A decade w/ a Manhattan muse!

What’s up, Hive! Happy eclipse and Eid for the muslim brothers and sisters out there. I’m in Northeastern Pennsylvania right now visiting @bonni and my family. My grandfather is going through some health issues after a recent fall and hip fracture. @guthrie and I managed to coordinate this trip with the eclipse in Toledo, OH which did put us in the path of totality. Quite an experience. @tarotbyfergus had told me about his experience in 2017 and after that, I added a total solar eclipse to my bucket list. Now we’re here. My home town. I always have mixed feelings about being here. The nostalgia and the familiar faces but I’m so glad I got out of here when I did.

I have a collection of photography that’s been curated over a decade. Some of the self reflection being back in my hometown has made me think of the hundreds of thousands of miles I’ve traveled in my career and the interesting people I’ve met along the way. One of those people is Violet Vixen. We originally crossed paths in Midtown Manhattan when she booked me for a shoot in a massive high-rise apartment. We immediately became fast friends as we’re both Leo’s. Great collaborative creative energy and the connections to jaw dropping locations to compliment our shoots together. The first time working together was the beginning of an era.

Over the years, we continued to meet in various cities across the United States. Los Angeles many times, but especially in Vegas. We scheduled a sunrise shoot in the Valley Of Fire which was brutal considering how busy my schedule was during Viva Las Vegas, but as dawn broke it was clear it was worth the trouble. A few years later just before COVID, our final collaboration was back in New York City where it all began. A stunning five star hotel and a range of looks which shaped one of the longest running and most prolific relationships of my time in photography. I love so many of these images.

We haven’t found an opportunity to work together since but these photos over the years have chronicled the silver linings of an extremely hard career. What I’ve missed in money and security I’ve definitely made up for in experiences and friendships with memorable people and muses across the world. Tomorrow, I’ll be finding a coffee shop and reviewing some more old photography. I have some illustration work I want to get to as well. This isn’t exactly a vacation but I’m going to try and take a couple of days to explore some creative projects all my own without the incentive of client work.