Michael Palma Blog

Happy Wednesday everyone!

This past week has been spent working on my other project, that of producing the musical "Ordinary Days" with my girlfriend and co-producing partner Helen. We've spent countless hours at the Imagined Life Theater, where the show is going to be held, that we can say we practically live there!

This past weekend was spent building and painting the sets, as well as rehearsing on them for the first time. Thanks to our uber set designer Chika Shimizu for her wonderful rendition of New York City, and to everyone who came out to help build and bring her vision to life.

So, this week's post is going to link you to the other other blog post about our project, as well as show you some of the behind the scenes photos I've been taking of the production.

Click here to read up on all the happenings about the show, and should you be interested in coming to see it (which I hope you are!), click on this link for ticket info.

We're a week and a half from opening from a journey that began way back in 2010. Come out and see how we do :)

Thanks for stopping by, and see you next week!

]]> http://mpalmaphotoblog.com/2012/05/from_the_ground_up.html http://mpalmaphotoblog.com/2012/05/from_the_ground_up.html Performances Wed, 16 May 2012 13:15:23 -0800 The Cute one turns 1 Boy, as I get older, time seems to fly by so much quicker! Everyone seems to be "maturing" at a faster rate (a nice way to say "getting older"), but more importantly so, all the little munchkins in my life are getting bigger. All of them! And for their parents, and myself, all too soon.

Saturday, frequent blog-post-munchkin Kaia turned 1, and I was asked by my good friends David and Laura to document her first birthday. What a great day for it too! A beautiful, sun-filled afternoon filled with about 20 of her like-aged besties, roaming around their backyard, sporting moustaches (it was Cinco de Mayo), playing with water toys, and having an awesome time just being kids.

It was a great day. Plus when it came down to it, Kaia, who had never had birthday cake before in her 12 months on this planet, simply devoured her own beautifully constructed cake, finger and handful after another! It was so cute. Eventually, she actually "looked" like her cake cause all the different colored frosting was all over her dress. Priceless!

Nonetheless, a big thank you goes out to her parents, David and Laura, for allowing me to document Kaia's first big party :) And to Kaia, who is growing up so FAST, slow down! You're too cute to all of a sudden become a teen-ager! (Okay, thinking way to in advance!).

Enjoy the photos :) And thanks again guys!

The birthday girl herself, Kaia :)

Awesome day for a party.

Big kids...

and little kids with moustaches. (Cuter on the little kids).

I've always wanted to do this to a cake (and get away with it!)

Yup, always wanted to do that to a cake.

A work of art! And it tasted really good too!!

Post-cake eating piano playing by the birthday girl herself.

Happy first birthday Kaia :)

And thanks again to the Ono/Ise clan :)

There you have it folks! Another kid growing up right before our eyes. Where does the time go? So, if you have one, go hug him or her, cause eventually, they'll be all grown up and wondering when and how did they get so big?

Have a great week, and thanks again for stopping by :)

Mike

]]> http://mpalmaphotoblog.com/2012/05/the_cute_one_turns_1.html http://mpalmaphotoblog.com/2012/05/the_cute_one_turns_1.html Wed, 09 May 2012 11:28:45 -0800 Hollywood on a Monday night Whoa! When did May come around? Wasn't it just January five months ago? Plus, it's mid-week now, and we're almost to the weekend. Crazy.

In the middle of rehearsals for our new musical, Ordinary Days, I'm still shooting away at events, and East West Players asked me to cover their yearly dinner awards gala, held at the Universal Hilton Hotel (next to Universal Studios).

As always, the night is filled with a host of Hollywood stars, both big and small, but it's mainly a night to celebrate Asian-american talent. Plus, I regard it as the yearly East West "prom", as I get to see old friends all decked out for an evening of food, alcohol, networking, and desserts (yes, desserts!). Oh, did I mention there was also a silent auction? Yeah, there's one of those too.

