(Captured the front of this procession in Williamsburg, Brooklyn. Jesus and the Soldiers)

New York City

What better place to be during easter?

Here are few images to narrate Audrey & I’s trip to the heart of one of the best cities in the world.

Ira takes in the view from his veranda

(Audrey in Williamsburg shopping in a boutique… doesn’t look like she’s impressed)

(Ira shows his love for Chocolate at one of the best chocolate factories around. Mast Brothers make some amazing chocolate and at $7 a bar, it better be)

(Me and the Indian smoker)

And of course my top 18 parts of the trip in writing.

1. Central Park boating and cocktails With Audrey

2. Basketball with Ira and Nate

3. Roebling tea room for Breakfast

4. Easter Eve Dinner with all of the friends.

5. Dinner with Mary Ann & Matt Gemma at the Bowery Hotel

6. Shopping (Top Man) + Freemans Lunch

7. Shopping with Audrey (soho/topshop/lunch)

8. Rye (Amazing Brooklyn restaurant) w/Audrey, Ira, Andrea,Alyx &Brian.

9. Williamsburg shopping, bloody mary’s & lunch at Cafe Collate.

10.Dinner with the Walkers. (sunset on the balcony)

11. Easter Eve Service (beautiful but Loooong)

12. Subway dancers.(Improv breakdancing…no big deal)

13. Engagement shoot (With the lovely Lauren & Peter)

14. Lakers at Williamsburger

15. Lakers win (watching at Ira’s studio with a bootleg website)

16. Blackbird cafe evening with Audrey (editing,reading and cocktails)

17. Crepe making (Audrey’s specialty)

18. Great coffee every morning.

(Audrey & Ira outside of a store front, SoHo)

(Walking through the Bowery trying to find Freeman’s one of the best restaurants)

(The paint and the girl)

(Audrey & I so excited that lent is over, we were about to feast… also happy that we were out of the 3 hour service)

(Friend potluck with Ira & Andrea & Co. Oysters,Keish,Rum & Tonic, Great wine, cheese and meats…One of the best nights in memory)

(Pipes on the deck. The manhattan skyline in the background)

(The view from Ira Lippke Studios)

(Easter morning brunch at Aurora)

(Audreys parents Matt & Mary Ann, Audrey, myself,Ira & Andrea after brunch)

(Ira took this)

(Cheese Store)

(Ira & Andrea walking their neighborhood)

(My friend Alyx met up with us)

(The Highline)

(Gemma, Bowery Hotel)

(The Bowery Hotel amazzzing dinner Audrey & her mom enjoying themselves)

(How fun does that look?)

(Row boats in Central park on the ultimate NY day)

(Audrey rowing and me just kicking back relaxing)

(What an amazing trip! Huge thanks to Ira & Andrea for being amazing hosts, Matt & Mary Ann for making the week extra special and my lovely Girlfriend for joining me on a New York trip…FINALLY!)

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I photographed Audrey on the moon.

Or at least a place that reminded me of it.

Hope you like these spur of them moment images.

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(The 21st Floor)

I know I’ve been gone and not updating my blog, so I’d thought I’d share a little what I’ve been doing through iPhone pictures.

Of course the Images won’t be the same as most of them you’ve seen on my blog…the processing is completely different, as well as the actual camera is MUCH different. But I think you might enjoy them regardless.

I’d love to hear which is your favorite (or top 3)

(The Wind came with the rain Audrey & Eddie)

(Marrakech Airport)

(Audrey & I New Years Eve *)

(Richard Meier’s Pool; Hamptons)

(Morning Fog)

(Belmont Shore during the rains)

(Scouting for the perfect tree with Jon)

(Audrey deep in thought)

(The Gansevoort Hotel: Turks and Caicos)

(Inside the Marrakech Souks)

(Love this scene of a field and woman on a horse*)

(The best tree on 2nd St: Belmont Shore)

(Salton Sea)

(Bayshore)

(The Gansevoort Hotell: Turks and Caicos)

(Palms in the pool: Palm Desert)

(Soooo much Rain!)

