These paintings are the works of Jordan Dobrow.

Jordan Dobrow is a senior at Milton High School in Milton, GA. She aspires to become an architect and eventually own an architectural design business. Jordan has a strong aptitude for math and strong creative skills. From a very young age, she began constructing three dimensional models and building structures in the back yard. Her ability to imagine, draw and build her visions continues to grow. In her senior year, Jordan has enjoyed her class in advanced drawing and painting. This portfolio presents her work including some works in progress.

The art work was photographed by Sam Dobrow.

On Sunday, March 3 from 5:30 PM, Vera Wang luxury bridal fashions hit the runway in Miami with an exclusive debut at the Mandarin Oriental hotel on Brickell Key. The dresses come straight from the New York runway show and will remain in Miami for a week so attendees can get a close up look and purchase one for their own wedding.

Modern Luxury Brides South Florida and The Caribbean hosted the first ever “Evening of Bridal Luxury.” The event, catering to upscale brides, was unlike any other in the market and offered guests the only chance to see the 2013 Vera Wang Bridal Collection on the runway in South Florida. The event began with complimentary cocktails by Remy Cointreau and bites by the culinary experts at the Mandarin Oriental, Miami, while guests perused a gallery of favorite wedding moments shot by the area’s top photographers. Attendees were then escorted into the ballroom for the much-anticipated Vera Wang runway show, which highlighted the designer’s 2013 collection. After the show, attendees were ushered into the ballroom for a KARLA Conceptual Event Experiences showcase featuring some of the most luxurious décor trends in bridal for the upcoming season. There, sounds by Scratch Weddings and a special performance by LITUS Music provided unique entertainment, perfect for the bride who wants something different for her big day.

Fairchild Tropical Botanical Gardens recently finished the construction of a butterfly conservatorium and science center. Moth and butterfly pupae are imported from Asia and South America under strict regulation by the US Department of Agriculture, hatched, and released daily into the screened atrium. Inside the atrium is a specially engineered butterfly garden complete with flowering plants, stream, and humidity controls. The butterflies are denied necessary hosts for breeding and die after a few days. Employees and volunteers who work at the entrance and exit undergo extensive training to assure no butterflies are released into the environment. Each entry and exit point has a transition chamber where people are inspected to assure none of the insects have hitched a ride out of the atrium. These photos were made with a Canon 100mm f/2.8L Macro lens and 5D MkII camera shooting at ISO 1600, 1/80th sec, f/16-22 for maximum depth of field.

Photos taken walking along Ocean Drive, South Beach, Miami Beach, Florida during Art Deco Weekend 2013. These images are all post processed using HDR technology and are new additions to the “South Beach Experience” collection.

The Florida Everglades National Park is home to many species of wildlife which can be experienced close-up. These photos were taken on a reconnaissance visit to the Shark Valley visitors center. We started a bit late in the day and arrived around 2PM. There is a 15 mile bike path which is also used by walkers and a sightseeing tram. Before starting out on your walking or biking expedition, be sure to use your sunscreen and bring plenty of drinking water. Even in winter, this is Florida and you will get sunburned as well as dehydrated.

The “Loop Road” starts out from the visitors center heading due south in a straight line for seven miles along a canal where many alligators can be seen. On this visit dozens were sunning along the side of the roadway. Signs warn to keep 15 feet distance from the alligators and not to harass them but there are some crazy people who let their toddlers walk right up to these giant creatures. I am surprised we didn’t see one of these toddlers get eaten – I guess the gators were well fed, most looked quite fat!

When approaching the observation tower it can be seen for at least 3 miles and it seems to be closer than it actually is. Once you get there, there are restrooms but no potable water sources. At the bike racks are signs warning people not to leave valuables in their bike packs, but not for the usual reasons. It seems that the criminals at this location are the crows! Yes, the signs warn that crows are clever animals who know how to open zippers and steal shiny objects from the bikers.

From the top of the tower wilderness spreads out in all directions as far as the eye can see. To me, it looked like pictures of the African Savannah – flat open space with golden grass and occasional clusters of trees known as “hammocks” where the elevation is slightly higher than the water table. Everywhere else is marsh land flowing with crystal clear water originating from Lake Okeechobee.

The return route on the Loop Road winds through the grasslands where there are more birds and less alligators. The winding road adds an additional mile to the return trip. Since the day was getting late, temperatures were dropping, and we had a good headwind there was little time to explore the second leg. We just completed our workout finishing the entire trip in about three hours. Next visit, I’ll start earlier so I can meander around and experience more of the wildlife. I also plan to bring a polarizing filter with 100mm macro lens to capture some of the details of the wildlife. The sun is bright and the light is harsh so be prepared to handle high contrast scenes. I purchased a $25 annual pass which allows me to bring as many people with me as I can fit into my car so I shall return with guests. Get your bikes ready!

The US homicide rates were 6.9 times higher than rates in the other high-income countries, driven by firearm homicide rates that were 19.5 times higher. For 15-year olds to 24-year olds, firearm homicide rates in the United States were 42.7 times higher than in the other countries. For US males, firearm homicide rates were 22.0 times higher, and for US females, firearm homicide rates were 11.4 times higher. The US firearm suicide rates were 5.8 times higher than in the other countries, though overall suicide rates were 30% lower. The US unintentional firearm deaths were 5.2 times higher than in the other countries. Among these 23 countries, 80% of all firearm deaths occurred in the United States, 86% of women killed by firearms were US women, and 87% of all children aged 0 to 14 killed by firearms were US children.

