JonnyUps[dotcom]

Please Move Along, Nothing To See Here.

2011-10-01T01:36:00.001-07:00

If you're here, it's by mistake. Please continue on to:

www.JonnyUps.com

That is where everything now lives.

OBEY

2010-07-21T22:20:00.001-07:00

OBEY, originally uploaded by jonnyups.

Viva La Revolucion is going on in San Diego, and artists such as Shepard Fairey, Banksy, and Invader are in town. Can't wait to spot a real banksy. For now, here's a Shepard Fairey print he put up on the wall of Urban Outfitters in Hillcrest, San Diego.

IMPORTANT!!!

2010-04-12T23:14:00.000-07:00

I've changed the location of my blog ... AND I've made it easy for you:

jonnyups.tumblr.com

Subscribe!

There you go. Click it, update, and move along. There's nothing else to see here. Maybe I'll be back. Doubt it though. Sorry friends.

San Diego, My Home.

2010-01-31T11:50:00.001-08:00

San Diego, originally uploaded by jonnyups.

I always love finding a new spot in San Diego that I've never been before. Last week I came across a view of the San Diego skyline that I had never seen. I had to stop and take a picture. I had my wide angle lens on, and tripod, so I set up and shot. It was a gorgeous day, fresh after the largest storm we've had in a decade, so the sky was crisp and clear.

I've been to a ton of other states, and seen the countryside, the cities, the deserts. My heart falls in love with each place in it's own way, but seeing my city always warms me up. This is home. I know I belong here.

Ready for Fear and Love and Everything Between...

2010-01-10T23:49:00.001-08:00

Ready for Fear and Love and Everything Between..., originally uploaded by jonnyups.

Since the American leadership can't provide transparency, I'll do my best to fill in.

Life is good. It's great even, and I have to room to complain. I have an amazing wife, a place to live, a great job and incredible friends.

Over the course of the last year and some change, my life flipped full circle. I've talked about it on here before, you know, the "C" word. This dumb rare cancer I've been lucky enough to get. It depresses me. It really does. It takes all of the great things I've listed above, and puts a haze over them so I pay less positive attention on them. Mainly my friends and my wife. I think the sermon at church this weekend was talking about me when it mentioned being depressed and what not. I'm not at a point where I need medication or anything for it, but I need to think beyond it. I've got this thing in me that will never go away. On top of that, I've got to pay out of pocket for health insurance, and I'm months late on getting checked up. Ugh, see, the more I think about it, the more I realize how backed up life can get...and that's where the haze sets in.

Below is an excerpt from a blog I follow from a local radio personality named Mike Esparza, from The Mikey Show, who just had his world flipped upside down. His words speak exactly how I feel ...

I also feel like an underdog. That’s nothing new. I’ve never felt as good looking, tall, athletic or cool as the next guy. The only thing I have ever been able to do really effectively is get on the radio and do something different.

When I was a kid, if someone said I was wrong, I usually felt like they were probably right. I also always had guilt. Something wrong? My fault. Something messed up? My fault. Someone wants to compete? They’ll probably win. It’s why I hate competition; I fear losing and feeling like…..well, a loser. I want to just do my radio show and I want you to like me. Oh man. I want you to love me. I have such a desire to be liked and such a fear of failure.

The other day I was driving and I thought to myself, “What are you worried about? It wasn’t you that gave you any talent that you have anyway, it was God! He’s still here! He’s still calling the plays – not you!”

I want to end this on a cheery, hopeful note ... but it's not there this time. I'm not sad, just bracing myself for this journey I'm on. I'm not truly depressed, just searching deep within for the strength to end up on top. God is there, He's got full control. I just have to let it go. Sorry for a non-photographic blog. I'll try harder next time.

We Shot The Moon (Poster Promo)

2010-01-05T22:43:00.001-08:00

We Shot The Moon (Poster Promo), originally uploaded by jonnyups.

This is We Shot The Moon. I write about them often. They are good friends of mine who make GREAT music. Anyways, Here's an image I shot of them, kinda did the poster-style treatment to it. I'm playing bass with them for 3 shows in January. Here's the info, please come out:

Jan. 14 - University of Redlands ... Redlands, CA (students only?) with ... Secondhand Serenade

Jan. 17 - Saint Rocke (21+) ... Hermosa Beach, CA ... with Automatic Loveletter

Jan. 23 - The Clubhouse ... Tempe, AZ

So long story short, the shows are gonna be good. The music will be fun. And I will be there and I will feel lonely and outcast so that's my plea. ;) Buy a ticket and get your butt out to these shows!

( www.WeShotTheMoon.com )

Two Thousand and Nine: My Year In Pictures

2010-01-01T17:45:00.000-08:00

Let's face it, we are now in 2010 (Oh Ten) and in this age, nobody likes to read lengthy blog posts unless you're an over-excited political enthusiast. This blog post is a "catching up" kind of post. If you missed this season, then this episode is to show you what happened last year so you can piece it all together for the next season of the JonnyUps Show. Month by month, here we go.

JANUARY:

The year started out with a shiny and new annual pass to the San Diego Zoo/Wild Animal Park. I'm not allowed to sell these photos, but I will post the crap out of them here! No pun intended, btw. Let's just say, this little guy needed a shower shortly after this shot was snapped.

FEBRUARY:

In february, I reluctantly agreed to snap some shots of my friends in the band We Shot The Moon. I wasn't feeling that well, and eventually ended up in the hospital with a severe colon infection that threatened to turn my bowels into an external bag. Thankfully God kept me safe and directed my doctors to try other methods before removing my colon all together. I was healed before severe action was taken, and released after a week in the hospital. Back to this image, it's very much doctored up, which is something I hate with photography, but what's done is done. Not sure if it was ever used for anything, but that's ok. I just like to hear the shutter.

MARCH:

In March, I was finally able to show everybody my images that I had taken months earlier of As I Lay Dying. I shot 3 shows in 1 week. Traveled around Southern California ... and all for the love of shooting. I was later approached (back in December, I believe) to have my photos used for the artwork of their live dvd. The dvd quickly went platinum in Canada (80,000 units I believe) and I have been told it's gone Gold in America as well. My photos are scattered throughout the dvd, including the cover and spanning the entire background for the 3 disc trays. The photos also currently appear as the header for www.AsILayDying.com ... the dvd was released April 14th, 2008.

APRIL:

I took a little time away from shooting in April. I knew May was going to be a big month for me, as you'll read soon, so I deserved a slight break. These photos were taken at the Huntington Gardens in California. Beautiful place, great photo-ops, and a good bit of exercise too!

MAY:

A week before my surgery (next photo) on May 15th, I proposed to my wonderful (now wife) girlfriend. She had arranged a benefit dinner for me, as a surprise, to raise money for all my crazy medical bills. I was shocked and brought to tears by all of the support from my friends. So much money was raised to help me stay out of debt. By the end of the evening, I just happened to pull out a ring and ask her to be my wife. The entire room was in a roar and she said yes!!

A week later, as I was rolled into the operating room, I was brought to tears again as Leslie held my hand and watched me go. I was cut open and cleaned out (literally) to remove a rare form of "cancer" from my appendix and abdomen. It's a prehistoric looking scar, but a cutting edge idea that very few doctors will even perform. There is only a handful of specialists in all of America who can do this. The video below is the actual surgery, and isn't very graphic so don't be too afraid to watch.

JUNE:

In June I heard that Arnold Schwarzenegger was coming to my town, just blocks from my apartment. Still recovering from surgery, I disobeyed doctors orders and picked up my camera and hiked down to where he would be speaking. I found the back door and waited. Just when I thought he had snuck in without me seeing, the motorcade arrived. It was surreal. I later bumped into him at Starbucks but had to leave my camera outside.

Along the lines of politics, I got to finally meet (and house) one of the most influential and inspiring photographers I know. Luke Sharrett. He is currently working for the New York Times, and has previously worked in the White House. His images are beyond incredible, but even more than anything, I admire his heart. He is a caring, genuine, real person. He's an old soul with a new vision.

Continuing with my busy month, I got to see and photograph an incredible evening for Switchfoot's Bro-Am. They do it every year and thanks to the smoothest voice I know, Molly Jenson, I was able to photograph the evening's concert. She performed as well as Fiction Family. Comprised of Grammy winners and incredible people, they were impressive and solid. Highly underrated and worth a listen.

JULY:

In July I shot a wedding, and made new friends from it. The bride and groom were amazing and a fun couple to work with. My friend, and AMAZING photographer, Anjuli shot the wedding and had me work with her.

Along the same lines, I got to shoot my own engagement photo with Leslie. Not easy. This is why professional photographers exist ... because it's hard to live without them (me) !!!

AUGUST:

In a 2-day span, I shot 3 incredible bands. Green Day (seen above), Franz Ferdinand and Kings of Leon. Green Day was a dream come true. Quite a presence on stage, and the first cd I had ever bought. So it was nice to bring the beginning of my musical adventure full-circle to connect with my photography career.

SEPTEMBER:

I started a new job in September, and am now a full-time professional photographer. Hire me, I need the work. I am a busy guy and I am truly blessed to be busy doing something I love.

OCTOBER:

At last minute, my great buddy Josh gave me his photopass for Owl City as he had double booked himself. Owl City was on tour and came to San Diego right as their song "Fireflies" hit big. Since that day, they have gotten even bigger. Critics call them a Postal Service rip off, and fans call them fun music. There are lovers and haters to everything. I won't tell you what I think, but I was happy to photograph their show.

NOVEMBER:

With The Format no longer a band, I was pleased to finally hear the new music from lead singer, Nate Reuss' new band, FUN. Incredible and amazing. Right where The Format left off.

I married my best friend on November 21st, and we honeymooned at Disneyland.

DECEMBER:

As Christmas neared, we got our first Christmas tree and displayed it in our window all month long!

To end the year, I photographed We Shot The Moon again for some quick promo images (again, not sure if they were used for anything). I just love hanging out with these guys. Please listen to their music. They are so good. They are so nice too.

All in all, 2009 seems to have gotten some bad press from people. Reading twitter this weekend proved how much people disliked it. For me, you can see why it was good, and why it was bad. All I know is that 2009 has changed my life entirely and I can't help but look forward to 2010. Stay tuned, I'm working on an all new website that will be simpler and all-inclusive of everything I do. Thanks for this last year. Thanks to the 61 countries who viewed my blog. And especially the 1 person in Yemen who spent 8 minutes reading my blog this year. You're a real stud.

Goodbye 2009, you dirty skank.

Hello Hurricane

2009-11-09T23:14:00.001-08:00

Hello Hurricane, originally uploaded by jonnyups.

Hello Hurricane, what is this, the 7th full-length album by the "San Diego Rockers" known as Switchfoot. This band has been a part of my life personally since 1997, but you don't want to hear about that. All I have to say is that they started out on top. They have truly hit the pavement to make this band happen, and despite their lackluster album sales (compared to say, the talentless Nickelback), their concerts continue to sell out and pull in huge crowds across the country, and in many other parts of the world.

Look at modern music. Most bands have a hard time staying musically relevant. Google "1 Hit Wonders" and you'll get a ton of bands you don't recognize and a ton of songs that you do. However, they have had only 1 hit. Switchfoot has had 2. So take them off that list and get listening to this new album, Hello Hurricane. My review is this:

Hello Hurricane is dirty.
Hello Hurricane is clean.
Hello Hurricane is catchy.
Hello Hurricane is not a pop record.

What I hope that Hello Hurricane is, is a bridge to what the next couple of years hold for Switchfoot. It keeps me listening and singing along, but it also satisfies the side of me that needs to drive fast and pound the steering wheel as if I were drummer, Chad Butler, himself. This album is worth a listen, and even a purchase. It comes out tomorrow, November 10th, 2009.

Highlights for me include, but are not limited to:

Mess of Me (the first single off the record)
Your Love Is A Song
The Sound
Bullet Soul

PURCHASE THIS ALBUM:

Owl City: Epicentre

2009-10-25T00:31:00.001-07:00

Friday morning started with a facebook message asking if I wanted a mystery photo pass. A friend of mine had double-booked himself for Friday night, and I was the lucky recipient of said photo pass. I found out it was to see the sold out Owl City show at the Epicentre with a +1 and took the opportunity to score points with my fiance despite the poor lighting at this venue.

Knowing I would be far older than the entire crowd combined, I made my way to the side of the stage which was surprisingly empty. Actually, I was all alone. Rare for a band who currently has the #1 song on iTunes. Skeptical of a one-man-band who makes his music on a laptop and dances to happy lyrics, I watched as the lights dimmed. Out of the green room walks a small crowd. Drummer. Stage Technician (samples/acoustic guitar). Cellist. Violinist. Keys. Singer/Front Man. Impressive. The strings were perfectly integrated into the set in place of synth sounds from the record. Keyboardist/Vocalist Breanne Duren joined Owl City for the tour, taking time away from her own project.

All in all, this show sounded like the album. Fun interludes were added, unexpected changes to songs, and very little pitch correction was used (only for effect). My photos are below, please don't judge me, I just like happy music.

