Callaway Decorated Art & Dog Filled Living Room

    I am fortunate enough to have cousins that always know what there is to do in San Diego so when I was bored yesterday I gave them a call. Before I knew it we were enjoying delicious burgers from Hodad’s followed by a movie in their art and dog filled home. After that we headed up to Balboa Park for a showing of artists sponsored by the San Diego Sculptors Guild.

Benjamin Lavender Sculptures Always Make A Statement

    Benjamin Lavender, the sculptor responsible for the piece above and many others at the show was our reason for going to this celebration of sculpture. I’d seen his work at a show at the Oceanside Museum of Art last year and was very impressed by his work.

Golden Art In Balboa Park

    Even the art on the wall found a way to be off the wall. There is an amazing amount of talent contained within these artists and most of the pieces are most obviously labors of love. We are very lucky to be living in a time and place where artists are allowed to create whatever their minds have whipped up.

Ornate Victorian & Steampunk Flavored Sculpture

    The Steampunk styled viewing contraption above is a great example of what an artist can do with some welding equipment and forty pounds of metal. I am happy with my medium of photography; sculpting with metal has never been a creative outlet for me.

Larger Pieces Shown In The San Diego Setting Sun

    Since we live in San Diego, we get to enjoy an outdoor showcase of beautiful sculptures in lovely Balboa Park. This show was in the Spanish Village area of the park, so it was a very quick and easy outing for a pleasant Saturday afternoon.

Ken & Chris Callaway Turn Up Ace Of Spades

    As the sun began to set our attention shifted from fine art to fine food. Our burger filled lunch was quickly wearing off and so, after seeing all the sculptures in the wonderful garden we took our leave. Dinner would turn out to be some great Mexican food from Don Panchos, my neighborhood taco shop. It was a good day, just what I needed. Cheers!

©2012 The World Is Raw. All Rights Reserved.

Nightclub & Bar Convention 2012

    Last year I went to the Nightclub & Bar Convention in Las Vegas as a patron of spirits and member of a group of old friends. This year I went as a member of the press and I was only in town for 1 night with 1 friend, so I packed light and hoped for the best.

Shawn Barnes In Las Vegas

    The imposing fellow above is one of my best friends and has been so for almost 20 years. He’s a friend that’s always on my side, no matter how abrasive my personality happens to be on any particular day. Together we have cut a swath of mayhem from Hawaii to Mexico and from Dallas to Denver.

Las Vegas International Airport

    Las Vegas Airport, also known as McCarran International Airport is quite vast, which gives you something to do if you have to kill 3 hours like I did. You can wonder through the terminals without having to go back through security, which is very convenient.

Slots Inside Las Vegas Airport

    If you want to get any last minute gambling in, Las Vegas Airport will accommodate you. It’s all been arranged to get your money, make no mistake about that. Go ahead and hit the ATM a few more times, you’ll get it all back, I promise.

Rob Hurlbut In A Las Vegas Elevator

    I’m really starting to get into self portrait photography while in Las Vegas. Mirrors and other reflective surfaces abound if you look around. I can’t wait for the days when DSLR quality photo capabilities are implanted somewhere behind our eyeballs because in a place like Las Vegas, carrying around a camera can be a real drag. Until then, carry your camera with you everywhere all the time. Cheers!

©2012 The World Is Raw. All Rights Reserved.

Sunset In San Diego – At The Helm Of HMS Surprise

    San Diego has a Maritime Museum that is much bigger and grander that it may appear to the casual pedestrian or motorist on Harbor Dr. It’s not just the Star of India and a collection of paintings. It is so much more than that; it is a one of a kind time capsule of sea going ships, submarines and artifacts that are all, in six degrees or less, connected to San Diego. It is an amazing slice of how the sea has had a spell over people since the very beginning. The 4 years I spent in the Navy were good, partly because I was stationed at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, but mostly because I was always near the sea. Maritime Museum of San Diego is a great way to connect yourself to what we have done due to our fascination with the sea and it’s a great place to practice some cramped quarters photography so you have a ringing endorsement from me!

Captain’s Cabin – HMS Surprise

    HMS Surprise is a replica of an 18th century Royal Navy Frigate that houses a museum that walks you through the founding of San Diego and some amazing recreations that help to make it an immersive experience. The room pictured above was for the use of the captain, however it would best serve her majesty, I presume.

