Gustavo Fernandez Photographer » Travel

HOG FOR KIDS: Day 8-Ft. Collins, CO to Denver, CO

Gustavo Fernandez — Sat, 12 Jul 2008 06:10:00 +0000

HOG FOR KIDS ay 8-Ft. Collins, CO to Denver, CO

After a fun filled day with the Bell’s i headed for a short ride south to Denver and joined my Sigma Chi Fraternity brother and also KU Alum Dale and his new beautiful wife Carrie. We headed over for dinner at a nice pizza place and enjoyed a few drinks as we caught up.

As i settled in to my guest bedroom i ran into a baby name book. They swore they bought it for some friends. Right. Had to look myself up of course. Vital: i’ll go with the “Full of Life” definition & for Gusto: vigorous enjoyment, zest. Quite happy with those fitting definitions.

Thanks Dale & Carrie, hopefully next time i can spend more than just a night hanging out.

Total Mileage: 61
Total Time: 1 HR

HOG FOR KIDS: Day 9-Ft. Collins Lifestyle Portrait Session with Bell Family

Gustavo Fernandez — Sat, 12 Jul 2008 00:01:00 +0000

HOG FOR KIDS: Day 9-Ft. Collins Lifestyle Portrait Session with Bell Family

Last night i arrived at my friend Michelle’s home after my longest ride yet. We both attended the University of Kansas and shared many good times together. I had not seen her since we left college and looked forward to catching up. I was quickly introduced to her two beautiful children Olivia (Livy) and Connor before putting them to bed and saw that they would be a blast to work with when i pulled my camera out. Michelle excused herself as she started the night shift as a tele-nurse and Marty and i enjoyed some burgers they had just grilled.

This morning i hung out wit the kids and helped Michelle as she got the day ready for us to go out to the park and play. I love being there early to capture the family as the day unfolds. How Connor just chows down on his breakfast and makes sure to feed Bella (the dog) who happily awaiting for the scraps. And how little Miss Libby shyly wonders who this strange man in her home is doing with that big camera.

Eggo with cream cheese, yum…

One of my favorite images of the day.

Thanks Michelle & Marty for having me over.

HOG FOR KIDS:Day 8-Albuquerque, NM to Ft. Collins, CO

Gustavo Fernandez — Fri, 11 Jul 2008 06:27:00 +0000

HOG FOR KIDS ay 8-Albuquerque, NM to Ft. Collins, CO

Last night i stayed with my new friend Don. Before i left i New Mexico was the only place that i did not know anyone and would just plan on staying at a hotel. I was telling this to my friend Kennedy when she said she had a friend in Albuquerque. She placed the call and i was set. Don took care of me and welcomed me into his home. Thanks Don for your hospitality.

I slept in, rode over to Whole Foods and stocked up for the longest ride yet. It amazed me that it was longer than the San Francisco to LA leg i did on my first day. Like clockwork i ran out of gas at 174 miles and pulled into a gas station that was close by. Today was a pretty straightforward ride up I-25 highway.

Since i got in late and left after Don had taken off for work i did not get a chance to get a picture with Don. I took a pic of an image in his living room. Thanks Don.

Nuevo Mexico vistas…

Outta gas again…

Pipes are hot, do not touch! Bummed out that i burned a hole in my new riding pants:(

Makeshift picnic.

Some beautiful cloud formations.

Sunset in the Colorado Rockies.

Total Mileage: 505
Total Time: 8.5HRS

HOG FOR KIDS:Day 7-Phoenix, AZ to Albuquerque, NM

Gustavo Fernandez — Thu, 10 Jul 2008 06:19:00 +0000

HOG FOR KIDS ay 7-Phoenix, AZ to Albuquerque, NM

I soaked my shirt in cold water, put my jacket on and was off in 100 degree plus weather heading north towards Flagstaff. It’s amazing what riding 100 miles north does to the scenery. Changed from cacti to pine trees. On my first stop for gas i reached over to unhook the hose for the water bladder from my jacket and did not find it. I immediately looked back and saw she was a goner! Learned my lesson, must strap everything down individually and not just under the cargo net. A few hours later after cruising at a pretty good clip (Speed Limit here was 75) the bike started to loose power. I glanced down and saw that my mileage from when i filled up the tank was at 174 miles. The tank takes about 5 gallons of gas and i usually get a little over 180 mile per tank. I immediately realized that since i was going 85 mph that gas consumption was a little higher. While still riding and loosing speed fast i reached down and turned the gas switch to reserve and she purred back to life. Luckily there was a gas station up ahead. Not sure how far it will go on reserve.

