Monday, August 22, 2011

The Mariachi Plaza


To listen to Mexico's most traditional music, just head over to the mariachi plaza.

I visited Plaza Garibaldi for about a half-hour during a whirlwind tour with a cab driver of this massive city.

The young, the old, women and men _ all go there  to listen to one-on-one private, yet public shows put on by bands who one can hire on the spot. Besides mariachis, there's also norteno bands one can hire.

Tequila, lots of tequila, is also sold at the plaza. People dance and sing next to the bands. I loved every minute of it. It was great to see all generations enjoy this timeless music. 

























Sunday, August 7, 2011

Niko and Sweetie Hiking


I like taking the dogs out to Rattlesnake Ridge for hikes, especially when I have a weekday off and I can take them when there aren't any crowds. Nearly alone, I can let them off leash as we hike.

It's a pretty simple hike, 4 miles round trip with an elevation gain of just over 1,000 feet.

Bonus for the dogs is going swimming at the adjacent lake at the bottom of the ridge.







Monday, August 1, 2011

Fit To Print


This past week, my colleague Gene Johnson wrote a compelling story about a mother trying to keep her teenage sons away from a killer _ their stepmother.

Thanks to his story, one of my pictures made the New York Times. Needless to say, I was stoked. The picture was fit to print and on page 19 of a Sunday NYT.

For the assignment, I met the mother at a park in Kenmore for about 15 minutes to get her portrait. It's nothing exciting, but here are some of the shots left on the cutting room floor.