zen photographer

Photography Records

2011-03-03T22:30:00.001-08:00

Hello,

I haven't really blogged on this or any sites for awhile. But my new site is www.photographyrecords.com and I am working on a new personal project blog geared toward humor photography--telling jokes through photographs.

Relocated site, check it out

2010-02-11T10:33:00.000-08:00

Hello blog world people! I have a new photo site/blog at www.marvinphoto.com which is a business specializing in events and portraits with a documentary style.

I made the switch to Wordpress because of its customizing abilities. It's pretty amazing how versatile it is, but it still takes some tinkering... Goodbye blogger, Hello wordpress!!

Engagement photos with available light

2009-09-22T13:04:00.000-07:00

The smugmug meeting that I attended had some engaged couples and models for us to experiment with portrait lighting. I did a lot of off-camera flash shots but the ones that I liked the most were available light.

Wedding photojournalism

2009-08-17T19:23:00.017-07:00

I was looking through a wedding I did for a friend, Andrea. I really want to shoot more weddings documentary-style again. It's fun to know that you are playing a role in capturing the memories on such a momentous day.

Portfolio

2009-06-20T23:10:00.008-07:00

Shooting some track

2009-05-06T10:37:00.002-07:00

Track is all really new to me, so I've been trying learn more about the different events to get ideas as to where it might be interesting to shoot from, etc.

I kept going back and forth with the crop on the last one. I know a lot of people would say that the red guy in the right corner is distracting, but it's almost like he's looking in awe at the hurdler. And I just like how the red fits in with the top of that cloud. It's like the hurdler is jumping from clouds.

It was like a monsoon this day. But track still continued.

This sports rain shooting can get kind of old, but the pictures are usually more telling. Thankfully, I can use the paper's Nikon equipment, which supposedly is more weather resistant... and besides its covered by the paper.

Glimpses of green

2009-05-04T12:46:00.002-07:00

I see green grass again. It's neat being about to shoot people outside again in nice weather. People really seem to enjoy the warmth that much more here because of the rough winters.

The last one is from a church garden being built for the community. So he's not just sitting there watching a bobcat move around. Well, I guess he sort of is, but that's not the sole reason he's there.

Baseball feature

2009-05-04T12:36:00.003-07:00

Since it's baseball season we've been out there in the dugouts waiting for action. Sometimes the stuff going around away from the action is just more interesting.

"Sometimes you put walls up not to keep people out, but to see who cares enough to break them down."

--Anonymous

Exercising

2009-04-28T09:02:00.001-07:00

It's getting a bit warmer out. It was nice the other day, in the 80s, but then it shot back down to the 40s with the rains. It would be nice if it would stay warm so I could actually take pictures of people enjoying the weather outside.

A few minutes after shooting this feature it started pouring and the bikers fled--or biked I guess. I think the weather is central to the photo though. Without the clouds framing him it wouldn't really stand out.

For this Earth Day event, I followed a Girl Scout troop. This wasn't the one that ran, but I just like it for eye candy. Sort of simple, but I just like how she fits in with the road and the way she's walking.

The personal trainer, right, was pretty intense. He even had me do a few exercises. Made me want to punch him... haha. He was about my height, but with so much energy. He apparently was a British commando before he came to the Monroe, MI to marry his wife. Strangely interesting fellow.

Portraits, portraits, portraits

2009-04-26T15:56:00.002-07:00

I've been shooting more portraits lately. The only thing I hate is having to bring the tripod, strobes, umbrellas, etc. It gets tiring carrying that as well as the camera gear.

I was lucky that there was some curtain background along the walls of the auditorium. Made it cleaner and has a play feel. This was for Fiddler on the Roof.

These are some soccer stars that also happen to be running track.

I'm not sure why I like this one even with her eyes closed. I think it's because it seems relaxed. It was an incredibly windy day to do the portraits and when I had them lay down, they complained about the sun, so we searched for shade the best we could. I like the closed eyes.

A bit cliche, but good for the daily. It was also funny because a second after taking the last picture and saying I was done, they all separated. Then gravity took over. Since I was right below it, it hit me square on the face. Actually hit my glasses. Luckily my emo glasses were not damaged, but my feelings were. j/k.

My job is cool, at least kids think so

2009-04-22T20:14:00.003-07:00

As I walked in the apartment office to pay the rent today. The landlady's son asked me if I take pictures. I'm guessing he noticed the big camera and bag I was toting around.

I told him I took pictures for the newspaper.

"Really!?" he said as he looked and me with those wide eyes that only kids can pull off.

It's nice to remember how cool my job actually is.