Necessary Links: @OwlCity // Owl City // MySpace

Franz Ferdinand

2009-10-05T00:02:00.001-07:00

Franz Ferdinand 4, originally uploaded by jonnyups.

So it has been a while. I'm here now, dedicated to this blog post. There's this band that a few people might know about. Franz Ferdinand. They are absolutely fantastic. I expected them to be this stuffy, boring indie band with songs I don't like. Sure, I'd heard their mega-hit "Take Me Out" but hadn't given much thought to their other stuff.

So, shocker of the century, they were good. Real good. I forgot to even look at these photos because they were the opener for Green Day and sure, Green Day got priority. In all my excitement, I forgot these were on my hard drive. Now they are online for all to see.

Thanks all, for seeing.

Rory Felton, The Militia Group

2009-08-28T12:02:00.001-07:00

Rory Felton, The Militia Group, originally uploaded by jonnyups.

On a hot summer day, the owner of The Militia Group needed his portrait taken. In a bind, I ran to get my camera from the van. It was about a mile each way. I ran, trust me. He needed his photo taken for an article that was being written about him for Billboard Magazine. I don't think my photo was included in the article, but there was that chance. It was a great experience to work in a situation where the subject didn't know what he wanted from this 30 second photoshoot. Rory is responsible for signing such bands as:

Acceptance
Cartel
Copeland
Juliette and the Licks
Noise Ratchet
The Rocket Summer
Quietdrive

Since then, I have had photos placed in great places and hope to continue that trend! I've sat on this photo for a long time now, time to throw it online.

Green Day

2009-08-24T22:27:00.001-07:00

Green Day, originally uploaded by jonnyups.

On Thursday, August 20th of 2009, my musical & photographic lives met. Came full circle. Oh man.

Green Day's first hit album "Dookie" was my first cd ever purchased. It was edgy and I was often afraid to admit that I even owned it. I was just a kid. It was my first musical experience outside of listening to Amy Grant on the local pop station in the family van.

Green Day, legends, came to San Diego and thanks to www.IndieRockReviews.com I was able to nail down a photo pass and join the 10 other photographers in the over-crowded pit.

My other shots can be found on the site mentioned above. Please stop by and look at them, leave a comment too! Once they've been on the site for a while, I'll throw them up on here.

My Surgery Video

2009-07-20T09:06:00.000-07:00

Initially I had planned on having a big viewing party with a highlight reel of my surgery, but the video the media department at UCSD returned to me was under 3 minutes long. Technically, it was the highlight reel ... and slightly boring at that. Although, you do get to see my guts for a few brief moments.

So with that, you've been warned. Don't watch if you're easily grossed out, but do watch if you're easily curious. Thanks again for all the prayers during this, and for all of your donations to help me through this time. Monetarily or not, a ton of you were a huge part of my healing process and I am really blessed to have had so much support going through this!

The Big Secret

2009-07-13T00:32:00.001-07:00

Riley, originally uploaded by jonnyups.

Apparently there's this big secret. This is something I've known for a long time, but haven't payed much attention to.

I follow my blog hits on Google Analytics, it's a great tool for seeing if you're important on the internet or not. Seriously. And my buddy Jason refers to me (in real life) as "Jonny from the Internet"

Well, the big secret is this:

If you post an entry on your amazing blog, you become "Important For A Day!" Trust me, I've tried this and proved it to be true. For the majority of the time, I'm nobody. My site gets 11 hits here, 30 hits there...but when I post an entry, I'm blasted into the so-called "blogosphere" with 78 hits! Wow! Who are you people? Where do you come from? Are you here for the photos? Are you here because you're my friend? Are you here because you have to be? (I'm talking to you, Mom)

Shed some light on this for me. I don't bite. Unlike this adorable puppy who is new to my friends family, and who recently added to my vast collection of scars by going all Mike Tyson on my ear. Thanks Riley, you bloodsucking piece of adorable dog.

Christina & Richard

2009-07-12T01:14:00.001-07:00

Christina & Richard, originally uploaded by jonnyups.

I shot a wedding this weekend as the 2nd photographer for my great friend Anjuli. She was kind enough to have me as her partner for a wedding between two amazing people. Somehow, the bride & groom share many mutual friends with me and I had never met them! It was nice to finally meet and share in their day. They are an amazing couple and I look forward to seeing them again! Here are a few of my shots from the wedding.

Fiction Family

2009-06-29T00:39:00.001-07:00

Fiction Family, originally uploaded by jonnyups.

1998: Saw Switchfoot for the first time.

2009: Fiction Family releases their first album.

There are 11 years in between those 2 moments, but there is so much story to fill that space. In the midst of my love for local San Diego music, I met people who introduced me to a band called Nickel Creek. My rock music heart was skeptical over a band that was considered "New Grass" ... a poppier for mainstream form of Blue Grass. Whatever, I listened, I fell in love. Great songs. Incredible talent.

One day, the 2 aforementioned bands joined to form Fiction Family. Chances are, you've heard their album. If you have not, please go here:

www.FictionFamily.com

One of the more fun shows I've seen in a long time. Too much talent on stage, and a list of great songs both originals and covers. Enjoy this band, talent like this doesn't come around often.

The Circus Lights

2009-06-27T00:57:00.001-07:00

The Circus Lights, originally uploaded by jonnyups.

The Switchfoot Bro-Am weekend is in full effect right now. During the Switchfoot concert tonight at the San Diego County Fair (Del Mar Fair) I stopped to breath and took a completely unfocused shot of the ferris wheel and the lights of the fair. Quite calming to just look through the lens and get lost in the vagueness of life at the fair.

Thanks to some close friends, I was able to shoot the show from the pit of the 10 foot stage. Got a couple keepers. Felt WONDERFUL to hold my camera and be in the excitement of a live show. I've been recovering for a while and have been waiting to shoot a show again.

Now some photos of Switchfoot.

It's Not A Tumor! It's A Scone.

2009-06-12T13:52:00.001-07:00

It's Not A Tumor! It's A Scone., originally uploaded by jonnyups.

Yes, I broke the doctor's orders. I went to try my hand at photojournalism. I've been eternally inspired by my friend Luke Sharrett, http://sharrett.blogspot.com , who has photographed multiple Presidents and the civilians who make up this country. So with his inspiration I pushed myself during my recovery to go photograph California's Governor, Arnold Schwarzenegger. I got a lot of him arriving and leaving the meeting about the budget crisis, so I left and ran to Starbucks where I parked my car. Sure enough, the Governator himself was inside. So I stood in line, snapped some cell-phone shots (because my camera was on the ground outside being watched by Secret Service) and went back outside to wait for him. I caught him enjoying his coffee and scone and then he left!

Just a day in the life...

It's Not THAT Bad!

2009-05-18T07:52:00.000-07:00

The Ring

2009-05-09T00:59:00.001-07:00

The Ring, originally uploaded by jonnyups.

So here's the story, for all you ladies out there.

A while ago, in anticipation of my surgery, I asked Leslie if I could take her on a date May 8th, because it would be our last free night before I go under the knife. She kept telling me "no" because she was planning a date night for us. I will be honest, I was kinda bummed. I had planned on popping the question before surgery, and now I had no chance of doing it.

Moving on to what happened tonight, May 8th, 2009.

The "date night" she was planning was actually a benefit/silent auction in my honor to assist me in medical bills. Thanks to my insurance, I have saved (in the last few months) around $40,000! Unfortunately, insurance companies aren't fond of paying money and they have put a very small portion of that on me. Small to them is big to me, so I was left with some financial woes. She surprises me with this party, so much so that I was actually SPEECHLESS for the first time in my life. It was amazing. So many friends and family. Probably around 80 people. Quite the showing. As I walked in the door, I notice jars of cash, some checks, and even a dime sitting on a table. Extreme, unselfish generosity. There was a silent auction with hand-made jewelry, photography, music lessons, gift baskets, audio books, you name it. ALL DONATED from my amazing friends! The silent auction was a hit (I wanted to bid on these things, but that would have been counterproductive to the cause of the party). All of this even coincided with my birthday coming up this Thursday.

So me, not being able to have a date night, found myself not wanting to be "out-surprised" by my girlfriend. So in true JonnyUps fashion, I planned on taking over her date, and popping the question. Only now it would be in front of all my best friends and family. I get on the microphone and start thanking people and telling them how important it was to me. Surprisingly, the crowd started making proposal jokes, and causing a stir. So I say some nice things about Leslie (obligatory of course! ha!) and then say, "Well, you're all expecting it anyways..." and I pull out the ring. A hush ran through the room, and then the loudest cheering I've heard since I was famous in Japan (I kiddddd). Leslie finally realized I wasn't joking and was soooo surprised! She of course said yes!

Moral of the story: Do not underestimate my sneakiness.

Total Raised: A LOT. ENOUGH. Enough for me to feel blessed beyond belief.

You, my friends, have changed my life. I am so blessed. Thank you! And Leslie, thank you for saying yes.

Title

2009-05-08T13:44:00.001-07:00

Testing mobile blogging!

JordansApproach

2009-05-01T12:05:00.001-07:00

JordansApproach, originally uploaded by jonnyups.

www.JordansApproach.com

Jordan, friend and drummer of As I Lay Dying, has started a blog. He relates metal music to golf, and fills us in on tidbits of his life and touring.

In other news:

*****

AS I LAY DYING DVD goes Platinum in Canada

AS I LAY DYING's first-ever DVD, ‘This Is Who We Are’, sold 4,200 copies in the United States in its first week of release to land at position No. 2 on the Top Music Videos chart. It also debuted at No. 3 in Canada, where the DVD has already shipped platinum.

Commented AS I LAY DYING frontman Tim Lambesis: "I'm completely honored to have our DVD reach so many people in only its first week out. Needless to say, it's a great achievement for our band, but it also goes to show that metal music has been opening new doors. Regardless of what mainstream media pushes, there are enough diehard fans out there to make something like this happen.
"

With ‘This Is Who We Are’, AS I LAY DYING steps into new territory by releasing its first-ever DVD consisting of three discs produced and directed by Denise Korycki (CANNIBAL CORPSE's ‘Centuries of Torment’ DVD) that provide viewers with live performances and a complete AS I LAY DYING audio/visual history.

*****

What does this mean? Well, it means that my photos have reached 80,000 (according to the Wikipedia gods) Canadians in just the last few weeks! Talk about an opportunity for my shots to be seen. Thanks Canada. Thanks AILD, and thanks friends for your support!

JonnyUps, Photographer

2009-04-16T14:45:00.001-07:00

JonnyUps, Photographer, originally uploaded by jonnyups.

Remember THIS POST from not far back? Well, I traveled to Lou's Records, and bought my very own copy of the DVD! Very impressed, I must say. Please head to your local record store and get one! If they don't carry it, Best Buy will do. I will sign your copy. Trust me. ;) haha!

Let's Take Some Pictures

2009-04-08T14:37:00.001-07:00

Let's Take Some Pictures, originally uploaded by jonnyups.

So here's the deal. In just over a month, I am going into the hospital for surgery. This means, for six weeks following, I will be unable to do photoshoots. This means I will have a handful of days to edit photos.

What this means to everybody:

I would love to take your picture. Between RIGHT NOW and May 15th, 2009, I will take your picture. Bands. Models. Babies. Couples. Dogs. Wannabe Models. You name it, I want to shoot it.

My prices are cheap. Sometimes even free, depending on what needs to be shot. Sometimes I need additions to my portfolio. So what do ya say? Plus, I will be updating my website making it all new. Want to be featured there? Get on it, shoot me an e-mail or comment me here! You can find my contact info on the front page of JonnyUps.com

Talk to you soon!

Spring Has Sprung

2009-03-23T12:46:00.001-07:00

Heaven, originally uploaded by jonnyups.

Spring has sprung, and I officially have a cold. The stuffy head...when your ears can't seem to stay opened. The stuffy/runny nose, it can't seem to make up it's mind. The cough, oh the cough.

All this unpleasant stuff at once, yet I can't help but feel good. I'm wearing new shoes. It's amazing what a new pair of Sketchers can do for your day. I bought them a couple months ago, packed them away in my closet, then moved. They moved to my new closet, but I had forgotten about them until Leslie told me I needed new shoes.

Sidenote...

What is it about girls? They have the ability to make you do things. My shoes were great. I had just broken them in how I like them...and BOOM! Time for new shoes. Who cares if they smell, look awful, or don't contain my feet at times. They were still comfy.

And we're back. Long story short, I'm looking to revolutionize my presence here on the web. My plan for the next 6 months or so is this:

* New Website
* More focused blog **with more updates & less personal commentary**
* Better Photos

I'm in the process of beefing up my gear, and metaphorically growing a pair to get myself started stronger than before. I want to be your photographer. For anything. And everything. Be patient, I am on my way.

Moving Forward

2009-03-11T10:25:00.001-07:00

Desirae 2, originally uploaded by jonnyups.