(Love the colors,textures and movement)

(Kendall Showing me what its like on the moon)

(Self Portrait Christmas Eve)

(My Dad and his Boat: Washington*)

(Bicyclist in the rain)

(Putting herself together in the town car: Our Anniversary)

(Blowing me kisses while I pump gas)

(Bangkok)

(There is life everywhere)

(The Long Beach Airport is my favorite place and 3rd home)

(Santa Clause and his reindeer. I caught him red handed)

(At Sushi… Poker faces)

(Feed The Shark; Washington State)

(The Sweet Water Saloon: Long Beach)

(Today)

(Leaving Turks and Caicos: Great Trip!)

(Disobeying the rules)

(Thanks for stopping by!)

*Disclaimer: Indicates a iPhone Pic of a pic

My 2010 Alumni post is next up!

I did this shoot for a clothing company called Lani they manufacture some beautiful women’s clothing. Lani’s main stores are in Shanghai China.

I had such a great crew behind me and an awesome model.

Love photographing for Lani!

Producer: Dave Price

Hair & Makeup: Tiffany Patton

Stylist: Audrey Armada

Photo Assistants: Michelle Mosqueda & Evan Trine

Model: Lisa Marlier

Photographer: Samuel Lippke

Hope you enjoy these images.

(Peroni Calendar)

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After spending around 5 days in Bangkok, the whole crew (11 of us) jumped on a jet & headed South for Krabi.

Hopped on a bus, then a boat and then a long tail boat & finally we arrived in a version of paradise. Amazing beaches, perfect weather, hour long massages for $12, informal fire throwing shows on the beach, Some fun adventures with Bruce & his safe, ask him about doing the Hulk on his in room safe.

This island was a nice change of pace after working hard shooting a wedding, running around Bangkok and breathing smog.

Some of the Highlights in Phi Phi (not including what my next post will be about)

5. Getting my feet nibbled on by a few hundred “Fish Doctors” yes they actually call them that.

4. Waking up to an amazing view at the top of “Long Beach”

3. Hot food with Bruce, Harly & Cee… Love that HOT Thai Food.

2. Watching intermediate fire dancers perform on the beach with a cocktail in my hand & my girl at my side.

1. Massages- Amazing amazing Aloe Massages, great for the mind & body… For only about $12 US??

Overall a great destination. Wish we could have stayed an extra 2 days at least!

Props to Cee for great planning.

(While Audrey drinks water, I snag a Tiger Lager for the walk)

(Pretty sure that boat is taking on water)

(Loved this view… I’ll call this the wild 2 headed snake river)

(This was the first glimpse that made my heart pound with excitement. I love adventure… & that’s what those islands represent)

(Don’t know them, just liked this scene)

(This shot took a few tries)

(Rainy season brings millions of Jellies)

(Cee hanging on to that Infamous hat imported (& babied) by Harly…Unharmed with so much effort)

(Like I said… millions of Jellies)

(Perfect profile)

(We stayed there)

(Not sure if that guy has a rifle- but he looks like he means business)

(A long tail)

(Finally on the beach… Just need a spot to stash my gear)

(Thai Paradise)

(The view from our deck)

(Audrey on that insane deck)

(Bruce & Audrey)

(Becky & Stephen sipping rum & coconut)

(Merit)

(Loved this cat)

(Can’t beat those Massages)

(Harly)

(Love this image, especially with the moon in the back ground)

(Audrey,Cee & Bruce watching some dangerous piro’s play with sticks)

Here are some images from my time exploring Bangkok.

Loved my experience in the city, the hustle & bustle, the traffic, the great food and the friendly people all made for a great experience.

Staying at the 4 Season’s didn’t hurt the experience either.

Next post will be of Phi Phi Island.

Insane!

(Loved this bridge)

(This was at the Royal Palace- 24 karat gold plated dome)

(Bruce at the Temple)

(I prayed for rain)

(My prayer was answered)

(Karen, John & Harly taking cover from the weather)

(No photos or videos of the emerald Buddha… I saw people get their camera’s confiscated & or guards would make people delete the photos from the camera)

(The Studio)

(Trying to pick up some non-exsistant Wi-Fi)

(Traditional Thai dance)

(Stay tuned for the next Thailand Post- Tomorrow!)

