This is my top-5 viewed images post of 2011.

And I’m slightly surprised. Two of them aren’t technically photographs. Two of them were taken with my iPhone. One is a real photograph. This is so different from my top photos of 2011. Go figure.

Here’s number 5. A collage I made of my Dad in the 70′s. I’m not surprised he made it – his photographs got lots of views this year.

A collage of my Dad

Keep reading for number 4….

This is a gift from my friend Brian Darrow, a brilliant Lego Creator. In 2010, his LEGO replica of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway lived at the Hall of Fame Museum over Christmas. He gave me this as a thank you gift. This is an incredible 1911 Marmon Wasp replica. But a horrible photo. Again, go figure.

Lego Marmon Wasp

This is a photo I really like, taken on Bump Day at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Danica Patrick was facing a tough day ahead of her, trying to qualify for the Indianapolis 500. I remember thinking she would easily qualify, simply because of the look in her eye. She did.

Danica on Bump Day

A simple photo of a LEGO shop in a Sao Paulo shopping mall. It just goes to show, sometimes content popularity is about the right tags or metadata (or feature a clown). This is my 2nd most viewed photo of 2011! Seriously.

Lego in SP

And my most viewed photography of 2011? Well it’s an image. A scanned image of one of my Collectible Robot Boxes. I’m pretty sure this image got embedded by another site. But it’s number one and it’s not even my photograph, although it is my scan. Break out the champagne.

Watch out for those beams

Those are the top-5, no kidding.

Goal for 2012 – get more views for my actual photographs!

A couple of weeks ago I included 10 of my favorite 2011 photographs and asked for your feedback. I got some blog comments, some emails and some recommendations in person. So thank you so much. Here’s the photograph I selected, mainly because of your feedback.

What a way to start the day

And here’s the story behind this photograph (if you’re wondering).

I spent almost two weeks in Las Vegas this past October and after a week of being there, I needed a creative outlet, so I borrowed a camera from a colleague/friend. I decided to venture out and shoot a different side of Vegas. One of these spots included sunrise in the Valley of Fire.

As usual, like most of my planning, there was very little prep work done. I had directions to the Valley of Fire and knew the gates would be open. Beyond that, I knew very little – especially conceivably important things a photographer should know, like ideal locations or stunning views. But ya’ll should know me by now. And if I’m really being honest, I came awfully close to just hitting snooze when the alarm went off at 4am.

This image is the perfect manifestation of my luck at times. I drove into the Valley of Fire as darkness slowly considered transitioning into light. I read signs, marveled at the sillhouettes of the rock formations and sipped coffee out of my travel mug. I was as usual, happily clueless. Driving down what I considered the main road the through the Valley, I noticed a new road to the left. And to quote Yogi Berra -

When you come to a fork in the road, take it.

I turned left, weaved around some corners, and noticed a really interesting rock formation with an arch/hole. There was also a car parked already. Intrigued, I got out with my camera and one lens, scanned the ground for snakes, scorpions and other critters and walked around the formation for closer inspection.

I made it around the big rock without tripping or a snake bite and encountered a professional photographer. The real deal. Tripod, vest with 34 pockets and a moustache. I tipped my head to him and walked around his shot. That’s when I noticed what he was stalking. He was hunting the perfect shot. That moment when the moon would drop ever so slightly, and fit perfectly in the cradle of the awaiting rock archway. Good for him I thought. Lucky me I muttered under my breath.

We didn’t talk. And I felt absolutely no embarrassment when sans tripod, and standing right behind him and that impressive vest, I jumped up in the air to capture this shot. He may have looked at me with some level of judgement or disdain, but I just grinned as I looked at the captured image. Perfect I thought.

I left, careful not to interfere with his shot, wary of a gang of scorpions and hopped back in my Mum’s car. There I sipped on my coffee, got back on the main road and went on to more hapless discovery.

Like I said, this shot was entirely down to luck. Often with photography it’s down to the timing or being in the right place at the right time. Or in my case, just being the lucky fool. I don’t really mind, even if at times I resemble Inspector Clouseau. This approach has paid off so many times for me – especially when traveling.

Who knows what 2012 will bring?

Thanks again to everyone that took time to share their opinions on my photography and for continually reading my posts. It does mean a lot to me.