God Works! Meal

2009-04-19T18:46:00.003-07:00

An assignment about some honor society kids who volunteer to give some free meals to anyone that needs it in the community. Unfortunately I had to leave for another assignment and only had like 10 minutes to get a picture of anybody sitting down at the tables. I had to leave before the main course was even served...

I did manage to get one frame I liked. It looks like she's in some product placement ad.

Setting the tables. His shirt reminds me a bit of Waldo from Where's Waldo. I wonder if it was based on a real person. My brother, Neil, reminds me of Waldo a bit.

Easter Egg hunt

2009-04-06T17:11:00.002-07:00

Easter Egg hunts are pretty hectic. I didn't realize how many kids were actually going to turn up. And on top of that their parents often went with them to get the eggs, which weren't even hidden. They were just scattered on the grass. That sort takes the fun out of it I think. Oh well. Most of the stuff that I liked from my take were between the hunts.

The one above was overexposed, but now I sort of like it with its flaws over saturated with highlights blown out.

The boy was throwing a fit because he wanted to run at the eggs immediately.

Cinderella

2009-04-04T19:26:00.004-07:00

I didn't know there were elves in Cinderella. I always seem to get Cinderella and Snow White mixed up. The elves and their ears.

Bumblebees and bugs. It was amusing seeing the director trying to explain exactly how she wanted her to fly.

It's pretty amazing what these ballerinas can do. Just the fact that they can dance around with all of their weight on their toes. Must hurt a lot.

Spring is in the air, or is it?

2009-04-04T19:07:00.004-07:00

It's spring time. Or at least technically it is. Recently it hasn't felt like it. It's been in the 30s...

So that means it's time to shoot baseball and softball. Not really looking forward to it since I don't like the sport too much. I suppose it will be good practice though. Will have to work on my knowledge of the game some as well as hopefully get some patience.

Yeah, I did it. So what. The shot above is probably one of the more stereotypical baseball shots. It's about as common as seeing the basketball portrait through a basketball net. Cool at first, but it gets old fast. I figured I'd try it. I'll probably try it a few more times just to get everything working.

Shot tennis for the first time. It was cold. And I was sitting on the concrete too, which made it seem even colder. I walked around just to get some body heat going. Days like these make me miss Florida weather.

Farm auction closes and benefit concert

2009-03-30T18:39:00.003-07:00

This man may be losing his farm auction. It's some sort of legal matter where since they describe it as a commercial entity in an agricultural district, the township says it must shut down. He's been doing it for several years, so as you might imagine he's pretty upset. He talked a lot about the politics of it. Apparently his old buddy and former business partner is the one doing a lot of the legwork to get him closed down. The same guy also happens to have an auction in town.

This was a concert benefit at a Baptist church. The charity was for Bangkok prostitues and helping them find other opportunities. Many of the prostitutes make jewelry to help raise money for a shelter, food, etc.

This lady was a goldmine as far as taking candids. She didn't seem to mind because she was feeling the praise music. They use tamborines, flags and other things to express themselves during service.

Diverse days

2009-03-30T08:54:00.001-07:00

My job is different everyday... sometimes even the same day. This particularly day I started by shooting an 88-year-old lady who got a surprise ride on a helicopter. It was something she had always wanted to do. Sweet ladies who still have a drive for adventure. I hope I have that curiosity when I'm her age.

I also got to ride one myself for the first time. I rode with her son, Clyde, to the airport where it left from and we rode to the farm. Although I wish I could have seen her reaction upon seeing the chopper for the first time. "Get to the chopper!!"--said like Arnold.

Later that night I shot a cage match. It's the second one I've shot for the paper. It wasn't too bloody this time. It's just insane the amount of energy the guys have.

And after all the punches and kicks and strangle holds, they still have respect for each other.

Waiting

2009-03-24T07:49:00.002-07:00

"You cannot afford to wait for perfect conditions. Goal setting is often a matter of balancing timing against available resources. Opportunities are easily lost while waiting for perfect conditions."

--Gary Ryan Blair

Diving phenom

2009-03-23T13:59:00.002-07:00

Mac Dobbs was voted by the newspaper as the best diver in the region for the second consecutive year. He seemed like a nice guy. Very patient. I kept trying to do this shot of him diving and taking a picture just as he breaks through. It didn't come together right though. The timing/lighting/composition...

He kept doing dive after dive though.

Goodbye basketball season

2009-03-23T13:44:00.003-07:00

This was the last I will shoot of basketball for the season. Dundee reached the regional quarterfinals.

It was an exciting game. The fans were into it the whole time.

These two were actually the last play of the game. If he made the shot and it wasn't swatted away, they would have gone to overtime. So the next frame isn't visually great, but the moment is just crushing. In an ideal world, it would have been cool to shoot from above him looking down as he is reaching for the ball. That ball being swatted away just represents the whole season coming to an end.