For me, I like covering the event cause I get to see all my "old" acting friends, and every now and then, meet a cool celeb or two. Last year it was Harry Shum, Jr. of "Glee" fame, and this year it was Kimora Lee Simmons and Kelly Hu. Plus, a couple of other "celebs" that are more "friends" than celebs to me. Check out the photos below.

What do you do when you see two beautiful celebs like Kimora Lee Simmons and Kelly Hu? You get a photo with them! (Photo courtesy of Sthanlee Mirador)

Parvesh Cheena, Me, and my beautiful pal, Tamlyn Tomita.

(Photo courtesy of Sthanlee Mirador)

Reggie Lee ("Pirates of the Carribean", "Fast and the Furious", etc.) and me.

I love Reg. He's so cool :)

(Photo by Sthanlee Mirador)

Aaron and I have been buddies for over 10 years now and have done numerous shows together. Now I see him everyday in every other commercial on T.V. Way to go dude!

(Photo courtesy of Keri Kaba-Dien)

So there you have it. Just another Monday night in La La Land. Sorry for the blatant plugs about my friends and the photos of me. But, two things - you hardly ever see me in photos, and second, I love bragging about my friends and their accomplishments. So thanks for stopping by! Enjoy your week, and the month of May!!!

]]> http://mpalmaphotoblog.com/2012/05/hollywood_on_a_monday_night.html http://mpalmaphotoblog.com/2012/05/hollywood_on_a_monday_night.html Events Wed, 02 May 2012 00:16:12 -0800 Kona

About 10 years ago, a four-legged boy came into my life at a time when my then four-legged best friend was getting along in her years. My mom had decided to take in a puppy, a Rottweiler, just like my dog, Nike. I was totally against it. Nike was my one and only dog, and there would be no other to ever take her place. Yet, despite my grumblings, this new dog, full of puppy energy, vigor, and adolescent canine awkwardness, came into our home, and was later named "Kona" by yours truly (if you can't beat 'em, join 'em).

In the all too soon following months, our beloved Nike succumbed to bone cancer, and in her wake, we were left with our other dog (my second best four-legged friend) "Cutie", and now, Kona. I was a bit hesitant around Kona - his exuberance during my mourning period over Nike was just too much for me to handle, all the while, trying to make sure that Cutie was still shown the attention that she deserved.

I used to joke around about Kona by calling him "cheapee" cause he didn't have the pedigree, intelligence, poise that Nike had. Yet, as the years went by, he quickly became part of the family, and even more so, my mom's "four-legged" son, which was all the more fitting as he would move with her when we sold my child-hood home.

Kona was there to protect my mom, my grandmother, and Cutie at the time, when she moved to Riverside. He was there to keep them company, provide friendship, and most importantly, love everyone around him. In time, he became the best dog in the family, just for being himself. A rather large, smart, friendly, and loving pet.

Over the years, he went to all the family functions, celebrated Christmas complete with Santa hats, and even traveled to other events or parties, either literally inside, or perhaps waiting in my mom's car. He had met and been around so many people, particularly those who are no longer with us; traveled more around the city than anyone would ever want to (without complaining); and was always there when ever we needed him.

Last Wednesday, our four-legged boy's time on earth was finished, as he gently laid down for one last time in the presence of my mom and said goodbye in his own easy way. He was with my mom during his last moments, and I think he felt comforted in knowing that she was there with him. I'm certain if he had it his way, he'd still be around for her to take care of, but as with all wonderful beings on this planet, everyone's time is short.

I have to say I'll miss Kona very much. He was the last link to Nike and Cutie, linking the two decades between the two. We'll always remember him as the dog for this 21st century, as he lived his 10 or so years in it. Although I'll still regard him as being a "cheapee", it'll always be said with love and respect for a little Rottweiller pup who somehow found his way between two wonderful dogs, and eventually into a full fledged member of our family.

Kona was a great dog, and I'd like to thank him publicly for being there for my mom, my grandmother, Cutie, and the rest of the family during his time with us. He'll be forever ingrained in our family history, and always have a loving place in our hearts and memory.

Take care boy. Say hello to Nike and Cutie, and Grandma, and everyone else up there for us. Thank you for everything :) We'll miss you, with love and respect.