Sit back and enjoy. Mostly pictures here on out. Thanks!

1) Some images are down to luck and timing. This is one of them. An adoring fan looks on as Takuma Sato signs autographs. It was one of the few times the lensbaby lens actually did what I wanted it to do.

Happy fan

2) I’d never been in a helicopter until my friend at work, Ron Pitman asked if I could grab some shots for him. I obliged. I love how the streets frame the Indianapolis Motor Speedway and lead the eye downtown.

Intersection of streets

3) It was gorgeous Spring morning in Chicago and I was staying near the John Hancock. I went with the fish eye and love how it seems like the other buildings are reaching out for a hug.

The John Hancock

4) A very simple composition, but I like the repetition and this particular color blue.

Smurf seats

5) I love this shot because it captures the vastness of Sao Paulo and the fish eye plays nicely with puffy blue clouds.

Clouds sprinkled over Sao Paulo

6) For all the lavish colors at the Nikko Toshogu Shrine, I fell in love with monochromatic roof colors. I love how they blended that day with nature, the overcast sky and deep green of the trees.

Lush and roof tops

7) Definitely timing on this one. The early bird catches the worm, even in the Valley of Fire desert.

Arch and Moon

One of the coolest places in Las Vegas – The Neon Museum. The colors just pop in the bright sunlight.

Lady Luck

9) This was definitely the year of the fish eye lens. And also, my first visit to Times Square. I just like this shot.

THE Times Square

10) I love the rituals and preparations drivers go through before taking the track. Love this shot of Danica Patrick readying.

Getting ready

There’s my 10.

Which one would you submit?

I’ve also got some style, if I do say so myself. So this post is a listing of gifts I’ve received, gifts I would love to receive, or items you should buy for yourself or brother or dad or yo man. They just need to be a little hip-geek.

You need a good casual winter coat. My wife already gave me this gift for my birthday this year. Think North Face but cooler. If it got Luke Skywalker through a cold night, I’m pretty sure this will get me from my house, to my car, and through the checkout line at Fresh Market. Easily holds your new iPhone 4S, a Cliff Bar, your VW keys and potentially a light saber.

Jacket purchased, image stolen from Adidas.com

I love watches. And unfortunately I can’t afford my dream watch – Tag Heuer Monaco (unless I have a rich Uncle reading this), so an alternative is Tokyo Flash. I own one of their watches, aptly named the Pimp watch. Check out their site – you too can cling onto youth, like I’m apparently doing. And the prices are great.

Steve McQueen sporting the Tag Heuer Monaco

My Tokyo Flash Pimp Watch

If you adore Hip Hop and you know I do, invest in some good headphones. I got a pair of Beats by Dr.Dre last Christmas and they have honestly enhanced my life. Hip Hop has never sounded better, but so has everything else. So whether you’re listening to Lupe Fiasco’s The Show Goes On, George Gershwin’s Rhapsody in Blue or Cars Hiss By My Window by The Doors – you’ll find a deeper connection to your music library. Probably doesn’t work with Garth Brooks though. Or at least, they better not.

White Beats by Dr Dre

Every man should roll with a money clip, cigar case, flask, sturdy glasses case and a handkerchief. Go with simplicity – silver, brown or black. And get ready to spread the gospel on this. I feel very strongly about all of these and every man should. I’ve run with this Tiffany and Co. money clip now for a good five years. I’m still working on some of the other items.

Classically simple

Embrace an author. Everyone should have their go-to author. Someone they can turn to for inspiration, or a book to reread during tough times, or a quote that applies to your path in your life. Interestingly, I’ve turned to a lot of authors that are destructive, petulant, selfish, addicts, depressed and fiercely independent. Who knew. Anyway, go buy a bunch of Hemingway books for your dad, boyfriend or little sister.

Writing away

Invest in a camera. My dream camera? Check out this Leica:

The beautiful Leica M9

But you can still take great photos with anything. Buy yourself a camera. Carry it with you at all times. Put the viewfinder to your eye and frame your perspective. Click the button. You just created a moment in life. And don’t let anyone tell you otherwise.

Toys aren’t just for kids. In fact, I have tons that I won’t let my son play with. Go visit Mass Ave Toys and splurge. Seriously, stay in one night and abstain from drinking (3) drinks at The Libertine. That will easily get you some cool robots, Ugly Dolls, or a slinky. You’ll probably also avoid a hangover too – so you’re welcome.

