I had the amazing opportunity recently to shoot parkour and I have to say it is a photographer's dream. It is people doing incredible things, throwing themselves into crazy positions, in very interesting areas with very strong lines and angles. The guys demonstrate balance, courage, and athletic ability in everything they do. I often found myself just watching in awe of what they were pulling off. The creativity that I witnessed was also very impressive. They look around and are quickly able to see ways of using their environment to do something extraordinary. I am very glad to have the chance to be around these guys not only to witness and capture their awesome act but because they bring so much passion and fun to what they are doing it is impossible to not have a good time. 

With the coming of warm weather it becomes very easy to find subjects to photograph. It is great being outside and being surrounded by so much life. When i am not fixated on the beautiful nature blooming,  I often just find someplace to see and watch the happenings around me. It is amazing how many times  while people watching I  will encounter very interesting subjects. Recently i was sitting outside getting as much fresh air as possible before going to class and I saw something really cool. In front of me there was this little girl running around with a hat in her hands. I soon realized that she was attempting to catch the the flower pedals that were falling from the tree above. There was something so innocent and beautiful about her and her mission. What made it even better was that this girl was forced to maneuver around college students walking to class. And what made it funny to me was that all these people that were passing her were completely oblivious to how pretty the rain of flowers was and how much fun this girl was having. It is moments like this that I am thankful for witnessing. being in the right place at the right time is part of it but it is also about being aware of what is around you, taking the time to see and appreciate. Hopefully these photos successfully convey the beautiful things I have had the privilege of seeing lately, because wether it be a pretty flower, a uncoordinated slackliner, a casual musician, or a beautiful girl I am thankful and proud for having seen and captured it.

I got to witness some incredibly athletic feats at Hubbable Jam 2012. there were a ridiculous amount of people at this parkour event. It was amazing to see the thing these people were capable of including jumps, flips, spins. It was awesome the way in which they took whatever was around them in their environment and used it to produce an epic action. I greatly admire their skill and outstanding courage. They did not back down from anything. I also very much enjoyed that everyone there was enjoying themselves. It was very obvious that everyone was loving what they were doing and they were supported by everyone else. It honestly got to the point that there was so much cool stuff going on that I was slightly flustered in not knowing what to shoot, all the time wondering what I was missing, haha. I did, i think end up with some really great shots thanks to this unforgettable experience that i hope to participate in again. 

A good friend of my friend, Jeff Tung, took it upon himself to form this crew that serves primarily as a resource for dancers who want to learn new choreography and take the time to advance their skills while building and perfecting a set of choreos. He calls this crew UPdrifting. I thank him for propositioning me to photograph and video their practices because it is extremely fun as well as incredibly impressive in what they do. Jeff is one of the most creative, talented, and fun loving people I have ever had the pleasure of knowing. He does an amazing job of teaching these very complex, fast choreos and at the same time stressing the importance of feeling the music and enjoying what you are doing. He even has other dancers teach choreos which makes for an even more increased range of styles that the participants/members learn. Going to these sessions are always very enjoyable and inspiring for me as a photographer as well as person who is just interested in dancing and having a good time. 

I received the amazing opportunity to shoot the Overdrive Dance Showcase last Saturday. What this was was an incredible collection of talented dancers all in one place to show what they got. I spent basically an entire day witness to skills that I can not even begin to understand. I found myself in awe of these individuals as well as entire crews who do these dances, these moves, just as naturally as I click the shutter button on my camera. They appear to feel the music and do things with it and their bodies that very successfully impress and entertain. Perhaps the most interesting and exhilarating part of the event was when it came time for the dancers to battle in order to move on to the next rounds of the competition. Especially towards the later rounds it was amazing the amount of passion, effort, and fun that was being put into the performances. It was awesome being on stage with these competitors as they went at each other using their skills and were encourage by constant yells and indications of approval, recognition, and astonishment. Being immersed in this environment really allowed me to feel a part of what is an very exciting and intense experience. The performers, the crews , and the staff were all great. I am very thankful for being involved in such an outstanding and inspiring event, Thank you Bulletproof Funk and everyone else that was there. 
With lots of time and access to some awesome vantage points i think I got some very successful photos capturing the talent and passion of the performances.