You may recognize this couple, if you can’t place where you’ve seen them before, try this LINK.

My first Thailand wedding ever! It was quite the adventure. Different customs and religious traditions then I’ve ever shot, I felt like a NatGeo photojournalist.

Cee & Harly had their wedding at the Ritz Carlton on July 4th & then a 2nd wedding in front of Cee’s family in the outskirts of Bangkok.

Harly’s Aunt & Uncle flew out from Massachusetts & his best friend Bruce flew in from Arizona to represent his side. Cee had her good friend Becki by her side & she’s from here in LA.

A wonderful experience to be with great clients and great friends as they step even further into their marriage covenant together. Love these images & the country of Thailand!

(Cee gets sewn into her traditional Thai clothing, as well as slips into her wedding shoes)

(Harly gets dressed up for the occasion)

(Suan Thip)

(They got married right by the river)

(The 7 Monks prepare for their meal provided by the married couple)

(Friends & family arrive at the Monk’s ceremony)

(The Monk’s blessing-Harly got to keep the writings from this monk)

(Bruce trying to help Harly get to his bride by bribing the door guards)

(Cee’s little cousin stole the show when he kept asking for more money as a bribe to get through the gate)

(Harly’s Uncle John gives Cee’s mother a gift to convince her to allow her daughter to merry his nephew)

(Blessing the rings with fresh flower petals.)

(Harly & Cee, congratulations again. What a great week spent with you and your family, getting to know the culture, relaxing on islands and spas as well as enjoying some of the best food I’ve ever eaten. I’m honored to have been apart of such a great journey! Lets do it again!)

Fun Fact: Bangkok’s actual name is Krung Thep & its full name is the longest name for a place in the guinness book of world records. here it is in English:

“Krung Thep Mahanakhon Amon Rattanakosin Mahinthara Ayuthaya Mahadilok Phop Noppharat Ratchathani Burirom Udomratchaniwet Mahasathan Amon Piman Awatan Sathit Sakkathattiya Witsanukam Prasit”

When I have a free day, I utilize.

Sunday morning, Harly picks Audrey & I up at an early 7am. (That was the hardest part of the whole day) We cruise over & pick up some of Harly’s close friends Seth & Jen.

When we reached Lake Silverwood, we met an old Highschool friend of Harly’s; Jim. He had been at the lake since 5am waiting in line to launch his boat. Glad he did & we were able to reap the benefits. The result? All day on the lake, loud music,great company, hundreds of beverages & an abundance of good snacks (Harly, Jen & Seth nailed the snacks) wakeboarding (much different from waterboarding Richard). Some great stories from Jim about being a marine & a police officer. Some wild tricks on the tube & about 15 minutes of stunts in the speedboat made for a memorable day.

Now I need to put some icy hot on & get back to work.

Enjoy some pictures from the day.

(Jen,Seth,Harly,Audrey & Jim)

(Cruising the lake)

(Loved this pup)

(Wakeboarding)

(Resting)

(Set up camp)

(Audrey tried wakeboarding, this is me giving her tips… she’ll get it next time)

(Backdive)

(Backflip)

(Those last 3 are some of my favorite of Harly)

(Audrey took this of Seth)

(My Girl & I)

(Heading to shore exhausted)

(Corban & Liam grabbing their boards & some waves)

Fathers Day 2010, the last night with my nephews and Brother. Took the surf boards out to Seal beach an hour before sunset and did what us boys do best… ignore the garbage in the water, ignore the wind and search for that special something…in this case waves and a sunset to back us up with.

The very next morning Sonora, Daniel & kids would pack their bags, hop on a 747 and point towards Spain and eventually Morocco. So this was a symbolic & amazing time with my nephews.

Here are some pictures to illustrate.