Goodbye basketball.

A season's end

2009-03-23T13:28:00.002-07:00

It's been a lot of basketball shooting, carrying the studio light and tripod. But during this game the ceilings were too high, so I just used available light. This was the farthest the Bedford girls have gone--the regional finals.

I didn't realize until I went to the office to edit that her knee got awfully close to the other girl's face. I don't recall seeing the other girl in any sort of pain, so I guess she was alright. But it looks like it could have been a bad hit.

These sort of pictures are always hard to shoot. I'm sure it's not good to be on the receiving end of a camera when you're crying, but it's a part of life. A part of being human.

It shows how much she cares to me more than anything. I don't cry very much, so when I do it's usually regarding somebody or something that really matters to me.

Water, water, everywhere

2009-03-18T08:43:00.003-07:00

Monroe has been hit with some major flooding from the River Raisin. I believe it's the worst in about 25 years. Major roads and bridges were shut down, people's basements were flooded, power was shut down. It was a pretty big deal. I shot some of the cleanup effort and some of the actual flooding, but these are of people and pets just playing in the water after it had receded some.

This is Marley, a German Shepherd, drying off after taking a dive in the cold river.

They kept pushing the limits to see how far they could go. This kid went pretty far. The whole area is a parking lot that overlooks the river.

Girl's basketball sealed with a kiss

2009-03-15T17:19:00.004-07:00

This was a girl's regional game. They are going onto state.

I can't get enough of the girl's expression on the right. She's so much bigger than she is too. A lot of the game she was either blocking or influencing players' shots. And the ball just seems to fumble out of the other girl's hands.

SMCC hockey loses painfully

2009-03-15T17:09:00.002-07:00

This was not only the first hockey game I have shot, but the first I have seen it in person. Everything was new to me. The rhythm and rules to the game are still very unfamiliar, but it was still fun to shoot.

This game was particularly sad though because SMCC, the local team, lost in this regional match 3-2. The thing is they had a 2-0 lead going late into the second period. And then their were some penalties that went in the opponents favor and they made some power plays. It went 2-2 to overtime and then they lost it after a few minutes.

Still there were some nice moments. Like the team manager praying for a win before the start of overtime.

Elvis lives!

2009-03-15T16:48:00.001-07:00

It's amazing the power that Elvis has. After the show about 10 women asked for his autograph and some had him sign hankerchiefs that he wiped his sweat with. Who else has that power.

It was nice to see real expression on somebody who wasn't a kid.

I also got Elvis' contact info because I might do a photo story on him after I finish the project I'm working on--unemployment, which is going fine, I just need to work on it more. Spend time to get those moments that suggest the hardships of unemployment. Maybe things like how they save money, when they pay bills, get groceries, the tiring process of looking for work now...

It will be nice if I get to do this Elvis project before I leave. Something fun and light.

Trying to balance video and stills...

2009-03-08T18:25:00.009-07:00

Lately the newspaper has been stressing video. Which I actually do not oppose, it challenges me to see things differently. Instead of focusing on the moment, you must focus on the action, movement... It's a fun challenge.

I just wish we had some fancier equipment. I know we're tight on budget, but it just seems tacky shooting video on a Nikon L2 point and shoot. But I guess that investment will come in time once we get more people visiting our site for video.

The way she's driving looks like she could easily twist an ankle.

The thing about doing video and stills is that inevitably you're going to miss stuff (as the image above reminds me). It's impossible to know balance the two and not miss something, which I realized the hard way after the fact while shooting video at the end of the game. They were going for an undefeated season, which they accomplished. Not a huge celebration, but some nice emotion that probably could have been a decent still, but I was stuck shooting video with my point and shoot. I knew that if I put down the point and shoot and picked up the camera, more than likely I would have neither a decent still or video. So I finished a decent cut for the video and then picked up my camera. I got it on the video and it sort of capped an ending. But as Bryan was telling me, the reason I am here is to develop my still imagery. The video is just for fun and to keep management happy. Something like 20,000 people look at the newspaper, whereas only about a hundred or so view a given video.

Lesson learned. But I'm sure it will happen again.

Feeling warmth again, kinda feels weird

2009-03-06T13:59:00.004-08:00

Today was the first time since I was in Florida that I felt hot. It feels a little strange because Michigan up to now was cold. That's what I associated with it. I actually rolled down the windows after entering my car because it was hot.

Now I can see grass again and I feel sweat again.

And it's not even that hot. It's 64, which by Florida standards is sorta cold.

