General Store Stuff

There's an awesome store in Outer Sunset called General Store. They sell mostly things made by local people, and most of which happens to be hip, in a foggy, laid-back sort of way.

I picked up these patterned placemats, made by Jo Bartels, and knew I had to use them as a background before I spilled too much salsa on them.

Here's what I have so far:

Seesaw

Sadly, I can't remember the last time I was on a seesaw, but Seesaw cafe in Hayes Valley offered almost as much fun (and some Four Barrel coffee).  I've walked by this place a few times now, and decided to bop in yesterday.  The decor is something Alvar Aalto would love, and its concept is pretty cool: kids play space and cafe that also does workshops and private events.

My girlfriend and I loved the chocolate chip cookie and lavender/sea salt shortbread.  Also, the owner is really nice and loves kids. It sounds like they're going to have some music or art events (beers, anyone?) in the evening, so it's fun even if you don't have any rugrats.

Oh, here's some photos, too:

Last day to enter!

Today is the deadline for the Communication Arts Photo Competition!  Here's the one I submitted - my favorite from last year - as well as a few others that I found in my archive:

babycakes cookies

vegan bakery in NYC

Just tried a recipe from the Babycakes cookbook by Erin McKenna.  She started Babycakes bakery in NYC, which is almost all vegan and gluten-free.  Even though I love bread and butter (a lot), it was fun to try cooking with some new ingedients.  And, the results were pretty tasty - here are some photos of the cookie sandwiches:

Forgotten from 2010

I have a few projects from 2010 that I completely forgot to post! I photographed a few places for Eater SF, and had a blast cruising around to different spots around San Francisco.  Way back, even before the Giants won the World Series, I shot at Pedro's Cantina, over by AT&T Park. Here's a link to the article with my pictures.

the new place

After looking at 27 places, Natalie and I finally found and awesome place.  We live right by Alamo Square Park - walking distance to Divisadero Street restaurants and shops, and straight down Fulton Street to catch the surf at Ocean Beach.

I thought it'd be fun to make a video of moving in - the music is just something I made on the computer.





Also, there was an awesome sunrise the other day, so here's some pics of that as well.

ASMP Strictly Business 3

In my photo career here, I often think: how can I be more like my dad. He's a 'business man' - he knows how to travel, talk on the phone, get stuff done, speak in public - all the stuff most people aren't inclined to do for fun.

In that sense, Strictly Business 3 was awesome. It's an ASMP event that just happened in Los Angeles, all about getting better at those 'business' things that make or break photographers.

Meeting other photographers at different points in their careers was great. While I didn't learn too much new stuff, it was nice to get a refresher course on things like licensing, sales, negotiating, and portfolios. Plus, the instructors and members are super accessible - got a question particular to your situation? just ask them in the hallway! Everyone there is all about meeting new people, sharing ideas, making money, and doing what you love.

Coming up there's are SB3 events in Chicago and Philidelphia - all the info is on their website at ASMP.org