I like to look back often at what I did last year. This photo was taken about a year ago, and it was a total mistake. I do not enjoy editing photos, although I can do it well if I try. This time around, I tried something new. I'm not a fan of it, but I'm posting it anyways to get feedback. I don't like some of the midtones on the left side of the shot. Basically, I've posted a photo I don't like, that I've edited poorly...but I am totally curious to see what you guys think. Let me have it. Thanks!

Big News!!!

2009-03-02T23:23:00.001-08:00

As I Lay Dying - This Is Who We Are, originally uploaded by jonnyups.

Here it is, the time has come. I had to wait for the record label to release this art before I could put it out there.

As I Lay Dying - This Is Who We Are (DVD)

Yours Truly took 4 of the 5 images on the COVER of As I Lay Dying's first DVD. Don't you worry, it doesn't stop there. The back cover is my photo. The inside sports more of my work, including the image that is the background to all 3 DVD's inside, the front and back covers to the insert in the dvd, the centerfold of the insert, and a few others.

Yes, I'm tooting my own horn. Thank you very much. My photos will be released worldwide, to a very large market of people. This is a massive accomplishment for me, so let me toot for just a minute. ha! I said toot.

Seriously guys, Tim and this band have been a blessing to me and my career as a photographer and I can't thank them enough. They are all true friends, and sincere hearts.

The release date is April 14th, 2009 and will be all over the place. Look for it, buy it, and enjoy. It was a blast spending a week with these guys shooting, and seeing them go from pre-show, to post-show and loving every minute. The audio on this dvd is great and was recorded/mixed by my good friend Daniel Castleman who is a master at what he does. You won't be disappointed.

Thank you for listening to me toot. Please check this DVD out on April 14th!

PUBLISHED!

2009-03-01T00:26:00.001-08:00

PUBLISHED!, originally uploaded by jonnyups.

What do JonnyUps and Celine Dion have in common?

On AltPress.com my photo is currently published! I know, this doesn't answer your question, but it will.

The feature is called "Embarrassing Album Confessions" and my friends in We Shot The Moon were asked for their confession. Jason de la Torre answered that Celine Dion was his. Most might think this is a joke. It's not. Jason loves him some Celine. And I love me some Jason.

Needless to say, this isn't a huge accomplishment. However, it is an accomplishment and I'll take it with pride. I do have another announcement as far as photography goes. I will try and make that appear next weekend.

Anyways, no word yet if this photo will be published in the actual magazine and not just online, but I will be looking through the issues to see it. Thanks for sharing in my excitement!

Dear Mr. President,

2009-02-19T22:58:00.001-08:00

2009-02-18-cartoon.jpg, originally uploaded by jonnyups.

Dear Mr. President,

As our newly elected leader, I call upon you to to lead us in America. You are a black man, leading the most powerful country in the world. As much as I would like to believe that racism doesn't exist, it does. Please do your part to make it disappear.

I ask this because this week a satirical cartoon was sketched out, and printed in a popular publication. A cartoon that depicts a chimp getting shot by police (for attacking a woman). A cartoon that also pokes fun at the ridiculousness that is the current stimulus bill. Now for me, I see nothing wrong with this. The point of these cartoons is to take current events and joke about them. But you see, Mr. President, many people are making a connection between the primate in the cartoon, the comment, and black people. This I find ridiculous. In 2009, this connection should not be made.

I ask of you to come out to the public, your people, and tell us all that a joke is a joke. A cartoon is a cartoon. Tell us that you personally feel that this is not racism.

With Great Respect,
JonnyUps

7

2009-02-04T11:00:00.001-08:00

7, originally uploaded by jonnyups.

Ok, so I promised to blog about my appointment that I had on Monday with my new doctor from UCSD Medical Center regarding my health.

I am having surgery on May 15th, 2009.

The surgery is to remove any of the remaining harmful mucus in my stomach, and to ensure that it stays gone for a little while. Since what I have has no cure, this is just a big bandage on my future. Weak stomachs skip this next part:

The surgery SHOULD go like this:

-Sleepy Time
-Epidural Catheter (tube in my spine?)
-Cut Me Open (sternum to belt buckle)
-Clean Me Out (each organ gets a wipe down)
-Fill Me With Chemo
-Let Sit for 90 Minutes
-Clean Me Out
-Sew Up Stomach
-Staple Skin Shut
-Hate Life

It will be a 9 to 11 day hospital stay (on average) and I will be super drugged. No working for 6 weeks. My scar will be gnarly.

That's my update. Physically it's going to suck. Mentally it's hard to grasp. Ultimately I want to live a great life, and if this is what it takes to do that, then I'm all in.

Deere, John

2009-01-25T17:04:00.001-08:00

Deere, John, originally uploaded by jonnyups.

When I spoke with nurse at UCSD Medical Center, she said, "Essentially, you have PMP"

What is PMP? Here's what I've found out.

PMP is an abbreviation for a "syndrome" known as Pseudomyxoma Peritonei. Literally, this means false (pseudo) benign tumor with mucinous features (myxoma) of the abdomen (peritonei). PMP is sometimes known as "jelly belly".

Because PMP is such a rare condition, it is an "orphan" disease. This means that there is little knowledge of it in the medical community and little research is being done to find better treatments. This is why it is so important to promote awareness so that an appropriate standard of treatment is recognized and money is raised/made available for research. There is about 1 person with PMP for every 1,000,000 people in the U.S.

PMP is caused by low- to moderate- grade mucin-producing tumor cells that usually arise from the appendix. PMP is difficult to classify in to "low grade", moderate or higher-grade, due to its unpredictable behavior, both in its microscopic appearance and in the individual person. To most pathologist's PMP looks "low grade", but in PEOPLE it can act in a higher-grade fashion growing and spreading, and producing mucin/jelly more quickly than expected. This discrepancy between the microscopic/pathologic/scientific description/classification AND the actual "clinical" behavior of PMP in the patient, makes it much more difficult for the doctor to make accurate predictions, unlike breast cancers and colon cancers where the expected behavior of the tumor cells is more predictable. We generally like to think that PMP severity exists on a spectrum from low to moderate to high grade.. Despite pathology that looks low grade and a big "whew!" from the oncologist ("its just PMP") each person's version of PMP may defy what the doctor's and scientists and pathologist's THINK they know! PMP patients need experienced medical oncologists and surgical oncologists.

With all that said, I'm special. With almost 306,000,000 in America, I'm one of 306 people in the club. Sure, I'm rare, I'm special. But boy, do I feel so alone right now. Reading about this only scares me more. I can't wait to have my appointment on February 2nd. I need answers. I am sitting here in my room. Alone. Drinking 2 liters of laxatives. Preparing for my colonoscopy tomorrow. Not eating because I can't. And I just feel alone.

Leslie is the best. Hands down. You guys reading are the best. Your words comfort me beyond belief. I love you.

God, please heal me. God, please take my fears.

Zebra

2009-01-24T00:20:00.001-08:00

Zebra, originally uploaded by jonnyups.

So I suppose I'll update everybody on my health. Today I got a call from my tumor surgeon. He basically admitted defeat and told me I needed a 2nd opinion on my tumor biznass. So he referred me to a specialist at UCSD Medical Center.

After some phone tag, I got the nurse who told me some stuff. That most likely I am going to need another surgery to clean out the remnants of the tumor, and that I will need some (most likely) minor form of chemo to clear the rest of the junk out. I'm not worried, just not ready for another surgery.

She kept telling me that what I have is extremely rare. Mucinous Cystadenoma. I asked how rare, and she said, "Take it this way...what you have is only .5% of all gastrointestinal cancers." and I asked if that meant I was one in a million...and she over-excitedly agreed. I would say that one in a million might be a slight understatement with what I have.

So basically, what I understand to be happening is that the tumor spilled it's junk inside me. My surgeon cleaned out what he could, BUT the leftover crap in my abdomen can actually start sprouting more tumors if left untreated. I don't know how this is still considered benign, but it is. It's just benign with an attitude.

Prayers welcomed. I'm going to be ok. Financially this added junk is going to kick the crap out of me. I've never had debt in my life and over the course of less than 2 months I'm already looking up from the inside of a $7,000 bill. I guess thats a big savings from what I would have payed...so I can be thankful for that. :) Insurance is saving my tail to a great extent. Ugh, money.

There's my update, sorry if I worried anybody. Thanks for checking in on me! Now, go enjoy the (obviously a boy) Zebra at the top of this post.

Friends Don't Let Friends Poop On Other Friends

2009-01-21T00:06:00.001-08:00

Friends Don't Let Friends Poop On Other Friends, originally uploaded by jonnyups.

So this past weekend was my 1 year anniversary with Leslie. She's done a great job putting up with me for this long, and is still happy being with me. Quite amazing if you ask me. Or if you ask any girlfriends from my past. I'm sure Leslie would get the title "Super Hero" from all of them.

With that said, nothing commemorates an anniversary like a rhinoceros taking a dump on another rhinoceros. I know, I know...I have a way with words. But seriously, how amazing is this photo? Not for it's photographic quality (which is superb by the way), but for it's content. Here's the caption I wrote for the photo:

"So I saw this happen, but had no idea I had actually gotten a photo of it until just now. The rhino's were enjoying the water when out of nowhere, the anal vortex opened up and shot out 12 lbs of poop. The wall of sweet rhin-ass-eros stench hit us so hard that we took off right after this. Yum!"

Long story short, this event made our special day at the San Diego Zoo that much more awesome. True, we were run over by a semi-truck hauling 73 tons of guano, but we walked away from it all. Most importantly, with a picture to prove it.

To those who have come and gone from my blog and noticed no new posts, I'm sorry. I've been quite busy, and life just keeps moving faster. I keep trying to renew my love for photography so that I can keep giving you new and interesting things to look at. Don't get me wrong, my love never fades, it just gets burried under a mess of life sometimes. All that said, thank you. Keep reading, and enjoy the poopy picture above. :) Heck, make it your desktop. I did.

Big News - Teaser

2009-01-20T22:28:00.001-08:00

Big News - Teaser, originally uploaded by jonnyups.

So my big news is coming. It may not be that big to you...or most of my readers really, but to me it's huge.

I will say that my photos are being used in a big way. I feel that as a photographer, it's nice to be noticed. I have had the chance to do some pretty sweet, exciting, fun things photographically...but this is the first time I'm able to contribute photographs to something larger. Much larger.

I'll leave it at that for now. I have some more photos to finish editing, then I'll blog again. I'm sorry to have neglected the blog and flickr lately. This certain project has kept me busy, along with a few other photo jobs, and my health, and work, and that darned girlfriend of mine.

Photos from the San Diego Zoo, coming sooooon.

Moonrise

2009-01-08T02:15:00.001-08:00

Moonrise, originally uploaded by jonnyups.

I have some exciting news coming up. I haven't posted here in a while because I've been in the process of starting back up at work, getting a ton of photo stuff done, and chillaxing.

So you've been warned, I might be a little excited in the near future.

*hint: it might have to do with a string of concerts I shot in November

Thanksgiving

2008-12-06T23:15:00.000-08:00

Thanksgiving morning, I woke up to some sharp pains in my abdomen. A little back story ... I had arm-wrestled a very strong woman the night before and thought that maybe I had pulled a muscle ... moving on. I went about Thanksgiving day as normal. Eating what I could, laughing when I was able. Unfortunately the pain was there the whole time. I went to sleep that night after fighting with fevers all evening.

The next morning I woke up and the pain had gotten worse. My initial thought is that I need to get my appendix looked at. I get to my Mom's house and she insists that I go to Urgent Care and get looked at. This wasn't something I was thrilled with doing. Yes I have insurance, but I don't have the extra money to cover whatever bills I may incur. Also, I'm what the medical profession calls a "Hard Stick" (laugh now.) Every nurse has trouble finding my veins, and as a result, I get stabbed with needles a lot! This visit was NO exception. 5 brand new holes later and I was sporting an IV.

My CAT-Scan results come back, and sure enough, I've got a perforated appendix. Time for removal. They send me on my way to another hospital where I have a team of surgeons, and a private room waiting for me. I get there and my perforated appendix has miraculously turned into a ruptured appendix. No biggie. They're going to cut me open either way. I let them do their thing to me, and apparently I surprise them in the middle of surgery. Some more back story ... my older brother had his appendix burst and he was misdiagnosed. He made it to surgery just in time after his torso had filled with gangrene and they saved his life just hours before it would have ended ... So here I am, asleep on the operating table. They slice open and BLAM! There it is, looking them in the face. A torso full of ... MUCUS? That's not normal. As a matter of fact, the doctors performing the surgery had NEVER seen this before. When your appendix bursts, it's because something was caught on it, and bacteria attacked. Then your body rejects it as it fills with poisonous infectious fluids and eventually blows up. Well, I had none of this. So what they do is what I would have done. Put the surgery on hold (while i'm opened up) and call in a Pathelogist from home. She wasn't busy, don't worry. They consult with her, finish me up, and let me sleep. They went to talk to my Mom and Leslie to let them know how things went.

"We found something unusual. We think there was a tumor on his appendix. It could be cancerous."

Well crap. Just what my family needs, more cancer. A few hours after being put to sleep, I awake to find breathing tubes and what not.

