Europe Again

I am starting a new adventure, Paris to Rome with Karisa.  It's been a longtime since I've posted anything. There will be lots more to come.

Ciao,
-Nate

Art of Fashion at the Timken

I had the privilege of shooting the Art of Fashion at the Timken museum in Balboa Park.  This was the 4th year of the event and every year it inspires me to see what the designers create from these master pieces.
The image in this blog post is of Saleisha Stowers, winner of America's Next Top Model,  and San Diego designer Jeffery Parish.


Check out the rest of the images from the event 


Anyways I had a great time!
Thanks T for the invite ;)

-Nathan

GoPro video from the Haus of Estrada shoot

I made a video of still shots from the photo shoot last weekend.  I used a GoPro set to take a shot every 10 seconds until the battery died.
On a side note I am completely pissed that I miss fashion week. All because a blackout here in San Diego, really?!?! My friends and family are tired of hearing me bitch. Ok, I am done.

Here is a link to some of the photos from the shoot.

Anyways, enjoy the video and images. It was fun making it.


-nate

That's a wrap

It's almost 11 PM in NY and I am still editing down the images so the Estradas can make the final picks for the look book. It was a great day! Everyone involved with the project brought amazing energy to the shoot. I wish I had a few more lights to work with but that wasn't the case. I made the best with what I had. I did get lots of GoPro time lapsed footage and some other video clips that I plan on putting together when I get home tomorrow.
Back to work.



-nate

-Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

Location:Prospect Ave,Mamaroneck,United States

Red Eye Out

So I am sitting in the airport here in San Diego waiting for a red eye to New York to shoot a look book for the Haus of Estrada

The plan is as follows:
-Fly out tonight.
-Wakeup in New York.
-Go right to the location for the shoot.
-Shoot 20 looks on site with limited equipment.
-Do the selects with the designers.
-Prep the images for the printer.
-Fly back to San Diego at noon on Sunday.
I am going to try and document the entire 36 hours with video and time lapsed photography.

All that being said the plan is always subject to change.

-nate

-Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

Location:San Diego Ave,San Diego,United States

Crap...

If you happen to see something that looks similar to this somewhere between London and San Diego and it has all my photos from France on it please return it.

I can't f'ing believe I lost all my photos from my point and shoot camera. I am really bummed.

What can I say... I should have taken my backup device but I thought it would take up too much space.

C'est la vie...

Nate

Roll'n series

Last night in Blois me and 50cl of red wine were working on a series of photos. Something for the wall at home. The series is called roll'n. They are from my crazy trip on the bike paths of Blois. They still need a bit of work but you get the idea.


-nate

-Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

Location:Rue du Louvre,Paris,France

Château seeing

It feels great to be back out on the bike, so far I've only done 40km but the weather is amazing and the bike paths are fun! Been lost so many times I can't count but I've seen some really cool stuff. Again, more then words can express and images can capture.
I made a new friend out on the road but he said I was making an ass of myself so I had to keep roll'n, oh well, such is life ;)
BTW, this region has great white wines. I am not a huge fan of white wines but they're good!






-nate

-Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

Location:Route du Bûcher,Cheverny,France

Vauchē Choco Bar

Blois is an amazing city! The vibe here is very cool and very old. The history goes back to the 1200's. I can't wait to review the images. There's gonna be some keepers.
Blois reminds me of a small town in Italy called Luca. The kinda place you could own a vacation home, if not live.
I am sitting at this cafe called Vauchē, it's a chocolate bar. Holy hell this stuff should be illegal!!!! It's liquid crack. I didn't think you could really drink chocolate like this. I won't need dessert tonight. For that matter I should stick to a glass of wine for dinner. I don't really think this is part of a low fat low calorie diet. Just a guess...


-nate

-Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

Location:Rue du Commerce,Blois,France

Off to Blois

Sitting on the train heading to Blois (pronounced Blah???). I am actually listening to music and relaxing and not trying to learn anymore French. I am done! I am a stupid tourist that can't speak French. I am just going to own it...
I hope the weather holds out. I need to get back on my bike. I am pretty sure that I've gained about 40lbs since I been in Paris, eat'n and drink'n vine. I just need to do some riding to round it all out.

-nate

-Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

Location:On a train heading south...

6€ coffee

I just paid 6€ for a coffee. That is officially the most expressive coffee I've ever purchased. I had mentioned it to the waiter and he politely reminded me I am paying for the view. He's right... :)




-nate

-Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

Location:Rue de Rivoli,Paris,France

The Louvre

Having lunch at Café des Initiés. I just finished checking out only a small part of the Louvre. I heard that if you spent 30 seconds in front of each piece of art that it would take 6 days to look at everything. After checking it out for a few hours I could easily see that being the case. A few observations and recommendations about the Louvre:
- There are 3 entrances, don't use the main one it will take you for ever to get in. You'll be exhausted before you start.
- Don't try and see everything.
- There is no better day of the week to go to the Louvre, expect Tuesday, they're closed.
- Put down the camera, really. Do you honestly think you are going to take a better picture then the museum did? You can buy a book for less the 20€ and see all the pieces. Look at the art think about the art. How does it make you feel?