(Seal Beach)

(Gearing up)

(Jude picked up some techniques while living in Hawaii)

(Before I put away the camera & got wet)

(Solomon sliding down a dune while Emmanuel plays in the background and the ladies talk further in the background)

(Sister Sonora,my Girlfriend Audrey holding niece Hope as they try to stay warm)

Then off to get some Pho’

(Number Nine, Noodles & Beer with the whole crew)

After an Engagement shoot on thursday night, Audrey & I drove up north 4.5 hours to a town called Cayucos. We were meeting up with good friends of ours (& Audrey’s employers). A perfect weekend set up for relaxing, visiting wineries, kayaking,playing on the beach, sitting around a campfire, BBQing and exploring antique shops. It was perfect. Huge thanks to the Ingram family for letting me come along on their family getaway. I love adopting friends into my family.

Some images to tell the story.

(Keegan on a rock)

(Cayucos pier)

(Just some bird & a wooden man)

(The eeriest swingset)

(Audrey sitting on the porch with the baby monitor)

(Pelican’s-Audrey took this)

(The Ingram Family- Emilie,Kendall,Keegan & Cory)

(Top left-Simon and his Dad Greg, 3 families were on the trip)

(Love this image of the house on the left. Its the white one)

(Audrey had to work to get up to me)

(When the sun goes down, so do the kids & thats when the fun starts)

(This dog is goodlooking, but it was a snapping pup…never fun)

Last weekend was spent relaxing in the warmth of Palm Desert with the Ingram Family, playing in the pool, a round of golf, BBQ’ing and just enjoying the weekend.

Here are images to prove that I can relax between work weeks. Don’t expect too many more of these weekends, so when I get one I take advantage.

Next post you’ll see me on the other side of the camera. Its interesting being on the other side of the camera for a shoot.

(This scene is perfect for a shoot. Great lighting, vintage pool furniture…I just need a budget for Kate Moss)

(I’ve turned her into my constant model)

(This image of Audrey & Kendall is one of my favorites from the trip)

(The Drive)

One of my favorite hobbies is the sport of basketball. One of my top 3 favorite players is Shannon Brown. He’s a highflying slashing guard on the Lakers & easily one of the best dunkers in the league (45″ vertical Leap).

On a rainy Saturday afternoon, I was able to meet him. He was at a signing on 2nd St. here in Belmont Shore. I felt bad at the amount of times he had to sign his name on random items (Baby bibs, old shoes worn out, a skateboard & a baby diaper where all among the weirdest items)

Here’s proof that I met him.

(Audrey getting her Shannon Brown Jersey signed)

(Crowd shots)
(More crowd)

(Shannon Brown Autographed mini-ball)

(Shannon Brown & I)

(We LOVE Long Beach Crew)

(Josiah & Shannon-Josiah is sporting his DJ Mbenga Jersey… true fan)

(killing time)
(I had him sign my jersey too)

(Until next time)

The shoot I did for OC Life alongside White Lilac Inc, Quail Bridal & Ceasar Pacheco is now online.

Click the link >HERE< to see more.

Just a teaser, infact I won’t post much from this until the magazine is released.(March 2010)

But a huge thank you to Sunny(White Lilac), Ceasar (Hair & Makeup) ,Michelle (Bridal Dresses) (& her intern),Audrey,Heather,Keslie, Nicole  (models) and my Intern. Great work everyone, thanks for putting so much effort into the quick, but memorable shoot.

Can’t wait to show you the rest.

To every elopement there is a huge party that follows. You’ve seen the elopement (Brazil Wedding) Now here’s the party!

Roebling Tea Room Brooklyn NY, Ira & Andrea host a celebration for the celebration of their recent wedding.

Being as though I was the best man, I didn’t shoot that much and being as though Ira was the groom, he literally only took 4 pictures… all of which I have no desire to post on my blog.

Sooooo with that said, here are images that I did take from an amazing celebration in the Tea Room.

(The taxi ride from Manhattan to Brooklyn. Eric & Heather Trine)

(Uncle Joe & Josiah talking politics & smack)

(Daniel & Seanne were highlights of the trip)

(Ira & Bob Covolo)

(The Trines)

(eTrine.com – samuellippke.com/blog – looseluggage.com)

(What better way to be released from photo duty…can’t wait to see his pictures in those cameras)

(Toasting his bride)

(Cutting the…do I really need to tell you what that is?)