What’s missing from this picture?

Where my water bladder used to live before she flew off into highway freedom…

From dessert shrubs…

…to pine trees.

I love these signs! 75MPH…

Missed this rainstorm, looked like it was dumping out there…

These are the vents on my jacket, they work like a charm. In the front and out two vents in the back.

Gotta love truck stops for easy entertainment, a couple of my favs below.

Met a couple of cool guys!

New Mexico Vistas!

Total Mileage: 457
Total Time: 8 HRS

HOG FOR KIDS:Day 7-Phoenix Lifestyle Portrait Session with Muntz Family

Gustavo Fernandez — Thu, 10 Jul 2008 05:19:00 +0000

HOG FOR KIDS ay 7-Phoenix Lifestyle Portrait Session with Muntz Family

Today we had a great time taking my business partner Jennifer Muntz’s family out to get some family portraits done downtown. Here are some of my favorite images. Enjoy!

HOG FOR KIDS:Day 6-Phoenix Lunch with local photographers & Phoenix Art Museum

Gustavo Fernandez — Wed, 09 Jul 2008 05:19:00 +0000

HOG FOR KIDS ay 6-Phoenix Lunch with local photographers & Phoenix Art Museum

Today i had lunch with local wedding photographers Melissa Jill & Stuart Thurlkill. I have followed Melissa’s blog for some time and been an admirer so decided to drop her a line on my way through town and was excited that she was available. She also invited Stuart of Eyes 2 See Photography and his wife Katie to join us since his studio was located close by. We enjoyed some great food and conversations at the Thai Hut in downtown Phoenix. Thanks guys for a great time.

Thanks to Stuart for the great recommendation to go across the street after lunch to check out the Phoenix Art Museum. The place was amazing, including the architecture, the artists, and the variety of works.

The Thai Hut as viewed from the Phoenix Art Museum.

They are currently featuring some amazing contemporary Chinese prints.

One of my favorite painters-Marc Chagall.

“La Malinche” by Alfredo Ramos Martinez.

Ralph Rucci Clothing Design Exhibition, he is the only American currently officially invited to show haute couture in Paris.

I wonder what his wedding gowns might look like if he were to design them.

A HUGE Chuck Close print.

This installation was constructed by the charred remains of a Texas church that was struck by lightning.

Having fun with reflections.

This piece is by Anish Kapoor who is also famous for the Bean (officially called Cloud Gate) located in Millennium Park in Chicago. Can’t wait to get a pic with that one when i make it there.

Yes, it was just as disturbing i real life.

“Blob” was pretty cool.

HOG FOR KIDS:Day 5-Phoenix Engagement Session at The Phonecian with Mina & Nate

Gustavo Fernandez — Tue, 08 Jul 2008 05:33:00 +0000

HOG FOR KIDS ay 5-Phoenix Engagement Session at The Phoenician with Mina & Nate

Today Jen and I photographed the engagement session for Mina & Nate at The Phoenician. Nate works at The Phoenician and is the Marketing Coordinator for The Phoenician Residences so we were able to get out of the heat and shoot inside one of the unoccupied villas and then venture outside briefly for a few shots. They are getting married in Scottsdale at Different Pointe of View in October. It’s a gorgeous venue that overlooks the valley. Here are some of our favorite images of the session. Enjoy!

Can’t wait to photograph Mina in her gown, she is going to be a gorgeous bride.