The wonder of youth

2009-02-28T15:22:00.003-08:00

This boy reminded me what it was like to shoot a basketball as a kid. He put his whole body into it. I guess since I'm short it's not that different now. When you're young, everything seems much bigger and cooler. Like when I revisit my old elementary school I'm shocked to see how small the playground looks.

Smile for the camera.

I think he was as surprised as I was.

Gun shots at my apartment, drug deal gone bad

2009-02-26T20:32:00.003-08:00

It was a weird morning to say the least. I talked to my landlord about a roach problem in my apartment and then afterward she said, I'm surprised you weren't shooting earlier. And I questioned her.

She told me that there were gun shots last night and the SWAT team/cops were over this morning. She said a reporter and photographer were here earlier. I kind of laughed in disbelief. I had no idea. I thought I heard an argument this morning or night (don't really know if it was related). But I certainly didn't hear gunshots.

When I got to work I joked with Bryan saying, "why didn't you call me? I could have just went downstairs." He was like "I know."

But seriously it is a little close to home. Or I guess in this case it is home. Or my apartment. I mean I do my laundry just above where the shooting happened.

But I guess you always run this sort of risk anywhere. And chances are now that this happened other people will hopefully be less likely to deal drugs in the area. At least that is what I would imagine. It was on the front page today.

http://www.monroenews.com/article/20090226/NEWS01/102269942

The Evolution of Darth Maul and other Star Wars ramblings

2009-02-23T15:36:00.004-08:00

Here is the evolution of Darth Maul. Here he is as an adolescent handling a Nerf gun aiming at Eewoks or something. Even as a young child he wore the same red and black make-up.

You can see in the smirk there is a sign of what is to come.

Here he is as a teen handling a Nerf gun. Apparently the Dark Side likes to use kid-friendly weapons for training. His skill is so great that others crowd around and watch.

After asking this Darth Maul his name and age, I think I may have accidentally embarrassed him. I asked him his name and age as usual. And then clarified by asking, just to make sure your name is blank and you are 18 and you are wearing a Darth Maul mask. I hope he didn't mistake my question for an insult.

It reminded me of Conan O'Brien's Triumph the Insult Comic Dog. There is that one line that I remember when he went to a Star Wars convention. He told a pregnant woman something like during birth will be the last time he sees female genitalia.

And here is an Imperial Stormtrooper being shot at by Nerf ammo.

Jedi training. Look closely and you can see a traitor among them. Well there is the ninja in the middle; he is almost certainly a traitor, but stealthy he is. And to the right is baby Darth Maul swinging a Jedi lightsaber.

Giving away 50,000 pounds of groceries

2009-02-23T15:07:00.002-08:00

This church in Bedford gave away about 50,000 pounds of groceries to anybody who drove by. That's a lot of food. I was expecting there to be a line of people snaking through the building to get the food, but luckily for them it was all boxed and ready. They just drove by and opened their door or trunk to get the groceries.

It was snowing pretty heavy, so it was a good idea. But for photos, it wasn't quite as good. It was a challenge to get the faces/reactions of the recipients of the groceries. They mostly stayed in their cars or were outside for a few moments. So nothing really developed on that end. So I focused more on the volunteers, which was impressive. About 150 helped out.

Taking a quick breather.

Thankfully I used the newspaper's Nikon D2h, which I'm pretty sure is weather sealed so I didn't have to worry about the snow melting and messing up the camera. I didn't want to take my chances by shooting with my Canon 20D.

Again with the kids. They were both carrying a box of groceries and it fell.

Basketball not boring yet...

2009-02-22T16:55:00.003-08:00

You would think I would be tired of shooting basketball by now. I shoot it about two or three times a week. Not quite. Maybe it's partly because I enjoy the sport so much. I think I'm going to start trying to experiment more in the next few games after I have some safe shots for the paper. Maybe try shooting from different areas even though traffic isn't as frequent.

Or maybe trying dragging the shutter or panning.

I like the pattern of red and black. I just wish there was something in the bottom right corner.

Lake Erie Muskrat Run, kids again

2009-02-19T20:28:00.002-08:00

This was one assignment I was not looking forward too. I secretly wished that when I got there they would say it was cancelled because of the snow. The night before it had snowed and it was snowing pretty good when I was driving there. And it was windy. The wind is what gets me. I can tolerate cold weather okay, but the wind is unbearable. But that didn't stop people from running.

I should really stop shooting kids, but I can't help it. They just scream for photos sometimes. Here's a kid's way of stretching. So much more interesting than how adults stretch.

She sprinted and had the lead for the first few moments. But something tells me she didn't sustain it.

