You’ve probably heard of Justin Brannan around the neighborhood. He helps residents cut through red tape to make the government work. Justin is running for the open City Council seat in the 43rd District representing Bay Ridge, Dyker Heights, Bath Beach and parts of Bensonhurst so he can keep fighting for the middle-class and those living paycheck to paycheck.

Justin grew up in the shadow of the Verrazzano Bridge and has always called this community home. This is where he and his wife, Leigh own a small business and where his mom, Mary, has been an educator for over 30 years. Helping others is his passion and with your support, he hopes to continue doing that in an official capacity as your next councilmember.

I've known Justin for almost 25 years, and am proud to have photographed him for his current campaign. Please take a moment to visit http://www.justin2017.com to see what he's about and how he can help our community.

United States Air Force Thunderbird F-16s, flying over the Verrazano Bridge in Brooklyn, New York.

I had the opportunity to shoot a portrait of artist John Avelluto today in Brooklyn. Always a pleasure to work with him!

John was born and raised in Gravesend, Brooklyn, attended high school in Bay Ridge, where he currently with his wife and two lovely daughters. A first generation Italian-American, John has always been immersed in food culture, both at home and professionally. He worked for his father, Domenico Avelluto, at his two successful restaurants, first Mazzei on the Upper East Side and then Hostaria Mazzei in Port Chester, and spent two and a half years talking about fancy grapes at Long’s Wines and Liquors in Bay Ridge. John earned an MFA in painting from Brooklyn College, often mixing the concepts of food and art in the restaurant and his studio. With a specialty in faux painting and a wicked sense of humor, John’s paintings have awed audiences and garnered critical acclaim in ink and the blogosphere. A long time advocate of the arts, John is a founder of the 5th Ave Storefront Art Walk (SAW). After talking about food and grape for years, John is thrilled to be the proprietor of a dedicated wine bar in his neighborhood.

Thanks to Carlos Ramirez at No Echo for publishing my set of Candiria photos from their one-off show in Brooklyn last week! No Echo is THE BEST music website out there, and they deserve your support!

http://www.noecho.net/features/candiria-2015-reunion-show-exclusive-photos

69th Street Pier. Bay Ridge, Brooklyn.

I took almost 100 photos before I remembered that I had half of a bagel in my camera bag to feed the birds with- a minute later, I had the shot!