]]> http://mpalmaphotoblog.com/2012/04/kona.html http://mpalmaphotoblog.com/2012/04/kona.html Personal family Wed, 25 Apr 2012 01:32:57 -0800 Let the merriment COMMENCE! Ah yes, it's that time of year again, when there's snow up in local mountains, nearly an inch of rain falls right before my first triathlon of the season, and during a weekend where I had to wake up before the sun rose... ah, springtime in L.A. Yup, all of the above happened! All during the weekend that I returned back to the "land" of medieval merriment, the Renaissance Faire! Woo hoo!!!

Last year was the first time I had been since the 90's, when it was in Agoura. Now that it's closer to L.A., it's easier to get to, plus, it was only minutes away from Bonelli Park in Pomona, site of my first triathlon race of this year (two more to go!). So it all worked out.

What I love most about the Ren Faire is how "in to it" the participants are. Everyday, 21st century folk, dressed up in medieval costumes/clothing, and even speaking the parts in the middle of a dusty field right next to a man made reservoir. Kinda cool to experience it and actually see renaissance themed things for a day.

This year's sojourn was made with my good friends Mike and Jenn, along with Mike's cousin Rachel (who's from the Philippines, thus making this outing even more remarkable for her, especially in regards to what we Americans do with our "free" time).

Fun times as always, plus, this year, I really took it upon myself to talk to more participants to get their photos taken, especially since I was shooting with either my 35mm or a 50mm lens, which is pretty close. I definitely had to strike up a conversation before snapping the shutter. I liked it though cause I wasn't just "stealing" a photo, but actually learning something about the person, and then "making" a photograph. Besides, everyone was so nice anyway.

Here are some of the photos from the day.

So there you have it! My day at the Renaissance Faire. I definitely recommend it for those of you who haven't, just to go back in time for a few hours every spring, back to the age of Kings, Queens, knights, and Ladies (wenches as they were called - doh!).

Thanks for visiting everyone, till next time! Long live the queen!

]]> http://mpalmaphotoblog.com/2012/04/let_the_merriment_commence.html http://mpalmaphotoblog.com/2012/04/let_the_merriment_commence.html Events Personal Events Wed, 18 Apr 2012 09:57:23 -0800 Boo for me :(

Have to skip this week's postings due to a project I'm working on, but I'll be back next week! Thanks for checking :)

Mike

]]> http://mpalmaphotoblog.com/2012/04/boo_for_me.html http://mpalmaphotoblog.com/2012/04/boo_for_me.html Anytime Personal Thu, 12 Apr 2012 11:15:24 -0800 Last one for March 2012 Can you believe it's April already? I guess when you're having fun (or, in my case, as I get older) time really does fly doesn't it?!

Before March came to an end, I FINALLY had the opportunity to photograph a good friend of mine for a whole new set of headshots for her acting career. We had scheduled a previous (perhaps even two previous) sessions, but mother nature had something to say about that. However, on the last day of the month, we were able to get together and create some stunning photos for Wanru, a whole slew of "straight" commercial and theatrical poses, as well as some fun character stuff! She's so photogenic!!! Take a look at a few selections from the day:

A huge thank you to Wanru for coming out to photograph with me :) Great work W.T.!!!

As for everyone else, enjoy your first week of April! See you next time!

]]> http://mpalmaphotoblog.com/2012/04/can_you_believe_its_april.html http://mpalmaphotoblog.com/2012/04/can_you_believe_its_april.html Headshots Portraits actors female headshots portraits Wed, 04 Apr 2012 11:20:18 -0800 Spreading some web-love Happy Wednesday everyone!

Okay, for basically the life of my blog here, I've been giving updates on the stuff that I've been doing, photos of my life, etc., but today, I wanted to share with everyone some of the blog links of some good friends of mine so that we all can give them some "Web-love" (hey, not that kind, the clean, wholesome kind!).