Valentine's Day: two very different sides

2009-02-18T20:12:00.003-08:00

I shot a spaghetti dinner for Valentine's Day (or technically pre-V day). I walked and observed for awhile, but kept on coming back to this group. Here are two sides of the same bunch:

It was amusing to see this bunch because it seemed that they kept moving in unison. They would move apart and move together at the same time.

I like the idea of this photo. It didn't quite come together how I wanted, but it's something that I think most guys can relate to. It's like the timeless look of "can we go now?" Like when you're with your girl at the mall and she just keeps shopping, so you sit and wait with your arms crossed.

Kids and their Kinetic Energy

2009-02-15T19:40:00.005-08:00

I know I wrote before that I would make an effort to not take the easy way out and shoot kids all the time, but the assignments were about kids this time. So it was somewhat unavoidable. I guess it is easier to shoot kids not just because they have fewer inhibitions around a camera, but they also play more. They have much more kinetic energy. Ha, I do remember some physics terms.

This was from a fundraiser at an elementary school where they had a raffle where students could win a stuffed animal. This particular one, Russ the T-Rex stood out. I kept trying to get a real moment, but nothing. The kid who claimed it was in sixth grade. Clearly too old to appreciate a huge T-Rex.

Shooting kids at their art exhibition. It was neat to see how kids interpreted different art works. Like Miky here in the yellow (Paddington bear like jacket) had Vincent van Gogh's Sunflower as his model. I saw some that just went in another direction and had just a flower with no pot. Or with the plant parts everywhere. Kids art is cool. And the fact that he tip-toed through parts of the exhibit was amusing.

They also tend to touch things more. She is touching her art piece.

And of course play. I can't remember the last time I slid across the floor like that.

Accidental funeral assignment

2009-02-13T19:45:00.004-08:00

I accidentally shot the wrong funeral service. I was SUPPOSED to shoot a State Trooper's funeral, but I guess I came just a tad late. When I got there I checked and double checked to see I was at the right location. Because I could see no officers or anything.

I saw an elderly black lady, family, pastor, but no officers in sight. I kept on asking myself if I should just go out. But I knew I was at the right place, unless there were to Baccarrella Funeral homes on the stretch of road. Doubtful.

So I talked to the family and shot a select few. I was quite uncomfortable. Each time I hit the shutter it was like a cut. I couldn't stand the noise.

Here is one of the resulting images.

I called Bryan after the service and said, "I thought the service was for a State Trooper?" He said he thought so too. It was a last minute assignment. Bryan just called me up before my shift and told me where to go. I didn't have a name or anything. Just a place and some State Trooper died. I think they got word from the Troopers that this thing was going on. And apparently it was right before this particular funeral service.

Anyway, Bryan and other people in the newsroom thought it was quite funny. Well as funny as a funeral can be. He said it was definitely something he would remember forever.

Not sure what's going to become of this photo. I don't think it will fit for the community page. I hope not. Ray suggested maybe making a photo essay from it about different ways of grieving. Interesting idea. But might be hard to get some solid pictures. All I can think of is mourning at graves, maybe grieving counseling or something, candle vigils. But I don't know how comfortable I am with it. I suppose I could wait around at a cemetery for awhile and wait for people to walk around and talk to them. But I'm not sure I want to.

Between basketball play and WRASTLING!

2009-02-13T07:49:00.003-08:00

National Anthem played by school band before a game. I just happened to be on the stage bleechers behind the band.

These were in the locker room during halftime of previously undefeated Huron. I hope I didn't jinx them.

Wrastling. I'm still learning how to shoot it. This was my first attempt.

Scout life saver, big wrestling dude

2009-02-12T21:53:00.003-08:00

This portrait session went pretty smoothly. I talked to them for a good thirty minutes before taking pictures, which probably put them at ease. They kept saying things like, I thought you were just going to take pictures. I explained that I do reporting as well to more accurately portray their lives. At least that's the theory I suppose.

Anyway, this boy scout helped save his mom's life. She had a severe seizure about a year ago. He cleared out the area around her and followed the 911 operator's instructions until medical personnel arrived. He was very humble about it.

He received the Medal of Merit, which is very seldom awarded. It's awarded for life-saving situations.

As soon as they sat down, I didn't really direct them, I just took pictures. They were like, oh you're not saying cheese. Haha.

Right after this picture, he complained, "Mom!" I guess any teenager would do that. Actually in all honesty, I probably would too. But mom's are mom's. That kiss picture is the one that ran. Hope he's not too embarrassed.

Mason Cole is one big dude. 6'4" 250 pound beast. He wrestles, throws discus, and plays football. On top of that, he's quite agile for his size. I talked to him, and he seemed like a really down to earth kind of guy. He tries not to attract too much attention and even seemed shy at times. But as he demonstrated in his match, he's quite powerful. I believe he's still undefeated for the season, but his team lost the match.

