rickmcdonoughphotography

Praha - Prague

2012-01-02T21:55:00.000-08:00

Now that 2011 has come and gone I was reflecting back over the past year, which of course included travel. That coupled with the recent passing of Václav Havel made me think back to earlier in 2011 when we rented a flat in Prague spending nearly two weeks there. Our place was in New Town just a few blocks from Wenceslas Square, and well within walking distance of Old Town Square and the well-known Charles Bridge connecting the Lesser Town with the Old Town.

We saw a lot of the typical (by typical I don’t mean to lessen some of the things we took in, I only mean things commonly experienced) sights like Prague Castle, Old Town Square, Old Town Hall, Charles Bridge, the Jewish quarter, Lennon Wall, and more. While taking in Prague for more than a few days, we decided to take a few day trips to get outside of the city.

One of the day trips we did from Prague was to Kutna Hora. Kutna Hora is a quaint medieval town about 65 km south-east of Prague known for its silver mining in the 13^th century, and it also served as the mint for the Habsburg Empire. While there we went through St. Barbara’s Cathedral which is a beautiful gothic cathedral built between 1388 and 1558. We also stopped off to see the Bone church in Sedlec. The inside of this church is decorated with human bones (over 40,000 people) as it was a much sought after place to be buried and space eventually became limited. According to legend, a half-blind monk originally decided to stack the bones into pyramids nearly reaching the ceiling. Later, in 1870, František Rint, a local wood carver/carpenter, was commissioned to creatively arrange the bones. Displaying the bones not only served as an artistic expression, but also as a symbolic example of acknowledging mortality.

We also visited Terezin which is about 60km North of Prague in the direction of Dresden. We went through the Jewish ghetto as well as Terezin Concentration Camp. Terezin was not a traditional killing camp (although a lot of people died there) but more of a transit camp where Jews were usually transferred onto killing centers, concentrations camps, and forced-labor camps. Terezin was also unique in that it was a ghetto-labor camp that was used as a “model camp” as an example of how well the people there were supposedly treated at such camps. While such camps are pretty heavy and dark, one positive thing I took away from the visit was how the human spirit will fight for individuality, as there were many musicians, writers, and artists who continued to create even under such horrible conditions.

Over and over again I was reminded how much people are willing to fight for the ability to freely express themselves. The Czechs were taken over by so many different groups of people over the centuries, but they did not lose their identity.

Lensbaby Reunion

2011-07-31T20:56:00.000-07:00

After searching seemingly endlessly through towers of Sharpie-marked cardboard boxes, and rediscovering all sorts of random items, I was delighted to finally put my hands on my long missing Lensbaby. Delighted and anxious to become reacquainted with this fun little filter I decided to select this inspiring pink flower that decided to sprout directly outside of our living room window. I knew that I could the push the softness of the pedals with even more blurry and dreamy qualities than it displayed. So I did, and was certainly satisfied with the result. While it isn’t something that I would use on every shoot, or every day, it is a great little gadget to have in the repertoire. I especially recommend it for anyone who really enjoys close in and tight abstracts shots. http://www.lensbaby.com/

Joshua Tree National Park

2011-03-18T21:18:00.000-07:00

It’s been entirely too long since I’ve posted, which is something I’m working towards changing. Going back through some of the trips taken in 2010, I came across last spring when I went with my wife and father in law to Joshua Tree National Park. For an east coast transplant, like myself, the southwestern desert can seem dry, barren, and even void of life compared to the lush greenery of somewhere like Virginia. However, for anyone who has experienced the desert they know this is far from the truth. When you slow down and really take it in it has an amazing beauty all its own full of amazing rock formations, desert fan palms, wild flowers, and of course the Joshua tree—aka yucca brevifolia—for anyone wanting a botany lesson.

Most from my generation associate the park with U2’s hugely popular 1987 release Joshua Tree. Others may associate the park with the death of Gram Parsons, alt-country rock singer/song writer (and influencing member of the Byrds) who died there in 1973.

Just 150 miles east of Los Angeles it was Franklin Roosevelt who established the park as a “national monument” in 1936. It then achieved “park” status in 1994 under the California Desert Protection Act of 1994, adding land and further preserving this space for generations to come. According to nps.gov the park ranges in elevation from 536 feet to 5,814 feet, and provides a habitat for 813 higher plant species. http://www.nps.gov/jotr/index.htm

Barrett-Jackson in Orange County

2010-08-04T20:38:00.000-07:00

Russ Jackson and Tom Barrett first started out by putting on a car show to raise money for local charities in Scottsdale, Arizona in 1967. Then, a few years later in 1971 they put on their first auction geared towards collectors which ended up providing them with worldwide recognition. Over the years the two continued to combine their efforts and talents to mature the company essentially setting the standard by which all other reputable car auctions are measured. One of Russ' sons, Craig Jackson took control of the company in 1997, and has continued to aggressively grow the company making it more and more successful throughout the years. In 2003 Barrett-Jackson expanded and brought its famous auction to Palm Beach, and then to Las Vegas as well in 2008. This past June they held it at the Orange County Fairgrounds in Costa Mesa for the first time. I had the fortune of working the first day with Meguiar's, and enjoyed the show quite a bit.