I have some terrifically talented friends out there doing different things artistically, and I honestly believe they should be recognized for the work that they are doing. So please click through the links and find out more about them, won't you?

http://teresapalooza.blogspot.com/

My friend Teresa is a wonderfully talented actress and writer that has been in the entertainment industry for quite sometime now with huge, awesome credits to boot! Among them, being a writer for the updated version of "Knight Rider" a few years ago, as well as a re-occurring nurse on a lot of the hospital shows around. She has bigger and better credits than that, but it's just something she recently mentioned on her post. Check her out for some great acting/actor insights!

The Che Way - Website of Cindera Che

Frequent "face" here on my blog, and a long time good friend in instructor of mine, Cindera Che, has been a significant force in my development as an actor/artist. She is an accomplished actress, pilates instructor, professional dancer, and overall amazing person! If you want to further your development as an artist, human being, better person, etc. (!), check out her site and services and classes now! (BTW, that IS Cindera with some guy named Michael Jackson, you may have heard of him)

Andrew Ito Photography

My good buddy and wedding/portrait photographer Andy is another amazing talent! We were having lunch yesterday and I was telling him that he should post more on his blog, so here I am today urging you to go visit his website and see his work. It's totally worth the look, and perhaps with enough of us visiting, he'll post some new stuff!

Darrell Miho Photography blog

Another good friend of mine and longtime professional photographer, Darrell Miho has been recently doing some inspirational work with relief efforts in Japan after last year's earthquake and tsunami devastations. His trips to Japan, which usually include relief items and bundles of hope and inspiration are up on his blog along with his amazing photography. Darrell's work (both artistically and socially) are truly inspirational (I've used that alot huh), so please click on to his blog and check it out.

Keri Kaba - Kabahead Kreations

Keri has been a long time friend of mine also through our voice instructor, and most notably, our partnering in several weddings over the past years. She's a terrific second shooter, uber talented graphic artist, all coupled with a great singing voice to boot! Keri has designed so many awesome logos, websites, materials, etc. that you should definitely look into her work to get inspired! Go ahead, I dare you! ;p

Artists at Play

Our friends over at Artists at Play are a trail blazing group of producers and performers bulging at the seams with talent! Plus, they're all just plain cool ;) They are currently in the midst of pre-pre production towards their next mainstage show, and are having some great fundraiser types of activities going on soon, so check out their site and support them! Great people + great talent = Truly MAGNIFICENT times!!!

Okay, I could go on and on with links to a lot of my talented friends here, but for now, I'll leave it with these. I'm CERTAIN I have so many more, but that'll have to be for next time.

My friends are so amazing talented, and truly inspire me! Please check them out and hopefully, you'll feel the same way after visiting their sites :)

Thanks for stopping by everyone! Till next week!

]]> http://mpalmaphotoblog.com/2012/03/spreading_some_web-love.html http://mpalmaphotoblog.com/2012/03/spreading_some_web-love.html Anytime Personal Wed, 28 Mar 2012 14:08:42 -0800 Wild West (Buena Park) Ghost Town Happy first day of SPRING everyone! We finally made it! After a weird week of rain, cold temps, and strong winds, it IS finally looking like good 'ol springtime. Ahhhh...

Before the massive transition to this warm, sun-out, blue-skies season, I found myself back at the Old West. Ahem, that is, the old west of Buena Park, via the vision of the Knotts family. Yup, my second sojourn to Knotts Berry Farm in a little less than 3 1/2 months. You see, the Hawaii kids (as I call them), the niece and nephews, were in town for their spring break, and they chose to go to the old west!

The nice thing about going mid-week, and the day before a major thunderstorm was that the park was virtually empty! Talk about getting to ride some cool rides with little to no wait! I was finally able to ride the "big kids" rides, without having to wait the massive hours as before. I have to say, this big kid might be feeling like an old kid after getting off some of those rides! Yikes!

What I love most about Knotts is their old town, or Ghost Town as they call it. Their recreation of the old west is pretty cool and amazing. Plus, the best part? The textures of the all the old, worn buildings! So cool!

Here's a few photos taken from that day. Despite wanting to take even more photos, it's all about having fun isn't it?

