The blog of Jacob Kepler,

Amanda Latona for Muscle and Fitness hers

2012-03-13T15:38:00.001-07:00

Here are some photos I recently shot of fitness model Amanda Latona for the "A Day in the Life of..." feature for Muscle and Fitness hers Magazine. Super fun assignment!

Two Harleys for Guitar Aficianado

2012-03-12T17:40:00.000-07:00

Here are some recent photos I took for Guitar Aficionado Magazine. It was a great afternoon of shooting in the desert surrounding Las Vegas.

Amway Convention for the Wall Street Journal

2012-03-09T14:01:00.000-08:00

Here are some recent photos I took for the Wall Street Journal of top Amway salesperson Holly Chen. The photos were taken during Amway's North American Conference held here in Las Vegas. Chen has achieved rock star status within the organization after working with the company for over 30 years.

Parade

2011-11-13T23:39:00.000-08:00

Chris Grundy for Popular Mechanics

2011-10-31T02:43:00.000-07:00

Here are some recent photos I took of DIY Network's Chris Grundy, host of the show Cool Tools. The photos were taken during the National Hardware Show in Las Vegas.

Cute Honey

2011-10-28T17:33:00.000-07:00

Here are some photos I recently took of Ginny McQueen dressed as anime character Cute Honey. The photos were shot for a calendar that is being produced to benefit the victims of the recent Japanese tsunami.

Swing State

2011-10-28T01:05:00.000-07:00

My blog has been suffering due to the fact that I have been so busy lately. Here are some photos I took while on the set of CNN during the Western Republican Presidential debate held here in Las Vegas. There promises to be lots of political activity in Las Vegas because of its swing state status and how much the economy has effected the city.

Turn On Your Red Light

2011-08-26T11:25:00.000-07:00

I recently had the opportunity to take Las Vegas performer Gordie Brown's portrait. After a tour of his home we decided the best place to take the photo would be his music styled bedroom. It was such a cool spot with its Elvis memorabilia, dim red lights, guitars and so much more. Brown was full of ides and had a great personality that showed through in the photos. It was one of the most fun assignments I have had in a while. He performs nightly at the Golden Nugget.

Fashion Designer Marc Bouwer

2011-07-15T12:05:00.000-07:00

Here are some recent photos I took of fashion designer Marc Bouwer at the Palazzo here in Las Vegas. It was definitely a great day getting to meet so many interesting people.

Oscar: A Good Man (a tribute to Oscar Goodman)

2011-05-28T16:34:00.000-07:00

I was really excited when I was asked to take publicity photos for the original play Oscar: A Good Man. The play, written by Derek Stonebarger, is a tribute to Las Vegas Mayor Oscar Goodman and follows him during his life. Goodman, who used to work as a lawyer for members of organized crime including Anthony Spilotro, will soon reach the end of his term as mayor. His wife Carolyn is running to replace him in what is shaping up to be a close race against Clark County Commissioner Chris Giunchigliani. The play is currently running at Theater 7 in Las Vegas.

Molycorp Mine

2011-04-20T14:34:00.000-07:00

Here are some from a recent trip to the Molycorp Mine. The mine produces rare earth elements that are used in many of today's latest technologies. The mine is one of the few places in the world that produce the rare earths. China is the main producer or rare earths and has been drastically cutting the amount of rare earths it exports.

From Slam Dunks to Sweet Dreams

2011-03-04T11:47:00.000-08:00

Here are some photos I recently took for O the Oprah Magazine. The story is about the founders of Sheex, a company that makes bedding out of the same material that athletic shorts are made. Susan Walvius and Michelle Marciniak were coaching basketball at the University of South Carolina when they discovered the material. They decided to leave there coaching positions and start their company.

CES

2011-02-07T12:32:00.000-08:00

Benefits Selling Magazine Cover

2011-02-03T17:42:00.000-08:00

Here are some photos I recently took for Benefits Selling Magazine of Rebecca Purdy. The art director wanted the photos to be taken in the middle of the desert showing her burying the bad economy. Similar to the way the mob buries a dead body in the middle of the desert. It was a lot of fun and the photos looked great with the layout.

Happy New Year!

2011-01-03T13:17:00.000-08:00

Here is my holiday card from this year featuring my dog and cat. This year, as with most in the past, I spent my holidays traveling around the country visiting friends and family. I took planes, buses, trains, subways and cars as I froze my butt of in the frigid Northeast. I visited five babies who were all around the same age and some were probably part of the baby boom that happens after the Pittsburgh Steelers with the Superbowl. I am excited for 2011 and grateful for all the opportunites I had in 2010. It was a very busy year and that seemed a little overwhelming at times. I guess it is better to be overwhelmed than underwhelmed.

