Day 5 – Fencing & Phelps

My main assignment the first week of the Olympics is taking the lead to cover the aquatics sports for Sports Illustrated, and ou side of that I’ve been trying to get in as many venues and sports as I can during my Olympics. So I checked out fencing which I only shoot every four years but always makes a photo. Then I was able to photograph another golden night for Michael Phelps in the 200m Butterfly, his first Olympic event he ever qualified for as a 15 year old. 

It was such an epic race between him and Chad Le Clos in London, and this one was a close contest but Phelps came out on top. Ledecky also brought home another gold, she’ll probably end up with four by end of the games and is in a league of her own.

Here are some of my favorites…enjoy!

Day 3 – Birthday Wish

Every four years I get the opportunity to spend my birthday with colleagues at the biggest sporting event worldwide, while we are all working ourselves to the bone burning the candle on both ends. But other than being at the Olympics the only other place I would rather be is at home with my beautiful wife and two sons, who I love and miss dearly. My only wish today on my 42nd trip around the sun was that they were having a good day. When I facetimed my sons and saw their smiles while they were in the skatepark in San Diego, and briefly spoke to my wife while she was in Ohio with her family celebrating her grandmother’s long life it brought tears to my eyes. I didn’t have the best day shooting multiple venues with not everything working as it should, but when your birthday wish comes true it doesn’t really matter…

Here are some pics I shot today, hope you enjoy them and have a good day 🙏👍

Still Alive… and Kicking!

It’s coming up on two years since I last posted and I am happy to say I am still alive and kicking! Although I have taken some time off from the blog, I have been hard at work in the studio and in the field, and taking on assignments all around the country in addition to teaching photography classes in the community this past year. In the time since my last post in 2013, I am happy to announce I was awarded the Clio Award for the Washington Nationals Advertising campaign and have won a few Picture of the Year International awards!

It has always been a dream of mine to own a photography studio; and finally in 2013, I built a photo studio called Leucadia Photoworks. LPW is not only a studio but also a creative space for photographers in the San Diego area acting as a platform for our collective vision, the development of local talent, and the promotion of the photographic arts. Located just a few short blocks away from the beach in the artist and surf community of Leucadia, our fully-equipped 1,000 sq.ft. studio space, complete with a cyclorama at our disposal is also available for rental (www.leucadiaphotoworks.com).

 

 

 

Leucadia Photoworks was born out of the void I saw not only for affordable studio space for photographers in North County San Diego but also a platform where local photographers could share their vision and foster new young talent. We run workshops, have monthly photography shows and other fun events here! LPW is a photo collective comprised of nine talented photographers I hand picked in the North San Diego Area: founder Donald Miralle, Kristy Walker, Greg Merino, Todd Glaser, Teresa Fae, Tim Eubanks, Matt Wright, Anna Pietrowski, and Mike Lewis. Please follow our events calendar to keep up to date with our photography workshops, member art shows, book sales and other events at our studio and follow us on our instagram handles (@leucadia_photoworks and @donaldmiralle)

 

Lime Rock Motorsports Photography Workshop 2012!!!

Copyright Jackie Buys, 2010 student.

Capturing the speed and beauty of auto racing is one of the most challenging and rewarding experiences of sports photography. The Lime Rock Park Motorsports Photography Workshop offers you the opportunity to learn and improve your skills at the most scenic race track in North America. Legendary George Tiedemann and I are the instructors this year and  Lime Rock is offering both one-day and two-day workshops during Historic Festival 31, August 30 – September 2, 2013. To learn more about this great weekend of photography and racecars go to  to sign up now go to http://www.motorsportsphotoworkshop.com. Spaces will fill up quickly!!!

Motorsports Photography Workshop IIII
Historic Festival 31 on Labor Day Weekend
August 30 – September 2, 2013
Lime Rock Park, Conn.

Jay’s Spirit Shines at 12th Annual Surftech Jay Race

To read a great post-event summary from the 12th Annual Jayrace by the folks at Surftech click here. LIVE LIKE JAY!!!