Speaking of toys – LEGO. Pick your favorite collection and build it. The obvious recommendation is the Architecture Series, but you can also build your Star Wars Empire, go all Hufflepuff with the Harry Potter Collection or the laughable Pirates of Caribbean. Seriously, I will laugh at you if you buy a LEGO Jack Sparrow. Don’t be an idiot.

Yavin 4's Massassi Temple

Of course I’m going to plug RobotoWear. It’s our local clothing company, inspired by Robots and totally geek hip. I plan on owning the entire collection. And you should own at least one piece. Sure, your closet is packed with Lacoste and Nautica polos, but wouldn’t a Robot polo be cooler? I rest my case. And honestly you have enough disposable income. Just buy something. “The 22-hour polo. Wear it 14 hours at your startup, then head out for 8 hours of sushi, cigars and late night texting.”

The Standard: For Men

Sunglasses. Own a lot of them. Mix them up according to your mood, style, occasion, or weather. Own a pair of aviators and then go crazy. I like sunglasses because when I run errands I can match them with a hoodie and headphones. I’m guaranteed to not run into or talk to anyone.

And finally. No birthday would be complete without a good dessert. And I am a god damn expert on desserts. Acceptable birthday sweets are Carrot Cake, Coconut or Banana Cream Pie, Raspberry Napoleon Cake, something with Marzipan and in very rare cases, a Cannoli shipped from southern Italy. Don’t buy the horribly processed cake from a supermarket. It may look good, but so do a lot of things in the right light. You know what I’m talking about.

Carrot Cake I made

Thanks for reading. I’m off to rework my birthday list.

Lots of coffee in Japan

A lot of people complain about the bus ride. I get that. It’s two hours out of a day when you’re already jet lagged and working. But I love it.

It presents an hour to think. To listen to music. To rest. To relax. To see Japan.

Utsunomiya to Motegi

The ride takes you from a city through commercial areas, into residential and then rural, then to a racetrack. The countryside is beautiful and the surroundings foreign. The signage to me is illegible. It’s the epitome of being in a foreign land. As an anthropology student, I’ve always appreciated the differences in cultures, environments, languages and traditions. This bus ride reminds me of that. And I get to think.

Anyway, enough of me loving the world. Here’s that bus ride, condensed to 5 minutes-ish. Do I know my audience or what?

Early next morning at the airport (hungover), I searched for fluids to begin the healing process. No stores were open. This only led me to Vending Machines. And so an obsession began. This was the first Japanese Vending Machine I met.

Vending Machine 1

Last year, I returned to Japan for my first real trip and I vowed to pay homage to these glowing, robot-like machines. I frequented them often. I tried almost everything I could. And completely sober, I realized I had a greater appreciation for them. So one night in Tokyo, around midnight, I ventured out to find the perfect vending machine(s) shot. And I think I found it. At the encouragement of a friend, I even wrote about it and submitted it to the New York Times.

Vending Machine Land

Now I’m back for a 3rd time, feeling like an expert on Japanese Vending Machines – eagerly submitting my shots to the Flickr Group with the same name. I confidently select any beverage – it could be tea, coffee, a cola with gel bits, juice, an energy drink. Even a beer if that’s what you fancy.

2011 Vending Machine

I still have a few days left and I’m still looking for ‘the’ vending machine to photograph. It’s like a pilgrimage at this point. I may find it on this trip, it may take several more. But along the way, I’m enjoying every minute of it – camera in hand and selecting a beverage that never fails to surprise. That’s what exploring is all about.

I write a lot about photography and Flickr You can see a lot of my my posts regarding them, here. I also did a ton of analysis and interpretation of how IndyCar uses Flickr, here. I guess I’m trying to prove my Flickr street creds.

As I write in the Ohio Heat on this Saturday evening, I thought it appropriate to share some images that have inspired me recently. Yes, on Flickr. So enjoy some of my recent thoughts, obsessions, inspirations and the images behind them.

Another Pete Rock remix....