Foreclosed Upon Pets

2010-12-22T10:30:00.000-08:00

Here are a couple photos I recently took of Sandy Marsh. She is the founder of Foreclosed Upon Pets, an organization that rescues and finds homes for animals displaced because of the recession.

Behind the Scenes

2010-12-18T03:47:00.000-08:00

I was recently hired by Cirque du Soleil to take some behind the scenes photos of events that were happening at each of their seven Las Vegas shows it was a great opportunity to see all the things that make Cirque so special.

Hoover Dam: 75 Years

2010-12-13T15:00:00.000-08:00

Over the summer I had the opportunity to work with videographer/photographer Terry Lownethal on a video about the 75th anniversary of the Hoover Dam. I got to climb around all the different areas of the dam and through its hand carved tunnels. The bottom of the dam has a spot where you have to watch your head because people will drop change on you from over 720 feet. The temperature also hovered around 118 degrees for the entire time we were there. http://www.bechtel.com/hoover_dam.html

Tony Hsieh, Zappos.com

2010-12-10T09:31:00.000-08:00

Zappos.com is one of the few promising businesses in Las Vegas that doesn't directly relate to gaming. Here are some photos I recently did of Tony Hsieh, CEO of retailer Zappos.com and author the new book 'Delivering Happiness,' for the UK based magazine 'The Royal Mail.'

Signs of Foreclosure

2010-10-21T11:39:00.000-07:00

Here are some photos I recently took to help illustrate the foreclosure crisis in Las Vegas. Unemployment hovers around 14% and thousands continue to lose their homes to foreclosure.

Vin City for AirTran's Go Magazine

2010-10-07T14:16:00.000-07:00

I recently had the opportunity to shoot a bunch of Las Vegas' wine hotspots for AirTran's Go Magazine. I tasted classic bottles of wine from the 1930's and even got to ride the pulley system in the four story high wine cellar at Aureole.

"On White" for JCK Magazine

2010-09-28T13:20:00.000-07:00

Here are some recent portraits I took for JCK Magazine, the jewelry industry's leading trade publication. I was was excited to shoot for the magazine which was recently redesigned by design industry heavyweight Robert Newman.

60+ Carat Yellow Diamond

2010-09-16T11:07:00.000-07:00

When I was first given this monster diamond ring to photograph my first thought was to run. What are the odds of me ever being able to plunk down a little under $10 million for this thing. The raw diamond weighed several hundred carats and took over a year to cut.

Americas's #1 Foreclosed City: Las Vegas

2010-09-15T18:42:00.000-07:00

Wendy Kveck from the Contemporary Arts Collective stands in an art exhibit by Emily Kennerk titled "Americas's #1 Foreclosed City: Las Vegas.

Susie Lee

2010-08-31T22:34:00.000-07:00

Here is a portrait I did of Susie Lee. She will be riding in a charity bicycle race.

Las Vegas Locomotives

2010-08-30T19:45:00.000-07:00

Jim Fassel, head coach of the Las Vegas Locomotives, a United Football League team, recently held at dinner at his home. The purpose of the dinner was so that members of the media could become familiar with the UFL's management and the Locomotives' coaching staff. Fassel, like many other coaches and players in the UFL has NFL experience. He is the former coach of the Baltimore Ravens and led the New York Giants to the Superbowl in 2000.

Krave Nightclub's Moulin Rouge 2 Event

2010-07-23T11:35:00.000-07:00

Know as the nations #1 alternative lifestyle club, Krave held its annual Moulin Rouge event this past weekend. The only gay nightclub on The Strip celebrated with a night filled with dwarfs, donkeys, cross dressers, clowns and really dirty dancing.

Lt. Frances Dixon for Tufts University

2010-07-19T14:08:00.000-07:00

Here are a couple of photos I recently shot of Air Force Lieutenant Frances Dixon for the Tufts University alumni magazine. The photos were taken just outside Las Vegas near Creech Air Force Base. I wasn't allowed anywhere near the base so we decided to take the photo out in the desert. She was responsible for flying the unmanned drone aircraft and had recently flown several humanitarian missions over earthquake damaged Haiti. She was a very interesting and accomplished person who shoulders a tremendous amount of responsibility.

Recently

2010-07-16T11:21:00.000-07:00

Here are some recent clips from assignments around Las Vegas.

Sinatra

2010-07-01T09:31:00.000-07:00

Robert Ensler runs an e-commerce site revolving around the Rat Pack, and is a Dean Martin impersonator. "The coolest plate in town." Ensler says. “I am embarrassed to have it on this car.”

Here is a video the Las Vegas Weekly did. Some of the video is from when I was taking their picture so you can see the back of my head in a couple of the shots.

