Cox Twins' Portraits

I love shooting pictures of kids! But keeping two twin boys happy and focused in the same direction for a picture is no small task. Missy Cox, a long time friend, and I had a blast playing with the boys and shooting "day in the life" portraits of their big adventure at the park! "Missy The Great", as she likes to be called, is a great mom, friend and Realtor. She will have her hands full as these little guys start getting into more mischief.



Zack is the adventure hound and loves to fly in the swing.



Where did mom go?


Alex is so laid-back and happy all the time!

Zack didn't know what to do with the sand in his fingers. It freaked him out a couple of times when he was crawling around exploring the jungle gym.

See some more photographs of the twins by checking out their slideshow!

The Shojaee Family New Years Party

I was recently invited by Lawdan Shojaee and her husband Hamid to photograph their annual Persian New Years Party at their Scottsdale home. This was an amazing celebration that went into the early hours of the morning. My good friend Aleasha Shelton of A Day to Cherish Weddings, must be applauded for pulling together this unique event.

Here is a fun family portrait of the Shojaee Family before the party started.


The decorations were outstanding! Florist Diane Bing of Bing's Floral turned this beautiful backyard into a work of art. The chairs and tables as well as the linens were from Tri Rentals and BBJ linens.


Honestly the food was as good as it looked!


How cool are dry ice martinis?



The theme for the night was fire and luck. Building off the theme of luck for the New Year, Aleasha created a lottery ticket tree and brought in Black Jack and Craps tables for the guests to enjoy.


Beautiful people dancing the night away! This is how a New Years party should be done.



Lawdan, left, kept her guests cheering as she made her way around the party doing a traditional Persian dance.


I was completely freaked out when the hired juggler put the fire in his mouth. I kept thinking his beard was going to go up in flames.



The dessert table was beautiful and was accompanied by an area where hot tea was being served.

The backyard was glowing by candlelight. No detail was overlooked in creating different lounge areas in the yard.

To see more fun images from the party watch this slideshow!

Superstition Mountains

One of my favorite things is to go hiking out in nature. Arizona has been a great backdrop for many hiking adventures. However, every once in awhile you get to a place that takes your breath away. This hike proved to be an out of body experience! I have lived in Arizona for nearly five years and have never seen spring poppies bloom like this. All the green, orange and red covering the desert floor was visual overload to say the least.

First Friday

Every month downtown Phoenix becomes the host of First Friday, a free self-guided tour of Phoenix galleries, studios and art spaces. First Friday is organized by Art link, a local non-profit working to bring the arts to the revitalized downtown. First Friday art walk is the largest monthly art walk in the United States.


Nick Hower, a partner in Kitchen Sink Studios, and his wife try to get a picture of their son in front of their new office. I have had the opportunity to work with Nick on some great projects this last year.


Our good friends and neighbors, Jeremy and Melissa, brought their twins to check out the art scene. Clay and Max are super kids with a ton of energy! I think they also might have a crush on my wife. Watch out world here they come!!


All kinds of arts and crafts where on display. One more unique performance was the Capoeira. This was an amazing display of strength and control combining martial arts and dance.


Three great friends decided to join us for the night. All of these guys inspire me on so many levels. I am fortunate to have friends like these. Above is world famous photographer and all around great guy, Jefferson Todd, basking in the neon glow of the Artisan gallery lofts on 7th street and Roosevelt.


John Snyder also joined the party even though he was a bit under the weather. I should mention that John is my hero! He had just flown in from the Dominican Republic where he works as the National Director for International Youth Initiative. John has been spending the bulk of his time on humanitarian efforts and creating strategic local alliances and training youth leaders in the DR.


Another great friend and amazing filmmaker Chad DeMiguel practices his Capoeira! Chad is one of the most sincere creative people I know. He simultaneously will work on a film, a painting, a screenplay, and still have time to engage in teaching and mentoring.

Lees Ferry Fishing Trip

A new annual tradition has officially started. Last year my good friend Billy and I went fly fishing in northern Arizona at Lees Ferry. We had such an amazing time that we decided to go again this year and bring a few others along with us. Sean and Jeremy joined Billy and I for the adventure. The fishing at Lees Ferry is legendary among anglers and definitely didn't disappoint with the average fish we caught in the 16-20 inch range.


To start the trip you have to stop off in Flagstaff for a few supplies and a last look at civilization before heading up north.


We arrived late at Cliff Dwellers Lodge where we stayed for the duration of the trip.


This was Jeremy's first trip to do some serious fly fishing and he was really excited with the opportunity to see one of Arizona's natural treasures.


Lees Ferry is on the Colorado River at the mouth of the Grand Canyon. Lee's Ferry at the Glen Canyon Dam holds around 50,000 trout.


The first day we hired guides with Lees Ferry Anglers to take us out on their boats and give us professional instruction.


Sean and I had the honor of fishing with legendary Terry Gunn. Terry has been a full time fishing guide since 1983 and is an internationally recognized fly fishing expert, author, photographer, and speaker.


The rainbow trout are in full spawn during January through March and were just beautiful. All the fishing was catch and release.



Jeremy and Billy had the fortune to fish with the same guide that we had last year. Skip is ad fun guide who is full of wisdom and humor.


The food we had at Cliff Dwellers Lodge was AMAZING! The first class service was a pleasant surprise and would rival many big city restaurants. The Lodge will often recruit chefs from New York or other cities who need a break from the fast paced life style.



One afternoon we decided to drive up to Jacobs lake and found some snow to play in. We stopped off for lunch at the Jacobs Lake Lodge. I should mention that the homemade cookies and cobbler they serve are to die for.


Fishing has always been one of the ways that I relax. Growing up along rivers my whole life in Montana and California I feel at home near the river. I find the rhythm of fly fishing and the beauty of the river so refreshing. This is one of the places I find true joy!