Thanks for stopping by everyone. And remember, it's all about having fun, isn't it?

Have a great week!

]]> http://mpalmaphotoblog.com/2012/03/wild_west_buena_park_ghost_town_1.html http://mpalmaphotoblog.com/2012/03/wild_west_buena_park_ghost_town_1.html Anytime Family Personal Wed, 21 Mar 2012 10:52:42 -0800 Wild West (Buena Park) Ghost Town Happy first day of SPRING everyone! We finally made it! After a weird week of rain, cold temps, and strong winds, it IS finally looking like good 'ol springtime. Ahhhh...

Here's a few photos taken from that day. Despite wanting to take even more photos, it's all about having fun isn't it?

]]> http://mpalmaphotoblog.com/2012/03/wild_west_buena_park_ghost_town.html http://mpalmaphotoblog.com/2012/03/wild_west_buena_park_ghost_town.html Anytime Family Personal Wed, 21 Mar 2012 10:52:42 -0800 You're only ONE 1-nce! Happy day before the Ides of March! (Remember that line?) I jest, the Ides of March was a pretty bad day for one Julius Caesar, but for the rest of us, it's just Thursday.

What a weekend. Would you believe I attended THREE different birthday parties this past Saturday, one right after the other? Yup, I did. Three.

Of the three, my favorite was for my now one-year-old nephew, Luke, who has appeared here on the blog before. Last year at this time, I was in Europe awaiting word of his arrival into this big world of ours, and here I am, 365 or so days later, celebrating his first b-day. Wow.

As per Filipino parties, this one had the all the requisite DELICIOUS food, including a roasted pig (the cooked-on-a-spit variety). Very tasty, and rich to say the least. Plus, it was great to see the fam again, from near and far, to celebrate little Lukey's first bday party.

Oh, and did I mention a pinata? Yup. Something for the kids to do, that and the bouncey house.

Here are the photos. Great day. Happy birthday Lukey!

The birthday boy himself, Luke

(that's the roasted pig under him BTW)

Sacrificial "lamb" (giraffe)

Don't worry, he was able to get some candy :)

Happy birthday again Lukey, and to all the other March babies, young and old :)

Lastly, when I'm not photographing people and events, I'm performing. Yup, I started off as an actor and am once again producing another great project! Please check it out at this link, and should you be inclined, we'd love to have you on board as a patron :)

Thanks again for stopping by! Have a great week everyone!

]]> http://mpalmaphotoblog.com/2012/03/youre_only_one_1-nce.html http://mpalmaphotoblog.com/2012/03/youre_only_one_1-nce.html Events Family Kids Birthday Party kids Wed, 14 Mar 2012 00:10:32 -0800 Get SET, go! Okay, I know, hokey title for today's post. But, as I had mentioned on my FB page, I was invited to shoot some production stills on a film set this past weekend at no other than my beloved alma mater, USC! (Don't hate the player, hate the game - Fight on!!!)

My good friend Cindera, who I have collaborated before to create some pretty awesome images, got cast in a student film there that was shot on one of their (relatively) new, fully supported, soundstages (Hey, where were those when I went there?!)

It was a blast! An awesome set made up of ornate Chinese furniture, a great cast, and crew, and creative people working towards one goal, to make a terrific film! I was honored to be a "part" of the crew for the day, capturing images of them hard at work. Plus, they were all so friendly and cool to be around!

Shooting production stills isn't as easy as you would imagine - jostling for a good angle, getting "posed" shots between takes, and set-ups, and just trying not to be in the way of the crew. It definitely takes a lot patience, stamina, and focus (then again, I think any type of photography requires these elements!)

At the end of the day though, you come away with some great images. Here are some from that day. Enjoy!

Thanks again to Cindera for inviting me onto the set, and to the great cast and crew of the film. Have a great week everyone!

]]> http://mpalmaphotoblog.com/2012/03/get_set_go.html http://mpalmaphotoblog.com/2012/03/get_set_go.html Anytime Wed, 07 Mar 2012 09:33:04 -0800 I'm not a terrorist, are you? Happy extra day of the year everyone! Yup, today is leap day. Hope you're spending it doing something you love.

