We were Nominated: Best Photographers in LA

We're nominated!

Our Studio was nominated for "The best Photographers in Los Angeles"
This is favor Central:
Can you help us win?

click HERE to vote!
If you want to vote for someone else, feel free...just do it in another catogory, like "Best Enchilada Kitchen"... I'm planning on a blowout here... so join the bandwagon and vote. Everysingle vote counts! We're currently in 11th place...which is a horrible spot to be in.

What are you waiting for, go rock the booth, its really easy!

My "Standard" Birthday Party

Making dinner reservations

I promised more pictures! So here they are!
Thanks for the fun birthday party to all that came. Shout out to all of you:

Audrey,Ira,Adam,Christy,Ceasar,Ann,Brittany,Coleman,Ralph,Jasmine,Michael,Leol,
Eddie,Karen,Libby,Amanda,Megan,John,Boz and Monique!
I'm sooo glad you all came! Also, thanks to all my friends that wished me well on Myspace,Facebook and texts! Thanks for the love!

BONUS' for the NITE:
Getting Audrey in.
Free ($12) shots
Ceasar's Grey Goose 750ml bottle
My newly found love of St. Germain Gin
Dancing under the bright stars
Mega rooms
Great friends
Sexy Breakfast the next morning.


Here are a few more pictures from my party at "The Standard Hotel, downtown LA."

Our arrival
The rooms made us excited... but we didn't want to anger our neighbors...so we kept it quite.

My girl.
Lounging by the pool.

Sometimes I stare at her. Can't you see why?

Ira knows composition.

Thanks Mom,Dad,Glory,Josiah and Ira.

Lippke Brothers Standard Part Dos!?

Audrey,Me, Brittney and Coleman

Britt and Cole brought me this shirt!

MY CREW! (L-R) Coleman and Britt, Audrey and I,Jasmine and Ralph,Ann and Ceasar.

Coleman

Elevator ride

Rooftop dancefloor
tongue and Hammer Lines
Another picture!??
More to come when I'm less busy.


[After party not posted for legal purposes]


EXTRA EXTRA THANKS TOO: Audrey,Ira, Ralph, Jasmine and Ceasar for all your work and contributions.
Photo Credits: Ira Lippke, Cole Thomas, me, Ralph and Jasmine.

Snowboarding Mammoth

Mammoth slopes are huge! Enough trails to stretch to Brazil end on end... or maybe even to the atmosphere... but whos to say where the atmosphere starts and stops? Anyways, they aren't really that long, but they are plentiful and luxurious!
My camera battery went missing for my Leica, so we used Ira's trusty iPhone for these few shots...
Keep in mind...its 72º for most of the day. I got toasted on the arms and neck.
Highlights include racing Ira down the mountain, thinking I had a jet pack.
Getting $3 insurance on the rental(I ran over a mini boulder and scratched up the board)
Being on top of the Mountain world.
Getting sun tanned in the snow.

Alright, heres a few images.

-Samuel

Ira the beast!
Samuel the Wild

Ira the Calm

The freakin SLOPE!

Cuba:Journal Entry #1 (29.1.2008)

I’m in Cuba.
Its weird to say that.
I’ve been looking forward to this moment for a long long time! But now I’m thinking I may be staying to long. I already felt ready for home before I came to Mexico City, now I have a week on my own to explore, to see a country shunned by the US. A beautiful people and culture (the women here are stunning!)
I’m tired, I haven’t eaten much and I'm lonely.
The people here are not used to seeing people from the US, I get only gasps and then smiles when I inform of my citezenship. It is illegal for US citizens to travel to Cuba. But there are a few loop holes with the system and I've found one. The Cuban people are a welcoming one and have nothing against the people of the united states. They only think our politics are bad.
I’ve rented a small room from a local. Its nice, there is a small courtyard, windows that open up to the street and a nice bed.
This town is pretty, but in a weird way. Its not painted well, the homes aren’t nice and the streets are run down. But the people here are so happy with what they have. All the children are playing baseball,basketball and soccer everywhere you look.
I walked through much of the lower east side of this beach town. Not many shops. Not many stores, just homes and 1950’s vehicles everywhere! Its an odd expierence and I’m lucky to be experiencing it… I just need to get used to the loneliness…its pathetic I guess…I’m really starting to feel just how great friendships are… Audrey,Ceasar,Ann,Cole,Brittany,Ralph,Ira, Justin,Courtney ,Josiah,Heather all of my best friends are sooo key in my life. I’m just realizing this now that I can’t speak to anyone without getting weird looks and I’m way out of my comfort zone.