I kept trying to frame him up since he seemed to be sitting right under the viking. Didn't quite work out how I wanted it though.

I just liked how the "H" was between the two of them. It made the composition a little interesting.

I climbed up on the stacked bleechers for this one. I was a little weery at first of climbing, but once I started climbing I just climbed.

The little guy resting on him is actually nicknamed Little Mason. Obviously, Mason Cole is Big Mason.

Fans and music

2009-02-12T21:42:00.002-08:00

Our community page is always filled with kids. I'm trying to challenge myself to stop shooting so many kids. That sounds weird. That being said, here is a kid yawning with his mom during a basketball game.

I think she saw the camera.

These guys were pretty darn good. Paul DeVee and Friends. It was cool seeing them just jam. Nice jazzy flow.

The Doggone Blues

2009-02-10T21:02:00.003-08:00

I shot a piano blues concert Saturday. I needed to shoot a variety because it was not just for a daily, but for this tabloid that they put out every week. So I shot some details.

This picture for some reason reminded me of Tim Hussin's Pete the Greek picture from Florida Flyins. The one with his face up close. Maybe its just the similar wrinkles. This guy had a really nice vibe. He has a blues look. And the hat helps.

This picture was taken with just enough stage light. What would I do without my 50mm 1.4.

This is Buster Baxter. I didn't realize he was smiling in that frame until after Bryan mentioned that they were laughing at the picture. Most of the time that dog just wouldn't sit still in front of the camera. I think it might have been the sound. Hope he gets a home.

More highlights from Monroe

2009-02-03T20:18:00.004-08:00

I always try to find things happening around the games. These two girls just seemed older than they actually were to me. They were still kids, but for some reason they seemed like they could be old friends talking over a cup of coffee or eating some popcorn in this case.

I was joking around with Kim about this one earlier. Those goggles make the picture I guess. The moment is okay, but it's just cool to see those goggles with the light in them.

This last picture was at a Daddy-daughter dance. I saw the moment happening at least with him resting his head against hers, but the daughter kept looking at the camera. I wanted to tell her not to look at the camera if she could, but that would definitely ruin the moment. So I took several frames and just waited and hoped. Eventually she close her eyes for a bit and it came together.

Today I walked in and the receptionist stopped and talked to me. She told me that Tom Hawley (the man pictured above) called and said he cried after seeing the picture. He ordered a plaque I think. That's always nice to hear. It's nice to hear somebody was touched by a photo.

Later, Bryan told me that he used to be a photographer at the newspaper (in the 80's), which shocked me. I would think that he would have mentioned that to me. And on top of that, he had been in the newspaper for this same event like 4 times. I guess we all saw the photographic potential in him and his daughter. Maybe he is used to acting natural in front of a camera because he's a photographer... I don't know.

Swimming, sledding and seniors

2009-02-02T16:00:00.004-08:00

Shot my first swim meet. It went alright once I got the lights right. The hardest part is getting the names because everybody looks the same with the goggles and all.

They don't allow flash during dives. Apparently there's the potential for the divers to get disoriented from the flash going off. They look up at the ceiling often times to orient themselves and if my flash went off it could be bad.

So I worked without a flash. Tried to do some blur stuff but wasn't really satisfied. I used the projector screen in the back as a frame. They used this as the lead, which surprised Bryan. I think they usually go for the swim action.

Also, I think this one was fitting for the story. It was the first time Dundee ever beat Milan. It was a record of like 30 something years losing to Milan.

Snow Play! I watched a shot some kids playing/rolling down a hill. I should have joined in at least once. It looked like fun. Next time.

That kid just opted to roll down himself with no sled. He later sledded with his brother, but prefered his own method. Silly kid. Oh, and he is also half-Filipino. I talked to his mom and asked her if there were Filipinos in the area. She said no. It's probably just me and her.

The assignment is a series on seniors that lived through the Great Depression and draws parallels between then and now. Him and his wife were nice. They talked a bunch, which was nice. But after awhile I was worried that they wouldn't give me enough time to shoot. I knew they were leaving for church later.

Anyways, after about an hour of talking I shot some "formal pictures." Wasn't really satisfied, so I just talked some more with him in the kitchen. He talked a lot about the bible, religion, which was good because I got some frames that I thought were more interesting and telling. The one above I believe he is talking about heaven and looking up.

Meet the Gores

2009-02-02T15:04:00.003-08:00

This story was about a large family that were starting a support group for other large families. They needed lots of visuals so I visited twice. Really nice folks. They even invited me to come out with them if I was in the area for some snow mobiling.

