Mud Volleyball in Terrebonne

On my recent family visit to Bend, OR I met up with one of my favorite friends and photographers Sol Neelman for a little weird sports therapy. Sol has made a career of shooting events like the Outhouse Races, Urban Golf, Redneck Fishing, and ChessBoxing among many, many others including run-of-the-mill sporting events - you know, like the Olympics.

Sol's personal passion has culminated in a new book which is easily my new favorite photo volume. It's inspiring to see that come to fruition. In our new freelance paradigm we alone are in charge of our path. As Penny reminds us - "self-assign the dream assignment." Sol's done that and man it looks fun.

Thanks for the good times, Sol. See you in Denver!


MudVB - Images by Julia Robinson

road trip reprise

It seems I always hit the road on some kind of deadline.  There's never enough time between destinations to wander into uncharted territory.  I get my kicks where I can.

I spent some time on my favorite jogging trails from when I lived in SF.  Point Lobos and Crissy Field still reveal themselves anew.

The new Annenberg Space for Photography in Los Angeles.

El Monte, CA

Mt. Lemmon - Tucson, AZ

the most important pictures

The Robinson clan lost our patriarch earlier this year.  In preparation for his memorial service in California last month, I poured through my archives - digital and negative - for images of my grandfather.

In any given year, the ratio of assignment work to personal/familial images is staggering.  Among the millions of files, I came up with a few dozen of his face.  Those meant more to me than the soccer matches, holiday parades, dance recitals, portraits - the litany of daily work that I had so dutifully archived.

My favorite is a photo I took of him when I was just out of high school.  I was visiting California from Texas and we took a day trip to Half Moon Bay.  My grandfather, the progenitor of my sweet-tooth, ordered a root-beer float that wasn't on the menu.  "You have root-beer and ice cream, don't you?" he asked the waiter with his sly smile.  After haggling over the price of the new item, we settled in a window seat, victorious.

I knew it on some level before, but these are the most precious images to me.  The ones that pull love and memory from me at a glance.

We gathered in California to say one last 'aloha' to my grandfather - fleeting moments of togetherness for our far-flung family.

My father plays with his oldest granddaughter.

My brother and his youngest daughter en route to the 

memorial service on San Francisco Bay.

My brother tries on my grandfather's hat.

My niece plays with her great-grandmother.

family

my brother with his youngest.

galveston

spent the fourth in galveston with my cousin and his droogs ringing in his 30's. like my fantastic fellow photographer kendrick, i have a hard time putting down the camera on personal trips. it's almost more important for me to photograph the personal journey. i want to remember. being behind the camera can remove you from some action, but it also snaps you immediately into the present moment.

beach golf, surprise party, meat fest, fourth fireworks with lots of michael jackson in the background. great time, good friends. happy birthday, john. start planning the 40th!