Art Alexakis for Motor Trend

Motor Trend Magazine has an online feature column called Celebrity Drive. This week it profiles Art Alexakis, front man for the multi-platinum rock band Everclear. I did the shoot on a chilly morning at Art's house in Portland's west hills. Before we got started, Art and I headed to a nearby coffeeshop to warm up. We had a nice conversation about living in Portland, being proud parents of young daughters, and life in general. Art was open, and easy to work with, adding some useful creative input as we moved through the shoot. Below are some of the photos we made.

Elton John and Billy Joel

In 2006 I photographed Elton John on stage at Rose Garden arena in Portland. It was on of my first shoots at a big concert, and certainly the highest profile artist I'd ever shot. It was a total thrill, and I've since gone on to shoot many shows and artists of the same caliber. In 2008 I was scheduled to shoot Billy Joel on stage. Something came up last minute that had me out of town the night of the show, needless to say, I was disappointed. Wednesday night, my absence at the Joel concert was vindicated when I was credentialed to shoot the Elton John and Billy Joel "Face to Face" performance at The Garden. The two legends sat at pianos, opposite each other, and belted out classics that had the sold-out crowd on their feet for most of the time I was stage-front. While the lighting was relatively colorless compared to my first Elton John show, the music took center stage and stole the show. It's always a pleasure to be in close presence of such talents, just another reason why I truly love what I do, it often humbles me.

Hoffmans return home safely after Haiti earthquake

Joel and Rachel Hoffman were trapped in their apartment building for several hour after the devastating earthquake in Haiti. Returning home to Portland was emotional, after not having contact with their families for several days. Rachel's parents flew up from their home in Sydney, Australia for the reunion. They suffered relatively minor injuries in the quake, Rachel a gash on her arm, and Joel and minor head injury. They credit their survival to having lived on the top floor of their apartment building. The Hoffmans were living in Haiti working with a Christian relief agency.

Melt

Melt, sandwiched between (pun intended) a coffee shop and a nail place on NW 23rd, is a new hot spot for yummy eats, and good cocktails. Small, yet cozy, comfortable, and a good bit hip, Melt's interior is nicely designed and laid out to accommodate in-and-out foot traffic, as well as mealtime diners. Hearty, gooey, sandwiches, like the Pulled Pork with Green Chilles and Havarti, are served with Buckets of Crispy Fries, and a pile of napkins. For the surf crowd, a Dungeness Crab Cake burger and House Salad hits the spot. If your looking for kid-friendly try, the drippy Grilled White Cheddar Cheese and Hearty Chicken and Rice Soup.

A huge thanks to my models for this shoot, Fine Art and Childhood photographer Anna Hoye, and Katie Ryan.