Reciprocity

Movin'

2008-09-27T17:15:00.002-05:00

This blog is heading on a very long vacation. Don't fret, a new one has sprung up to take its place, and can be viewed over at http://blog.brettflashnick.com. Thanks for all of your support and readership.

-Brett

↑ Grab this Headline Animator

Even Number Ones Have a Rough Night...

2008-09-05T15:25:00.005-05:00

When I was asked by a client to photograph the No.1 ranked team in High School Football, in the entire nation, I wasn't sure what to expect, just another high school football game, or something unique. What I saw, the players on the James F. Byrnes Rebels bring to the table is the simple fact that even those a the top of their game have an off night, it is just in how you handle those setbacks that seem to make the difference in champions and everyone else.

The, Rebels, began their season ranked No.1 in the USA Today Super 25, and after last night's game, now stand at 2-0. But last night's opponent, Ridge View, turned out not to be the pushover that many expected. With six turnovers (4 of them by the quarterback Chas Dodd in the first half alone), the final score of the game was 45-20. Even with the Byrnes offense not performing at their best, when things clicked, the athleticism and work ethic of these players really came out, and was something amazing to see.

I don't know if this will be my last high school football game or not. I'm really starting to dread having to deal with the dis-organization, and egos, and professionalism (relating to the organizers, and officials) that go along with covering these sporting events. Its really sad that all of the positive efforts put forth by these kids and their coaches, gets tarnished, because the adults involved can't seem to play nice, be professional, or act their age.

Images from the Byrnes at Ridge View, are available for license for editorial use and publication, through my archive on Photo Shelter, at the following link http://pa.photoshelter.com/gallery-show/G0000iyrv9n9Cjd0

Looking Back: Lessons from the 07/08 Primary Season

2008-09-03T11:26:00.008-05:00

I just wanted to take a minute to post my favorite images of the Democratic and Republican nominees for president that I had the opportunity to make while covering their primary campaigns, and share a few things I learned during my time with them.

(AP Photo/Brett Flashnick)

Above: Sen. John McCain, R-Az., right, and his wife Cindy McCain, left, wait behind a large American Flag, to be announced at an event in Columbia, S.C., on April 26, 2007.

(Brett Flashnick/WpN)

Above: Sen. Barack Obama, D-Ill., makes a grand entrance into the Columbia Convention Center, during his first visit to the south, on Feb. 16, 2007.

Overall I think the most important thing that I learned along the process is that the relationships you make are crucial when you are in situations like this. When you cover something as large as a political campaign (especially those of the top tier candidates), you are often subjected to being part of pack journalism. Something that I personally detest, since it greatly tends to limit the amount of creative freedom you have to photograph the events as you truly see them, and find real moments which is something I truly value. I found out early on that taking the time to build relationships with the candidates staff, interns, and advisors, the same way I would with a regular client, I was able to put myself in better positions to make the images that I wanted. After the relationships and trust were established, convincing advisers, press spokespeople, and staffers to let me make the images I wanted to was a much easier thing to achieve, and once I got to know the candidates personally it resulted in me being able to photograph them as I saw and perceived them, and by the end of it I had the campaign staffers trying to help me make the images that I wanted to, and the best part was I got paid to do it. In my book that is a win-win situation all the way around.

Excuses, excuses...

2008-09-02T10:40:00.009-05:00

I just wanted to make a quick post to let everyone know that I have not forgotten that this blog exists. Things have been very busy lately, both shooting and business wise. I've got a lot of new things that I'm working to make happen before the end of the year. I'm making plans to start doing a lot more tutorial posts here on the blog (even some with video).

Over the Labor Day weekend I started working with Marshall (the best web programer I know) over at Fun Sun Studio on version 1.1 of my website, and I'm really stoked to see what he has come up with. I'm busy adding new content to the framework of the site, making design nit picks, and he's slaving over a hot keyboard to make the changes like a champ. Here is a quick preview of what we've got going on...

Goodbye Flash... Hello JavaScript... This is really exciting for a wanna be techno geek like me. But I haven't been spending all of my time in front of a computer screen... I have gotten out, and made some images lately. Here are just a few that I shot the other night as the University of South Carolina opened up their season on ESPN's Thursday night game, against North Carolina State (this is for Angie my new blog bud over at OH MY GOFF! who is a Gamecocks fan, but now lives in D.C.) I hope you all enjoy...

