2008 Hummer H2

Winter isn’t generally the most friendly time of year to photograph your vehicle, but snow makes things pretty as long as you can keep it off your paint!

This excellent condition Hummer in the final year of the H2’s production run is going up for sale soon, and I captured an exhaustive set of photos for its sale on auction platforms like Bring A Trailer.  It’s been a very long time since I was last in a Hummer, and capturing this example reminded me of why people love them so much - very comfy in any seat, and spacious with room for all your stuff to spare.

Do not contact J. David Buerk - Photography for sale inquiries.

Kaiser Permanente • We Don’t Have Time: Connecting Climate Change and Health

On June 7th, 2023, Kaiser Permanente, partnered with We Don’t Have Time, launched the Connecting Climate Change and Health series.  The event aimed to spotlight crucial themes like air quality, extreme weather, and their effects on individual and community health, including health equity.  Special guests from prominent organizations participated, discussing the integration of health and health equity into climate action planning for national business leaders across various industries.

Speakers included Candace Vahlsing, Climate, White House Office of Management and Budget, Greg A. Adams, Chair and Chief Executive Officer, Kaiser Permanente, Regina Benjamin, MD, MBA, 18th U.S. Surgeon General, 2009-2013, Rhea Goswami, Founder and Executive Director, Environmental Justice Coalition, Adrienne Hollis, PhD, JD, Vice President, Environmental Justice, Public Health, and Community Revitalization, National Wildlife Federation, Ivor Braden Horn, MD, MPH, Director of Health Equity and Product Inclusion, Google, Andrew Moose, MBA, Head of Health and Wellness, World Economic Forum, Denise Naguib, Global Vice President, Sustainability and Supplier Diversity, Marriott International, Kevin Rabinovitch, Global Vice President, Sustainability and Chief Climate Officer, Mars, and Samantha Ahdoot, MD, Climate Change and Children’s Health, American College of Pediatrics.

Kaiser Permanente: Building Support for Public Health

On March 29th, 2023, Kaiser Permanente underscored the lessons learned from the COVID-19 pandemic and emphasizes the need to address gaps in the U.S. public health infrastructure. It introduced three multi-sector initiatives to improve public health.

1. Health Care Industry Coalition: Leading healthcare organizations, including AHIP, Alliance of Community Health Plans, American Hospital Association, American Medical Association, and Kaiser Permanente, are forming a coalition to enhance connectivity between public health agencies and the healthcare system. The focus includes building connectivity, ensuring emergency preparedness, establishing interoperable public health standards, and modernizing public health data systems.

2. Partnerships Between Community-Based Organizations (CBOs) and Public Health Agencies: The CDC Foundation, along with Kaiser Permanente and various CBOs, aims to optimize relationships between public health agencies and CBOs. This involves developing recommendations and roadmaps to strengthen partnerships, especially during public health emergencies.

3. Public Health Services Research Agenda: AcademyHealth, with support from Kaiser Permanente, will engage stakeholders to set a research agenda. The goal is to create a robust evidence base informing interventions, models, and partnerships to improve the public health system.

The overall goal is to reimagine and strengthen the public health system, involving various sectors in addressing urgent challenges identified during the pandemic.

Speakers included Ashish Jha, MD, MPH, White House COVID-19 Response Coordinator, Rochelle P. Walensky, MD, MPH Director, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Rick Pollack, President & CEO, American Hospital Association (AHA), Judy Monroe, President & CEO, CDC Foundation, among others.

Kaiser Permanente • HAVI: Reducing Gun Violence in America

The Role of Health Care Sector and Community-Based Solutions

On January 26th, 2023, Kaiser Permanente announced its is intensifying its efforts to combat the escalating issue of gun violence in America with a $25 million investment in its Center for Gun Violence Research and Education.  In response to firearms recently surpassing motor vehicle accidents as the leading cause of injury and death among young Americans, Kaiser Permanente aims to address this public health crisis through care innovation, research, education, and partnerships.  The organization will collaborate with the Health Alliance for Violence Intervention (HAVI) to focus on hospital-based violence intervention programs and community collaborations.  The five-year commitment will fund prevention research, education initiatives, and community projects to mitigate the devastating mental and physical health impacts of gun violence, with a particular emphasis on addressing underlying risk factors and promoting racial equity.

Baby Amelia - Newborn Lifestyle Portraits

This past October, Mahsa and Peyman welcomed their baby girl Amelia into the world with much excitement!  You’ll remember seeing their late-Summer Maternity Photos last month at a nearby botanical garden.

Newborns, as you followers know, are not my most common photography focus, but I’ve been knowledgeable about the precious genre for quite some time, having assisted a friend in another market with her newborn business and aiding retouching many of her photos; baby Amelia marks my third newborn photography session of my own, and I’m feeling more confident expanding this area of family photography!

For newborns, you typically want to capture them in the first week or two, when they are still flexible from the womb and peacefully sleepy, which are both key for allowing many of the most desired poses.  Due to scheduling, we missed that early window, and captured Amelia at 25 days old - it’s impressive how quickly babies grow muscles!  Amelia is strong, and was managing to unwrap herself and could somewhat propel herself on our set by her feet if you gave her a hand to push against.

We started with a crocheted baby quilt made and gifted by a relative, and captured other variations, and some loving family care time next.  This was also the day after Mahsa’s birthday, so the family celebrated with cake and tea after Mahsa blew out her candles.

Can’t wait to see how quickly little Amelia grows!