HOG FOR KIDS:Day 4-Las Vegas to Phoenix

Gustavo Fernandez — Mon, 07 Jul 2008 06:28:00 +0000

HOG FOR KIDS ay 4-Las Vegas to Phoenix

I took off a little later than i should have. I guess i was somehow waiting for the 108 degree weather to magically cool off but that sure did not happen. Immediately got stuck at the Hoover Dam traffic so i could soak in the rays of sunshine. The sunshine turned into possible thunderstorms. I noticed some lightning in the distance and luckily missed the storms given one was to my west and another to my east as i rode.

Jim and Mr Jake

Lake Meade

Traffic

I guess they are building a bridge right over the top.

The other side.

Directions.

Hoover Dam. All images taken from my bike.

Welcome to Arizona!

Arizona Vistas.

Total Mileage: 270
Total Time: 5.25HRS

HOG FOR KIDS:Day 4-Lifestyle Portrait Session with Jake

Gustavo Fernandez — Mon, 07 Jul 2008 05:00:00 +0000

HOG FOR KIDS ay 4-Lifestyle Portrait Session with Jake

Last night i arrived at my friends Jim & Caroline’s home. Caroline had the girls over for drinks and a movie while they hung out with Jake (8 month old). Jim and i took the opportunity to get out of the house as they watched “Terms of Endearment” and sipped on champagne. We headed over to the Lake Las Vegas Resort for dinner and enjoyed the free outdoor jazz concert afterwards.

Today i spent some time photographing Mr. Jake, he is gonna be a heartbreaker. Here are some of my favorite images below. Enjoy.

Check out that hair!

HOG FOR KIDS:Day 3-Los Angeles to Las Vegas

Gustavo Fernandez — Sun, 06 Jul 2008 02:19:00 +0000

HOG FOR KIDS ay 3-Los Angeles to Las Vegas

After meeting up for lunch at the very tasty There’s No Place Like-Home with my old friend from KU, Dain Kloner, i headed out into the heat towards Las Vegas. You ever take a shower fully clothed? Well, i just about did. At my first gas stop i walked into the bathroom and proceeded to douse my shirt and bandana with water. Zipped my jacket back up and took off. Worked like a charm as the air flowed through my jacket it created a nice air conditioning system that kept me cool in the 100 degree plus heat.

Mr Dain

LA Vista.

The Hollywood sign.

Desert Views.

Gasing Up.

Just a few miles over the speed limit.

My Shadow.

Self Portrait.

Las Vegas in the distance. I stayed in Henderson, about 15min from the strip.

Total Mileage: 271
Total Time: 5HRS

HOG FOR KIDS:Day 2-In Los Angeles for Fourth of July

Gustavo Fernandez — Sat, 05 Jul 2008 05:52:00 +0000

HOG FOR KIDS ay 2-In Los Angeles for Fourth of July

I arrived last night to LA and enjoyed a great dinner at Barney’s Beanery with my friend Ben before crashing from the long journey. We headed out today to Venice Beach to hang out before the afternoon BBQ. We went to a BBQ hosted by one of Ben’s friends (Brendan) who is the bassist for The Young Dubliners, a Celtic Rock & Roll band. Ben shared with me some of their music on the way home and i can’t wait to catch these guys live, they definitely have a unique and fun sound.

Venice Beach

The Boardwalk

The Beach

Getting my feet wet in the Pacific, next stop, Atlantic Ocean!

We walked along the water to the Santa Monica Pier.

The BBQ

Ben & Actress Heather Charles. Seems like everybody here in LA is an actor.

Enjoying a cold brew.