This study confirms that our “gun culture” reduces our safety rather than improves our safety. In recent years, the frequency of mass murders using firearms against innocent civilians has increased dramatically. Many times the perpetrator is determined to be mentally unstable or seeking revenge in the case or workplace or domestic violence. The perpetrators are able to obtain firearms and weapons designed for military assaults with little questioning or delay. Guns are readily obtainable for cash at gun shows. It is time that we Americans put some reasonable restrictions on gun ownership.

I am not going to debate the interpretation or intent of the Second Amendment’s clause “A well regulated militia being necessary to the security of a free state, the right of the people to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed.” I will acknowledge that with our long history of gun ownership, guns will continue to be part of American culture. But, as firearm technology has advanced the ability to create weapons of mass killing, we as a society must adapt the mechanisms by which we allow people to obtain these weapons. Just as we permit teenagers to drive an automobile with training and education, we can promote gun safety through licensing, education, and training.

Under Article 1 Section 8 of the Constitution “To regulate Commerce with foreign Nations, and among the several States, and with the Indian Tribes;” Congress has the authority to regulate the sale of firearms. With that authority, I am advocating that laws be passed to increase the education and experience required to own a firearm. Owners of firearms should be licensed to own and carry. They should also be held responsible for actions carried out using their registered firearm, whether by themselves or others, with or without their knowledge/permission. This type of regulation would not conflict with the right to bear arms but it would require that people who do choose to own firearms understand the responsibility and dangers of ownership. We need national leadership from Congress on this issue or criminals will just find states with lax laws to buy their weapons and transport them to your neighborhood.

I propose that Firearms be classified by their designed use. Categories might include handguns, semi-automatic handguns, hunting rifles, sniper rifles, semi-automatic rifles, machine guns, paramilitary, military, etc. Each class would require a specific education and training program. Individuals who want to be licensed to own a firearm would be required to progress through different levels of firearm training based on the “danger level” of the weapons in the category. For example, to obtain a paramilitary weapons license, an individual would be required to pass basic gun safety, handgun operator license, hunting license, semi-automatic weapons license, and paramilitary license. Licenses should be identified in terms of sequential “series licenses” such as Series 1, Series 2, Series 3, Series 4, etc. where each series requires passing the educational and ownership interval period of the prior series before being issued the next series license.

Obtaining certification would be required before purchasing a firearm. Each license would require a period of active use, perhaps 6-12 months under the supervision of an appropriately licensed instructor. Once an application was filed for a license, the individual would submit to a FBI background investigation and would be approved only with a clean criminal record. To maintain the license, the individual would be required to renew the license each 1-2 years, maintain their current address on file, and declare all firearms in their possession. Licenses would also carry a license fee with the funds going toward administrative costs, gunshot trauma centers, and safety awareness campaigns.

When a firearm was purchased, the seller would be required to verify the buyer identity and current status of the firearm license listed in a national database. The seller would then be required to transfer ownership of the firearm from the seller to the license holder in the national database. When ammunition was sold the same process would apply requiring the seller to register the sale of ammunition to a firearm already registered to the owner in the national database. People would not be allowed to purchase ammunition for a firearm that they do not own or have not properly registered. Ammunition sales could be electronically regulated and monitored the same way over the counter medications (like Sudafed) are monitored to discourage illegal manufacture of methamphetamine. Realistic limits on the amount of ammunition sold over a specific time period could be implemented which would require premeditated hoarding to perpetrate a mass killing spree resulting in stronger convictions for capital crimes.

Education and training would cover all aspects of gun ownership beginning with gun safety, legal implications of gun ownership, use/practice with firearms, and gun cleaning/maintenance. The purpose would be to reduce the number of accidents as well as to assure mentally unstable or criminal people do not have easy access to weapons. Whenever a crime involving a firearm occurred, the registered owner would be held responsible for the safety and security of the weapon whether or not they actually were the shooter. This provision would instill a greater care in securing firearms from unauthorized use and limit the market for illegal firearm sales. Owners would be required to immediately file a police report any time a weapon was stolen or lost. A police report or properly registered bill of sale would be required to remove/transfer the firearm from a licensed owner’s inventory. Firearm manufacturers would be required to register every firearm manufactured and the sale of the firearm would require the firearm being properly registered in the national firearm registry.

Implementation of the licensing would require mandatory registration and licensing of all currently owned firearms as well as obtaining the proper license within a specified time period, perhaps 1-2 years depending of the series license required; after which time possession of an unregistered firearm or possession without a license would be a crime.

This approach will not in and of itself prevent the type of mass killing we have seen on the rise and it will not prevent crime involving guns but it will put a serious dent in the problem.

If you agree with me on this issue, challenge the NRA grip on Congress! Please share with your friends and send the link for this page to your congressman demanding they pass legislation to license gun ownership requiring substantial education and training to own a firearm. You can easily contact your Congressman using this look-up page.