My Summer Road Trip, 2008

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

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...

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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...

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

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

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)

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

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

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

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

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