WT CHOC

2010-06-29T10:25:00.000-07:00

Las Vegas resident Cynthia Brass' license plate makes a humorous commentary on her marriage to a black man. Brass, 50, said she originally wanted to get freaky1, but her husband did not approve.

Tom Smallwood for Parade Magazine

2010-06-22T15:57:00.000-07:00

Here are some photos I recently took of professional bowler Tom Smallwood. Smallwood was recently employed by one of the major car companies in Michigan before being laid-off. While he was unemployed, he decided to make an attempt at being a professional bowler and won one of the PBA's major tournaments. A huge accomplishment for even the most seasoned professional bowler.

Pussycat Tattoo

2010-05-29T21:00:00.000-07:00

Here are some photos I recently shot of Dirk Vermin's Pussycat Tattoo. It was recently named best tattoo parlor in Las Vegas.

April Swartz, Mrs. Nevada

2010-05-10T12:23:00.000-07:00

I had a recent assignment to take a portrait of Mrs. Nevada April Swartz. She called me and said that she wanted to take the photo in her bathroom with her son. Sounded like a good idea to me.

Jennifer Hudson

2010-04-25T23:23:00.001-07:00

Here is a photo of Jennifer Hudson from a recent assignment.

Uberschall

2010-04-22T15:50:00.000-07:00

Here is a photo of the band Uberschall which comes from the German word Supersonic. We decided to do the photos by their pool. They gave me a CD of their music and haven't stopped listening to them for the last few days. They play at the Bunkhouse here in Las Vegas at 12:30 AM on Tuesdays.

Cellular Telecommunications Industry Association (CTIA)

2010-03-26T09:47:00.000-07:00

I shot the CTIA show this week in Las Vegas. The event was attended by Twitter co-founder Biz Stone, Avatar director James Cameron and others. Most of the technology had to do with connecting appliances and the like to your cell phone. There were also many mentions to higher quality screens. Someone mentioned that 3D would work on small cell phone sized screens, and that the only reason you needed the glasses to get 3-D to work was because it was on a big screen.

Bob Arum for ESPN the Magazine

2010-03-18T17:12:00.000-07:00

Here are some photos I recently shot of legendary boxing promoter Bob Arum for ESPN the Magazine. Among the many controversies Arum has been involved in are feuds with UFC president Dana White, and a forty year on with Don King.

Booty Parlor

2010-03-03T13:58:00.000-08:00

Here are some corporate photos I recently did of the Booty Parlor founder.

Dr. Rice and I

2010-02-19T00:35:00.001-08:00

Here are some photos I took of former US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice. I had the opportunity to spend part of a day with her while shooting for one of my corporate clients. She was nice enough to ask if I wanted to take a photograph with her. She is the first person who has ever asked me that question and I was surprised but happy to have my photo taken with such a prominent person. Las Vegas is currently playing host to a variety of politicians in the next week with Presidents Bill Clinton, Barack Obama, and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid visiting. The Tea Party will also be holding a convention here in July.

Rickie Fowler for Golf Magazine

2010-02-15T17:17:00.000-08:00

Here are some recent photos I shot of Rickie Fowler for Golf Magazine. He has high expectations for 2010 because he earned over $500,000 in just three tournaments in 2009.

Nevada State Senator David Parks

2010-01-28T17:17:00.001-08:00

Here are some photos of Nevada state senator David Parks. He is the state's first openly gay lawmaker and is currently running for Clark County Commissioner.

CES (Consumer Electronics Show)

2010-01-25T01:18:00.000-08:00

Here are some photos from the recent Consumer Electronics Sow in Las Vegas. The show features the future of electronic gadgets. It seems that there will be a lot of 3D devices coming out in the near future.

New Niece

2009-12-26T17:33:00.000-08:00

Here are some photos of my new niece Stella-Lynn Grace. She looks a bit like the Gerber baby.

Fresno

2009-12-25T13:34:00.000-08:00

Here are some recent photos of an Aerial Experience performance in Fresno. Aerial Experience is a group that provides elite acrobatic entertainment for organizations around the world.

Happy Holidays!

2009-12-24T12:07:00.001-08:00

Every year I take a photo of one of my pets for my Christmas card. This year, it was my cat Boots' turn. It is alway funny to watch her try to run away before she gives up, sits still and lets me take a few quick snaps of her. There is nothing better than terrorizing your pets. I will be in Pennsylvania visiting friends and family, driving countless miles in the snow, rooting for the Steelers, drinking Yuengling and feeling sad about not being able to spend more time with people. It has been a great year, and I hope everyone has a great holiday!

