michaelfranken.com Blog

2010 Union County Music Festival

Michael — Tue, 13 Mar 2012 01:50:33 +0000

In very rare instances, New Jersey hosts music festivals that bring in a lot of artists I enjoy listening to. Thankfully, in 2010, Union County hosted one of these. Bands in attendance were Soul Asylum, The Zombies, OK Go, Suzanne Vega, Mike Peters & Friends, 61 North…as well as Spoon, Robert Randolph and the Family Band, Nils Lofgren Acoustic Duo, Jesse Malin and the St. Marks Social, and The Bravery. It was perfect weather for great music.

Athens, Greece

Michael — Tue, 13 Mar 2012 00:51:57 +0000

So much history is evident in Athens. I was able to take a few days at the beginning of 2011 to explore around the city and see various areas. Here are some photos from that trip.

Santorini, Greece

Michael — Tue, 13 Mar 2012 00:40:35 +0000

Rachel and I visited Santorini, Greece in January 2011. Visiting in the off-season has a benefit of empty streets, lower prices, and great opportunities to photograph without many people in the photos. I do plan on returning during a warmer time.

Cairo, Egypt

Michael — Fri, 09 Mar 2012 03:16:19 +0000

In January 2011, Rachel and I traveled to Egypt to see one of the most amazing sites in the world, the Pyramids of Giza. The scenery did not disappoint and we were in awe to be in the midst of such history. We also were able to tour the city center of Cairo, visiting such places as the Egyptian Museum, the Khan El-Khalili Market, and various other places. Two weeks after we left, Egypt went into revolt and it led to a mass exodus of tourists.

NBC and Rugby World Cup Press Conference

Michael — Tue, 14 Feb 2012 01:53:49 +0000

Before the Churchill Cup Finals in Harrison, New Jersey, USA Rugby approached me to photograph a press conference in New York City where NBC was announcing they would be covering the Rugby World Cup in 2011. It was an amazing experience for me, a rugby fan, to be up close and personal with the Webb Ellis Cup, the World Cup given out every four years to the best rugby team in the world.

USA Soccer vs. Colombia

Michael — Tue, 14 Feb 2012 00:20:20 +0000

In 2011, I was given a photo pass to a match between the United States and Colombia. This was my first time in PP&L Park in Philadelphia, and it is a great stadium to photograph in. Plus, the Philadelphia fans were loud throughout the night. Sadly, the game ended in a 0-0 tie, but it was still a great matchup with many scoring opportunities.

Southern California

Michael — Mon, 13 Feb 2012 02:59:57 +0000

In October 2011, I traveled out to Los Angeles to take part in the Bike MS: Coastal Challenge. Before and after the ride, I drove around the area taking photos at places like the Salton Sea, in Mexico for about two hours, and many places along the coast. I am excited to travel back out there this October to do the bike ride again.

2011 Philadelphia Bike Race

Michael — Mon, 13 Feb 2012 02:40:24 +0000

I have been going to this particular race for years. What started off as just going as a fan, grew into doing photography for some of the teams. The race almost always comes down to a bunch sprint, so it’s always six hours of amazing photographic opportunities.

Bogotá, Colombia

Michael — Mon, 13 Feb 2012 02:30:56 +0000

When a good airfare comes along and I can add an additional country to my list, I take it. This was evident at the beginning of 2012 when I jumped on a very cheap airfare to Bogotá, Colombia for 36 hours. I was able to accomplish quite a bit of sightseeing around the city, and bring back numerous souvenirs for family.

Churchill Cup Rugby

Michael — Mon, 13 Feb 2012 02:07:48 +0000

In 2010, I was asked by USA Rugby to take photos for them at the Churchill Cup Finals at the Red Bull Arena in Harrison, New Jersey. I jumped at the offer for a photo pass and a chance to watch a sport I love, from the sidelines of the field. The best part was that there were three matches scheduled on the day.