One more thing, the Mona Lisa isn't in the same place that the movie The da Vinci Code would have you believe.

-nate

-Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

Location:Rue du Louvre,Paris,France

Piss drunk in France....

Just finished a wine tasting called the Tour de France at Ôchateau wine bar, 6 French wines. I am toasted to say the least. I just ordered dinner and it comes with wine, really? Oh yeah, the big kicker, I have know idea where my hotel is. My iPad's cell service just stopped working. That means I've got to figure out where I am on a paper map, shit! This is getting interesting.

Side note - The chef is from LA. I come to France and I am eating at a SoCal chef's restaurant, go figure...


-nate

-Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

Location:Rue du Louvre,Paris,France

First day in Paris

Where to begin? Walking 15k is a lot harder then riding 15k, holy hell! The bike is coming out tomorrow. Walking sucks!
I did a fun bike tour of a small part of the city and got a good idea of where I want to go back tomorrow. I forgot the adapter for the DSLR camera so I can't upload any of those photos. Just as well, I am on a mission to find new art for my walls and I figured there would be no better place then Paris to fine the inspiration for the images.
It's about 8:00 in the evening, I am having a glass of wine at Cafe Moceru trying to figure out what to do for dinner. It stays light till well after 9:00 it's no wonder everyone eats late. Sitting here I can see the appeal of the city. There is lots of history and swagger to this place.
I should have practice my French more. I'd say that's been the hardest part of the trip so far, that and everybody smokes. Don't they know it's bad for them? Everything I've heard about the French being mean or rude hasn't held true for me.
Well that's all for now.



-nate

-Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

Location:Rue de Damrémont,Paris,France

A change of pace...

I don't even know how to put all of this into words. So much riding so many amazing experiences. Yesterday I finished my riding in the Alps on top of Col du Galibier. The demons where left on the Galibier...
Now I am starting a new part of my adventure. Sitting in the Grenoble Train station waiting for the TGV to Paris. Just finished a great conversation with an Aussie couple living in the UK. Gotta love traveling. ;)



-nate

-Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

Location:Avenue Jeanne d'Arc,Grenoble,France

The kindness of a stranger...

We've all held the door for someone or help someone pick up their change when they dropped it, but how many of us have ever really helped out a stranger? These gestures I mentioned above are nice but they are really of very little inconvenience when you think about it.
A few days ago on my ride I was the recipient of something I have never really experienced before. The kindness of a stranger...
While on a very long ride I was lost in Chambéy and I saw a woman standing by her car on the side of the road that looked like she needed help. I was thinking this should be interesting, my French sucks. I rolled up to her with her son in the car. She was motioning that I couldn't go this way, thinking back it was a freeway entrance, for lack of a better word. I pointed to a map and said Grenoble, then to my bike and said velo. She motioned to her car like she was going to give me a ride. I thought why not. It was late in the day, starting to rain and I was bonking for the second time. She got into her car then I realized she meant that she would show me how to get there by following her.
She took off and I started motor pacing behind her at 20mph. It hurt, but it was better then being lost. I was thinking I really hope she's not some nut that is just going to get me lost or worse. I followed her for over half an hour while she drove all over this city then through these vineyards and farmland. She even stopped and waited for me because I popped. Long story short I got back on the road and 2 hours later made it back to Grenoble.
The point of this isn't that I had a tough day in the saddle it's that a complete stranger took real time out of their day to help me, a foreigner, a stranger. I had to ask myself while this was all happening have I ever really taken time out of my day to ever really help someone, I mean really help them? I owe karma in a big way! I was in really bad shape, I was alone in a foreign country, I didn't speak the language and was 30 miles from my only refuge, my hotel room.
When was the last time you really helped someone? Something to think about...


-nate

-Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

Location:Chemin des Effonds,Le Bourg-d'Oisans,France

Cold day!

Cold day today, low 30's. Tomorrow watching the stage then riding into Italy.



-nate

-Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

Location:Chemin des Effonds,Le Bourg-d'Oisans,France

Photo from alpe d'huez

-nate

-Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

Location:Chemin des Effonds,Le Bourg-d'Oisans,France

Day three

Just too tried to write today. More pain and beauty in ride then I could have ever imagined.
Tomorrow I start my tour with Ridestrong tours. I don't know if I am going to have Internet access from the château so I my be offline for the week. Look for me on TV in the Alps :)




au revoir

-nate

-Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

Location:Rue Général Mangin,Grenoble,France

Just a photo

-nate

-Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

Location:Rue Général Mangin,Grenoble,France