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Happy Holidays! Checkout my most recent photos of legendary actor Max Von Sydow and Thomas Horn of Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close.









Here is a feature Cowboys and Indians recently did on my book!

http://www.cowboysindians.com/art-entertainment/art-galleries/2011/09/thomas-sanders.jsp

The Foreword Book Reviews has chosen (intro music)...... THE LAST GOOD WAR: THE FACES AND VOICES OF WWII for Editor's Choice Prize Nonfiction. They only choose two top prize books, one book in the section of Editor's Choice Prize Fiction and one book for Editor's Choice Prize Nonfiction.

Here! Take a look:

http://www.bookoftheyearawards.com/winners/2010/
http://www.publicbroadcasting.net/idaho/news.newsmain/article/1/0/1819419/Local.News/The.Last.Good.War

This is my most recent tear sheet from Southbay Magazine of cowboy poet, Steve Deming .


My office for two days last week was to photograph vineyards up in Sonoma. Besides being in the serenity of the outdoors, it is a nice change not to be photographing people and simply working with old mother nature.

I realize how hard it is to make a truly great landscape photograph. I must have taken over a thousand photos and was satisfied from an artistic stand point with only a handful of landscapes.

Growing up in Northern California and then moving away, I seem to appreciate the beauty more and more every time I go back to Sonoma. The beauty of the outdoors in Northern California is more tangible then in southern California. Don't get me wrong. I love living here. This past Sunday, the water was warm enough that I jumped in the big blue without a wetsuit with my fiance Allison. There is nothing better then swimming in the ocean. Come to think of it, there is tangible beauty in southern California. A lot of it. Two very different types of mother nature in two different places. Both locations warmed my soul.

I will have more work photographing vineyards in the near future, please enjoy these photos for now!














Last week I photographed 40 couples up in northern California and San Diego (for the Belmont Village Senior Living Corporation). All the couples have been married over 40 years, most were wed over 60 years ago. Some couples wore almost identical outfits, some of the couples could not stop kissing each other, and other couples graciously danced in front of me and I was the only one in the audience.

The show openings are the week of June 13th in Sunnyvale, San Jose, and Cardiff by the Sea!














I came across across Pioneer Town this past weekend. Pioneer Town is an old wild west town that is used to film movies and western reenactments. It is located just outside of Palm Springs. Coincidentally, they were having their annual cowboy get together. All the cowboys wear cowboy attire that is accurate to the clothing style of the late 1800's. All the cowboys and women look incredibly real. Going to Pioneer Town feels as if you jumped in a time machine and went to the wild wild west.
THE LAST GOOD WAR started at Cal Poly in my senior year of college. As an alumnus it was quite an honor to speak at Cal Poly last week and rewarding to have an excited group of college students ask a ton of questions. Take a look at the link below to read the thoughts of my former professors and students that saw the presentation:

http://mustangdaily.net/cal-poly-alumnus-hits-bookstore-shelves/

I photographed Sam Menzelos for an editorial assignment last week. Sam has a character based on him from the "The Pacific". Sam is also an 88 year old accountant that is still working and owns his business. He can locate everything in his office without a problem!
The Last Good War has been selected as a finalist in Foreword's Book of the Year awards, in the Photography category. Here's a link to the info page: http://www.bookoftheyearawards.com/books/9781599620855/

Take a look at my most recent book review of THE LAST GOOD WAR from Shutterbug Magazine:

http://shutterbug.com/book_reviews/0211books/

I photographed Dan Buettner today author of "The Blue Zones." Dan researched four communities around the world that have the longest life expectancy's. He reveals to the reader their lifestyles and what we can learn from them to live longer happier lives. Take a look at this video of Buettner, it is 20 minutes and well worth watching:

http://www.ted.com/talks/dan_buettner_how_to_live_to_be_100.html

Look for my Beach Magazine cover in the next issue!
5.0 out of 5 stars Beautiful homage to our WW II Veterans, February 27, 2011
This review is from: The Last Good War: The Faces and Voices of World War II (Hardcover)
World War II was a defining event in history, especially America. I had a grandfather who served in that war, earning two Purple Hearts and a Silver Star. I've seen countless movies depicting events from World War II, and I've also read a number of books about those years as well. It was a different time, and the war helped shaped that generation's identity. It was a war that many refer to as the "last good war." Like my grandfather, many of the veterans from World War II are passing away each day. It is because of this, that I liked what Thomas Sanders and Veronica Kavass have put together. The book "The Last Good War: The Faces and Voices of World War II" is a beautifully done coffee table type book that pays homage to those who served our nation in war.

The book is filled with magnificent photographs of men and women who served, now much older, but often holding pictures of when they were younger. Many pictures are black and white, but there are also color photographs included too. These are men and women who are true heroes, that very few have ever heard about. They are heroes because they answered when their country called. They sacrificed and did what had to be done. They then returned home to become productive members of their communities and lead lives just like the rest of us.

Sanders dedicates the book to all American veterans and soldiers, especially to those who do not make it home. And while there really isn't anything good about war, just as Hampton Sides says in the introduction, there was a lot of "good" in the men and women who served, and this book helps us remember the selfless, determined, humble, and heroic veterans of that time. At the beginning of the book there is a quote by Dwight D. Eisenhower, General, U.S. Army. This was when he was Supreme Commander of the Allied Forces during World War II and before he became President of the United States. He said, "The world must know what happened, and never forget." I think sometimes we do forget, and we shouldn't. Looking through the book, noticing the aged faces, I can't help but think what they went through during their time of service. And I can't help but feel a sense of gratitude and thankfulness for what they did. Reading their stories makes me ashamed at how some people today cry and moan about difficulties that are nowhere near what those men and women faced.

This is an important book, and I hope many will take the time to read it, and more than that, to realize the history that our older generation have not studied, but lived, and to take advantage of learning from these men and women, so we don't ever forget. Because, as the author says, one day they won't be here to tell their stories.

Reviewed by Alain Burrese, J.D., author of Hard-Won Wisdom From the School of Hard Knocks and the upcoming Tough Guy Wisdom series and the dvds: Hapkido Hoshinsul, Streetfighting Essentials, Hapkido Cane, the Lock On Joint Locking Essentials series and articles including a regular column on negotiation for The Montana Lawyer.

Kirk Arnold-Smith is an renaissance man and looks like he could live in any time period. He is an opera director, jazz singer, actor, historian, and painter. I am sure there must be more I can add to the list! When I saw Kirk in the audience at Classical Underground wearing a very open denim shirt, I became curious as to who he was and decided I want to photograph him.
I already blogged about THE LAST GOOD WAR article in China's Outlook Magazine. I was on their website today and my article is the first to come up! It so amazing to see an article in another language about my book. SO COOL!

http://www.theoutlookmagazine.com/






Take a look at my most recent portraits of my AGED JAZZ series. I took the portraits at the Barbara Morrison Performing Arts Center. Every Sunday night there is a jazz performance from 5-8pm. Then a concert at 8pm. This past Sunday there was a Louie Armstrong tribute performance. I felt like I was sitting in a 1920's New Orleans bar watching phenomenal jazz musicians. I highly recommend going!