HOG FOR KIDS:Day 1-Pleasant Hill to Los Angeles

Gustavo Fernandez — Fri, 04 Jul 2008 06:00:00 +0000

Hog for Kids ay 1-Pleasant Hill to Los Angeles

I slept in after a long day and night of final preparations and ended up getting on the road at about 11am. I decided to take the 101 South so i could spend some time riding down the Pacific Coast shoreline. I packed the bike up and took off to a pretty comfortable ride given it was pretty cool and a bit windy. I stopped in San Luis Obispo to say hello to fellow wedding photographer Mike Larson and his wife Rachel at their new studio. I have heard Mike speak several times and am a great admirer of his work. He was also one of the Young Guns this year at WPPI where he showed his famous camera toss trick. We chatted briefly and then continued my journey south. As i rode into Santa Barbara i was engulfed in some serious smoke. Ash was falling everywhere. I looked to the east and saw some of the wildfires on the hillside. I dropped my friends DJ and Crystal a note to make sure they were ok since they live in the hills. I arrived in LA at about 8:30PM. I will be staying here for the next two days at my friend Ben’s place right of the Sunset strip. No kids to photograph here since the original plan was to come down and stay with my cousin and photograph her daughter but they decided to fly home to Dominican Republic over the holiday weekend. Off to Vegas on Saturday, no looking forward to that leg, gonna be “hella” hot.

The outfit.

The bike fully packed.

2003 100YR Anniversary model.

Hydration

Directions

100 miles in..

I sure hope it’s not this expensive all the way…

Mike Larson & his wife Rachel.

Their awesome studio.

Self Portrait

Santa Barbara Wildfires

Total Mileage: 437
Total Time: 9.5HRS

HOG FOR KIDS:Day 0-Off in the Morning

Gustavo Fernandez — Thu, 03 Jul 2008 06:00:00 +0000

The list is quite long when you have be gone for a month. Spent most of the day running errands and picking up last minute trip items like the very important full face helmet. My friend Greg opened up a new motorcycle store called Ace Motorsports in Concord which carries Ducati, KTM, and Triumph motorcycles. I bought most of my trip gear from him like the Arai helmet and the Revit jacket and pants. Later this evening my friend Kennedy stopped by to help me pack. She let me borrow one of her bike bags and some of her travel gear. She helped me stay on a very minimalist track and packed my bag for me. Two or three of everything max, undies, pants, shirts, ect. I tried to cheat when she left and add a pair of cargo pants with no luck, she had packed it so well that nothing else fit. The pants stayed and i gave into having to live with the same limited items of clothing for the month.

The beautiful Kennedy.

Final Bag. Lowepro bag on the left with my 17in MacBook Pro and my Canon 5D with my 24-70mm 2.8, 50mm 1.2, and 70-200mm lenses. Small green bag with food and snacks. Black large bag with all my clothing and belongings.

HOG FOR KIDS-Ride Across the U.S. on my 2003 Harley-Davidson Fatboy

Gustavo Fernandez — Mon, 30 Jun 2008 15:18:00 +0000

So here is the plan, ride across the US on my 2003 Harley-Davidson Fatboy and stay with friends as i photograph their children and family to continue to work on my Lifestyle Portrait work. A few months ago i noticed not much was going on in July and set it up. Figured it might be a little warm this month but i would survive. We’ll see how i feel when i hit Vegas and Phoenix in plus 100 degrees.

Below is the proposed route.

Wedding: Jenna & John Lake Forest, IL

Gustavo Fernandez — Sat, 08 Mar 2008 07:56:00 +0000

This weekend Jennifer and i had a wonderful time photographing the wedding of Jenna & John in Lake Forest, Illinois. Lake Forest is a beautiful suburb located just north of Chicago. Here are some of my favorite images followed by a slideshow of the day. Enjoy.

Church-First Presbyterian Church Lake Forest
Reception Venue-Victoria Highwood
DJ/Entertainer-Anthony (Frank) Cassano

Jennifer & I on our first gig together.

Seeing each other for the first time…

Lake Forest High School where they first met.

I love my new Canon 15mm Fisheye Lens

Frank (Entertainer/DJ) was awesome! I am also in love with my new Canon 85mm 1.2 Lens with which this image was taken, no flash!

Here is the slideshow of the day.

Missed flight, lost car rental keys, the works!