Here goes nothing!
I hope to get great pictures these next 5 days… Also to get closer to Jesus.
I haven’t been gone even a week yet and I’m already ready to come home…I must be one heck of a home body… or just sick of the 3 flights I’ve taken this far, plus the hassel of getting to this destination...there is nothing like being questioned 4 times in a different language once you set foot on a new terrain.

Thank God for the US and English speaking friends.
I’m going to sleep in hopes of dreaming of a bi-lingual eperience.


(They call this transporter bus "The Camel" notice the 2 humps)


(A run down stadium)


(The local gym. Working out at night is the only option to avoid the heat))


(Sunset from my window)

Christmas Highlights

2007 Christmas Highlights:

17. Sleeping in till 8:30am (usually the kids get you up at 6am)
16. Waking up to a beautiful 230º view from ontop of the mountain (We're staying up at my sisters home)
15. Peppered beef jerky
14. Seeing that the lakers beat the Suns. (Kobe got 38 points, and the youngster Bynum had a season high 28 points...exciting for me!)
13. Watching snow flakes flutter from the sky.
12. Playing with all my nephews(not much better then makeshift indoor soccer)
11. Helping out some great Charities (Agros, Water Wells For Africa and 2 more I can't remember off the top of my head)
10. 2 hour nap on the couch
9. Taking classy photos of the family
8. Relaxing
7. Ham!
6. Staying warm with my new socks (I got 4 pairs! ha!)
5. Not leaving the house (only to shoot a picture of the mountains...see below)
4. Champagne
3. Winning 20+ games of Pente with Josiah (I lost alot to Ira today...dang!)
2. Lox and Bagels
1. Seeing the look on the kids eyes when they opened gifts (thats what really makes my plane ticket feel cheap and worth every
cent)

Anyways, here are a few pictures I thought you might like.
Its been a great trip up here, very relaxing and I've been able to see some tight friends. (Matt, Nathan, Damara, Will,Ben,Sally,Jonathan and like one more...plus I got to finally meet Benji and Tracy, they're my favorite people besides my family in WA. right now... wish they lived near me!)

I leave tomorrow! Get back to work, see my girl, shoot a wedding this weekend and prepare for my next big adventure!

Cheers to a New Year friends!

-S

Shot of the week (12.23.07)

Hey!
I shot this tonight, I think its legit.
Warm Beach Camp 9pm.
Washington State.
1.8 Canon lens.

Its nice to be up here in the rainy Northwest...although I'm pretty sure God has cursed this area with horrible weather...worst in the entire world if you ask some of us (namely Ira and myself) we're working on getting my parents to move away from this area... it gets uglier and uglier every year... sad sad... its getting developed and losing the most beautiful resource, which is trees.
I'm excited for tomorrow, seeing old friends at church, chillen with an old old best friend, playing more basketball with Jonathan and maybe his teammate Caleb, both are from Highland Christian and share the spotlight for their basketball team. We played Last night on their teammate Craig's outdoor court. It was pretty slick (literally)
Alright folks, thats all I got tonight.
-s

P.S. I'm excited for a new season of photography, I feel like I've improved sooo much this last year.

Slick Slideshow

I just put it together and thought it would be a good idea to throw up some pictures of friends and a little about me... oh and don't count yourself out, if your not on here, don't fret, just let me know you want on the slideshow and I'll find some sexy picture of you to put up. Yes Jon, I know I need one for you...I just have sooo dang many! And some Audrey pictures coming too!

Belmont Shore Christmas Parade

I was in the parade this year!
My good friend Justin Rudd was the Grand Marshal for the whole parade!
I was happy to be apart of his parade crew, I captured a little video and its now floating around on a few sites. (Pretty On The Outside)

The video sums up my nite, (including the Santa Hat, which is something I've never worn in public)

+ PLUS+ A fun afterparty at the Long Beach Lippke Studio, Ira and Myself Hosted The Covolo's, Justin and Ralph, Audrey, Jon Phelps, Meric and Friend, Monica and friends, Desiree, Heather and Eric for the AFTER(after)party. (cheese video to follow...if your lucky)

MIDLAKE show.

Last night the Brother's Lippke continued their streak for having too much fun! Alright, not too much fun, but just enough to make me blog about.

Toi Thai fed us and our dates (Desiree and Kristen) dinner.
Maria Taylor opened for Midlake at the Henry Fonda and "Wild Youth" (the under age 13 rockband) opened for Maria.
Pretty insane concert if you were to ask me.

Heres some images that document the night.


Ira is moving to New York! I'm gonna miss him.

Midlake Ripped it up...I love them!

I tried to smile big.