Torpedo Room Aboard Soviet Attack Submarine B-39

    The highlight for me was the B-39 Soviet attack submarine because the relentless Russian efficiency, accentuated by sharp edges everywhere helped me remember a time when Americans were all on the same side, United against communism. When I was kid, back in the 1980s I don’t remember there being such a clamor for the rights of our enemies like the there is for Arab terrorists now; back then, an enemy of the state was not given mercy and look at what happened… We won the Cold War!

Having a Quiet Moment On The Toilet Inside…

    There is less than enough room for just about every physical activity on this Soviet submarine. There is a way to smash or scrape yourself along every square inch of the submarine, even sitting on the toilet.

The Bathroom On Foxtrot B-39

    The shape of the submarine, the curve of the hull is everywhere. Before you pick your nose, you have to make sure you won’t bump you elbow into something. Sitting on the toilet is a luxury that does not require headroom when you are in the Russian Navy. It is comical, almost ridiculous how Soviet designers allow you to do a job and nothing more.

Officer’s Stateroom On B-39

    The lens I brought to the maritime museum was a good choice; my 8mm prime. The round distortion of the lens helped to accentuate the curvature of the submarine and the way the lack of headroom must have dominated every aspect of life while aboard.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kW1mJwF_WhM

Walk-Through of Soviet Attack Submarine Foxtrot B-39

    There is a lot more to see than I have represented in this post so while I’m working on some more photos, head down to Maritime Museum of San Diego and check it out for yourself. There are at least 9 ships to walk through, so allow yourself plenty of time and don’t forget to bring a camera. Cheers!

©2012 The World Is Raw. All Rights Reserved.

    Most of the time I spent in Las Vegas, while covering CES 2012 was spent taking pictures. CES was unbelievably big and besides the physicality of the event a problem I had was finding a way to make all the cool things I saw at the show translate in a cool way in my photos. I failed and I say that with the utmost of dignity; being worthy enough to be issued a pass, being financed enough to make the trip and being experienced enough to survive five days in Las Vegas ended up being the nuts and bolts of my trip, so it was a resounding success.

    I did take it upon myself to take some self portraits whilst walking around the Las Vegas Strip. While I was at Caesars Palace I came across the place of worship you see above. The Romans, the society responsible for the empire that paid for the original Caesars Palace were Pagans; they worshiped many different Gods and it was a Quid Pro Quo situation. I lingered at this place for a very long time, lighting & placing incense as I moved about the four stations of prayer. I asked for help and guidance with many things. The word I was looking for at the time was clarity and I do believe the time I spent contemplating at this shrine will give me the clarity I want to enable myself for the success I need.

    I am a photographer that stays behind my camera most the time. Think of me what you will, but I see myself as a modern day gunslinger, so you will answer to my weapon before I answer to you. I really do love being a photographer, I love to travel and I love to show the world where I’ve been, things I’ve seen and things I’m going to do.

    I’d like to take a break and talk a little bit about the public bathrooms in Las Vegas. They are awesome. Every casino, every hotel and every corner store has a bathroom and none of them will have any problem with you dropping a deuce or clearing your bladder at any time of the day or night. “The Bathrooms of Las Vegas” is probably the title of a blog post just waiting to happen and I’ll read it when it comes out but it’s just too shitty an assignment for me to personally take on at this moment in time.

    Mercifully I had to get back to San Diego, so after 5 days and 4 nights in fabulous Las Vegas, it was time to get on a plane and get back to the real world. The photo you see above was taken with one of the last bits of strength I had, which was barely enough to press the shutter release button. I don’t remember any details after this shot was taken; I fell asleep and somehow made it from the airport back to my place without incident. After tending to all the bumps & bruises the laundry and the photos, I stand by my original assessment, which was that the trip was a five star, top shelf, resounding success.

    Southwest Airlines is the airline I recommend for any air travel that begins or ends within the United States of America because their employees rock and their prices are the best in the industry. They’ll never hassle you about your carry-on luggage, they’ll let you travel with a small dogs or a cat and and they serve booze on their planes. No other airline is as cool as Southwest and that is a fact. I really do believe their business model is the way of the future and very much look forward to watching as Delta, American and all the other overpriced, baggage fee price-gouging airlines are forced to change how they operate, courtesy of Southwest Airlines. They photo above really was my last act and honestly, I don’t remember taking it, but it did seem like a great photo to anchor this post because travel always involves some form of conveyance and air travel is about the best there is when it’s on Southwest. Cheers!