After the first day, Bryan gave me some helpful advice. He said I jump around from frames too much and that I should slow down. Be more deliberate in the pictures I take. And I couldn't have agreed more. I just tend to react to situations too much trying to document everything rather than focusing on a composition, moment, etc. He encouraged me to work it until either the moment is gone or I nailed it. I am continually trying to work at this. It was helpful advice.

The assignment also made me ponder having a large family someday myself. It was kind of refreshing to hear lots of voices and activity in the house. I'm sure there are days when it gets overwhelming though.

More from Monroe

2009-01-31T11:54:00.003-08:00

Some more stuff from Monroe. I've gotten a little better at shooting sports. I guess I sort of have to because that's the most of what I shoot. My schedule is usually afternoon to night, and that's when the games are. When I look at my mileage log it's funny because almost every location is a high school.

Anyways, since I usually set up strobes for basketball, I can't motor drive anymore and just hope I get some peak action. Now I just take one shot of the moment. Sometimes I'm lucky.

This was my first fire covered. The fire started from the garage and they are trying to push the wall down. On the way back to my car I was walking a little too fast and slipped on ice for the first time. It was like one of those cartoon scenes where somebody slips on a banana peel. Does that ever actually happen?

Some fans chanting as their team defends. Maybe I should have went to more games in high1 school I think I would have enjoyed it. The crowds at a lot of these games are pretty into it.

Monroe happenings

2009-01-26T15:38:00.014-08:00

I have not posted in awhile and I should. I'm up in Monroe, Michigan now. Nice folks and staff. A bit on the cold side, but I think I can handle it. I've already gotten stuck in the snow once. It was my fault, but it was hard to see. As I was going to one of my assignments I struggled to find a parking spot and thought I could make it to the other parking lot through this pathway. I was wrong. I guess that's where it would help to have a four-wheel drive truck.

Luckily this plow guy offered to help after I told him the situation. He gave me a shovel and I tried digging some. No luck. He offered to push it with his plow. No luck. Actually he almost got stuck himself. And then we just did some digging and he did some pushing and I did some reversing. Eventually I got out. I was so thankful for this man and I showed him my gratitude with $10.

He said thanks boss and I moved on to shoot an ultimate fighting match.

Thankfully that only happened once.

Anyway here are some pictures of recent stuff.

This is where I work. I think from my first day. It's a nice building with nice folks. It's cool how it is all employee-owned so everybody has a real stake in it doing well. It's like it's your house or your kid and so you take care of everything more. At least that's my perception.

Here's my first sight of snow. Not quite as eventful as I had hoped, but there was more snow where that came from. It's still new to me, so I still think it's cool. I just don't like when it gets in the car and makes it all messy.

This was from one of those assignments that seemed kind of boring at first. Basically about a company that was expanding (I believe doubling the size of the building as well as adding employees despite the current recession). I was not sure if anything would say that visually, but I was lucky enough to get some decent light and tried to frame him up. It's almost like a beam of light from heaven.

These next few were from the ultimate fighting assignment. It reminded me of my first real photo story on Dymetrius who was an ultimate fighter.

There were some real bloody ones, but I didn't bother toning those because I knew they wouldn't run.

"Performance is your reality. Forget everything else." -Harold S. Geneen

This last one was for this fiddle-playing group; they were rehearsing. During one of their breaks, I shot a few frames of this scene. I think it's going to be used for still life with the quote above.

This is one of the features that I love about this paper. They allow for these sort of photos that would otherwise never get published because they don't have a home. They don't fit the assignment and aren't quite a feature.

Well, that's all for now. I'll post some more soon. These are just some of the first pictures since I arrived, but I'll get back to posting.

Obama Rally

2008-10-21T19:13:00.005-07:00

I attended the Obama rally in Orlando yesterday along with more than 50,000 others. It was sort of overwhelming but in a good way. I was in line for so long, but it turned out almost for nothing. Because about 30 minutes before 6 p.m. (the start) everybody just moved right on through. It was sort of disconcerting because initially they said you could not bring big bags, backpacks, etc. for security reasons. But suddenly they just let everybody walk through. I left a lot of my gear including my 70-200 because I thought security would be tight. I wish I had brought that lens. Oh well...

It came with the cliche Jesus dude. I didn't stick with him too long because it seemed too obvious. He was just calling for attention with people asking to take a picture with him every 5 seconds.

Oh, and a Palin.

I decided to stick by one of the bleacher-like sections that were backlit. This shot made me realize I need a sensor or lens cleaning.

I thought it was quite funny to see somebody using binoculars to get a closer shot.