Gustavo Fernandez — Mon, 21 Jan 2008 20:15:00 +0000

What a day. Yesterday i had a wonderful time at Nicole & Aaron’s wedding at the Four Seasons. This morning i woke up with the idea that my flight was at 2PM. Well, it was not! When i was checking out of the hotel i glanced at my flight information and realized i just missed it, it was schedule for Noon. I headed to the Four Seasons to join Nicole & Aaron and friends at the beach. I logged onto the internet at the Four Seasons and booked a one way ticket to Oakland. It was cheaper than rebooking with ATA who wanted to charge me $100 change fee over the regular price of the ticket. We lounged by the water and took a few dips followed by a nice teriaki tofu over quinoa for lunch. I then headed over to Brent’s (Nicole’s bother) condo with Bart to change before driving to the airport. I took the car keys to get the toiletries from the car trunk, changed, and when we were ready to leave the keys were nowhere to be found. I called for a locksmith and the keys were not in the trunk? So if i got my toiletries and closed the trunk i would have immediately realized the keys were inside right? I thought i gave them to Bart when i walked back in. Maybe i set them on the couch when i grabbed my clothes to go to the bathroom. It shall be a mystery til i hear back form him after they turn the condo upside down looking for them. We took Brent’s car and Bart dropped me off at the airport to barely miss my flight. This simple mistake cost me a few buck, no fun. I was also scheduled to work on a shoot the next day and therefore my need to get back, if not i would have stayed a day or two and enjoyed Maui some more. Now on a flight to Kona to get on the red-eye to Oakland, to then pick up a rental car(remember i have not had a chance to buy a car yet), race to my house to get some of my clothes for the model on the shoot and then drive back to SF. It’s gonna be a long day tomorrow.

UPDATE: Bart said they looked everywhere with no luck. A day later i was unpacking my laptop and guess what i found right underneath it, a nice set of rental car keys. Must have dropped it in there when i put my computer away. Luckily it saved me $250 spare key charge when i shipped it back. Definitely learned my lesson to double check my flight information the day before.

The "Wet" Road to Hana

Gustavo Fernandez — Sat, 19 Jan 2008 03:05:00 +0000

Today Bart & I drove the famous Road to Hana. Unfortunately it started pouring rain shortly after our trip started. It was about 65 miles to Hana that bordered the north coast of Maui. Since it was raining the waterfalls were in full force. It was one long windy drive and we stopped at a few waterfalls that were visible for the road and ended up in Hana for lunch.

View Larger Map

I got a little lens envy when i saw this guy shootin the surfers. Imagine bringing that to a wedding…

Here comes the rain…

By the time we got to Hana we were in a pretty bad storm. Check out the video below.

We stopped in Hana and had lunch, luckily by the time we were done it cleared up a bit. We headed back and decided to stop at Black Sand Beach. This large beach is set among lava cliffs and the sand is actually small, smooth, lava pebbles.

Yup, it’s black…

After Black Sand Beach we had a long, windy, and uneventful dark drive home. A fun day but definitely need to come back when the weather cooperates to take in the views that are visible from the road.

Here are the rest of the images of the day on my Flickr account.

Missed flight, lost car rental keys, the works!

Off to Maui…Célébrités Gallery

Gustavo Fernandez — Fri, 18 Jan 2008 02:19:00 +0000

Took a cab to the airport this morning and off i was on a non-stop flight to Maui on ATA.

I arrived a met up with a friend of the brides, Bart Cilfone. He saved me from having to pay full price on a hotel by myself when my other friend bailed on the trip. We picked up the rental car and drove down to Kihei to the Maui Banyan Hotel. I did plenty of research beforehand and this was the best deal in town. I was pretty excited when we got there that the room was pretty big and also had a full size kitchen in it. It was probably just as big as my condo back home.

We grabbed dinner at Cheeseburger Island Style located at The Shops at Wailea. We then walked around and being the art lover that i am i got sucked into The Celebrities Gallery. This gallery is comprised of pieces of art created by celebrities. I was most drawn to the Pop Art created by the owner Gerard Marti. Here are some fun samples of his work.

The artist-Gerard Marti