Today's post is more of a public service announcement, as sadly, since 9/11, it seems that anyone holding a camera and photographing in public can and are sometimes looked upon suspiciously as someone with mal intent. This sucks if you ask me. And now, with posters like this below, you can't even take a photo anywhere near an airport without even the government asking citizens to be on the lookout.

What is so misleading about this photo is that it points a suspicious finger at anyone holding a camera, even if it's a tourist, or a hobbyist, or artist. It basically says, report these terrorists right away! Shenanigans! In all the info I've read about this topic from different websites, and articles, if a true terrorist wants to do surveillance on a possibly target, all he has to do is go online and get even more detailed photos, plans, blueprints, etc., vs actually going out into the field and taking photos! Don't believe me? Google "blueprint" for most any building, and you'll get some full schematics for it!

I bring this up cause it directly affects what I do, and sometime or another, it may also affect you. Have you ever been questioned about why you're photographing somewhere? Been accosted by some rent-a-cop who thinks that they have the shield of "national security" to interrogate or intimidate you? Hope not! Most of the time, incidents like these happen because of ignorance on the part of the person in "charge". You can't blame them sometimes, as they just don't know, and they're just doing their job. BUT, if you are ever stopped, detained, accosted, etc., you have rights! Check out this link (for USA laws at least):

http://www.krages.com/phoright.htm

Next time you're out and about, and someone stops you, and perhaps even has the gall to tell you to stop photographing, know your rights. Or do what most pros do, shoot now, apologize later! Most of the time though, you won't have to apologize cause you're not doing anything illegal (I hope!)

Enjoy your hump/leap day everyone! Thanks for stopping by :)

]]> http://mpalmaphotoblog.com/2012/02/im_not_a_terrorist_are_you.html http://mpalmaphotoblog.com/2012/02/im_not_a_terrorist_are_you.html Wed, 29 Feb 2012 11:14:45 -0800 Dancers make the best models I have always believed that professional dancers, or any dancer for that matter, make some of the best photographic models. Their sense of lines, and body position help to make any photograph, that much better. Seriously.

Even with subtle poses, I believe they really know how to get the most out of a shot.

Here are a few photos from a shoot I did with a good friend of mine, who is a professional dancer. Enjoy!

]]> http://mpalmaphotoblog.com/2012/02/dancers_make_the_best_models.html http://mpalmaphotoblog.com/2012/02/dancers_make_the_best_models.html Personal Portraits Wed, 22 Feb 2012 10:47:41 -0800 La Mode Japonais Happy day after Valentine's day (or Singles Awareness Day for some of you)! Regardless of how you spent it, I hope you are had a terrific day and the rest of your week is going great!

As pour moi, I've been wanting to share one of my latest projects with everyone - a fashion shoot with local renown Japanese Geta Dancer Miyuki M. Miyuki has been an actor/performer for a long time now, and I was interested in photographing her in her Geta dance costume. So we finally set up a date, and got to work on some cool images.

Accompanying her was her fabulous, uber-terrific MUA and hairstylist Akie who was in town from Japan for a convention. Her make-up and hair on Miyuki was beyond awesome! I was so impressed and so inspired that it made the images that much better :) Thank you so much Akie! Hope you can come back some time soon and we can work together again.

Lastly, an entourage isn't an entourage if you don't have a right hand dude/driver/helper, and all around cool guy. Miyuki had this with her friend Poel. Poel was so helpful throughout the shoot, and I want to thank him again for being a great impromptu assistant! You rock Poel! Thank you!!!

Okay, onto the images!

Hair and Make-up: Akie Maeda, After Hours Salon, Japan

Thank you Miyuki :)

Have a great week everyone!

]]> http://mpalmaphotoblog.com/2012/02/la_mode_japonais.html http://mpalmaphotoblog.com/2012/02/la_mode_japonais.html Personal Portraits Wed, 15 Feb 2012 10:55:33 -0800