(Dad Lippke ruling the toast section… never a dull moment with my Dad in the house)

(Mr. Codrington toasting)

(Josiah & Desiree getting classy)

(Dad talking with the Robinson’s)

(The Lovely Claudine Covolo & I)

(Siblings)

(The Lovely Audrey & Glory)

( My cousin Sarah & Mom)

(The best Sailor I know Jeremy (right) with his wife (& Maid of Honor) Virginia)

(Desiree & Heather wishing for a pizza…our dinner consisted of cocktails, some horderves and more cocktails)

(The Mom’s)

(Claudine & my favorite lighting)

This past week was spent having an amazing time with the Lippke family, joined by my Girlfriend Audrey, my cousins The Buffa’s, Andrea’s family the Codringtons, Daniel & Seanne Wehrenfennig and The Trine’s. These are pictures I took while we were there. The “Party” photos are next, so be on the lookout for those.

I LOVE visiting New York City, someday I’ll move there. But for now I’ll just visit and enjoy every aspect of it.

I’m so happy my whole family could be there and Audrey too!

For now, I hope you can freeze vicariously through me in the park.

(Ira and Andrea in the studio.)

(The subway stairs & my twin (Desiree pointed that out to me)

(Freezing on the Staten Island Ferry)

(Neon)

(Manhattan, NY Self portrait and street walkers)

(The Lippke’s & my girl Audrey)

(My Dad & Brothers)

(SoHo)

(Glory talking about her Taxi ride)

(Central Park  13º)

(Audrey & I doing some shopping)

(I love this picture of Audrey)

(I like the composition of this shot)

I’m in New York City. Its colllllddddd! I mean really cold, 15º + windchill. It gets even colder when you happen to walk througha  makeshift blizzard for some sort of movie production, or maybe just NY city being NY city.

I’ll post more later, its one family event after another. Ira & Andrea’s wedding rehearsal followed by family dinner, then swedish family dinner (drinking songs included) broadway shows, church services, bagel runs, coffee runs, shopping, ice skating,good music and seeing great friends & NY cousins.

For now, I’m off to get drinks and appetizers with good friends from Long Beach! (random right?)

Highlight tonight was watching the Lakers vs. Celtics game in a Manhattan Pub…especially when LA win’s at the last second.

Cheers!

(Central Park)

(Audrey Ice Skating)

(Kaden & Audrey)

(Ira’s Moto Guzzi is pretty amazing)

(Love this shot of Josiah)

When I have a camera and my girl in the same room, this is what happens… In this case, we were Downtown LA enjoying a sunday afternoon.

As cliche as the standard is, it still is one of the best places to be in Downtown. I’m waiting for LA to be reinvented and some fresh air be breathed upon the skyline. We need more rooftop bars and dance floors. The Standard is wayyyy overpriced, bad service too (I’ve boycotted their rooftop bar after a horrible drink mix up experience where the bartender was the rudest person I’ve ever spoken with) but other then their cliche, over priced night life scene, it can really be refreshing to spend an afternoon on the roof, relaxing in the pool and watching life go by.

Hope you like these pictures of Audrey and I doing just that.

(Audrey was cold, she used this shirt as a blanket, I used a 24mm lens to get as close as possible and flattering… love what I got in return)

(Mini-space-ship-lounge booth?)

(Sipping Cocktails on the Standard rooftop)

(25 cents last only a minute in this city stalker binoculars)

(Make shift indoor forest)

(I love the form and shapes this image forces you to enjoy)

(Believe it or not, we didn’t shoot pictures the whole time. I did have time to relax and just enjoy myself)

(The sun peeking through makes for great shadow details)

This is what happens when you put a few photographers together with a few ideas and a beautiful young lady.

Images with both Audrey & I in, Micah Cordy shot.

I Art directed and styled, Audrey did her own makeup. Quail (QisforQuail.com) made her dress.

This is just the beginning of an idea I have…its heading into a direction inspired by war and torn by love. Lets see what I can do with this theme.

