Jang Dong Gun in the USA for "Warriors Way"

Last month I had the privilege of shooting Korean star Jang Dong Gun here for his publicity tour for "Warriors Way" now I have not seen the movie but I hear it had some cool effects. I know that out in Asia there are obviously many good looking Asian actors and models with great leading roles.... however we here struggle to maintain an Asian identity as well as be "American" I love the fact that there are some Asian stars and sex symbols that Asian Americans can look up to. Not just wh...Read more

Set Still Photographer "Sideways" Japan

I Just fininshed working on a movie called "Sideways" an adaption of the American drama/comedy for the Japanese market.  It is the first Japanese production funded in Japan with a Japanese cast and a American crew. You see America copying movies all the time, but this is a first for Japan! anyway I am the still or set photographer....... if there are any set photographers out there I want to know if you get as little "love" as we in the USA get! I am pushed around and shoved into the tinie...Read more

NANA

I'm a fan of movies..... Asian, Indie,Hollywood , Anime......here is a video from the movie NANA .... some of the Manga turned live action I  wrote about! It stars Mika Nakashima who is a J-pop star. I think this was her first movie?? kinda like Wong Faye in "Chung King Express" another of my favorites!! Its a little "girly " but I highly recommend this movie....especially Manga fans! I'm not sure if I would like to see it remade here, but it may be cool for more of the U.S. audience to see the story..... but I think this ve...Read more

Helena Pham

I just finished doing a shoot with my friend Helena... she is a make-up artist and talented singer. She just got back from Korea doing a few music videos. We did this spread a few months ago..

here is a shot with her with her new image (like the ones earlier) we were trying to c...Read more

Superjap / Buddahead / Japanese American

 I work a lot in the Asian American community.... this is a possible reason as why. I am a Japanese American a" Sansei or 3rd generation".... one side of my family from Hawaii and the other from Central California. I was born in Los Angeles , so in Hawaiian I am considered a "Ka-Tonk" a mainland born Japanese.  When i was young   I never spoke a word of japanese, nor anything else but english. I learned U.S. history and saluted the flag during the pledge of allegiance in the morning. My mother cook...Read more

My first ever blog

    So im sitting here in my studio in Los Angeles...... i live in the "artists district"  near Little Tokyo. There is lots of construction and gentrification going on all around the area. Its another beautiful summer day as I sit in front of my computer cutting out some images again. I became a photographer so I can be outside, but instead I am inside in front of my computer for hours at a time. I know I used to be like that printing my b+w photos....  in the dark with only a radio to pass the time with various hazardous chemica...Read more