©2012 The World Is Raw. All Rights Reserved.

A Lamborghini And Josh At CES 2012

    Whether I’m in front of or behind the camera there is one type of photography I’ve never been a fan of: Evidence of being there photos. These are the photos people usually use as proof they were at a location or met a certain person and usually they’re just standing there looking at the camera. Years later do people in those photos look at them and reminisce about how they had to stop what they were doing in order to turn around and grin at the camera? I would much rather take a photograph that shows a person in a natural pose, held for a moment within a beautiful scene than a picture that represents an interruption of that moment. Of course for this trip to Las Vegas, my friend wanted some evidence shots, so I willingly obliged. The two shots in this post represent the work and the play side of the trip. I was there to cover CES 2012 which is where the Lamborghini above was displayed and the convention was in Las Vegas, home of casinos, liquor and gambling, which is what the photo below is evidence of doing.

3 Nines on 2 Machines Inside Hooters, Las Vegas

    After long days of walking for miles at CES, enduring crowded monorail rides and walking even more miles to get to my room, I was ready to relax by sliding up to a video poker bar, feeding it some money and then drinking for free until the wee hours while catching up with my old friend, Josh. The evidence photo above was taken as evidence not of being at a certain place, but for us both winning on separate video poker machines at the same time with 3 nines in our winning hands. Something like that deserves a shot and a picture. The above photo was taken inside Hooters Casino, in the back bar. We weren’t staying here but we still spent a lot of time here because it is very chill, has a great restaurant and is just a great place to waste a few hours. Until next time, happy travels!

©2012 The World Is Raw. All Rights Reserved.

Grand Spiral Staircase Of Caesars Palace

    Caesars Palace is an inspiring place to go to because you can’t help but plan a trip after you spend some time in there. I would very much like to travel to Italy and Rome in particular now just because of the walking I did through there. I’ve never been to Europe but now I really want to go and I think Italy is going to be my way in, with Rome being my first Las Vegas inspired stop. Caesars Palace and the Forum Shops are grand and decadent in an ancient Roman way and there are celebrities from time to time to add to the fun. Pete Rose and Dick Butkis were there and Dennis Rodman scheduled to appear later in the day. Last year, I posted a single photo of the fountains in front of the hotel so it felt good to walk through, get some decent photos and ultimately plan a trip to a foreign land.

The Non-Moving Statues Of Caesars Palace

    The famous moving statues were not operational during my visit so I have a reason to return, which is not a bad thing at all. Since my actual reason for being in Las Vegas was for CES 2012, I didn’t have time to take in a single show, explore new food or do any shopping. I didn’t have the money to do those things either so it was a trip filled with busy days, hectic nights and lots of walking.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MjYq1j2YlOg

Video From Caesars Palace Forum Shops

    Until I go to Rome, I suppose I have nothing for me to compare Caesars Palace to. It is unbelievably vast and is a photographers dream, especially a photographer w/ an 8mm fish-eye lens. While I was in Las Vegas my new lens was my constant companion and it was the only lens I brought. I have become hooked on the all encompassing view as well as the way it forces me to get physically closer to subjects than I ever have before. A prime lens makes you do all the work. That coupled with the fact that my lens is all manual made it feel like I was walking the Las Vegas Strip in 1955 with a film camera in one hand and a bona fide photographic assignment in the other. So get inspired and plan a trip somewhere, take pictures and then when you get back start a blog and write about your adventure using your photos as visual aids. Cheers!

©2012 The World Is Raw. All Rights Reserved.

San Diego Trolley Guards: Private Security or Sworn Police?

    San Diego Trolley Guards think they are real police officers. Specifically, they think they are actual sworn peace officers but they aren’t; they work for Heritage Security, a private security company. What they are doing and saying in the video above they are doing as private citizens. The two arrests you see them perform in the video are citizen’s arrests. The problem I have is that the people arrested were placed in handcuffs, one because he smelled of alcohol and the other for smoking. Both of the guards also react rather rudely to my presence; one saying he would arrest me if I stand behind him while the other walks up to me and tells me to get back, then asks to see my ticket and then says to get out of his face. Unless I was standing in a 6 inch hole, there is no way I was in that guard’s face.