My body was in pain, but the nurses were amazing. After a couple days in my boring room, I got upgraded to a better room. This room looked over the World Class Torrey Pines Golf Course where Tiger Woods frequents. Just beyond the golf course is the best ocean in the world. Not bad! To top it off, my room was named after the founder of the hospital AND was the room that Mother Teresa stayed in a couple times when she came to San Diego and had heart problems. So good things surround this room.

Painful moments: Removing the Catheter, Standing/Sitting/Moving in general, Removing my drain tubes (oh these were awful, like being punched to death)

Finally, after spending 4 (thousand) days in the hospital, they let me go!

I couldn't even have water for the first day and some change. I was a serious surgery case, and so they had to start my stomach at the basics. Jello was a HUGE blessing to my tongue. Over the course of this experience, I've managed to lose between 10 and 14 lbs!!

Although I look happy, it's slightly bittersweet. I am alive, I am cancer-free, I am healing and doing wonderful. I know that when I hit "publish post" and head to bed, it will only lead to heartache. When I open my eyes in the morning, I will be opening my eyes to a day that I'm supposed to fear. It's been a year since my dad died. I haven't been to his grave site yet. Not since we put his ashes in the wall. I'm not big on visiting graves. Once the body dies, it's gone. No place on this earth can contain what that person once was. This is my dad. I need to visit, because I need to cry. My body hurts too much to cry, but my mind is ready for it.

Goodnight December. You were always my favorite. Why did you have to go and do this to me?

Metal Loves Technology

2008-11-24T23:54:00.001-08:00

Metal Loves Technology, originally uploaded by jonnyups.

So this past week was a busy one for me. My friend Tim is in a band (As I Lay Dying) that spent the week shooting their live dvd. They did 3 shows in 3 venues near their home of San Diego.

The first show was Monday, November 17th at the Jumping Turtle in San Marcos, CA. They played their album, "Shadows Are Security" from start to finish.

Their second show was Wednesday, November 19th at Seacoast Community Church in Encinitas, CA. The show was for charity and they played their album, "Frail Words Collapse" from start to finish.

Their third and final show of the week was Friday, November 21st at The Grove in Anaheim, CA. They played all the hits, and took out all the stops for this show. A sold out crowd of 1,600 fans, amazing lights, approx. 12 cameras capturing all of the action. They played to perfection, and even had a DOUBLE ENCORE!

Out of respect for the production of the DVD, and it's creator (Denise), I will not be posting any photos from these 3 shows for a while. I will give Denise first choice, and will MAYBE share a few here along the way if I find some that would be fitting for here.

Thanks for understanding. I have a few photoshoots coming up in the next 2 weeks so I'll fill your visual hunger with those.

Chad, Meet Tim.

2008-11-18T14:01:00.001-08:00

Chad, Meet Tim, originally uploaded by jonnyups.

I have other things to be writing about, but this is fresh on my mind.

Last night was the first of three shows this week that I'm hoping to attend and photograph. My friends in As I Lay Dying began filming their live DVD last night at a small venue near my home. It was a sold out show in a tiny venue filled with fans, security guards, HD cameras, recording gear, and everything else that comes along with a hardcore show.

They played their album, Shadows Are Security, from start to finish. They even added a few songs at the end as a special treat. The moment captured above is when Chad Ackerman (Destroy The Runner, Austrian Death Machine) joined As I Lay Dying onstage for some extra vocals. It was a classic moment between friends.

The show ended and the venue cleared out pretty quickly. The dust settled, and even the security guards were bleeding. There are hundreds more from the show and I will be sharing them with the band. Maybe you will see more on here at a later date.

Starting The Day Off Right

2008-10-15T08:55:00.000-07:00

This morning I didn't have to wake up at 5am for work. It was a great way to start the morning. I woke up on my own, showered, and headed to Starbucks to visit my girlfriend at work. I missed her lunch by 2 minutes but still got to see her. She rang me up for my drink (which is usually iced, but she was probably distracted by my good looks) and I headed out to work.

It's a nice day. It's hump day. It's pay day. It's a good day.

Emma - 1 Year Ago

2008-10-12T13:11:00.000-07:00

This photo, taken quickly under some dull generic hospital lights, remains one of my favorites that I have ever taken. Emma Lynn has been the greatest gift to my life, and she's not even my daughter. She hardly cried as a newborn, and a year later she still hardly cries. She's a well-mannered, even-tempered little girl who can't wipe a smile off her face to save her life.

This is just a placeholder. Be patient, some photos of her enjoying her first cupcake are coming soon. Happy Birthday Emma!

10 Years In The Making

2008-09-30T13:32:00.000-07:00

After 10 years of being a Switchfoot fan, I finally got the chance to officially photograph their live show. I've been close on a number of occasions, and it's always fallen through.

The Music Builds Tour (in support of Habitat for Humanity) came through San Diego this past weekend. The tour featured Jars Of Clay, Robert Randolph and the Family Band, Switchfoot and Third Day. Quite the line up if you ask me. The above photo is from when Switchfoot's lead man, Jon Foreman, left the stage to join the crowd of thousands for some singing. More photos can be found here: Switchfoot (09-27-08)

My Summer Road Trip, 2008

2008-08-26T11:56:00.001-07:00

Jumping Rock, Hume Lake
Originally uploaded by jonnyups.

When I was in high school, I got an almost full-time job and lost my summers. Now that I'm more than 7 years out of high school, I've finally had the chance to enjoy a summer. My current job takes 4 weeks off for the month of July and I took advantage of this time to travel my great state of California.

Leslie and I left San Diego early in the morning on June 29th and headed for Hume Lake. Hume is a camp I would go to as a high school student, and I knew my way around it enough to show her some beautiful places. The picture above is a rock that we would jump off of into the water.

This is from Lookout Rock. You're on a huge boulder on the side of a mountain, looking out over King's Canyon. It feels like you're flying when you're up there.

The night before we left, we sat in some chairs at the edge of the lake looking up at the stars. I took a few pictures of the sky and here's what I came out with.

We left Hume Lake the next morning and headed for her old hometown of Stockton, California. We spent a nice part of that drive going through scenic Fresno. I have nothing against Fresno. I will just never live there. Ever.

Listen to the people. Stop painting the churh.

I've already blogged about Bodega Bay, California...so I won't bother you with that. I'll just post a slew of photos here and if you want to see more you can click any of them to continue on to my flickr page. Please feel free to leave comments. I won't bite.

This last photo is of Leslie's brother-in-law, Jay. He's well over 6 feet tall and I had to stretch my arm way up high to get a picture looking down at him. I had no choice, this was the perfect setting for a photo. He was the perfect subject for this photo.

And there you have it. My summer in a nutshell. I also went on tour with We Shot The Moon as you may have seen my previous blog entry on that as well. Thanks for reading!

Dancing In The Moonlight

2008-07-28T11:10:00.001-07:00

Dancing In The Moonlight
Originally uploaded by jonnyups.

This weekend I shot a wedding. In the past, I have said that I hate shooting weddings. I mean, the money is good, and I am capable of doing it. I just don't like the idea of a persons BIG DAY resting on my shoulders.

Anyways, I was definitely excited about this wedding. I had a couple opportunities to meet the bride before the wedding, and I knew she was awesome and laid back. She had explained how the wedding would run, including a Clydesdale-drawn carriage. All picture perfect.

There's something about doing photography for a living that seems perfect and glamorous. Like any job, that's not the case. Photography is an art, and forcing yourself to turn your creativity on is harder than you'd think. Don't get me wrong, for the most part this all seems to come naturally. There is just the expectation that you're always going to be in "photo-mode" which isn't always the case. There are days I look at my camera and think, "Yeah, I'm not going to pick that up today because we both need a break."

The above photo was one of those moments where I just new a photo had to be taken. I hate to disappoint, but this was not a natural moment. It was definitely staged. Conditions weren't exactly ideal, mostly because it was pitch black outside. But the lights on the gazebo called my name all night and I had to try and get this shot. Hope you enjoy. This also launches the start of a new joint-venture with my buddy Dave.

NotBadPhotography.com (NBP)

If you have any special photography needs, drop us a line. We'll be glad to help. That said, head on over there!

4 Days On Tour...

2008-07-25T23:55:00.000-07:00

I am back from my week of shows with We Shot The Moon and the band was kind enough to turn my photos into a musical montage. Every photo in this video is mine (except the last one of course), so please enjoy and check out this amazing band.

Check out this video: JonnyUps - Band Photographer

Thanks to the boyzzz in the band for letting me invade their home (van) for a week.

Tuesday Morning

2008-07-16T02:00:00.001-07:00

Tuesday Morning
Originally uploaded by jonnyups.

Today I start my week long journey with We Shot The Moon on the
California leg of their tour. I'm currently sitting on the porch of
singer Jonathan Jones' house in Cardiff, CA and as you can see, the view
is rather beautiful.

Sitting here got me thinking. Thinking about how small I am, about how
my life is a tiny spec of a blip in the big picture. Not in a depressing
sort of way, but in more of a refreshing way. I like these moments, it
allows me to finally slow my mind enough to enjoy life.

A car passes by every 5 seconds or so, and each car carries a different
life and a new story. I get to hear the music each person likes to
listen to, or a quick 2 second glimpse of ther cell phone conversation.
I find out if their a daredevil on a Harley, or a soccer-mom in their
oversized SUV.

Yes, this is the life. Sitting here, letting the rest of the world rush
to their next meeting, or to their doctors appointment while I sit here
and enjoy this creation.

Well, time to go. I need to eat breakfast, run to the bank, brush my
teeth, and hit the road. This relaxing moment was bound to end soon.
--
-jon

Bodega Bay, CA

2008-07-05T12:27:00.001-07:00

Bodega Bay, CA
Originally uploaded by jonnyups.

Literally the edge of the world. One of the most beautiful places I have
ever seen in real life. The wind roars past your ears and the waves seem
so small as they pound against the jagges rocks hundreds of feet below.
Its so strange to see a seagull from the top, and vultures wildly
soaring by with their 6 foot wingspan. This place is beauty at its
finest.
--
-jon

Holidays Of Seventeen

2008-06-27T02:45:00.001-07:00

Holidays Of Seventeen
Originally uploaded by jonnyups.

When I was in Japan, May 2007, we played a couple shows with an unknown Japanese band. They're name is "Holidays of Seventeen" and you know who they are onstage because they all wear their own band t-shirt during their set.

The second I heard them play, I couldn't stop listening. I bought a shirt. I bought a cd. The shirt didn't fit and the cd was recorded in such a way that I don't know what I'm even listening to. But still, I was a fan. I kept telling them how they were my new favorite band, but humbly they didn't believe me. So I told the record label. They kind of believed me. Until they signed this band. Thank you Fabtone Records.

A little over a year later, they have come out with a video for a song called, "Hey, Scissorman!" and I'm not quite sure what that means, but I love the song, and I love the video. Check it out below ...

HOLIDAYS OF SEVENTTEN - Hey,Scissorman! [MUSIC VIDEO]

If you're at all interested in purchasing some music of theirs, I have found a split-cd on iTunes with another band called, "Local Sound Style" who we also played some shows with. Here's the linky link:

clickity click the photo to head on over to iTunes

or: myspace.com/ho17

So enjoy this taste of Japan, a far away place from San Diego, but good music for your ears.

Joel Hosler

2008-06-11T00:29:00.001-07:00

Joel Hosler 1
Originally uploaded by jonnyups.

Most stories start at the beginning, and work their way to the end. I'm not so good at this, I jump around and find my way to the important part of the story before realizing I've left out some major details. All of that to say this:

Listen to Joel Hosler's music.

The main point is this ... I've known Joel for 2 years now and he has come to impress me beyond explanation.

The story behind it all ... 2 years ago, Joel got involved in worship at my church. Not too long after that, he was offered a job at Calvary Chapel in Adelanto, CA. For those of you who know where Adelanto is, I applaud you. I still have no clue where this place is. Anyways, Joel came back to Escondido this weekend to lead worship at Resonate, the service that I play bass for each week. For me, it was difficult to pull my talent together fast enough to make my part of the music sound good. Along the same lines though, I was honored to be a part of the music being made.

Joel Hosler was also the singer for the now defunct band, Noise Ratchet.

Anyways, that's my story. No fantastic plot, no beginning or end. Just the story. Now go, you are probably reading this at work and should be doing something else!

A Fine Frenzy

2008-06-09T13:43:00.001-07:00

A Fine Frenzy
Originally uploaded by jonnyups.

This weekend was the 4th Annual "Switchfoot Bro-Am" at Moonlight Beach in Encinitas. As usual, the rockers and surfers were out in the water doing their thing. In addition to the world-class surfers in the water, there were local musicians on the sand adding the soundtrack to the day. To add even more diversity to the day, world-famous skateboarders Bob Burnquist and Danny Way brought their band "Escalera" to the beach for the 2nd year in a row.