Above: USC starts their opening drive after receiving the kick off from N.C. State at Williams-Brice Stadium, in Columbia, S.C., Thursday, Aug. 28, 2008.
Above: South Carolina, quarterback, Tommy Beecher, right, takes a snap in the shot gun formation during their opening drive against N.C. State, at Williams-Brice Stadium in Columbia, S.C., Thursday, Aug. 28, 2008.
Above: South Carolina, tailback, Mike Davis, 25, left, gets a fist full of N.C. State, corner back, Jeremy Gray's, right, face mask, while trying to stiff arm.

"Rockstar" Photographer...

2008-08-05T13:14:00.007-05:00

It has been a busy couple of weeks. I just finished up with some player portraits from Media Day at the University of South Carolina's, Williams-Brice Stadium on Sunday afternoon. It felt like it was 120 degrees on the field, and I was soaking wet by the end of it, but all of the players took my requests in stride, and I had a great time with it, and had the opportunity to make some nice images of some great student athletes. I was caught in the act of shooting the portraits of new starting quarterback, Tommy Beecher, by friend and shooter, Drew Stewart of local NBC affiliate WIS-TV in Columbia, S.C., and according to his package from last nights newscast, I'm helping to contribute to quarterback, Tommy Beecher's "Rockstar" status.

Thanks Drew, Hope you are doing well in your quest to kick Brain Cancer's Butt. On a final note, here is the finished image, which Drew filmed me making during the chaos that was media day. For the few seconds I had to work with Tommy he was a great sport, and did exactly as I asked. Its really great to see someone with a great outlook, and mindset like Tommy, in a position like this. I'd like to say a special thank you to the sports information department at South Carolina, and to my my lighting assistant for the day Jeremy (this was his first time helping out, and I really put him through his paces). I don't think I could have done it with out everyones help.

Mitch's Story... Prostate Cancer

2008-06-26T08:32:00.004-05:00

The New York Times just posted a multimedia project I recently had the opportunity to work on, called "Patient Voices" which was about prostate cancer (there are others out there ranging from ADD to Infertility). For this project I photographed and interviewed ESPN Commentator and all around good guy, Mitch Laurance. I spent a great afternoon talk with, and photographing Mitch at the Grande Dunes Members Club in Myrtle Beach, while the Hard Rock Park celebrity golf tournament was going on outside. It is always a rewarding experience when you get to help someone tell their story, especially one as personal as this.

If you are interested in watching the Patient Voices Interactive Feature follow this link.

The secret is out of the bag...

2008-06-13T06:52:00.002-05:00

Now everyone can know long held secret of where creative juices come from. First digital cameras so easy a monkey could use, now this...

Turns out I'm not dull...

2008-06-02T00:12:00.001-05:00

Well, at least one of my photos isn't dull, according to the folks over at AntiDull, an online Fine Art and Photography magazine that was started back in August of 2007. I was selected to appear in their June 2008 issue which can be viewed at http://www.antidull.com first PocketWizard now this... I'll be an internet celebrity pretty soon if I keep this up. Hope all is well out there.

-Flashnick

Making it work: Behind the scenes of a ground remote...

2008-05-07T13:23:00.008-05:00

I have received several emails from readers and people who have seen my shot from the 2008 Carolina Cup Races, that I posted a few weeks ago, so I decided that I amy going to demystify how you make a shot like this work, by using a remote camera.

For those who don't know, a remote camera, is a camera which you place in a specific location ahead of an event that would not be accessible during the event, and is then triggered by a hard wire, or radio signal. The list of equipment I used to make this image is as follows.

Camera: Canon EOS 5D Digital SLR
Lens: Canon EF 16-35mm f/2.8L USM
Remote Trigger: Pocket Wizard (not pictured) and LPA Designs Pre-Release Cable CM-N3-P
Mounting Hardware: Ultra-Pod II
Protection: Kata E-702 GDC Elements Cover

Complete Setup: This is what the setup looked like when it was completely assembled. The camera and lens were mounted to the Ultra-Pod II and then inserted into the GDC Elements Cover. After everything was strapped down and the camera was protected from any flying mud or sudden rain showers, I used the left arm hole to attach the PocketWizard and the Pre-Release Cable to the camera and then cinched up all the other loose openings. You don't have to use a rain cover or a remote cover, a clear plastic bag, a plastic cup, and some tape will do the same trick. I really do prefer rain covers as opposed to remote covers, so you can see to make any adjustments to exposure or focus without disturbing the entire setup.