The MGM Mirage CityCenter

2009-12-15T11:21:00.000-08:00

Last night I had the opportunity to shoot s ome night aerial photos of the MGM Mirage CityCenter. Here are some of the photos along with some recent clips. The $8.5 billion CityCenter will be having its grand opening tomorrow and promises to create 12,000 new jobs. This is definitely a good thing for Las Vegas where unemployment is currently over 13%. The new mega hotel, shopping, residential and gaming complex has certainly stimulated my economy in the last year with around 15 assignments from various organizations

Snow Way!

2009-12-14T10:08:00.000-08:00

Here are some photos from a recent trip to the snow in Sequoia National Park with the acrobatic group Aerial Experience. It was great to enjoy the snow with a group, who were mostly from the temperate Southern California area. It also made me excited for my upcoming trip to Pennsylvania for Christmas. Aerial Experience is a group that I shoot for that provides elite acrobatic entertainment for various organizations around the world. It is always amazing to see the things they can do and the shows they conceive.

Rick Faugno

2009-12-11T00:14:00.000-08:00

Here are some recent photos of Jersey Boy's star Rick Faugno during his solo performance at the South Point Hotel. The show was a kind biography for the Faugno who began performing on Broadway as a child.

Mike and Charlene

2009-12-02T19:19:00.000-08:00

Cirque Video Contest

2009-11-20T15:55:00.000-08:00

My fiance, who is the graphic designer for Cirque du Soleil, recently completed a video for a company wide contest. It only took a couple hours, but it was fun to work on. The video went live today, along with many others that give a good glimpse into what life is like at Cirque.

Wonderful Machine

2009-11-18T22:26:00.000-08:00

I recently joined Wonderful Machine. "Wonderful Machine is a boutique web portal dedicated to connecting the world's most talented photographers with the industry's most discerning clients." It seems like a pretty exciting opportunity.

Golf Sharks

2009-11-12T12:30:00.000-08:00

Here is and assignment I shot for Golf Magazine of professional poker players Phil Hellmuth Jr., Layne Flack, Erick Lindgren, and Gavin Smith. The article talks about how the four play in high stakes golf games and gamble around $10,000 a hole. It turned out to be a pretty difficult photo to make, as it took about four days to finally wrangle everyone together for the shoot. It was a weekend filled with very angry network television bosses, drunken PR people, an arrest and several no shows. I was happy escape with my sanity and the magazine seemed to be happy that I was able to get a photo all four together.

Holy Tattoo

2009-11-05T11:23:00.000-08:00

I had a couple of assignments that involved tattooing recently. The first was to shoot Vince Neil Ink for a feature in Mountain Bike Magazine. The second was to photograph Mario Barth's Biggest Tattoo Convention on Earth for The Las Vegas Weekly. The Strip world and the tattoo world seem to be two places that work well together. I enjoyed meeting the tattoo artists and managed to resist the temptation to get a tattoo of my own.

Nicaragua

2009-10-28T09:04:00.000-07:00

I just got back from Central America and had some time to take some pictures on a trip through Nicaragua. We visited the capital of Managua, the city of Granada, two volcanoes and a fresh water lake that had sharks living in it. While driving through the country we were pulled over by police for not exceeding the speed limit, but for driving faster than the area would allow. They let us go for a $10 bribe. This is a standard practice in Central America as bribing the police for traffic offenses usually costs between $2 and $10. It can also take as much as $200 in bribes to drive from Mexico to Costa Rica.

Aerial Photogrpher

2009-10-27T11:16:00.000-07:00

I recently had the opportunity to ride around in an R-22 for a couple hours and take photos of The Strip and Nevada Solar One. An R-22 is a little two seat helicopter that is great for shooting photos. They took the doors off and it just had a regular car seat and car lap belt that didn't restrict movement. The pilot said it would only feel like I was going to fall out, but the cyntriphical force would keep me safe inside the helicopter. I dangled my feet out the door at one point and found it to be a very relaxing ride.

Las Vegas Weekly Cover

2009-10-06T10:14:00.000-07:00

Here is a photo of the Rev. Deacon Bonnie Polley the the Las Vegas Weekly recently used as a cover shot.

THOR at the Palms

2009-09-25T14:39:00.000-07:00

THOR at the Bus Stop is being shown at Brenden Theaters inside the Palms starting September 25th, which is tonight. It is playing just like any other movie. Here is some promotional stuff for the movie that I have seen around town. THOR is a movie that I did promotional photographs for last summer.

Molycorp Mine

2009-09-18T21:56:00.001-07:00

Here are some photos I did of the Molycorp Mountain Pass mine in Mountain Pass, California for Bloomberg News which ended up as a gallery on the Wall Street Journal's website. Molycorp Minerals LLC is the only U.S. company that produces rare earths, and they are planning on expanding their operations by $400 million. Rare earths are used in hybrid cars, computer chips, and televisions. China currently makes up about 90% of the rare earths output.