"Local" seemed to included Los Angeles this year, but for good reason. A Fine Frenzy. Fronted by Alison Sudol, A Fine Frenzy is mellow, catchy, relaxing, and everything you want to becoming out of your speakers. My words aren't as powerful as her music, so I'll let her do the talking. Here's the necessary link:

myspace.com/afinefrenzy

In addition the the beach party, Switchfoot hosted an after party at the Belly Up Tavern in Solana Beach, CA. This concert included the Watkins Family Hour (featuring Sean & Sara Watkins of Nickel Creek), A Fine Frenzy, Switchfoot, and the first performance from Fiction Family. Fiction Family was formerly "The Real SeanJon" but is no longer. I'll bring you more on them later, as they begin to release stuff.

Other noteworthy moments of the day include good conversation with the wonderful/talented/amazing Molly Jenson who you'll find in Target and other retail stores hopefully in the fall. A room full of friends from the last 10 years of my life. The beginning of the Official JonnyUps Fan Club...t-shirts included. Sunburns beyond what I'm comfortable with, and so many other moments that you'll just have to experience for yourself next year.

As always, click the photo above to to go my flickr site and see more action from the day. Here's another sneak peak:

Another sighting, I ran into my friend/model, Desirae, as she was waking with her friend/amazing photographer, Samantha Levi, through the crowd. Just for my visual readers, here's Desirae:

Farewell, and thank you for reading! Special thanks to Austria, Sweden, Chile, Sri Lanka, Italy, Ireland, and Poland. If I knew how to speak your language, I'd write in it for you! Thank you!

We Shot The Moon 7

2008-05-27T22:24:00.001-07:00

We Shot The Moon 7
Originally uploaded by jonnyups.

So, I got a new camera. You may have thought that I didn't need another one, but I got it anyways.

This week I tested it out. A family party, a concert, some Emma time. The photo in this post is from a concert, obviously.

We Shot The Moon is a band from San Diego, created by the lead singer of Waking Ashland (RIP) and songs co-written with the guys from Sherwood. The songs are catchy, but not so poppy that you want to puke. I saw them this week, and can I be honest? Not enough of you are listening to their music! It's so true! The turnout for the show was 100 people at the most, and these guys are being played in stores across the country, touring constantly, and making GREAT music. So here's your chance to listen.

http://www.WESHOTTHEMOON.com

They are on tour forever, and their shows are great. Cheap too. The tour dates are on the myspace page (link on the main page) and everything you need to know is available at that link. Do yourself a favor and listen.

I have a few more pictures on my flickr, just click the attached photo and head on over there to check them out. I may even hit the road with them if our schedules line up. Go listen, report back, let's hear what you think.

Austrian Death Machine

2008-05-20T15:26:00.001-07:00

Austrian Death Machine
Originally uploaded by jonnyups.

A good few weeks or more ago, I had the chance to photo my friend (landlord, roomie) Tim for his new side project. It's called "Austrian Death Machine" and is slated for full release on July 22nd, 2008. What started as a joke to him quickly became a project with serious potential. Check it out here:

www.myspace.com/AustrianDeathMachine

This marks my 2nd credit to photography on a CD release.

Also, the artwork of the "Governator" was done specially for this release, and was illustrated by the artist who did many of the best Megadeath album artwork.

One Year Since My World Broke To Pieces

2008-03-18T15:39:00.001-07:00

Wonderful Husband
Originally uploaded by jonnyups.

March 18th, 2007 was a day like any other. I was sitting at church in a meeting when I got a text message from my mom. "In the ER with dad, thinks he has pneumonia. Possible mass in his lungs instead. PRAY."

I went silent in this meeting. Nobody in the room existed. The lump in my throat was huge and breathing became a physical pain. I wasn't going to cry, there was so much uncertainty in her text message. Through a series of tests, it was confirmed to be a mass in his lungs. Then later confirmed to be Stage 4 cancer. Most of you know the story ... it progressed until we lost him in December of the same year.

He was a smoker who quit too late, and his body lost the fight. I will never smoke. I am truly repulsed by the act of smoking. It's something so simple that took something so great from me.

One year ago today, my world shattered into pieces. I'm still picking those up. I was changed through this event. Some good, some bad.

I never believed people when they said they miss somebody everyday. Now I do.

Leslie 3

2008-03-18T00:06:00.001-07:00

Leslie 3
Originally uploaded by jonnyups.

So now that it's been a couple months since things all started, I figure it's safe to introduce you kids to my girlfriend. She's absolutely wonderful, and obviously extremely patient to be dating me. We wandered through the back roads of some tiny towns and found an amazing field to shoot pictures in. Leslie didn't really feel like being my model, but that's the price you pay for dating a photographer. When there's a shot to be had, and a model is needed...well, you become the model.

So this field was just a total piece of heaven. Across the tiny road, there was a train track overgrown with weeds and it was just gorgeous. Words don't describe how great this place was.

Expect more photos of this "model" in the future. If you need somebody to blame for me missing around here lately, she's the one. :) Just know that it's good, and I'm glad she occupies my time. If we can ever find this field again, there will be more photos to see. I promise you this.

5 Months And Counting...

2008-03-07T14:17:00.001-08:00

Emma @ 5 Months 4
Originally uploaded by jonnyups.

My super cute niece, Emma, is just over 5 months old now. Her daddy got her an M&M's outfit of "Green" and she looked adorable in it. I have been taking photos of her on the 3rd of every month, since her day of birth (October 3rd, 2007).

This entry was just to show you how cute she is.

I'm heading up to Big Bear for the weekend. A good time of personal silence, and hopefully some picture taking.

Seat 17 E

2008-02-18T18:31:00.001-08:00

Seat 17 E
Originally uploaded by jonnyups.

I'm on the plane, flying home from Stockton, CA. In front of me, a man
gets on the plane and is only left with a middle seat. He sits down and
begins to make small talk with the men on either side of him.

"I'm going back to San Diego after visiting my brother in Sacramento. I
am getting deployed to Iraq this week."

Poor guy, one last flight and he's stuck in the middle seat. I was lucky
enough to score the last aisle seat on the plane, thank you very much.
As we're ascending, I see the woman on my right holding one of those
tiny 'Jesus' pamphlets. To be very honest, those things drive me crazy.
You find them on your table at Starbucks, or all over the halls of your
college campus and they just get thrown away.

As we reached cruising altitude, the woman leans forward to the crack in
the seat and says, "Excuse me sir, I heard you're going to Iraq this
week. Please read this, it could be the most important thing you'll ever
read." Ballsy, I know. For anybody who's ever believed in something
(that could potentially sound crazy to others) enough to share it, knows
that sharing is hard.

The soldier politely said thank you, and took the mini-pamphlet from
her.

Now this next part is for everybody. If you're a pray-er, a vibe-sender,
good-thinker, well-wisher, war opposer, war supporter, brother, sister,
friend human...do me a favor...think/pray/vibe away for this soldier. He
is going to a volitile place filled with violence, fear, uncertainty and
every other frightening emotion available. This may be his last month
alive, he could be the next hero to come out of this war, he could be
your cousin or brother.

Dislike our government, or whatever you like, but these soldiers are
just doing their job.

Now I have landed in San Diego. Tired from a very long and enjoyable
weekend, I look forward to sleeping in my bed, in my new place. Have a
great week, I'll try to update again by the weekend. Remember this
soldier this week.
--
-jon
sent from my phone, homie.

Night Sky

2008-02-03T20:50:00.001-08:00

Night Sky
Originally uploaded by jonnyups.

Here we are, February. It's been almost 2 months since my dad passed away. 4 months since my niece (Emma) was born. A year and a month since I started my job as a Professional Photographer. 2 years since I moved into this house.

So many milestones. So little time. In a week I'm moving from this house into a house with a married couple that I know. They are really great, and I look at this as a step forward in life. I'm still taking pictures, sometimes even making money doing it. I like my job, and I love my friends. They are so supportive of me in every part of my life. I've even made some new friends lately, friends who I know will be a part of my life for years to come. Maybe even forever.

The photo attached to this post is a simple one. I set up my tripod, aimed my camera at the sky, and pressed the button. I took a flashlight and aimed it at the light post so it would actually show up. The light at the top of the post didn't even work. No tricks, just a simple photo. A simple, meaningless light post as the foreground of the most amazing universe I could never even fathom. This earth is so big, and we're just a speck in the galaxy, which is just a speck in the whole of things.

I feel so small. I want to feel small. There are days when my mind gets the best of me, and I feel even smaller. I don't believe the words I read, or hear. I become a skeptic. Writing these thoughts out for nobody to read seem to make things better.

I long to love as God loves me. Unconditionally. It's possible, and maybe even unavoidable. I don't look at the new year as the year I will love. I don't look at this as the month I will love. I look at this life as a whole, and know that I will someday love unconditionally. No time frame, although I will admittedly say that I hope this is the year! Love takes time, and that's what I have. I'm excited.

Surprisingly enough, just now after writing that did I remember that this is the month of Valentine's Day. Know that my motives in writing this post have nothing to do with that day. As I said, this life is a whole. Not a day. When I know who/how to love, it will be eternal, and not confined to the middle of February. I will give 100% of myself, and I will expect nothing in return.

Until then, I will feel like the light post in this photo. Not working, not lighting the ground on dark nights. Just the foreground of an amazing universe. Although I must say that I feel as if somebody is playing the part of me, and pointing a flashlight my way to light me up. It's working. I can feel it!

Thank You (times 7)

2008-01-19T12:26:00.001-08:00

Thank You (times 7)
Originally uploaded by jonnyups.

Today I got a card from the 7 greatest people this country has to offer.
:) thanks friends!
--
-jon
sent from my phone, homie.

San Diego, I Love You

2008-01-01T23:58:00.001-08:00

San Diego, I Love You
Originally uploaded by jonnyups.

2007, I have a couple words for you. YOU SUCK.

2008, You promise nothing but good, and I'm excited for that.

Now onto the photo. New Years Eve was great, I got to hang out with my great friend Carnell doing some business stuff. Afterwards, Carnell took me up into the sky. You see, he's a pilot, and I'm not. So he showed me the ropes. It was pretty awesome. We took off from North County San Diego, and flew the mile or so to the ocean. We cruised down the coast at about 700 feet. He let me fly a little bit, which was frightening, but very amazing! We did a u-turn just before the San Diego Airport and headed back up the coast. Around Del Mar we headed inland towards my house. At one point, we climbed to 2500 feet, and Carnell killed the engine. Silence. It was so scary for me. You expect to hear the engine, and yet, you hear nothing. The propeller slows down, and you feel a slight drop in altitude. This could be it, THE END! He turned the engine back on and we continued on. Flew over my house, and then back to the airport.

I couldn't have asked for a better day!

Goodbye To You

2007-12-27T23:13:00.001-08:00

Goodbye To You
Originally uploaded by jonnyups.

So my intentions with this blog, initially, was to keep it impersonal. I wanted a creative outlet that didn't revolve around myself. However, over the last few months, this blog has been anything but impersonal. I have given you all a view of my life, and the pain that I have experienced. I have showed you the wrinkles caused by stress. The gray hairs, if you will. My life has been a mess, and I think I have conveyed that to an extent.

December 20th started as most mornings do. My alarm went off, and I got up. That's where it changed. I drove to Fort Rosecrans National Cemetery. My mom, brothers, myself (and a few others) sat silently as 2 officers in the Navy folded an American Flag, and set it on a podium with the urn containing my Dad's ashes. In the distance, another officer played "Taps" on the bugle. It was eerie. The horn bounced off of every headstone in the place and made its way out to sea. This was finality. This was closure. This was respect. My Dad deserved nothing less than the most honorable ceremony.

Now just a week later, so much has passed. Most notably, I had my first Christmas without my father. I don't know how to explain my thoughts surrounding this, but I missed 1 thing in particular. My Dad had the best talent when it came to guessing his presents. You could wrap a super soaker in a box filled with pennies and cans of baked beans, and he'd be able to tell you what brand of backed beans were in the box, and the color of the super soaker. This Christmas we didn't get to see him guess his gifts, but I know he would have been right on, just like every year.

As 2007 comes to a close, I think of all the good times I had. Free trip to Japan, becoming an uncle, buying my first new car. But the death of my father overshadows it all. I'm sorry 2007, but you have sucked.

2008, I look foward to meeting you.

Wonderful Father

2007-12-07T22:48:00.001-08:00

Wonderful Father
Originally uploaded by jonnyups.

How does one even begin to describe the life of a 62 year old man who meant the world to him? Bare with me as I search in my mind to find words that don't seem to come easily.

My dad. I knew him all my life. I could talk for days about the experiences I've had with him. From the car shows, to the drive to Utah and back, to camping, fishing, bird watching, ambulance chasing, and even him giving me my first camera. He has shaped my life in a way you could not know. I could talk for the same amount of days about the things I've learned from him. How to change my tires, how to treat a lady, how to appreciate the beauty in a pile of metal with 500 horsepower in it, and how to love. These are just the tip of the iceberg.

In his final days he was in pain. Cancer is a bitch. Cancer is ugly and cancer is dirty and cancer does not fight fair.