Another Great Trip to Santa Cruz

Men’s podium for overall and prone paddler finishers (L-R Anthony Vela, Roch Frey, George Plsek, Don Miralle, Aaron McKinnon)

One of the highlights of my family’s last two summers has been our annual trip up to Santa Cruz, California. We not only go up to compete in the Jay Moriarty Race, but also take in all the great sites up there including the rides on the boardwalk, train rides through 100ft redwood trees, the Monterey Bay Aquarium, the miles of beautiful coastline, and see old friends and make new ones. If you ever get a chance to get up to Santa Cruz, even if you don’t want to compete or watch one of the best paddleboard races in the US, you will not regret that you made it to one of the coolest cities in NorCal.

Lauren, Luke and Micah making like Wild West Settlers in Roaring Rapids and Big Trees Train Camp.

Big thanks to all the folks from the JayRace and all the sponsors for putting on the best community-driven event for a young, quickly growing sport with all proceeds going to Santa Cruz State Junior Lifeguards. Special thanks to Duke Brouwer from Surftech, Kim Moriarty, Bob Pearson, Frosty Hesson, Denise White, Chris Hollingsworth, Brian Foss, and Aaron McKinnon for their efforts in making the 12th Annual Race the best ever! LIVE LIKE JAY!!!

Aaron McKinnon and I battling out the race lead with the Santa Cruz Boardwalk as the backdrop.

Boys pick me up after we get our hardware at the JayRace Afterparty

Beautiful Steam Train ride through Redwoods at Roaring Camp and Big Trees Railroad.

Studio Work for Asics

Been doing work for the Asics Running Brand through Vitro Agency in San Diego, who are a pleasure to work with and has been a great experience. I shot the LA Marathon for them which was right up my alley and also a fantastic way to see the city I grew up in. In addition been doing some studio work for them, with models and product, which I really enjoy doing. Here’s a outtake from one of the shoots, enjoy!!!

Donald Miralle/2.8 Sports Photography Workshop in Torino, Italy September 14th&15th, 2013!

This September 14th & 15th in Torino, Italy 2.8 Quarterly Collection of Photography and MAJOR4LIFE are presenting my Sports Photography Workshop! This will be a two day hands-on workshop, with lectures and shooting in the field  in Torino Italy! More details to follow soon, but space is limited so signup or get more information at http://www.dueeotto.com or email info@dueeotto.com. Hope to see you there!!!

Gallery: “Beauty and the Beasts” – Pacific Magazine Cover

If you don’t know who Ocean Ramsey is, fire up a google search and you’ll recognize a viral video of graceful woman swimming with a 15-foot great white shark with no cage!  She’s part ocean and shark conservationist, part free-diving bad-ass, and part model/athlete. I had the great opportunity to shoot her in Oahu, Hawaii for this month’s Pacific San Diego Magazine Cover.

I knew they were my kind of people when they pulled up in their 4X4 towing a wave runner and asked if I still felt up to free-diving with tiger sharks. Unfortunately, just like anything else in the ocean, it’s all dependent on the conditions and mother nature and the wind were not cooperating with us that week. Regardless, we dove in underwater caves, swam with dolphins, and took some great pics along the way.  It was a pleasure to meet her and her partner Juan Oliphant, whose passion for the ocean and sharks is truly inspirational. To learn more about Juan and Ocean go to waterinspired.com and read the online article of Pacific Magazine here. Here are some of the images that made it into the mag and some outtakes, hope you enjoy and as always your feedback is appreciated!!!

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Miralle Family Meets Star in Bahamas

We had the great opportunity to visit the Bahamas last month shooting a campaign for the NFL Players Association, staying and shooting on the amazing resort Atlantis on Paradise Island. If you have a family with small children, I highly recommend Atlantis as its a gorgeous, expansive property as well as a plethora of fun activities, including one of the more amazing aquariums and water parks I have ever been to.

On one of the afternoons we wrapped shooting early, I was able to join my family (who was on vacation while I worked) to meet the amazing sea animals at the Dolphin Cay, including a newly born baby dolphin and Cassie, the blond sea lion.  Here’s a little video of our encounter with Cassie shot with a GoPro (my apologies about the water drop on lens that came off the bait fish) and the little surprise she gave us at the end. Special thanks for the amazing local stylist/scout Jenny Pinder for setting this visit up and to my assistants Brandon Magnus and Octavian Cantilli for shooting the pics and the video…enjoy!