible that a cycling advocate can ride a bike too much? Should I rent a car now and then and show that I'm "normal"? (Maybe I should write to Ed Begely Jr. to lose the vermiculture bin and solar panels cause that's too eco-friendly and he's creeping people out.)

I think we've had enough of arm-chair "cycling advocates" that don't walk the walk. Or maybe I'm just being foolish.

Back...and tired..

2009-01-25T23:12:00.001-08:00

Well, Laura and I just got back a few hours ago from another weekend wandering. We set out to see if we could find a weekend tour in The OC and I think we've succeeded. We rode our bikes form Long Beach all the way to O'Neill Regional Park. We had a bit of weather but it was prefect because it made it seem less Southern California-like and also scared away other would-be campers. We practically had O'Neill to ourselves!

It was a great (albeit short) trip. Some good roads. Camping. We made corned-beef hash (our camping staple). Had a campfire with some hot cocoa. Nothing like a good weekend adventure. The total mileage for the weekend was just a hair under 100. Not bad.

District Cover..

2009-01-21T15:35:00.001-08:00

Got the cover and a few other portraits inside. I also get profiled inside! Grab a copy :)

Robert Garcia for 1st District

2009-01-19T15:33:00.000-08:00

I was asked by a friend of mine whose opinion I respected, Brian Ulaszewski, to shoot some images for Robert Garcia's campaign for the 1st District in Long Beach. I knew of Robert but hadn't actually spoken to him. I knew that he had gotten the nod from Alan Lowenthal, which was a pretty big deal. But for me, the more important endorsement was from Brian. We set up a meeting and talked a little and it was enough to convince me that maybe this time, there was a real chance for change in the city of Long Beach.

So with that, I agreed to shoot for Robert Garcia's campaign. Here are some of the images. You'll be seeing more, no doubt, in the coming weeks all around the city.

He's a good guy and I hope he wins.

Bill Viola

2009-01-16T15:02:00.000-08:00

I got a chance to do a portrait of well respected video artist, Bill Viola. For all the visual drama and powerful imagery of his work, Bill himself is a gentle and soft spoken person who was easy to work with. I shot a few available light shots of him in his study and some lit shots outside his studio.

More State of Long Beach...

2009-01-14T21:00:00.000-08:00

State of Long Beach

2009-01-14T14:05:00.000-08:00

I got to photograph mayor Bob Foster for the State of Long Beach this year. I was able to shoot a little behind the scenes, which for me, is a lot more interesting. You realize that behind all these events, people are people. Even very public figures can get a little nervous right before a speech.