Haerts, December 2018

Chrissy and I were lucky enough to see one of our favorite bands, Haerts, at a small venue in downtown Seattle. We got there early and scored a good position, up front, center stage. We were even lucky enough to dance with the singer during one of their songs.

Nini Fabi of Haerts

The Olympic Peninsula, May 2019

Chrissy, Pretzel and I took a trip to the Olympic Peninsula recently. Luckily, we had fantastic weather. Our first stop was in Port Townsend, where we took in some great views, insanely good fish and chips, and a double horror feature at their local drive-in. We then stopped at the Fort Worden Lighthouse on our way out of town.

Port Townsend Sail Boat | Leica M-E + Voigtlander Nokton 50mm f/1.5

Ferry Terminal, Port Townsend | Leica M-E + Voigtlander Nokton 50mm f/1.5

Fort Worden Light | Leica M-E + Voigtlander Nokton 50mm f/1.5

Fort Worden Rust | Leica M-E + Voigtlander Nokton 50mm f/1.5

Our next stop was a campsite outside of Port Angeles. Our tent was situated just feet from the shore of the Straight of Juan de Fuca, which connects the Sound to the Pacific Ocean. Upon arrival, we noticed some huge Oyster mushrooms on a log right by our campsite on the shore. We got to see a fantastic sunset and sunrise, but the coolest thing by far was catching a glimpse of an Ohio-Class Nuclear Submarine sneaking into port during a Monday morning sunrise.

Campsite Oysters | Leica M-E + Voigtlander Nokton 50mm f/1.5

Campsite Oysters | Leica M-E + Voigtlander Nokton 50mm f/1.5

Sunset on the Straight | Leica M-E + Voigtlander Nokton 50mm f/1.5

Campsite Panorama. Click to enlarge.

Ohio-Class Nuclear Submarine.

Crypticon Seattle 2019

Had a blast at Crypticon Seattle. Got to meet some awesome actors and actresses from some our favorite shows.

Sheryl Lee (Laura Palmer) and Ray Wise (Leland Palmer) from Twin Peaks.

Nicholas Lea (Alex Krycek), Mitch Pileggi (AD Skinner), Brian Thompson (Alien Bounty Hunter), and William Davis (The Cigarette Smoking Man) from the X-Files.

Year of the Pig

Chrissy, Pretzel and I took a bus down to Seattle's Chinatown to see their New Year celebration. Great food, firecrackers, and dragons in the streets.

Canon 5D Mark II + Canon EF 50mm F/1.2L USM

Canon 5D Mark II + Canon EF 50mm F/1.2L USM

Canon 5D Mark II + Canon EF 50mm F/1.2L USM

Canon 5D Mark II + Canon EF 50mm F/1.2L USM

Canon 5D Mark II + Canon EF 50mm F/1.2L USM

Canon 5D Mark II + Canon EF 50mm F/1.2L USM

Canon 5D Mark II + Canon EF 50mm F/1.2L USM

Deception Pass, Late February 2018

Chrissy, Pretzel and I recently made our way over to Deception Pass. The Pass is a bridge spanning the straight that cuts Whidbey and Fidalgo Islands, about an hour and a half northwest of Seattle. It's been on our to-do list since we moved to the Pacific Northwest, and it didn't disappoint. The weather was gusty and cold, but reminded us of home. 

Chrissy looking out towards Lighthouse Point. | Leica M-E + Voigtlander Nokton 50mm f/1.5

Deception Pass Bridge | Leica M-E + Voigtlander Nokton 50mm f/1.5

Deception Island. | Leica M-E + Voigtlander Nokton 50mm f/1.5

Moss blowing in the sea winds. | Leica M-E + Voigtlander Nokton 50mm f/1.5

Green flora around North Beach. | Leica M-E + Voigtlander Nokton 50mm f/1.5

Chrissy in the cold. | Leica M-E + Voigtlander Nokton 50mm f/1.5

Painting: 1,646 Yards

I recently began painting football players, using a dry brush water color technique. One of my more favorite paintings was completed a few months ago. Titled "1,646 Yards", the painting depicts former Michigan TE Jake Butt, commemorating his record setting career at Michigan.

"1,646 Yards" | Dry Brush Watercolor

Not only did Butt choose to return for a fifth year, but he chose to play in the Orange Bowl, just prior to the NFL Draft. Despite his high projected draft spot, Butt played, and unfortunately suffered a torn ACL during the game. He didn't let this deter him, though, and he was taken by the Denver Broncos in the fifth round. Butt recently penned an inspiring piece for The Players' Tribune on his injury that is a highly recommended read.

Butt's Twitter post.

After posting the painting to Instagram, Jake Butt found it and requested a print. For me, the actual process of painting the picture was all that mattered - not the finished result. So, I decided to gift the original to Butt. After receiving the painting, Butt posted it on Twitter which was insane. It now sits on his wall in his Denver condo. Hopefully, Butt will return to the field very soon.

The Olympic Peninsula, October 2017

Chrissy, Pretzel, and I recently made our annual fall trip to the Olympic Peninsula, staying in a beautiful cabin on Lake Sutherland. 
It's always painful to leave, as this is by far the most beautiful place we've visited since moving to Washington.

Check out last year's adventure here.

Smoke rises from the water. | Leica M-E + Voigtlander Nokton 40mm f/1.4

First Beach - La Push, WA | Leica M-E + Voigtlander Nokton 40mm f/1.4

Fishing Lake Sutherland. | Leica M-E + Voigtlander Nokton 50mm f/1.5

The sun begins to rise over Lake Sutherland. | Leica M-E + Voigtlander Nokton 40mm f/1.4

Another beautiful sunrise over Lake Sutherland. | Leica M-E + Voigtlander Nokton 40mm f/1.4

While I didn't catch any Sockeye, Chrissy caught a pair of beautiful Cutthroat Trout. I've never seen cleaner looking fish. | Samsung Galaxy Avant