5.4 Earthquake Strikes Southern California.

A "moderate" earthquake shook Southern California today at 11:42 a.m. Everybody felt it, but not much damage, in fact this is the only exterior damage I saw all afternoon. Some bricks fell from a facade of an old building in Pomona. So far the USGS says it was a magnitude 5.4 quake. Journalists looking for any visuals descended quickly on this "photo op" once it was reported. I saw satellite trucks arriving as I left the area. Caltech seismologists say this quake had about 1% of the energy of the 1994 Northridge quake . This definitely was not the "Big One"
Below is my photo that appeared on the front of the L.A. Times from the Northridge Quake in 1994, I remember being in sheer terror when that one hit. Today's was nothing like that at all.

Griffith Park on Fire Again

A fire broke out today in Griffith Park very close to the Los Angeles Zoo, burning about 25 acres of rugged hillside brush. zoo officials had to evacuate a California Condor sanctuary and the zoo vistors were evacuated as a precaution before firefighters controlled the blaze which was in the area of last year's major fire.

The Accidental PAP

So. I was at LAX last night working on a news story about the Australian Dr Death, he was being escorted back to Oz by federal agents for trial. So, all the sudden I see a horde of flashes going off across the way, I rush over and somebody tells me it's not Dr Death, but The Dark Knight's Batman himself: Christian Bale. Suddenly I'm shooting with a pack of paparazzi as Bale arrives coincidentally for a flight at the same time as the prisoner I am trying to get photos of. Only in Hollywood!
I'm not sure how a pack of about 10 paps knew that Christian Bale was going to be on that flight. It's definitely not the most honorable way to make a buck , but it's really a whole industry upon itself and they are obviously very dialed in on the whereabouts of the rich and famous. All things considered, I think I'll keep my day job.

Andy Dick Needs Help

booking photo from Murrietta Police Dept

In September of 2006, I photographed comedian/actor Andy Dick for a story in the Washington Post by Bill Booth, I sat in on some of the interview. That day, Andy was a good guy , and was on a sobriety/health kick at the time. He talked about his demons, and it seems like those demons have taken over lately. The other night he was arrested in Murrieta on drug and sexual battery charges. I hope he gets some help, it's really sad to see somebody fall into the spiral of addiction that rarely turns out well unless they get help. It's hard to recognize him in the booking photo at the Murrietta PD. here's a link to Bill's story http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/10/06/AR2006100600242.html

Sunset Surf

The ocean reflects the setting sun as seen from the Venice Beach pier on July 16

Worried Indymac Bank Customers

A crowd of over 150 anxious Indymac Bank customers waited for hours today to check on their money at the troubled bank's Santa Monica branch. The FDIC took over control Indymac after it was shut down by the feds on Friday. Tempers flared as people cut in line while others had been waiting in line since 7 A.M. this morning. This is the 2nd largest U.S. bank failure in history.
In case you were wondering the largest U.S. bank failure was Continental Illinois National Bank and Trust Company in May 1984, which was and still is the largest bank resolution in U.S. history.

Beverly Hills 90210 Oil Drilling

Did you know that there is oil in them there Beverly Hills? And that active drilling takes place on a daily basis. Take for example the camouflaged well at Beverly Hills High School with Century City skyscrapers looming in the background, which Erin Brokovich has been a crusading against. On Pico Bl and Doheny , a gas station sits just across the street from a drilling operation disguised as a non-decript building . Over at the Beverly Center ,walls cover the view of oil wells , the popular mall was constructed around the drilling on San Vincente and just across the street from Ceder-Sinai hospital.

Victoria and David Beckham

Here's my my bi-monthly Beckham /LA Galaxy update. Victoria Beckham sat in the private box, but the Galaxy lost 2-1 to New England on July 4th. Becks wielded a knife to cut off a wrap during the middle of game action.

Hollywood Construction

Was hired to photograph the construction of the new W Hollywood and an adjacent new condo complex, which takes up basically a whole city block at Hollywood and Vine. After a tour of the site, and shooting from the street, I knew it would be awesome to get a photo from an adjacent rooftop , but in my experience building security has never allowed me to obtain access without "prior approval" which usually means "no chance" . Well, yesterday was my lucky day, a very cool security guy allowed me access to a Sunset Blvd building rooftop.

Santa Clarita Fire

I had an assignment today photographing a portrait of a tv producer on the set of NCIS in Santa Clarita. After transmitting those images, I was heading home and I saw a fire that had broken out a few miles away. Fires have been raging in Northern California including the Big Sur area, but no fires in So Cal, and this fire was extinguished very fast. The firefighters are on high alert, and did an excellent job as always.