Now What?

2009-09-14T13:14:00.000-07:00

Phil Lacasse was released from prison three months ago after serving more than ten years for armed robbery. He was desperately looking for work but hopeful for his situation. I met him at his halfway house and he was able to sign out for 45 minutes to do the photos. We hopped into my car and drove around for a few minutes until we came to some railroad tracks. Railroad tracks are an irresistible location for photos when your time is limited. We hopped out off the car, I set up some lights, and we took the photos. It is hard to imagine how difficult it is for parolees to find work and get their life back together.

Lt. Colin Webb

2009-09-11T14:19:00.000-07:00

Here are some recent photos I shot of Lt. Colin Webb, Division of Parole and Probation, for a story on the difficulties of making your way back into society once you are released from prison. He was seemed very mild mannered which, I imagine, is a good trait for a parole officer.

FREAKS! part two

2009-09-06T13:53:00.000-07:00

I had the opportunity to take some more photos of the cast of The Las Vegas show Freaks this weekend. It was another great time that lasted until the early morning hours.

The Point

2009-08-28T13:06:00.000-07:00

I recently received the current issue of The Point, Point Park University's alumni magazine. I graduated from the Pittsburgh, PA based institution with a major in journalism seven years ago. The magazine featured a pair of dancers that attended Point Park and were currently dancers in the Cirque du Soleil show Criss Angel Believe. I was hired by Cirque du Soleil to do some publicity shots of the Wade Robson choreographed dancers. The magazine didn't give me credit for the photo, but I believe that the school is paying me back for the time I got really drunk, snuck on the roof, and stole their gigantic American flag. Let me just publicly say that I will never give back the flag, I payed $50,000 for it.

Arena Football Championship

2009-08-27T12:40:00.000-07:00

Here is a recent assignment I had to shoot the ArenaCup title game at The Orleans Arena. The Spokane Shock defeated the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Pioneers 74-27 in what turned into a blowout. It was great shooting football again, even if it was arena football. It has been a few years since I photographed my last football game, and I really enjoyed photographing this one. When I worked for The Daily Item in Sunbury, PA I would photograph around four a week. It made me remember the times I had to drive all over coal country shooting various high school teams and colleges like Penn State and Bucknell. Maybe it made me feel a little sentimental to do that again, but not for long.

Liberace Museum Benefit

2009-08-20T07:15:00.000-07:00

I was brought in by the Liberace Foundation and Museum to photograph their Cabaret benefit last night. The event included many members of the Broadway-Las Vegas community with much of the event being organized by Jersey Boys' conductors Philip Fortenberry and Keith Thompson. The goal of the event was to raise money to help maintain and promote the Cabaret room at the museum. The photo above is of Christopher Joel Carter during a standing ovation he received at the event. Carter is the featured pianist at the M Resort and winner of the Showmanship division of the 2008 Liberace Piano Competition. Space was tight so they stuck me in a corner in the back, but the event was still very entertaining.

The Master of Miniatures

2009-08-14T10:42:00.000-07:00

Here are some photos of the artist Frank James. He builds miniature buildings out of found materials and is currently attempting to raise money to build a World Trade Center memorial. James was a pretty interesting guy and I spent a few hours with him mostly just talking. During his life he has done many things including designing Kareem Abdul-Jabbar's bed.

Nino and Christine

2009-08-13T00:56:00.000-07:00

Here are some photos from the recent wedding of Nino and Christine at the Ritz-Carlton, Lake Las Vegas. I have shot many other things at the Ritz-Carlton and always think it is one of my favorite places to shoot. One of my favorite things about their wedding was the gigantic table of candy.

Vegas Vittles

2009-08-04T23:18:00.001-07:00

I have recently had the opportunity to photograph to very different restaurants. The first is Wazuzu in the Encore. It is run by Executive Chef Jet Tila, but I mostly photographed Master Sushi Chef Masaru Matsuura as he prepared something called live sushi. Wazuzu is one of the few places that you can get live sushi in Las Vegas. Live sushi is considered the pinnacle of traditional Japanese raw-fish cuisine and is exactly what is sounds like, sushi that is still alive. The lobster dish that was served was still squirming around on the plate as it was being consumed. I think it would be difficult to eat something that is literally watching you as you eat it.
The last few photos are from Rhumbar which is located at The Mirage. I photographed the bar on a Monday night so it was a little empty inside. I don't know what it is like on the weekends, but it seemed like a great place to sit and enjoy the evening. There were plenty of designer drinks to enjoy and a great view of The Strip from the balcony.