(I took the shot of Audrey and loved the lighting. Image on Right is Micah’s; Its not often I get to kiss the model onset)

The last 2 nights have been spent on working with (intern #1) Micah on a project. The shoot took place last night in his neighbor’s garage/yard/driveway.

I wanted to work with available light as much as possible and Micah wanted to learn a little more about controlling light… so we did a little of both.

Here are a few images I took during the night of shooting.

I like the images that came from it. I may post a few more later if I thats what you want to see.

Also check back here for links to see Micah’s blog post about it.

Shoots like this help in training towards photojournalism, working with available light in a dark setting, using a remote flash slave is a step up from that, but possible in many settings.

Off to play basketball with my brother.

(My girl is a babe)

I’ve found that this is how you balance a crazy work week.

1. Start on a boat with friends 2.float over to Yard House in Long Beach for lunch 3.Go to a beach party 4. Attend a cocktail party and birthday dinner at night and allow the craziness to occur.

I’ll explain the way I know best…with pictures.

(Krisd Mauga and her daughter Kruiz. Heading over to Yard House)

(Donovan driving the boat and at one point applying a band-aid to KrisD’s finger. Multi tasker. I really want to learn how to Kite surf)

(Kruiz and I are best friends…although she wouldn’t trade shades with me)

(I want a paddle board now, I kept getting Audrey wet though, I’ll have to master my tandem Paddle board skills for next time)

(Ira taking a turn on the board)

(Eddie & Anthony, Robin & Bill were all highlights of the night. Robin and Bill flew from Atlanta to be there)

(Josiah with his more pleasant reaction to the belly dancer)

(Probably the best angle)

(Love the colors and theme)

(The women love Josiah. Margo and Kevin getting ready for some dinner)

(Mika the birthday boy (under the camel) is entertained by Darin as he blew everyone away with his musical skills)

(Overall had a great day. I ended up having an amazing Sunday too. Its good to capitalize on the weekends off, they don’t happen often)

(the view from the top of the “ToothPick)

Its rare that I ditch the big camera, grab my leica and then post the pictures. But this has become a sweet tradition among myself and my friends. The OC Fair doesn’t get much better then when you have 25 friends all together eating crazy things, sipping beer and then trying out the wildest rides. I imagine this tradition will be similar to St. Patricks day in a few years, minus the green, ad the rides, keep the beer. It was a great time and I look forward to doing it again next year!

(Fun pass)

(Ann and I)

(Lil jackson and his man powered fair ride)

(Lil Jackson & Audr)

(The whole crew)

( I won it for her)

I love having a weekend off! I certainly have taken advantage this far. Great weather, great friends, good health and an open schedule.

I started the weekend off by hot tubbing and sippin wine with friends, went around on a boat the next morning with Krisd Mauga and fam. All day beach party, then cocktail/birthday party last night.

I’m heading to another pool party now and then dinner with friends… this week is going to be titled “Samuel the working hermit that never leaves his studio even for a iced mocha”

Can’t wait to show you some pictures!

Last night at 5:45 the adventure began. Mindy and I were in the works, collaborating on this shoot for months.

Mindy was in need of some images to mark where she is in her life, instead of senior portraits, or graduation portraits, this shoot was to be somewhat of a time freeze for her life, something she would look back at in years to come… the time had finally come to get some amazing shots.

I scoped out a few locations (in my head) and after Audrey applied the makeup, we hopped in Mindy’s brand new Mini Cooper and drove to the location

After the sun went down, we had about 30 minutes of natural light to work with and then the nightlife shots.

I enjoyed this shoot, Mindy had great energy a willingness to get wet, get dirty and get great images, I LOVE THAT!

Nice work my friend, I look forward to next time!

July 2nd was spent driving up North to spend independence day with Audrey’s family.

It took 8 hours to get to Columbia County, Audrey’s family was still awake (11pm) when we arrived, which was nice. Its the worst to get somewhere late and have no clue whats going on because everyone is fast asleep… So it worked out well.

