Photographing the aftermath: Oklahoma tornadoes

​Amidst the debris in the Westmoore neighborhood in Oklahoma City.

This week, I wrapped up a four-day trip to Oklahoma to document the devastation from the May 20 tornado. 

I've been fascinated by storms since childhood, and vividly remember my mom piling me and my three siblings in a small bathroom during one tornado after another.

In Oklahoma, not unlike Joplin from a few years back, no bathroom, nor bathtub, nor closet would provide certain safe shelter for those in the path of the storm. 

Here are some photographs from my trip, which I snapped in partnership with the Arkansas Times in Little Rock. A short documentary is in the works, too.

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​Mangled cars littered the landscape in the path of the F5 tornado in Oklahoma City.

Mexico: grasshoppers, tacos and (possible) documentaries

I lived in Mexico more than a decade ago. And since then, I've wanted to return and shoot a documentary film. ​This past week, I traveled to Mexico City to scout two possible films. And once again, I fell in love with the people, culture, colors -- and tacos -- of our vecino to the south. 

50 kilometers from Mexico City,  near my favorite volcano in the world, Popocatepetl.

Reflecting on my recent trip brings to mind:  the lovely, contant purr of Volkswagon Bugs in the streets, a renewed fascination with Mexico's rugged landscape (don't get me started about its beautiful volcanoes), the seemingly endless and warm hospitality of the Mexican people -- and of course, great food, including a wonderful lunch last week, in a colonial courtyard, featuring guacamole topped with dried grasshoppers. Yum.

Yes, it's time to return to Mexico. This time, to film a documentary. Stay tuned.

​A Volkswagon Beetle -- or "Vocho" -- on a highway outside of Mexico City.

A bike on a wall. Downtown Mexico City.​

​After taking this pic, I climbed a pyramid.

​Cholula, Mexico. A cute little colonial town with pocos gringos.

This is my current reel. Really.

The past few years, I've traveled all over this beautiful country shooting documentary footage, riding on buses, wading through swamps, filming interviews and shooting "broll" of random trains, bridges, slobbering dogs or broken-down structures that capture my heart.

But none of this footage is included in my current reel. Updating soon. Swear. In the meanwhile, this is it.

  • UPDATE, April 30: This is the old reel. But it's still vintage fresh, so check it out.  New reel is here.

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Thx to all the people who made these projects happen: Bryan Stafford, Natalie Ghidotti, Brent Bailey, Dwight Chalmers, Gerry Bruno, Tony Poe, Susan Altrui, Carolyn Wincer, DJ Dailey, John Green, David Koon, Gabe Gentry, Thomas Hudson, Laura Laser, Leon Tidwell and many, many more.

What's up, Tulsa. I like you.

During the course of the past several weeks, my team and I have been working on a marketing piece for an initiative in Tulsa. 

I really love shooting and directing and producing short narratives for good causes -- and this piece allowed me to do all three (with the help of a very capable team, of course). 

Big thanks to Bryan Stafford, Dwight Chalmers, Amos Cochran and Brian Johnson for their work on this piece. Buen trabajo, my friends!

And Tulsa? A really cool town.