Cooling Off

2009-08-04T15:26:00.000-07:00

Everyone needs to get away from time to time, especially if you live in the Mojave Desert in August. The temperatures consistently tops 110 degrees. The nearest escape in Mount Charleston, which is only about 20 minutes from Las Vegas' city limits. When we left our home it was 109 degrees, and when we arrived in Mount Charleston for our hike, it was 65 degrees. We opted for a late evening hike to Mary Jane Falls and a quick run through its very refreshing waters.

Hoover Dam Bypass

2009-08-04T14:47:00.000-07:00

Here is a recent assignment I shot to show the current progress of the Hoover Dam Bypass. The bypass is a pretty amazing thing to see, especially since it is located next to the Hoover Dam. The finishing touches are being done to the support beam that links the two sides together. It definitely makes the Hoover Dam, a place I always have to go when someone visits me from outside of town, a lot more interesting. The bottom photos are a couple Polaroids I shot while photographing the bypass. I shot them using a Polaroid backed Holga. The temperature was around 115 degrees that day and kept melting the glue that holds the Polaroid together. Every time I would let the Polaroid cook, it would just start peeling apart on its own.

Comic Oasis owner Derrick Taylor

2009-07-21T11:20:00.000-07:00

Comic Oasis in Las Vegas is owned by Derrick Taylor. The store is currently nominated for the Will Eisner Comic Industry Award, the industry's highest honor. He was a super nice guy who had a really great attitude toward his business. One of the things the store is known for is bringing in people like Spiderman creator Stan Lee and Lee Bermejo, who has designed many of the Steven King book covers. He also has them do limited edition printings just for the store. I took some photos inside the store, but liked the superhero mural that was painted on the outside of the building's windows. I tried to light the photo so the he would look similar a comic book character.

FREAKS

2009-07-16T13:31:00.000-07:00

The top photo was shot for an ad for the Harrah's show "Freaks," a sideshow style show on the Strip. The performers and I decided to take as many photos as we could fit into the scheduled photo session. We met for photos at their stage in O'Sheas. I can't begin to tell you how excited I was to get to shoot something like this. It was a big blur of moving lights and and trying to pack in as many photos as we could during our time. I was surprised at how much abuse they put their bodies through on a daily basis.

The Las Vegas Sun described the show as "Perverse, revolting, raunchy, offensive and deserving of many other derogatory adjectives, “Freaks” is what might happen if John Waters and Quentin Tarantino went halfsies on a Vegas showroom."
People attending the show are given a waver with language like "Must be 18 years or older. Partial nudity, adult language, gross-out stunts and simulated clown-on-clown sex."

Scott Ziegler

2009-07-08T10:00:00.000-07:00

This is famous producer Scott Ziegler. He has worked on Las Vegas shows like Mel Brooks' "The Producers," and "The Phantom: Las Vegas Spectacular." Has also produced the legendary rock opera "Tommy" by The Who. I took his photo at The Phantom Theater in the Venitian. My favorite photo from the day was while he was checking his cellphone as I finished my lighting tests.

Rev. Deacon Bonnie Polley

2009-07-07T11:19:00.000-07:00

Finally back from Northern California and the High Sierras. Here is a photo of the Rev. Deacon Bonnie Polley. She is chaplain at the Clark County Detention Center and has held that position for the last 26 years. The Detention Center is a maximum security facility that currently runs at a little over maximum capacity. We spoke for a while and she said that she had ministered to many people including O.J. Simpson and and that prisoners usually came in waves. She said that there were currently a new group of child killers being held at the facility. Every time I took here photo she would say "Jesus" because it would help her smile.

Neon Boneyard

2009-06-24T10:08:00.001-07:00

Here are some photos from a very unique Las Vegas museum, the Neon Bonyard. I was shooting another assignment at the Boneyard, and grabbed these photos during some downtime. The Neon Boneyard is a collection of old, broken signs from Las Vegas' past. I was a little sad to see that some of the signs were fixed and relocated to the Freemont Street Experience and the East Freemont district, but there were some new signs I had never seen before.

Annie and Robert

2009-06-17T16:06:00.000-07:00

Here are some pics from the recent wedding of Annie and Robert. I Shot their wedding at the Paiute Golf Resort located on the Paiute Indian Reservation just outside of Las Vegas. They were Vegas locals (which is a little rare) so they had a big traditional wedding in which all their family and friends could attend. It made me miss my friends and family that live back east.

New Website

2009-06-09T15:48:00.000-07:00

I redesigned my website recently. I believe I have all the bugs worked out, but if you notice any, let me know.