    From my point of view, the short guard became annoyed when the fat guard made him aware of my presence. That’s when Biggie said he’d arrest me for standing behind him and Smalls checked my ticket and told me to get out of his face. I really didn’t move, so the little guy decided to go pick on a smoker that happened to light up as he was exiting 7-11. From my point of view, short-stuff was being a fucking bully. Watch the video below and pay attention to how the short guard talks to the guys after they are in cuffs. He’s a cast iron dick.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qfA44S9wYCs

    I think there is a viscous cycle going on between commuters and security guards: Commuters think most guards are assholes and guards think most commuters are degenerates. They’re both right. Most people in San Diego that ride the trolley instead of driving a car do it because they can’t afford a car or because they’ve had their license suspended; in other words, because they HAVE to. I’m part of that small green minority that’s charging ahead and riding public transportation by choice so I get to bear witness to a lot of trolley guards being assholes to a lot of stinky, stupid degenerates and I’m all for that. However, I was wearing dress pants, a collared button down shirt, a tie, impeccably shined shoes and I was holding a camera when short-stack and extra-large talked to me the way they did.

    I didn’t look like nor was I acting like a degenerate when they were assholes to me. Therein lies the vicious cycle. Or maybe trolley guards really are assholes to everyone. What do you think?

    Below is a video I shot and blogged about in 2009 showing four guards take a guy down for smoking, so San Diego trolley guards have had a pattern of arresting people for petty things for at least a couple years, but they are not sworn peace officers. This makes me question the necessity and the legality of the arrests because as you’ll hear in the videos, they never say they are NOT the police, but, they sure talk like the police.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HTrxgnAAcjA

©2012 The World Is Raw. All Rights Reserved.

The Venetian As Seen From Las Vegas Blvd.

    Venetian Hotel and Casino sits on a very grand swath of land on the Las Vegas Strip.  The curb appeal is the best in Las Vegas; it is beautiful and welcoming and once you walk inside you know where you’ll stay next time you come to Las Vegas.  Everything about the place grabs your attention and invites you to come closer for a better look and once you do that, you want to walk inside and see what this is all about.  One of the best things about Venetian is that you can quickly and easily walk in from Las Vegas Blvd.

Inside The Venetian, Looking Up At The Painted Ceiling

    Venice, the ancient Italian city that Venetian is modeled after is a place of beauty where empty spaces are adorned with things of beauty such as art, marble and crystal.  In the way the Victorians filled their space with clutter, Venetians filled their space with what is needed to make it beautiful, viewable and accessible.

Tao Asian Bistro And Las Vegas Nightclub

Tao is the restaurant and nightclub inside Venetian.  I did not eat or party in either but I do have friends that have and they only had good things to say.

The Canals Of The Venetian

    As you walk through the shops, you will see there are actual canals with gondolas that can be rented like a taxi for a relaxing and unique way to get from one end of the hotel to the other.  The shops, the restaurants and the experience are all first class all the way and made a believer out of me; during CES next year, I’ll be staying at Venetian.  Cheers!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SOdWsnsq5J0

Video Of Venetian Shops, Hotel And Casino

©2012 The World Is Raw. All Rights Reserved.

MGM Grand Lion Glares At New York Across Las Vegas Blvd

    Less than a year after attending the Nightclub & Bar Convention I found myself in Las Vegas again, this time to cover CES 2012.  This was my first time at the show so suffice to say it was a lot of fun and just about as close to overwhelming as you can possibly get.  Now that I’ve had a week to think about the show and edit some photos I do have a prediction that will merge some of the most impressive things I saw at CES:

    Waterproof 3D Eye Controlled Touch Screen Technology will be huge.

    I’ll elaborate on that in future posts.  For now, it will be all about photography and the 8mm fish-eye lens that was my solo companion as I walked through CES and the Las Vegas Strip for 4 days and nights.