March 18th, this was the day my dad went to Urgent Care thinking he had pneumonia. Later that day he was told that it was not pneumonia, but a mass in his lungs. This morning, less than 9 months after diagnosis, my dad took his last breath. My mom and I were at his side, and it was peaceful.

He was a man of integrity, I hope you knew him. I'm sorry I can't paint a picture that even begins to portray how amazing this man was.

~ Ronald Edward Upson ~
September 11, 1945 - December 7, 2007

Tagged By Kristine

2007-11-30T14:29:00.000-08:00

Here are seven things you may or may not know about me (JonnyUps):

1. I love the beach, but hate sand and am afraid of the water.

2. When I picture myself, I don't imagine the face I have. I imagine no face at all, but a feeling of "coolness" in place of a visual of myself.

3. I hate answering my cell phone but pay $70 a month to keep it AND have a ton of minutes. For the record, I do have internet/unlimited texts, which I love.

4. I could eat bagels and cream cheese for every meal of the day, for the rest of my life.

5. My favorite music is made by the bands/groups that your 16 year old sister would listen to.

6. Holding a camera is therapy to me. When I don't have a camera in my hand, I get bummed out because I am always seeing shots that I could take.

7. I don't tell people anything about my life, yet I found it very difficult to come up with 7 things to tell you.

I'm going to tag: Amy V, JFish, Arpit, Jimmy R., and Rosey

Flying High

2007-11-28T14:37:00.003-08:00

Newport 3
Originally uploaded by jonnyups.

This photo is over a year old. It was taken in Newport Beach while I was hanging out with some friends. I remember commenting to them that I was too heavy to ever experience a ride like this, to ever feel that feeling of free flight.

Thinking back on it, gravity has a hold on me. Emotionally at this point in my life, my personal gravity is pulling me down. The natural reaction to gravity is to stand up, to fight it with our muscles so we can walk and live. I'm doing my best. I think I'm standing up fine, but the weight I feel inside is like I'm on mars. I can still fight it, but the gravity has gotten stronger, and makes me feel like I'm 1,000 lb's heavier.

I think that what I'm learning through this ordeal will help me talk to other people better who are dealing with cancer in their life. Either in their body, or the body of a loved one. I don't think my role is to be a motivational speaker, but I think that as cancer becomes more common, I will know more people dealing with it.

I don't know what my next entry will look like. As I feel heavier, my dad prepares to fly high.

Ginger, My Dog.

2007-11-23T20:23:00.001-08:00

Ginger, My Dog.
Originally uploaded by jonnyups.

Thanksgiving. The time of year where families gather. They eat yams, mashed potatoes, biscuits, stuffing, turkey...the works. Football is on tv, and ovens are furiously warming the treats that we millions across america will soon enjoy. My thanksgiving day didn't consist of a meal like this, but that's ok this year. I spent some quality time in the backyard of my parent's home with my dog, Ginger. She's a loving animal that helps me forget the pain that I feel inside my heart.

Guys, Girls, people reading this. Do me a huge favor and hug your family. Tell somebody you love them. It means more in the long run than you'd ever imagine. Thank you for reading here, I hope to be better at this soon.

Emma's First Thanksgiving

2007-11-22T13:14:00.001-08:00

Emma's First Thanksgiving
Originally uploaded by jonnyups.

We all have little reasons to be thankful this year. This is mine.
What's yours?
--
-jon
sent from my phone, homie.

Witch Creek Fire (2007)

2007-10-24T23:08:00.001-07:00

Ramona Fire (2007)
Originally uploaded by jonnyups.

(photo heavy blog, click any of the photos to see a bigger view)

It was Sunday night, almost 4 years to the day since San Diego's last huge fire. I knew exactly where to find a good view, as I had been there before. I used my car as a tripod, and snapped a quick shot of what I saw. The Witch Creek Fire, still far away, posed no threat to me.

The next morning, I woke up to banging on my door and people rushing around. The fire was moving in close to me...within a mile. And all the news stations were running my photo:

The wind was picking up, and the smoke was moving in. What little bit of sun made it through the smoke made for some interesting sunrise colors.

We quickly evacuated, and headed our own ways. I knew of some high spots in Escondido that overlooked places where the fire would be. I came to a favorite spot of mine, with some dead trees, overlooking the freeway. They freeway was shut down and the lack of sound was eerie. You could hear the wind gusting, and whipping up sand and ash.

Unsatisfied with the lack of heat, I drove down the hill to where I could see the front line of the fire. At this point, the fire had started branching off and attacking neighboring Rancho Bernardo. It split and went south and north at the same time.

Flames moved quickly, and crossed the freeway towards my house. Some homes weren't as lucky as the firemen could only do so much against the strong winds.

The winds picked up, but it seemed like the fire had gone beyond my house by crawling along Lake Hodges and down towards the ocean.

We came back home that night, and even contemplated sleeping in our own beds, but rational logic got the best of us and told us that we should probably give it another day to cool off. We could look from our porch and see the flames moving away at a very safe distance. All fear was gone.

The next morning, we get word that the winds kicked up again, and this time, in our direction. There was no stopping the fire. The winds were too strong for helicopters and planes to fly in, so we were out of luck. This was taken from the street across from my neighborhood. Just to the left of the frame is where I live.

And then the Heavens opened up for us. The helicopters showed up. 4 of them.

When all was said and done, the fire had stopped at our neighborhood. The firefighters had made their stand on our street and made sure the flames didn't go any farther. Sadly for many homes just west of us, the fire was too much. These are fire truck tracks that back up directly to my bedroom window:

Our new view looks like this:

Thank you to everybody who prayed, and is praying for the situation here. I can't explain it to you, but it's very intense. Click the photo below for a slideshow of all of the photos I took during this time.

Sunrise

2007-10-22T06:45:00.001-07:00

Sunrise
Originally uploaded by jonnyups.

The fires are closing in. This is the sun coming up.
--
-jon
sent from my phone, homie.

Emma Lynn

2007-10-03T20:19:00.001-07:00

Emma Lynn
Originally uploaded by jonnyups.

Here she is! I'm an uncle!
--
-jon
sent from my phone, homie.

2007-09-22T15:15:00.001-07:00

Rainy Day Schedule
Originally uploaded by jonnyups.

The 20 year storm that was set to hit San Diego ended up being nothing more than a drizzle. Still, nice to see water fall from the sky instead of 100 degree weather. This weather is very welcomed and sparks great memories of past years.

As I sit here in the parking lot of my favorite Starbucks, sipping my warm hot chocolate and listening to the new mixes from the yet-to-be-finished "We Shot The Moon" album, I can't help but think of C.S. Lewis and his Narnian chronicles. You see, years ago a friend dared me to read a book. You're probably thinking, "Why would you need to be dared to read a book?" but for me, reading isn't something that catches my interest. So I picked up a book, and my unemployed rear, and spent countless days exploring Narnia. Those were the days without heartache, without bills, without lonliness, and without cancer.

And now as the rain gets harder on the windshield, I sigh with contentment knowing that even though I neglect Him, God has me. He undoubtedly has me.

Christina 2

2007-09-04T23:08:00.001-07:00

Christina 2
Originally uploaded by jonnyups.

Summer is coming to a close. It went by fast, and is ending with record temperatures. I ended the summer with a fun photoshoot with my good friend Christina. She's such a fun person to shoot because she just has her fun, and I get to be the spectator who happens to have a camera.

This particular shot is simple. Just her feet hanging off the edge of a tiny dock, in a tiny lake, a pond even. Small enough to throw a rock across.

This shot is what summer should be. Carefree relaxation. The feet want to plung into the water, but just seem to hold on to the edge of safefy for some reason. Maybe the water is cold? Maybe it's murky. Whatever the reason, they sat there long enough for me to capture, and I'm pleased with the outcome.

Hopefully I will take some more shots this weekend, we will see!

2007-08-26T14:34:00.000-07:00

It's Finally Here!

Click the photo to see the new line of clothes from Amour! The store is finally UP AND RUNNING so head on over and please buy 1 or all 4 shirts!

Love Always,
-jonnyups
(and Amour Clothing)

AmourClothing.com

2007-08-22T20:15:00.001-07:00

AmourClothing.com
Originally uploaded by jonnyups.

It's here! We're currently at Soma in San Diego making our debut! As
soon as we get some models to wear our shirts, we'll have them online
for purchase!
--
-jon
sent from my phone, homie.

Pimp Mobile

2007-08-15T20:23:00.001-07:00

Pimp Mobile
Originally uploaded by jonnyups.

It's finally mine! This 2008 Scion xB is mine!
--
-jon
www.jonnyups.com

2007-07-27T00:18:00.001-07:00

Simpsons The Movie
Originally uploaded by jonnyups.

Its amazing! In the theater right now!

--

-jon

www.jonnyups.com

...Now that the movie is over, and I am home, I can try to do a mini-review. Overall, the movie is hilarious. If you choose to go, go with another person who is a fan of The Simpsons. The jokes are great, the first 15 minutes of the movie killed me so be sure to get there on time! All in all, this movie is all it's cracked up to be. It's funny, every simpsons character ever is in the movie (i noticed one person missing, i'm sure there were more), and it's just a good time. So go see it, and come back and tell me what you thought of it!

Testing New Phone

2007-07-25T18:53:00.001-07:00

Testing New Phone
Originally uploaded by jonnyups.

Been a loooong day. I'll explain later. In the meantime, In N Out has

new boxes for "animal fries" and I think that's cool. If you've never

had these fries, order them!

--

-jon (from my sidekick 3)

www.jonnyups.com

Mike, Jen & Emma 2

2007-07-12T01:05:00.001-07:00

Mike, Jen & Emma 2
Originally uploaded by jonnyups.

3 months from now...

I'm so excited to become an uncle! This will be the first Upson girl to be born since my aunt (over 60 years ago). This photo is of my brother (Mike) and his fiance (Jen) showing each other their bellies. I think Mike may have a larger belly, but Jen is catching up. They're both so happy, and the 2 grandmothers-to-be are excited as well! I hope this brings both families closer, because Jen's family is so much fun!

Seems like the season of babies, so I had to post something about these 2.

On another note, come see me in Malibu with Jonathan Jones, of Waking Ashland, at the Malibu in tonight (thursday) playing some of his new solo material. Check him out here:

www.myspace.com/JonathanJonesMusic

or

www.myspace.com/TheHonorRoll

The 2nd one is his new band that will be a full rock outfit. GREAT songs to come out of that. See you soon!

`jonnyups

Racine 3

2007-07-09T22:36:00.001-07:00

Racine 3
Originally uploaded by jonnyups.

I made a new friend about a week ago. His name is Racine. I got to feed him, brush him, help wash him. His owner is also my new friend. I didn't feed or brush her though, I think she's very capable of taking care of those things herself. But Racine and his owner had some jumping lessons, so I went to take pictures. He never jumps, but he did a great job. This shot is after his lesson. He gets to run free and roll around in the dirt and romp and kick and have a good time. He was showing off a little and would run towards me, kick up dust, and take off again.

I love vacation, it's giving me time to do the things I need to do. Too much personal stuff to get into right now, but spending some time with Racine was some much needed therapy. If you ever have the chance to connect with a horse, do it. They are a good time.

`jonnyups

AmourClothing.com

2007-07-02T20:43:00.001-07:00

AmourClothing.com
Originally uploaded by jonnyups.

So here it is. The news. Some of you already know about this, so forgive me for repeating myself. I will include some other photos in this post to make it worth your while. But this main picture says it all. Amour. It's a clothing company my buddy Travis is starting, and has asked me to start with him. He does some good design work, and I know (and love, of course) a billion people. Together, we'll make this happen.

www.AmourClothing.com

There it is. Nothing is for sale. We are working on ordering the shirts, making the screens, printing the shirts, and getting them up online for you to love and purchase. The illustration attached is a SMALL sample of the kind of design to expect. These designs will be simple, lovely, hand-drawn, and fun. We're not afraid to have fun. And we're not afraid to wear fun. If this doesn't happen in the month of July, forgive me. It'll come soon!

This shot has gotten so much attention on Flickr.com!! Hundreds of views in just 10 days. I sat patiently in my parent's backyard and finally caught the hummingbird getting some food.

This lonely flower was just waiting to be photographed. I saw it abstractly, and took it. it was almost amongst other greenery, but it's location forced me to frame it this way, thus making it absolutely stunning to my own eye. I personally LOVE this shot.

Last but not least, my new phone. I am retiring cingular, and picking up t-mobile. Cingular, thanks for the last 8 years. T-mobile, you'd better be good to me.

Thanks for visiting the .com,
`jonnyups

No Bee

2007-06-16T01:18:00.001-07:00

No Bee
Originally uploaded by jonnyups.

So the Summer Solstice is less than a week away. And also less than a week away is my 4 week (paid) vacation. I plan on hitting up our pool a lot, and taking some pictures, and spending time with my family.

Today is the day of a very special wedding. My neighbor, who I have known since she was in diapers, is getting married. She is a one of a kind human being, and I am so happy for her to start her new life as a married woman. She is a few years younger than me, which causes me to reflect on my life and why I haven't found my wife yet. I know it's a silly thought though, and I won't elaborate on it.