I don’t think any other artist from any other discipline has inspired me as much as Pete Rock has recently. I’m slightly embarrassed by the play count in my iTunes library. Think Twice, What You Say, Don’t You Love It and They Reminisce Over You have been way overplayed. Listen to any of these songs and you’ll get an immediate understanding of his music – complicated combinations of diverse musical backgrounds, sampled into an elegant, catchy unforgettable beat. Any of his stuff – 90′s hip hop, jazz inspired or his instrumentals will reveal this.  Pete Rock would play my soundtrack (if I had one), open up for my Hip Hop Chop pilot, and definitely host RobotoWear’s first big party. I’ll be in touch.

This next shot considers reinvention, travel, movement, the future. Sterile, perfectly constructed, a sense of speed and great design. What a superb photo. And I love lines. I’m headed down this path, watch out.

So many lines

Sometimes you look to the future for inspiration (like the pic above) and sometimes you look to the past. This photo of the Louvre is a reminder of what is meaningful, what creativity means, and what is possible. Avoir une araignée au plafond!

The inspirational Louvre

Well, I don’t want to be that guy that includes his own photo in his own post….but I am. I had never been in a helicopter before, in fact, the very thought kind of scared me. They basically haven’t changed since Da Vinci’s sketches. There are pedals and levers and a joystick. Baffling. But I had the opportunity and I didn’t hesitate. This image represents opportunities and facing fears. How’s that for deep?

V is for Victory

And finally….have a good night.

Love this card - someone's sobriety journal

I know the racing culture very well. Mainly because of my father. I’ve come to have immense respect for the mechanics that work on teams and the photographers that capture such captivating imagery. I could never be a mechanic (I can barely handle something from IKEA) and I only dabble in photography. So I quietly respect from afar.

I can’t hold a disposable camera to my photographic colleagues from the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, LAT Photo USA, Japan media, Firestone, local media and many, many more. But today I was a willing and very, very happy imposter. In fact it was unforgettable. I went out in the field and actually shot cars at speed. For real.

Dude, I shot the start of a race

I walked over the Turn 1 with my colleague Shawn Gritzmacher (who convinced me to do it in the first place), my camera body, a mono pod, and THE BIGGEST LENS I’ve ever seen – a Canon 500mm. It was the size of a miniature pony, and like a miniature pony, I wasn’t even sure how to hold it (that’s what she said).

How would you pick this up?

Fortunately Shawn gave me some tips and helped me set up the camera levels, as did Dennis Ashlock from Firestone. I practiced as the cars did their pace laps and shot away for the start. See first image above – not the cute pony. Cars flew into the corner and I fired off probably 20 clicks. Wow.

I then hightailed it about 50 yards to another vantage point in the first corner. This was a completely different challenge. With less space, less of a focal point, and less time to compose – I had to frame my shots perfectly to even grab something usable. Think about it – was I going to return to the media center without some good shots? No way. So I probably took 150 shots with a solid .03% success rate.

Not too bad, huh?

This experience was exhilarating. And more difficult than it looks. I had professional equipment, professional mentoring and some experience with a camera at a race track. It still took me shot after shot and lap after lap. I was surrounded by men and women that were grabbing money shots left and right. I felt like Leonardo DiCaprio in Catch Me If You Can.

An accidentally cool/hot shot

I didn’t want to leave turn 1 and head back inside. But I did. As I walked back to media center carrying my 500mm miniature pony, I noticed a immovable smirk on my face. I had rubbed elbows with some of my heroes. Unforgettable.

Hilarious off track, brilliant on - Will Power

THANK YOU.

So I had 250 words to: “Share your best travel photos and tell us the back story. Where did you go and why? What’s happening in your photo? What does it mean to you? A selection of the top images will appear in the Travel section.” It took me no time to pick a pic and write.

So here is my image and my reasoning behind the shot and selection. Enjoy. PS – not sure if the NYT’s picked it or not.

Vending Machine Land

For many years I’ve dreamt of visiting Tokyo and there were many reasons for this.

Sushi (Yum). Electronics (I’m a geek). Robots (I collect them). Anime (It’s cool). Fashion (It’s so unique). Lights (It creates a great atmosphere) Bustle (The energy). Culture (I studied anthropology). Foreign (I speak English). And vending machines (It’s a culmination of the above).