Mainor, Eglet, Cottle Trial Lawyers

2009-06-08T08:35:00.000-07:00

Here are some photos I did for the Mainor, Eglet, Cottle Trial Lawyers. I shot this a couple months ago and I was happy to see their new website with my photos.

Simon G. Jewelry at The Palazzo

2009-06-01T01:16:00.000-07:00

Here are some public relations photos for The Palazzo during the Simon G. Jewelry "Spring Bling" event to benefit the Lili Claire foundation. I got to hang out in this giant 12 room suite where even the toilets were remote controlled. The event was attended by many reality stars who know exactly what to do when you tell them to act like they are talking for the photo. Most people it takes a little explaining. The event had desserts, a fashion show, concert and an after party at the nightclub Dos Caminos.

Television personality Brittny Gastineau, chef and author Bethenny Frankel, television personality Kris Jenner, model and television personality Holly Madison, television personality Khloe Kardashian and Actress Vanessa Minnillo.

Bebe Rose

2009-05-28T11:59:00.000-07:00

This is Bebe Rose, the wife of Jim Rose from the Jim Rose Circus. I did some promotional photos for the Jim Rose Circus a few days ago and this is an extra photo I shot.

Rick Lax and His Old Man Mask

2009-05-27T09:39:00.000-07:00

Lawyer, magician and writer, Rick Lax, wore this very real looking old man mask on The Strip for a Las Vegas Weekly article. The article talked about Lax's experiences in the mask and how it was different from his normal life. The mask looked incredibly real and even had these creepy looking eyebrows. I was lucky that Rick, who is young, was able to accommodate my request to jump with his walker. We drew a crowd of around 40 tourists as we were taking the photo. I didn't really notice the people that gathered around because my back was to them. Ignorance is bliss! If I would have known about the crowd I think I would have felt self conscious.

The Jim Rose Circus

2009-05-25T20:29:00.000-07:00

This is a promotional photo I did for the Jim Rose Circus. Jim Rose and his circus are best known for appearances on television shows The Simpsons, X Files, and David Letterman. They also toured in Lollapalooza, with Nine Inch Nails and other bands. The group is going on tour with professional wrestler Jake the Snake Roberts and needed a photo to distribute to media. Many people believe the character from the movie The Wrestler was based on Roberts' life. It was great to meet Jim and his wife and hear about their stories from the road.

Tatiana and Mauricio

2009-05-25T01:05:00.000-07:00

Some photos of Tatiana and Mauricio from Columbia. They had a small wedding ceremony at the Bellagio that they streamed to their family in South America. They didn't speak much English so most of the time when I would take their portrait they would just start making out. I guess the Columbians are very passionate people.

Athems

2009-05-08T10:49:00.000-07:00

This is the once-promising, local-hardcore punk band Anthems. They live in different parts of the country and were supposed to reunite to play a show, but the show got canceled. So they decided to amicably split again. I met them outside of Alamo Rehearsal Space. There was a mechanic next door, so I posed and lit them on a old car seat in front of a cool blue garage door. It was a great spot, but wreaked of urine.

Thor at the Bus Stop movie poster

2009-05-05T13:46:00.000-07:00

I got my copy of the Thor at the Bus Stop movie poster last weekend. Thor at the Bus Stop was a movie that I shot the publicity photos for this past summer. It was definitely a good way to fully experience the Vegas summer heat because some of the shooting days topped out at around 115 degrees. It was a lot of fun to shoot and meet all the people associated with the movie. I am looking forward to seeing the final edit of the movie in June at Cinevegas.

Price of Beautiful

2009-05-04T12:27:00.000-07:00

I spent part of the weekend taking still photos for the short film "Price of Beautiful." The photos were being taken as part of a still photography demonstration I was asked to give to a group of UNLV graduate students enrolled in the school's film program.

Ziggy, Lake Mead and Dead Tail Syndrome

2009-04-28T15:57:00.000-07:00

I took my dog Ziggy with me to Lake Mead while I was shooting some photos for a drought story. The lake is shockingly low this year. Every time the lake recedes further, the trash on the bottom of the lake is exposed. In some areas the lake has receded almost two miles. This makes the shore of the lake a smelly, muddy mess. I didn't realize how bad it was or I would have left my dog at home. He had a great time playing in the mud and swimming in the lake. He even found a dirty diaper at one point. Today, he has Dead Tail Syndrome. This is something that occurs in hunting dogs when they play in the water. Their tails just hang limply. It takes a few days to two weeks for his tail to heal. It is good that there is no real damage to his tail, but I have never really seen him this depressed.

John 3:16 Cook: God's showman.