July 3rd-Walked around Columbia, which is an old gold mining town, literally the hot spot during California Gold Rush. The town is a state park and has been preserved perfectly with shops still operating out of the historic store fronts. Sarsaparilla floats were a highlight in the near 100º weather. Running through the sprinklers to shake the heat was also something I managed to do. Lunch at a tea shop topped it off.

(Angela,Audrey and Mary Ann posing for a picture… they probably wondered why I was shooting at a weird angle…now they know.)

(Tea House)

Back at the house, the whole family relaxed, ate good food, went on nature walks, spotted deer and sipped iced beers (put a Coors Light in the freezer for 15 minutes and your mouth turns blue like the Rockies when you sip it) At night was spent playing round after round of “Catch Phrase” our favorite brain sharpening nerve racking game. + Watched “Taken” with everyone afterwords…I’m gonna learn some kung fu now.

4th of July. Rode on old school steam engine around gold country. Then went downtown to catch the tail end of the Independence Day Parade in Downtown Columbia.

It was a great trip, relaxing, challenging, productive and rejuvenating.

(Downtown Columbia, the preserved town from the Gold Rush days)

(That train was LOUD!)

(The house on the Hill was our lodging. Audrey’s Uncle Phil & Ninang Maggie’s vacation home)

(The 8 hour drive kinda sucked, but worth it.)

(My only other regret was I wasn’t able to light off any fireworks or even see them… something about being inside a natural kindling box)

1st pool party of the year and it was the day before Memorial day. Great to see my friend’s and great to have Courtney back from her 4 month education trip to Spain.

Here are a few fun images to entertain my favorite readers.

(Ann,Audrey and Nicole)

(All the ladies being entertained by Noah, he’s a ham)

(Noah Jackson in the hottub trying to recruit people to join in)

(Kristen,Courtney and Nicole doing their NY poses)

(My Pabst and my Persol’s)

(My girl)

]]> http://www.samuellippke.com/blog/sunday-poolday/feed 1 http://www.samuellippke.com/blog/10-things-on-samuels-mind http://www.samuellippke.com/blog/10-things-on-samuels-mind#comments Wed, 06 May 2009 19:13:04 +0000 Samuellippke http://www.samuellippke.com/blog/?p=1554

Every once in awhile I like to speak my mind on certain issues,events,people and things.

10. V-Magazine: Everytime I spend time looking at this magazine it makes me want to do a fashion shoot. I’m inspired by the most recent summer issue. Mario Testino is amazing! Although this isn’t his best editorial, its still captivating. (More HERE)

9. Swine Flu: I think the big hype from this “pandemic” was created by comedians/media around the globe. Yes its deadly, but it was also so hyped up like it was the new bubonic plague. I mean come on. More people die from the normal flu. And the media made it sound like it came from eating pig…like mad cow, but with swine?? Is the world that desperate for news stories?

8. S-Raw: This function that allows me to shoot at 10mp isn’t supported by Aperture (which is the program I usec for sorting and adjusting images) I’m angry at Apple. Get on it or lose me as an Aperture user.

7. Studio Transition: Not sure if you know this, but Ira and I have split off from eachother and are currently working as two different Studios. Its a BIG transition, really exciting and a little nerve racking. New business cards,website are nearly here. Get ready for Samuel Lippke revamped!

6. Getting Myself into Better Shape: So I have something called “Jumpers Knee” in my left knee. It pretty much means I used my leg a ton and now it tight from all the running and jumping. Mainly because my Nike Shox suck. Don’t buy them… they rattle your knees with every step. I’ve picked up Swimming and go everyother day. I’m trying to get ripped and shed a few extra pounds.

5. The Month of June: The month of June is coming up fast and I’m excited! Not only do I get to photograph some amazing weddings, but I have some fun trips planned. My birthday is midjune, so the crew is saddling up to use the time shares in Palm Springs for a weekend. It’ll be a co-birthday with Ceasar and Megan. I can’t wait. Vegas after that should be amazing too!

