There are working oil wells just yards from homes and businesses in Signal Hill, California. Oil drilling in Los Angeles County amounts to about 27 million barrels a year, and 20% of US oil comes from domestic wells. With the huge spike in oil prices , there's a suburban oil boom taking place as wildcat oil drillers are renewing these aging oil fields. In the 1920's this area was the Saudi Arabia of it's time in terms of oil production.
Fun match last night for David Beckham and the LA Galaxy, and some nice photo opps for me as well! Becks happily celebrated after he shot a 70 yard empty net goal(top photo) at the end of the match to punctuate a 3-1 Galaxy victory. He also got into a heated little exchange with a defender for the KC Wizards, and followed that up with an artistic dive trying to draw a penalty on his foe.
I won't be shooting the next Galaxy home game because Beckham is joining the English national team for a couple matches, and my assignment is strictly to cover Becks at these matches. It definitely makes it way easier for me to focus on one player when I am photographing these matches.
I recently had the opportunity to meet and photograph artist Shepard Fairey, he's a contemporary artist, graphic designer and illustrator who created an amazing image of Senator Barack Obama that is used by the campaign. He even received a thank you letter from Sen. Obama saying"Your images have a profound effect on people, whether seen in a gallery or on a stop sign," Shepard created the popular "Obey" stickers/posters as well. More than 80,000 of Fairey's Obama posters and 150,000 postcard-size stickers have been placed by supporters. Shepard personally put up giant posters on a building in the Bowery in NYC as well as select other spots in the U.S. 
David Beckham and his L.A. Galaxy were thoroughly frustrated in their loss to the NY Red Bulls Saturday night at the Home Depot Center. Beckham's totals- no goals, no assists, one yellow card.... and no wife Victoria aka Posh Spice sitting at her usual spot in the luxury box either. 
Los Angeles Lakers Superstar Kobe Bryant was officially awarded the Most Valuable Player award for the 2007-08 NBA season. He was joined by his two daughters Natalia , age 5, and Gianna , age 2 , on the stage.
Coach Phil Jackson , Lakers owner Dr Jerry Buss ,and Lakers great Jerry West were on hand for the festivities as well as the entire Lakers team. Things are good in Laker Land!
The Immigrant and Labor march and rally on May Day 2008 was a peaceful event this year. In 2007 I witnessed the LAPD get out of hand as they cleared the rally from MacArthur Park, firing rubber bullets and beating on media and marchers after a few trouble makers provoked them. Thankfully the LAPD has revamped it's policy on crowd control procedure and many LAPD commanders from last year's event have been demoted. There are lawsuits still pending.
This dude got an early start on his cinco de mayo (drinko de mayo) festivities and had a "medical emergency" as the LAPD eloquently stated.