I had less than 24 hours in Tokyo this past September and I enjoyed every second of it. I walked. I walked a lot. And I carried my camera everywhere, looking for any possible moment to capture.

I took pictures of the electronic and shopping districts. Train stations. My lunch. Various views. Street scenes. Hotels. Shops. You name it.

I also stopped at countless vending machines. Sometimes I knew exactly what I was getting. Other times it was a complete surprise. Now, that’s traveling.

I love this picture. I love that the frame is filled. I purposely shot this without a flash because I wanted to capture the glow of the friendly, robot-like machines. I love that it says COMICTORANOANA. I have no idea what it means – I love these moments.

I grabbed this shot late at night in a Akihabara – kind of the electronic, anime, fashion area. These vending machines represent all of that to me…in a weird sort of way.

I returned to Akihabara the next day and it was packed. The vending machines looked completely different in daylight. I’m glad I found them late at night, alone.

I loved my time in the museum field. I will always look back with fond memories and understand that it was a critical period of my professional life. It was a time to make mistakes, learn, take risks and importantly, deliver success. But I don’t miss it. I left at the perfect time.

Before I left I got to present in New Zealand

There are considerable differences between the museum field and the for-profit racing industry. In my current role, ‘more’ comes to mind. More projects, more content, more deadlines, more expectations, more opportunities and so on. These are all good challenges. I’m in a smaller team but with more resources. More/larger departments to interact with, across more companies and stakeholders, more collaborative relationships with drivers, teams, race tracks and sponsors. More. In fact, I’ve never seen so much content in my life. Speed comes to mind too – which is an obvious parallel to draw, but it’s true. Everything happens in a New York Minute. In the museum field, I remember working with exhibition calendars planned 3 years out. In racing, we have that kind of planning, but there’s also intermediate, current, pressing and last minute schedules. It’s an amazing juggling act that is sometimes smooth as glass and sometimes rough as sandpaper.And when you work online, you have to respond instantly. I’ve never worked so many hours in my life, or been awake and such strange times. I’ve slept with my laptop countless times, sat in a million meetings, traveled at the drop of a hat, over committed, barely hit (and missed) deadlines, consumed lots of energy drinks and so on.

You can catch me in the mirror

The bigger the challenge the greater the reward. That’s what I love about this job. As a museum professional, I felt a similar objective – be the best, be innovative, develop projects that would change the field, be immensely proud. I did all of these things. Which is why I can look back with no regrets. It was an incredible career.

Museum me, in Havana

Racing presented all of the same challenges and a higher peak. It was also an opportunity to follow in my father’s footsteps (albeit, in my own way).It was the chance to challenge myself in new (masochistic) ways, develop huge projects, trail blaze, test myself and so on. So far so good.

My approach to new media or technology hasn’t changed. I’m geeky but not a full geek. I’m not terribly technical. I believe in the experience over the technology. I believe in providing a real personality through a digital experience. Content and design should be simple. Storytelling is key. And, it’s always about the visitor or customer or fan. I’ll never budge from these beliefs.

The job has been a 15 month challenge, involving almost every conceivable emotion. I’m tougher, smarter, more strategic, more willing to take a risk, more productive, and a business person. It’s exactly what I needed.

Producing with Gordon Ramsay

I’m proud of lots of projects already. The work we’re doing on Flickr is outstanding. The Greatest 33 was a perfect example of engaging an online community and challenging them to feed the site’s supplemental content. Analytics (kind of boring) has been fascinating, and our web numbers are through the roof. Producing video content, determining new approaches to our video distribution and rethinking what fans want to see has also been a positive transformation. Social Media has grown over 300% in just over a year – damn impressive (and I don’t even really like social media). Photography has changed a lot in the past year, and it now features edgier, diverse imagery for our sites and fans. I could also discuss our WAP successes, new approaches to our Verizon IndyCar Mobile App, a QR Code program and influencing public relations and publications. A lot to celebrate.

I won’t be in racing forever. I’ll move into another job/field at some point. That part is hard to predict. Is there an equation or algorithm? Art museum + racing industry = ___________. Either way, I’ll be ready for the next big challenge. And I’ll be sure to look back on what I accomplish in racing with pride.

In the meantime, I’m going to continue putting my creativity and motivation into creating the next big project. I wouldn’t have it any other way.

A determined look (Danica Patrick)