Memorial Day Parade

2008-05-26T09:57:00.005-07:00

I had a day off on Memorial Day, so I decided to shoot. I tried to shoot almost exclusively with my 70-200 f/4 because I got it from someone on craigslist about a month ago, but have not used it much. Also, I tend to shoot with my 17-40 mostly, so it was nice to mix it up.

I guess this poor kid didn't like the 21-gun salute.

Oh, the flags...

Open Mic Night at Stetson

2008-04-29T17:20:00.005-07:00

I have been working at Ritz Camera a lot lately so haven't been posting much. I miss shooting, so I was excited to get to have time to shoot my friend's final open mic.

He's a friend from my childhood, so it was nice to catch up too.

I'm anxious to start shooting for a newspaper again. Still waiting on a few though.

multimediashooter.com down!

2008-03-10T08:26:00.002-07:00

Damn. One of those websites that I visit most frequently is down possibly forever. Somebody hacked it over the weekend.

multimediashooter.com RIP

;(

Hopefully nothing will happen to sportsshooter or aphotoaday

Old Thanksgiving photos

2008-02-22T07:16:00.000-08:00

Thanksgiving family pictures... I guess my family is pretty much used to me taking lots of pictures. They're pretty good at letting me document the holidays.

Here's my mom liking karaoke singing a little too much.

I always tend to gravitate toward my grandpa. I see myself in him. It's kind of sad though sometimes because he seems very lonely and lost since my grandma died a few years ago. He wants to go to the Philippines to live but nobody is there to take care of him. He misses his past life.

That's me in the background with a Gameboy Advance as Christian steps in front of a shot. Got some layering going on... if only it were in focus.

Christian up to his usual nonsense.

Oh, feet.

THE END.

The Funking Conservatory

2008-02-22T06:40:00.001-08:00

I shot a wrestling training facility for the Ocala Star Banner a few months ago. These are a few images from that take. I never realized how much wrestlers depend on their image and how the public perceives them. The manager kept on trying to control what sort of photos I took. She tried to stop me from taking pictures of certain people together because they were enemies.

This last one was supposed to be some sort of parody of the Britney Spears dance at the Video Music Awards. Britney Spears was a little heavier than usual at the Awards and that's why he's wearing a sumo outfit. He fell over a couple of times and two guys had to pull him back up.

An attempt to start backwards

2008-02-17T06:04:00.000-08:00

Since I missed about 6 months of posts, I am attempting to reach back into my archives and update a few posts every so often to show some stuff shot earlier.

Here's one from the butterfly garden at UF. These butterflies really liked her shoes for some reason. Nice little accessory.

I was visiting Aimee's hometown, Port Charlotte. I got inside this kid's playground tunnel and tried to get some layering to work. Didn't quite work out the way I wanted, but I didn't really have time... I suppose patience and being prepared is the key to working with layers.

Jelline's Debut

2008-02-10T14:12:00.001-08:00

I shot about a thousand photos at my cousin Jelline's Debut yesterday. It is basically like a Filipino version of a Spanish Quincenera... the transition into womanhood.

Here are some pictures from it, none of which are obvious in saying that this is a Debut or even show the Debutante, but they caught my eye anyway.

Offbeat, but I like it. Symmetry and the balloon is just sort of floating to the side. It's hard to resist a red balloon.

Going with the red balloon theme, here are some more balloons.

Again with the red. There were red balloons and roses.

Lately I've had a bit of a foot fetish. This is perhaps my favorite photo from last night. Simple, but that's usually what I go for.

My portfolio

2008-01-13T12:36:00.000-08:00

I am in the process of sending out a bunch of portfolio CDs. I have not updated on this blog in months. Hopefully, this will inspire me to update more.

Here is my portfolio without the captions. Feel free to post any questions, suggestions etc.

Singles

Grandmother Knows Best

Tough Kid, Tough Life

In the summer time, when the weather is fine

2007-08-26T21:31:00.000-07:00

I didn't really do much updating so I suppose now is as good a time as any. Most of the summer I worked at Disney's Wide World of Sports--lots of practice shooting action... basketball, baseball, wrestling, volleyball... My ability to anticipate has improved some.

I just love the expression of the girl attempting to guard. She looks like she's grabbing for her life.

I call it the pretzel.

This boy's team was losing and it was a scorcher that day, so he put a cold wet towel on his face. Come to think of it, every day shooting baseball was a scorcher. We practically prayed for it to rain sometimes.

Also, I visited my girlfriend in Port Charlotte a few times over the summer.

Holy Hands

2007-06-03T19:04:00.001-07:00

Sylvia Gibson was supposed to have cataract surgery the following day, but after Minister Terry Durham, 9, blessed her, she said her eyes felt better.