In Front Of Luxor Hotel Pyramid, Sphinx & Obelisk

    For me the Las Vegas Strip ends at Tropicana Blvd. so I never make it to Luxor or Mandalay Bay unless I make a specific trip just for those two places, which is exactly what I did for this trip.  I hadn’t been to the Shark Reef aquarium in Mandalay Bay for almost 10 years and I had never set foot inside Luxor so this was practically a new adventure for me.

Inside Luxor Pyramid, Looking Straight Up

    Luxor is has more curb appeal than anything else, so I just did a quick run through the place.  A pyramid has a lot of attic space that you just can’t do much with other than stare at so I was not impressed and due to its location on the strip, I recommend you stay somewhere else, farther north on Las Vegas Blvd.

Jellyfish at Shark Reef Predator Aquarium In Mandalay Bay

    On the other hand, Mandalay Bay was an incredibly vast and visually appealing place to spend a few hours.  My reason for going there was their Shark Reef exhibit, which I finally managed to see on my last day in Las Vegas.  It is to aquariums what San Diego Safari Park is to zoos.  The place is dim but not dark so set your ISO at 1600 or higher, aperture at f/3.5 or larger and shutter at 1/60^th or slower for some amazing results.  You don’t need a tripod for this but you will want to hold your breath and remain still while releasing the shutter. If you take a knee or lean against something while taking your photos, it will help out a lot.

Shark Reef At Mandalay Bay Hotel & Casino

    Las Vegas really is a street photographers dream because there are so many people and you have to walk for miles, even after you exit the taxi or monorail.  Seriously, don’t bother with a tripod, just crank up the ISO and have some fun.  There are plenty of inside things to photograph, so don’t be afraid to practice some low light photography indoors before you start roaming around The Las Vegas Strip, or your own hometown at night.

Prada, In Crystals On Las Vegas Blvd

    Here are two things you might not know about Las Vegas; you can take your alcoholic beverages everywhere and gambling is not the only thing to do on The Strip.  Shop until you drop if you so desire or eat your heart out.  The retail stores and the restaurants are second to none and just as willing as a casino to take your money in exchange for goods and services.

Fountains Of Bellagio and Las Vegas Blvd

    As I mentioned earlier, I had a single lens with me for this trip and that was a newly acquired 8mm fish-eye which gave me a full 180 degree field of view.  As a photographer, it’s really cool to have EVERYTHING in front of me show up in the viewfinder; it really is amazing how a new lens at Christmas can turn me into a kid with a camera.  Thanks Santa!

©2012 The World Is Raw. All Rights Reserved.

Keep Your Corporate Tentacles Off The Internet!

    America, from Columbus until WWI was the Wild West because we didn’t know if anything would survive, supported only by capitalism. There was still no clear business model for making hundreds of millions or billions of dollars so people kept moving west until a way was invented in California: Hollywood Culture.

    What we see and what we hear is what they claim is theirs.

    The entertainment industry was able to become so rich and wealthy in part because they were always able to set the price. They make all that money because they charged us all that money for their product. Well, the internet induced a market correction because paying $10 at a theater is now only ONE way to watch the latest movie and listen to its soundtrack and it’s the only one that guarantees the entertainment industry will get your money.

    SOPA/PIPA gives the entertainment industry a way to protect their failed business model by censoring the internet. That’s how I see it. The internet is collapsing their bloated system that rose from the ashes of a bloated studio system. They think the internet should be changed or molded to fit their business model. I say, fuck that!

    More people, including myself are taking photographs, shooting video and writing words specifically for the internet than Hollywood has stars in the sky so guess what? We win. They don’t get to take away what we’ve built just because it’s costing them money and I’ll tell you why: Their products are not worth what they charge. The internet doesn’t cost people money the internet makes people money.

    Don’t let the entertainment industry, the government or corporations get their tentacles around the internet. A free internet is the voice that people have been supposed to have ever since America became “We the people.” The internet is working because we use it in a way that allows it to work and it is a multi-function tool that every American should be able to use AT THEIR OWN DESCRETION as necessary. Please, we stand to lose everything if SOPA/PIPA becomes law so by all means, spread the word via your blogs and Twitter: STOP SOPA/PIPA!

    Take actual action beyond your blog by contacting all of your elected officials, right on up to the president: Stop American Censorship!

©2012 The World Is Raw. All Rights Reserved.