4. Twitter: Micro blogging at its finest. If you don’t already have an account, try it out. find me here: www.twitter.com/samuellippke

3. Lakers: They lost pretty badly on Monday to start their series with Houston. Another game tonight, I expect them to redeem themselves. I’m a die hard Laker fan. My favorite is getting custom made jerseys of my favorite players that don’t have mass-produced Jerseys, I got Josiah and Audrey onboard too and between the three of us have pretty much the whole Laker bench. (Shannon Brown,Trevor Ariza,DJ Mbenga,Sasha Vujacic to name a few) Its nice having a jersey no one else has. Anyways, I will continue to cheer them on until the end when they’re holding the championship trophy.

2. Next Big Trip?: I’m trying to figure out where I want to go for my next big trip. Any ideas? I’m thinking The Congo, or Jamaica… or the moon. Have any of you been there?

1. Is J-Walking a crime?: My answer is this: If no car is coming and you approach the red light as if it were a stop sign and you were a car (Like humans do in every major city) Then I say, NO it is NOT a crime. Here in Belmont Shore there is a police man that walks the street all day giving J-walking tickets on one way streets that I could literally jump over… Its pathetic and I wish Long Beach would hire that same cop to do something more productive…like have a BBQ and invite the whole neaighborhood. Come on J-Walking tickets? Just be smart and don’t cross in front of moving cars.

More images from the Long Beach Toyota Grand Prix.

As you know, this is what I spent the weekend doing, running around the track on foot, documenting some fast cars and some wild fans.

Self Explanatory.

(Pit crew. 7-11 slurpee’s woulda been nice right about then.)

(The Le Mans Race, I’m pretty sure this dude won)

(A couple of the wild fans)

(Danika Patrick, the only female pro racer on the tour)

(Danika’s Pit crew)

(1st lap)

(Finish Line)

(Cleaning up)

(William Rast driver told me he was pissed about finishing 11th.)

(Greg and Lie were there. So were Cole,Brittany,Megan,Kevin and Steven, but I didn’t really see much of them)

(This is how I felt after a long weekend of hot sun and blown ears from all the engines)

Tanya’s debut was held at the Queen Mary. If you aren’t familiar with a Debut (Pronounced Da-Boo) then keep reading.

Just think of it as a Bat Mitzvah, or a Quinceañera but for the filipina culture and only for a woman when she turns 18. It is an important event in the life of a filipina girl. An event that is planned a year in advance in many instances. The event includes toasts,dances, the “Candle and Rose” event where the other women in the Debutant’s life come up and give a speech about the birthday girl and give her the candle to blow out. It is followed by the “Rose” being given to the Debutant and then followed by a dance.

This was my second experience of its kind and is for sure an interesting tradition, but an extremely important one at that. Sometimes I think the western world needs something of this sort… I mean there needs to be a set date when a girl needs to start acting like a woman (same with a boy being a man) I love the tradition of the Debut because it pretty much means “Alright girl, its time to step it up and now you’re in the real world. Welcome to Womanhood” or something like that.

Without further ado, enjoy these images from Tanya’s Debut at the Queen Mary.

Props to Ben for taking some of these pictures. Audrey took some cool ones too. Glad to have other people around that can operate my beast of a camera.

(Audrey did a shoot with Ben and I on the canons on the front of the Queen before the event)

(Getting ready to do the “Rose” duty and dance with the debutant… as you can see we are very serious about the dance.)

(Tanya about to be escorted in, my dance with her, secrets with my love)

(The red dress, Some old fashioned lovers and some modern day lovers)

(Audrey was a “Candle” she gave a beautiful speech)

(Iana and I, Ben and I getting nuts, practicing my dance moves and chillen in the holding room)

]]> http://www.samuellippke.com/blog/tanyas-debut/feed 0 http://www.samuellippke.com/blog/im-on-a-boat http://www.samuellippke.com/blog/im-on-a-boat#comments Mon, 13 Apr 2009 22:49:31 +0000 admin http://www.samuellippke.com/blog/?p=1437

(The Queen Mary and I)

(Audrey getting ready for Tanya’s Debut)

(The room had 2 portals overlooking Downtown Long Beach)

(Audrey, her candle and the Queen)

(I could have stood on this wall all day… its perfect)