Go Irish Again

2010-03-05T21:04:00.000-08:00

Last weekend I took pictures for The Rovers Three, a fun and entertaining Irish band a good friend of mine is in, at our favorite local pub in downtown Huntington Beach. They just finalized a brand new recording entitled "Go Irish Again". If you're local to Southern California they will be playing the LA-Irish Fair this coming weekend (March 6th & March 7th) in Pomona. Two of the pictures I took are in the new CD, and here are a couple of shots I took of them. Check them out at http://www.theroversthree.com/

SEMA 2009

2009-12-16T18:57:00.001-08:00

SEMA started in 1963 with a handful of manufacturers of performance equipment for hot rods providing a way to network, organize, and exchange ideas. SEMA, now the Specialty Equipment Market Association, is held each fall in Las Vegas, Nevada and has become the exclusive insiders automotive specialty products trade show. It showcases custom builders/fabricators, specialty tools, equipment, services, and products for the automotive market. Since Meguiar's is one of the exhibitors, and since I work for Meguiar's, I was once again given the opportunity to attend and work this industry show the first week of November. There are always plenty of gorgeous cars built by extremely talented people. In the Meguiar's booth we had a beautiful 1957 Chevy Pickup built by Rodger Lee out of Bakersfield, CA, and an amazing 1966 Chevy Chevelle built by Josh Nilson out of Layton, UT.

Cinquecento - The Fiat 500

2009-10-09T20:20:00.000-07:00

This past summer my wife and I spent several weeks traveling through Italy. One of the popular cars there for years has been the Fiat 500. The original Fiat 500, the Topolino, Italian for Mouse, was produced in 1936. It was a front engine/rear wheel drive vehicle and one of the smallest cars in the world at that time. The Topolino was sold up until 1955. Shortly thereafter it was redesigned with intention geared towards utilitarian transportation for the masses. The redesigned 500, the Nuova or new, was released for public consumption in 1957 and was often referred to as the “bambino”. The new 500 was an air cooled rear engine design with 479cc that put out just over 13hp, and obtained over 52mpg. It’s obvious that it was intended to be an affordable, economical, stylish yet practical city car. The newer design of the 500 was reminiscent in size, style, and popularity to the Austin Mini, the Citroen 2CV, as well as the Volkswagen Beetle. The 500 was produced up until 1975.

Solvang, CA

2009-07-02T22:50:00.000-07:00

My wife and I recently took a trip up the coast to the quaint little Danish-American town of Solvang. About 3 ½ hours north of LAX it’s nestled in a picturesque portion of the Santa Ynez Valley, was founded in 1911, and is Danish for “sunny fields”. For those who remember Sideways it was filmed in and around the town, and some of the wineries in the area boast that they were highlighted in the film. While one can experience most aspects of the town in a day filled with Aebleskivers, windmills, tourists, and wine tasting it’s well worth the visit. While there we stumbled onto a very cool vintage motorcycle museum in which I spent over an hour taking pictures.

http://www.motosolvang.com/

2009 Long Beach Grand Prix

2009-05-10T23:18:00.000-07:00

A few weeks ago I worked the Pro/Celebrity Races at the 2009 Toyota – Long Beach Grand Prix. I took a couple of shots while there. Some of the participants included Adrien Brody, Keanu Reeves, Tim Daly, Alex Trebek, Danny Way, Al Unser Jr., and Coy Gibbs.

Cafe 210

2009-03-29T12:26:00.000-07:00

A couple of months ago I was hired out to take creative pictures of a very cool cafe in Visalia, CA called Cafe 210. Additional pictures are at the link below. They promote music, art, and creativity in a very cool environment. Their coffee and food is quite good as well. So, if you are going to be in downtown Visalia drop in, grab a cup of coffee, and enjoy.

www.210life.com

Interview With Brian Doidge

2009-02-15T12:49:00.000-08:00

Brian Doidge is a extremely talented guitar and bass player who has worked with Michael Knott on various projects including L.S.U. & Aunt Bettys. There is a great article on him in the latest issue of Down the Line Magazine, a brilliant online publication. I had the privilege of taking the pictures of Brian for this interview.

http://www.downthelinezine.com/