2009-04-24T10:45:00.000-07:00

Longtime homeless advocate, John 3:16 Cook and his wife, Magical Marissa--a witch, metaphysicist and astrologer, sit by their homeless shelter on wheels that once served the Las Vegas community. Cook, best known for being a street preacher and his several unsuccessful bids for local political office, is currently battling lung cancer. When I met him for this photo he said his weight had dropped from 180 pounds to under 100. He shared several stories with me like the time their mobile mission was shot with buckshot because certain people didn't agree with a priest being married to a witch. You can see the bullet holes in the van between the back two windows in the photo. The van, which is currently inoperable, sat in the yard next to the trailer the couple rent. I took several photos of the pair but liked this one next to the mission the best.

Steve the Liar, Double Down Host

2009-04-16T09:48:00.000-07:00

Steve the Liar, bouncer at the Double Down for the Las Vegas weekly

Shani

2009-04-04T11:55:00.000-07:00

After spending part of last week at the Palm Springs Photo Festival and having the opportunity to meet movie photographer Nels Israelson. I was inspired to shoot some old Hollywood-style photography.

Here are some photos of Shani. An aspiring model & actress, Shani is originally from Israel and currently resides in Hollywood.

The Mint 400

2009-03-31T01:53:00.001-07:00

In 1971 Hunter S. Thompson was hired to cover The Mint 400 for Sports Illustrated. Thompson later wrote of his experiences in the novel Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas. This was certainly incentive enough to attend the race. Local writer Jeff Pope and I spent the day watching the race from the pits and choking on dust.

The Gamblers

2009-03-27T17:37:00.000-07:00

I recently photographed Dave Hickey and Libby Lumpkin for the Las Vegas Weekly.

Dave Hickey is one of the most controversial and leading intellectuals in the United States. Along with his wife, curator Libby Lumpkin, the couple bet on Vegas with him assembling a team of graduate students, many of whom have gone to renowned institutions , while she helped curated purchase and display Steve Wynn's famously successful Bellagio exhibit in 1999. Eventually she wound up head of the Las Vegas Art Museum. She then resigned rather than cut costs at a museum which subsequently folded. In their view they bet it all gambling on the future of art in Vegas and failed.

Mike and Mika

2009-03-25T16:07:00.000-07:00

Here are some photos of Los Angeles couple Mike and Mika. We decided to take the photos on Fremont St. to show some of the older areas of Las Vegas.

Hoop Madness

2009-03-20T23:03:00.000-07:00

This photo was shot while working on a story about March Madness for the Las Vegas Weekly. It was shot at Jerry's Nugget, a small casino, far away from the Strip. It is the type of place where the same people you see gambling at noon on Wednesday will be playing the same games on a Saturday at 10 PM. It is primarily a place for Las Vegas locals. It is always interesting to see people at the sports books and the amount in information and stats people compile for games of chance.

Skiing, Golf and Bankruptcy

2009-03-16T10:18:00.000-07:00

It is pretty common to see bad financial news coming from Las Vegas these days. Here is a photo I shot for Bloomberg Markets Magazine at the luxury resort Lake Las Vegas. The story is about how Credit Suisse made $3.4 billion in loans to various luxury resorts around the country who are currently in bankruptcy or default. Lake Las Vegas is one of the bankrupt resorts and has $540 million in outstanding loans.

The Smith Center for the Performing Arts

2009-03-14T20:09:00.000-07:00

Myron Martin and Richard Johnson, the two presidents of the Smith Center for the Performing Arts, began completing plans for the groundbreaking of the center . The $500 million center will host Broadway shows, ballet, opera, and other events. For th

e Las Vegas Weekly

Rock Your Fashion

2009-02-19T01:24:00.001-08:00

I was assigned to photograph the red carpet by Ogilvy Public Relations Company based out of London during the Rock Your Fashion charity event. The event was held at Poetry Nightclub inside Caesars Palace and benefitted abused women. The evening was attended by Soulja Boy and Sean Kingston among others.

Behind the scenes with Nip/Tuck star Kelly Carlson

2009-02-17T14:00:00.000-08:00

I recently picked up a copy of Style, the magazine of the Venetian and the Palazzo. I was lucky enough to take the behind the scenes photos of Kelly Carlson as she was photographed by Jack Guy for the magazine's cover.

ND's Fuego opening

2009-02-13T11:10:00.000-08:00

The Rio opened a new Latin nightclub called ND's Fuego. The opening featured Latin crooners Gilberto Santa Rosa and Victor Manuelle. In my next life I think I would like to come back as a Latin crooner.

Death Valley rainstorm

2009-01-26T15:36:00.000-08:00

I was pretty lucky that my trip to Death Valley included a rainstorm. The storm rolled in suddenly right as the sun was setting. This is a pretty rare occurrence considering Death Valley receives less than two inches of rain a year.