Summer is the season of long days. I love long days. I'm a night person, but will milk the sunlight for all it is worth, then be active until late at night. There is so much to do and see in life that I don't want to miss any of it. Please take advantage of your time here as much as possible.

It's late and I'm not making sense anymore. I will have some exciting news to post here sometime this coming week. It's a new venture in my life that could be very exciting. Please come back, ok?

`jonnyups

JonnyUps, Sumo Wrestler, Jonathan Jones, Jesse Pruett

2007-06-13T23:12:00.001-07:00

JonnyUps, Sumo Wrestler, Jonathan Jones, Jesse Pruett
Originally uploaded by jonnyups.

Well, I've been back from Japan for a couple weeks now and haven't updated you all on my trip. In one word ... Amazing.

Japan is the greatest country I have been in so far. France has the beauty and the romance, Switzerland has the spotless atmosphere, Germany has good beer and beautiful ladies, Japan has most of the above. It is such a comfortable place to be. Every person I met was friendly and kind and willing to help if I needed it...or helped even before I needed it. The food was fantastic. The experiences were great. I loved it, and would go back in a heart beat.

Let's see, a few bullet points from our trip:

-Met a sumo wrestler (see photo attached)
-My Chemical Romance mentioned that they saw the big line outside the venue before our show (no we didn't play with them, they were just in town)
-Fabtone (our label) is run by the greatest people on earth.
-Played a show with more production than a House Of Blues show
-Karaoke (I'll never tell...)
-Bands we played with ruled
-Being a rockstar on the other side of the world
-Hitting my head on every doorway

Those are just a few highlights. I won't share them all, they're only exciting to me and those of us on the trip. But it was sweet. Just know that this trip will never leave my mind.

Hasta La Vista,
`jonnyups

ps. new clothing line coming soon...just wait!

Shibyua Reflection

2007-05-26T01:26:00.001-07:00

Shibyua Reflection
Originally uploaded by jonnyups.

Mushi Mushi.

So here I sit. 5:16pm in Shibuya (Tokyo), Japan. 1:16am in San Diego. I am far from home.

After a million hours of travelling, we landed in Tokyo, took a train for an hour to Shibuya. Shibuya is part of Tokyo. It's where Lost In Translation was filmed. We hit up our hotel, showered, and went out for dinner. Had some great Japanese beer, and feasted on fish salad, beer, pizza, fries, sushi, beer, ramen, more beer. It was great. I ate a LOT of raw fish. Yellow Tail, Salmon, Tuna, Scallops, Shrimp. All raw. It was nuts. Thanks to the beer, I had no problem. :)

We slept like rocks.

Today we walked around a ton, ate more great food, saw our album in HMV (we were on a listening station with Waking Ashland, Brighten, Copeland, Bayside...pretty sweet) and Tower Records. Quite exciting if you ask me.

Tonight, in about an hour, we go back to the venue we're playing at, and watch the openers. At the end of the night, we take the stage for our cd release show, and see how japan likes us. Maybe they'll hate us. :) Jonathan from Waking Ashland will join us on stage for 2 songs, then we'll finish our set. Our itinerary clearly states that after the show, we "party" so I guess we do what our label tell us. :)

The photo attached is just a reflection of a building on another building. This city is so photogenic.

Love from Tokyo,
`jonnyups

Can Anybody Hear Me?

2007-05-21T01:30:00.001-07:00

Can Anybody Hear Me?
Originally uploaded by jonnyups.

Photographically, this photo isn't anything special. Your mom with a little point and shoot could have made this happen. That's not the point of this picture. The point of this picture is to post it so I have an excuse to blog.

You see, I ditched my LiveJournal a little while back because I turned myself into the internationally known ".com" that I am now. ;) All joking aside, I am giving you all a follow up to some previous posts.

My dad is still battling cancer. He finished up his intense radiation on Monday, the 14th (aka, my birthday). His next appointment is on May 30th, and I think they'll be discussing chemo options, and if any progress was made with the radiation. This could be a huge turning point in the fight to survive. My dad has the option to accept that the cancer is stealing his life away, and he also has the option to fight it with chemo. I have come to the point of not being angry. He has earned the right to make that decision, either way. I can't be selfish and expect him to fight if the outlook is not in his favor. I love my dad, and he has inspired me, and taught me so many things. So whatever his decision be, I respect him and his love for the family he has taken care of for so many years.

In other areas of my life, things are great. I have had the best week in a long time because I have come to realize that my sad little excuse for depression isn't a part of my life, it's just an intruder. My band is leaving for Tokyo on thursday morning, and we'll spend 5 days there, play 3 shows including an in-store performance at Tower Records, and we'll fly home. I'm excited. I have heard nothing but good comments on the country of Japan, and the people who live there. I am excited to meet them and spend some time with them.

In my joy for life this week, I have been caught off guard with some happy transitions and thoughts. I wish I could say more, but I am still figuring things out. Life is good, and God has made it evident in my life that He is the creator of all, and he can change hearts and change minds. And with that, He has transformed thoughts that were in my head into bits of joy that have caught me off guard. So...joy...keep coming. I enjoy you. And I enjoy the people you bring with you.

I must show my thanks to all of you who read this. Cairo, Egypt ... thank you for reading. China, Japan, the UK, Canada...thanks for reading. I appreciate every brain that takes in the story of my life.

`jonnyups

_MG_7988.jpg

2007-05-19T00:29:00.001-07:00

_MG_7988.jpg
Originally uploaded by jonnyups.

This post is for my own records.

Today P.O.D. posted a bulletin on myspace about my band. Shortly thereafter, we had pages of friend requests, and 800 plays. The picture posted with this post is from Noah's (owner of rescue records/father of P.O.D. drummer (Wuv), and uncle of frontman Sonny) home.

----------------- Bulletin Message -----------------
From: P.O.D.
Date: May 18, 2007 6:13 PM

Check out one of our new top friends.. This is the most recent Release from our Old Home.. Rescue Records.

P.O.D.

--------------------------------------------------------------

PARKER THEORY BIO:

A theory can be described as "a set of principles on which the practice of an activity is based,” but, in the case of Parker Theory, it is more like a collection of songs that reflect an on-going journey through life … always moving forward, never satisfied to stay in one place, determined to experience life to the fullest. Almost like musical Polaroid snapshots through the window of a moving vehicle.

“It’s as if I had all these pictures, experiences and emotions in my mind and wanted to bring them to life through music,” says Jesse Pruett, lead singer and guitarist. “I had been writing songs at home and knew it was time for a new beginning musically. I decided to start the band because I wanted it to be something I could believe in and be passionate about.”

Pruett asked his good friend Jeff Forrest, who owns Doubletime Studio, to jump in on drums, and brought in two other friends for guitar and bass.

Interest in the independent pop-rock band began shortly after Pruett formed it in the summer of 2000. Their first recording, a self-titled EP, impressed Steven Harwell, the lead singer of Smash Mouth and opened the door for the band to begin playing some of the “cool venues” in California with the novelty rock band, including Ventura Theatre, Coors Amphitheatre, and Biola University. This immediately exposed the band’s infectious melodies to a wide audience.

After a few years of growing recognition in San Diego, playing many shows and enthusiastic local radio station airplay, Parker Theory returned to the studio and recorded their debut album Can Anybody Hear Me in late 2003. “We had a lot of songs written at the time, so we decided to go into the studio and record a full length album” says Pruett, who describes Can Anybody Hear Me as “full of life experiences and relationships.” After finishing the album, Pruett asked Jeff to move to keyboards and step in to sing more harmonies. “You don’t see keyboards too often at shows in our genre,” he says.

The album quickly gained attention from radio, labels and fans, and was nominated in the Orange County music awards, and the San Diego music awards alongside some of the biggest names in the San Diego music scene—Switchfoot, Unwritten Law, Jason Mraz, and Slightly Stoopid. The first track “She Said” topped mp3.com’s pop rock chart and led to Fabtone Records releasing a twenty-song, two-disc recording in Japan, which included Can Anybody Hear Me and songs from the band’s following EP, One Purpose, One Destination, which they wrote and recorded in 2005. “She Said” was also the top pick in a University of Columbia research project featured in the National geographic news where 14,000 participants chose their favorite song without knowing who the bands were.

The following year Pruett decided to write a new album at home on acoustic guitar. “I wanted to try and just write what was coming out naturally and what I was feeling or thinking about at the time and focus on the basics,” he says. After months of writing, he got back together with Forrest and his bass player Jon Upson, and asked his friends—drummer Jarrod Alexander, and guitarists Nick Maybury of Future of Forestry and Rob Fikse—to play on the album. The album was produced by Pruett and recorded at Doubletime Studio with Forrest (Blink 182, As I Lay Dying, Incubus).

Leaving California is a package of cleverly penned alt-pop-rock songs. With strong melodies ala Crowded House, it sonically covers ground somewhere between Jimmy eat World and Snow Patrol. The strong singles on the album, “In the End,” “Shoe Song,” “I Believe,” and “Build You a House,” would not be amiss on movie soundtracks, advertisements, and television shows such as WB’s Smallville, Grey’s Anatomy, and One Tree Hill. “I think musically we have a lot of different feels on this new record,” says Pruett. “I like so many different styles of music that I think that comes out in the record.”

The stories, experiences, and passions on Parker Theory’s eclectic sophomore release share the universal laughter, sadness, joy and hope of the adventure of life. Pruett says he hopes “people find strength, healing, vision for their life, and happiness” in listening to the album. “I feel like there is so much out there to experience. That is why I decided to name it “Leaving California.” We are on a journey and I don’t want to stay in one place. This goes for all aspects of my life. I want to always be moving forward and enjoying life to the fullest.”

Following the success of the band’s first album in Japan, Fabtone Records also released Leaving California in Japan in early April, and the band toured there for the first time in May.

Parker Theory released Leaving California in the U.S. on May 15 through Rescue Records (Mri/Sony Red Distribution), which is owned by Noah Bernardo—the father of Noah “Wuv” Bernardo Jnr. of San Diego-based band P.O.D, and the uncle of Sonny Sandoval, the band’s front man.

May 2007
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Add THEM: www.myspace.com/parkertheory

2007-05-16T00:52:00.001-07:00

Fireworks 4
Originally uploaded by jonnyups.

So this past weekend, I had a good conversation with one of my friends. He basically talked to me about things he's been struggling with, and what he's learned from it. One of the things he said was this,

"Don't let depression define who you are. You'll find yourself comfortable with it, and you'll then convince yourself that you are a person who is depressed. Even if that's not the case at all."

For some reason, this just hit me. This weekend turned me into a new person. For now at least. I have been in the best mood, and that's cause for celebration.

Also cause for celebration, my band (Parker Theory) released our album today in America. At least in California it's in Best Buy. You can find it on all the .com stores I think. Target, Circuit City, Best Buy, Amazon...all the usuals. Please buy it if you love me. Here's a taste of it, just click:

Thanks for reading. If you came directly to the blog, then check out my real website:

www.JonnyUps.com

There, you'll find a directory to my photos, blog (here), myspace, and contact info. It's new, so if you haven't seen it, go check it. Also, if you link to me, change the link to go directly to the website, not the blog. Then peeps can see all that is me. :) Love you all, thanks for the birthday wishes (it was monday, May 14th). Happy Wednesday!

`jonnyups

2007-05-08T00:13:00.001-07:00

I Saw A Caterpiller
Originally uploaded by jonnyups.

I have a sinking feeling you wrote about me today. You don't even read this blog.

I'm fine. In a sincere way, I'm fine. I'm not ok, at all. My heart is feeling more pain these days than ever before. But I'm fine, and I honestly appreciate you thinking enough to write. Even if it wasn't aimed in my direction. ps. I'm not afraid of you saying hi.

In other news...

The picture associated with this post is one I took this last Saturday on a photo excursion with some friends. When I first started taking pictures of this faucet, I only saw a faucet. There was dripping water, some rust, the usual. So this picture is to remind us of something. It's to remind us that there are things in life that are obvious. The funny thing is, the obvious in this case, was the little creature that I didn't see. How did I not see the obvious? Has life grown to such a speed that I can't look down and see what's in front of me?

Here we are before You, we're falling on our knees
Crying out for a savior, we're crying out for You to see.

Here we are, we're crippled and we're failing
Here we are, we're falling, can You see...

That You're the only one who came for me
So rescue me, I'm desperate for You, my broken heart is calling for You
'Cause You're the only one who can save me
So save me I'm in desperation, save me I've been waiting for You, Lord.

(listen to "Rescue Me" by Joel Hosler)

`jonnyups

2007-04-29T23:43:00.001-07:00

Dandy
Originally uploaded by jonnyups.

So a lot of my entries have been sad. Things in my life have been tough. Real tough. I'll be the first to admit that I don't know what I'm doing. I have so many things going on that I am lost in my own mind and have definitely had trouble finding my way out. I think I'm just about there. At least for a couple days.

My dad has begun radiation on his pelvic bone and lungs. Both have been attacked by cancer. Pray for a miracle. Those are hard to come by, but that makes them more spectacular.

Last night I stayed up late talking to my roomie, Brandon. About 3:30 am I went to bed. Came online to check my e-mail, and fell asleep. At my computer. 4:45 am rolls around and I wake up, close my computer and stand up to go to bed. I get up, and immediately fall flat on my face, no hands to stop me. My legs were asleep and I didn't realize it. So there I lay on the floor, at almost 5:00 am, unable to move. I finally get myself up, rub my face for a few minutes in pain, and hop into bed. I need more sleep.

Britney Spears is doing a secret show at the House Of Blues in San Diego on May 1st. My buddy Rob and I bought tickets. Then we scheduled band practice that night. So I just listed, and sold our $35 tickets on craigslist for $300. We each just made $100 profit on those bad boys.

The picture in this post is a strong symbol of how my life will be very soon. This flower used to be yellow, or white, sitting there by itself amongst some grass. One day it started to change. That's me. I'm ready for a change. I think I need a wife. :) Specifically a hot one. And one with a good job, because in southern California, I can't support 2 people on my income alone. And if you can sing, that's even better. So, Kelly Clarkson, you win. :) Lucky girl you.

This entry has been more personal than normal. I will try and have something or someone to promote for the next entry. In the meantime, thanks for stopping by. I've been getting hits on this site from all over the world (Spain, England, China, Japan, etc) and would like to see that trend continue. Say hi once in a while.

`jonnyups

ps. Be sure to use BLINGO.com instead of Google.com (it's powered by Google) because you can win stuff. My friend CorRi searched using Blingo, and won a movie ticket...and that got me one too. Free stuff rules my world. So use it, and rule. Click this cute little picture to use it.

Depth Of Field 2

2007-04-18T22:32:00.001-07:00

Depth Of Field 2
Originally uploaded by jonnyups.

I bought a new lens. An expensive lens. A Canon 70-200 f/2.8 L IS USM. That means nothing to anybody, so I'll just post this picture showing the deptch of field, and the bokeh, which also means nothing to anybody. Enjoy. It's a beautiful lens.

Make Lemonade

2007-04-17T18:45:00.001-07:00

Make Lemonade
Originally uploaded by jonnyups.

So today we got the results of my dad's lung biopsy. We have been waiting a few weeks to have some sort of idea what's going on. They tell us it's cancer, they tell us they aren't sure, they tell us he needs more tests.

Today they told us.

They told us that it's "a bad cancer" and "too extensive for surgery" and that it has reached his connecting lymphnodes. Also that it may have affected his liver. I'm not sure, this was all a blur when my mom read it to me. They see a specialist this next week. I believe they've said he needs chemotherapy, and radiation. I don't know what he'll do. It's his choice, and I respect whatever choice he makes. If he decides that chemo will ruin his quality of life, then I will respect that. I want him to live a happy life, for however long he is here.

Thanks for your prayers, keep them coming. His name is Ron.

`jonnyups

2007-04-14T16:51:00.001-07:00

Grace 1
Originally uploaded by jonnyups.

So all this week I have been dog sitting. Ironically, I am dog sitting (house sitting also) at the same place where I work. It's a home office. Needless to say, I've been going nuts this week. I wake up, walk down the hall to work, then I work, then I walk back into the house where I eventually fall asleep just to do the same the next morning. The bummer being that the dog I am watching is so spoiled that it needs a lot of attention. I'll live I suppose.

Also, for an update on my pops. He had a full body scan this past week to see if he has any bone cancer. The doctor said they may have found a small amount, but that they will be able to take care of it if that's what it is. He also had a lung biopsy on friday morning. We should find out the details on tuesday or wednesday. This is the news we've been waiting for. I don't know what to expect, and I know I'll be ok with whatever I find out, but the anticipation is terrible.

I'm not going to lie, life has been difficult lately.

2007-04-11T13:05:00.000-07:00

This is a search engine, Powered by GOOGLE, that gives away stuff when you use it. Stuff like amazon.com gift cards, itunes cards, cars, and cash. This is me talking, not some spam ad. :) I just want to win stuff.

AND...if I invite you, and you win, I win too! So now you see my motive. If you win a car, they give me one too. I'm not gonna lie, that's pretty sweet. So yeah, go. Do this. Win me stuff.

`jonnyups

2007-04-03T00:00:00.001-07:00

_MG_7891.jpg
Originally uploaded by jonnyups.

Today is the day that my band's new album, "Leaving California" is released in Japan under the Fabtone Records label. The picture in this entry is the photo I took that ended up being the cover of the new album. Japan Release only, of course.

If you want to see the album cover, or even buy the album, look here:

Parker Theory - Leaving California

If anybody from Japan is reading this, thanks for stopping by.

We get to go to Tokyo on May 24th to support this album. Hopefully it will sell well!

This ends my official post on my band.

`jonnyups

2007-04-01T07:07:00.001-07:00

Shoot.
Originally uploaded by EOS.650.

But, this is a picture of the lens I just purchased.

Holy Cow.

I am now poor. Resume feeding me donations for the next 3 months.

`jonnyups

2007-03-27T17:00:00.001-07:00

My Coast
Originally uploaded by jonnyups.

So this "Life Changing" news I posted about earlier...

A week ago Sunday, my dad had finally had enough of his neck pain, so he went to the Urgent Care place we always go to if we need it. They took an x-ray and found that his arthritis had returned...but they also found a questionable mass in his lungs. So they went to get a cat-scan to see if it was cancer or pneumonia. It ended up being a lump, presumably cancerous. I thought we would find out today what it was, but not quite yet. This week they will do some bronchialslidfaslkdjflas something or other test to see if they can determine what it is, then they'll biopsy it.

This whole situation makes you love someone in a different way. I have always been close with my parents, but it's different now. I don't know. I just want this all to be over with so I can know a little more what to expect.

Prayers are definitely welcome!

`jonnyups

2007-03-21T16:43:00.001-07:00

Sunny Days
Originally uploaded by jonnyups.

Life-changing news, coming Tuesday, March 27th, 2007.

set your alarms. stay tuned. come back here that night.

thank you,
`jonnyups

2007-03-18T01:11:00.001-07:00

Connection
Originally uploaded by jonnyups.

"you can fly, I will never die. you can do anything you want to if you try.

I am a robot, and you're an alien. I've been lying to you.

But you believed it. Yeah you believed it.

I've been listening A LOT to the new Brighten album. As of now, it's only available at shows (they just finished up with "Cute Is What We Aim For" and will most likely be hitting the road in May with "Hawthorne Heights") and I guarantee you, it's worth the price of admission.

That quote above, at the beginning of the post, speaks loudly the pleasure of deception. The acceptance of it. The normalcy that deception is to most people. People lie to us, people deceive us. And we believe it. We glady believe it because you tell us what we want to hear. All we want is to believe, to believe is something greater. For me, greater is God. It's music. It's photography. It's friendships and it's love. I don't know what love is. I am clueless when it comes to photography. Music is so subjective. and friendships are fake. I know who God is, but do I let Him know me?

I have a negative outlook on life because I have never been given reason to see things positively. Actually, I have. But I am an artist and small speedbumps get me down. On the whole, things are great. I just allow my mind to beat myself up quicly, over little things. Anybody relate to that?

if you could make the oceans, and live above the skies.

wake the sun for morning, and light the moon at night...

then why oh, why can't I?

then why oh, why can't I?

2007-03-15T22:48:00.001-07:00

Tracy Johnson 1
Originally uploaded by jonnyups.

I love this picture. It's not a fantastic picture by any means, but it has special meaning to me. Special because it's one of the few photos I have of my acoustic guitar. Sadly, I'm not in the shot with it, but that's ok. I like the vintage couch. The blue on brown, the beige, the soft lighting.

This photo was taken quite a while ago. My friend Tracy Johnson (www.myspace.com/tracyjohnson) asked me to take promotional shots for her. So naturally I said yes. When she saw them, she wasn't a huge fan, and hasn't used any of them. I still love her. I didn't post them at her request, but I haven't seen her in a while so here they are. I own the rights anyways.

Last night, one of her songs (co-written by the singer in my band) was played on Mtv's "The Real World: Denver" and so I am posting this photo because I am proud of her!

I am getting a new external hard drive in a couple days, so I can start posting photos again. Photos with stories. Don't forget about me, bookmark this place and come back often. Thanks Friends!

`jonnyups

2007-03-11T03:21:00.001-07:00

Lone Palm
Originally uploaded by jonnyups.

Why do I always strive to be like this photo? It's not me.

2007-03-10T16:46:00.001-08:00

Canon + Apple = Love
Originally uploaded by jonnyups.

In this life, I have few loves. My Canon camera, and my Apple (MacBook Pro) laptop. Some other loves are my Taylor 414ce acoustic guitar, my Ernie Ball MusicMan Stingray bass guitar and my friends.

I know 4 out of the 5 of those are objects you can buy. I consider my family as part of the friends group. I love my family.

I'm not a very material person. I mean, I am because I enjoy buying things that are awesome (such as cameras, computers, instruments), but I enjoy moments in life, experiences, and people far more than anything you could buy at a store.

With my instruments, I've had the chance to have some amazing experiences. I've traveled to Germany/Switzerland/France because of music. I've played in front of thousands of people in one night. And soon I will be going to Japan to play music. I've gotten to record with amazing artists, I've gotten to learn more about myself by teaching myself an instrument. I've had some great times, and I've allowed myself to look deeper while holding an instrument.

With my camera I've been able to meet and photograph some amazing bands. I've been able to stretch myself by doing portraits, weddings, parties, and other things I would have never imagined attending or trying. I've learned the value of a dollar, and when I want to buy something for my camera, I know it's important to save about two thousand of those valuable dollars. And because of photography, I have now become a "Professional Photographer" for my job. It's full time, and I get to work with kids and love people in a way I could have never imagined.

With my computer, I have become a ".com" and have people from all over the world reading useless ramblings of a dumb guy in San Diego, California.

Because of money, I have been able to buy happiness. DO NOT, for a moment, think that money can buy happiness. Money can be the root of all evil. You just have to use what you have, in a positive way. Years ago, I decided that I was going to live my life in a way that made me happy. I think that if you have a job that you're not happy with, you need to do something to change it. I have had jobs I enjoy, but I am constantly changing in the area of what I enjoy. I have come to a place where I love what I do. My free time is filled with photography, or music, or traveling, or friendships. Not to pull a Dr. Phil on you, but when you click out of this page and go elsewhere on the net, don't forget this. Don't forget that YOU are responsible for yourself. You have the power to make yourself happy. Just look at life a little differently.

"In this life you're the flower and the thorn... -jon foreman

`jonnyups

2007-03-07T23:17:00.001-08:00

Joe Greenetz 3
Originally uploaded by jonnyups.

Back in December, I had the chance to record some bass tracks for a pal's solo project. The drummer on the project is Joe from the band Sherwood.

Anyways, my point being this:

Sherwood is releasing a new album on March 13th, it is called "A Different Light" and it is worth the money. If you head over to myspace.com/sherwood and look around, you can get the album for under $10, or the album AND a shirt for $16. Please do youself a favor and get this album, it is very solid from start to finish.

The least you can do is go to their myspace and listen to a few songs. Then come back here and tell me what you think.

`jonnyups

2007-03-06T22:38:00.001-08:00

Stipes Of Fremont
Originally uploaded by jonnyups.

This was a door near an antique shop in Fremont (Seattle). I like to travel, and see the world. Seattle is one of my favorite places. I would like to live there, but I would also like to stay here in San Diego.

Not everything is black and white.

Speaking of travel. I just found out this week that my bands record label in Japan is bring us out to Tokyo in May. We're going to be opening for our friends in Waking Ashland for at least 3 shows. I love Waking Ashland, and they are from right here where I live, so it will be great to travel across the world with them. I am excited to see Japan, and know what the culture is like. My friend Jordan (from As I Lay Dying) has told me that Japan has the best fans in the world, and I look forward to finding out for myself. You can expect pictures, for sure!!!

I love music, I love photography, I love sleeping, I love God, and I love my life. I am thankful for ALL of the awesome things I get to do.

`jonnyups

2007-03-01T22:36:00.001-08:00

Public Information
Originally uploaded by jonnyups.

So as I was walking through Fremont (Seattle, Washington), I saw this...a telephone pole that had seen it's fair share of staples. There are probably 40 or 50 billion staples on this post. It's ridiculous. But think about it, what announcements have been made on this post?

"Concert this Friday!"

That's an easy one. Maybe political statements, or maybe religious statements.

"Jesus Loves You"

Whatever has gone on this post, placed there by a person, and held tightly by staples, I hope it was read. I hope someone saw the message, and acknowledged it. Either by reading, or ripping the paper off, or sticking gum to it. I hope this post has been well loved. Actually, as I was walking down this street, I saw a woman walking with a stack of papers and a stapler. She stopped at the post before this, and left her message. And to be honest, I am everything I don't want to be. I didn't read her message. I just thought about what I would staple to a post.

What would you staple to a post? If you were on a busy street with a stack of papers and a stapler, what would your papers say?

`jonnyups