Now comes the setup. Be prepared to get there early, some venues require you have the remote in place days before the event, while others will allow a remote to be placed hours before the event. It is also a good idea to make sure your liability insurance is up to date, because if someone or something trips over your remote and gets injured, you could be in some hot water. Once you have looked into all of the logistical details, its time to place the remote. It generally helps to have some working knowledge of the event or sport you are photographing, because you will have to anticipate everything happening long before it actually occurs. Since this was not my first time photographing a steeplechase or horse racing in general I had a pretty good idea of what I wanted to see. With this in mind I chose a fence to place the remote under, and estimated the spot in the jump where most of the horses would come over. With these things in mind I had my assistant for the day, Cindy stand at that position in the jump so I could focus and frame the image up. Once everything was set, I taped all of the adjustment dials, focus rings, etc... on my camera in place so they wouldn't move, made sure the whole setup was nice and tidy, and proceeded to make some test images of Cindy and I jumping around the frame to verify focal plane, and framing of the image. Once this was all done, it was time to go make some feature shots while waiting on the race to begin. *This is why it is important to use a pre-release cable, because it will keep your camera awake and ready to fire, so there is no delay firing the first frame when the time comes.* When the race began I decided to shoot from down the track with my 300mm f/2.8 and 1.4x converter, with the PocketWizard on the hot shoe of the camera, so I could have two angles of the shot, incase the remote didn't work for some reason. Once the event is done with, you can go back to your remote, and collect your images and hope you got what you envisioned.

Have Camera... Will Travel

2008-05-03T14:08:00.006-05:00

While I do try, and update my location through my website, I thought it would be fun to create a visual representation of where I have been, with links to the images and projects I worked on while I was there. I'm all about trying new things and using new technologies to tell different stories. So have fun and take a look. I will do my best to link each icon on the map to the project or a clip of a project when it is posted online. You may have to zoom in to see all of the icons, because some may be hidden behind others when the map is fully zoomed out. Have fun looking, because I had fun creating.

View Larger Map

A little extra effort pays off...

2008-03-30T23:48:00.003-05:00

I've been working at this shot for a little while now, and have never managed to get one that I am this pleased with. In my mind it is not perfect, and I can still do better, thus I will try again next year (or during the fall race on Nov. 16), but just a reminder that seeing differently isn't enough, you have to have the determination to see it through, even if it takes years.

ABOVE: Horses and their jockeys charge over a fence on their way to the finish line, during the Camden Plate, at the Springdale Race Course in Camden, S.C., Saturday, March 28, 2008.

If anyone is interested in seeing how I made this shot, let me know and I'll post some additional information

Need I say more?

2008-02-13T13:16:00.006-05:00

I was watching this episode of the Simpsons on HULU.com last night (if that doesn't speak volumes I don't know what will), and thought this clip was pretty appropriate. Those of us on the inside of this industry aren't the only ones that are realizing what is going on. It hurts to watch, but having grown up watching the Simpsons this totally legitimizes it for me. I need to start working on my web design skills.

A lot has been going on, and now that primary fever has left South Carolina, and thing are getting somewhat back to normal I hope to have some big updates in the pipes for my blog, website, and other projects I'm working on. I'll post the updates as they are completed. Hope all is well out there, stay safe where ever you are.

Wrong Runway...

2007-09-10T17:06:00.000-05:00

After taking off from runway 13, at Columbia Owens Downtown Airport, on Sunday morning, this Cesna 177 "Cardinal", was forced to make a hard landing on the roof of Boineau's Moving and Storage Inc., warehouse after experiencing engine trouble 1/3 of a mile Northwest of the runway. Here, Sterling Transport driver William Hooper looks at the single engine aircraft as it sits atop the warehouse roof in Columbia, S.C., Sunday afternoon.

...this was one of those days where you think that you are done, and then the dreaded phone call comes in... Fill a hole on the front page of metro with an image from an incident that happened 6 hours earlier, gotta love the world of newspapers.

Football is back...

2007-09-02T16:18:00.000-05:00

Its the time of year when things start to cool off, kids go back to school, and football fields at high schools and colleges come alive on Friday nights and Saturday afternoons. It has been so long since I've had a Friday night or Saturday afternoon off during this time of year that I don't even know what it would be like. While the rest of the world tailgates, and starts to put on those winter pounds, its time for me to start running up and down the sidelines, trying to make better images than I did last year. Here are some of the results from my first week back at it. Its been a year since I did this, and I'm pretty happy with my early results.

Benedict College hosts Livingstone College, in their annual season opener the Palmetto Capital City Classic, for the first time at their new stadium, in Columbia, S.C.

My high school alma mater Irmo, takes on their hated rivals Dutch Fork. Irmo won, glad to see some things don't change. Now they actually play their away games for this rivalry at Dutch Fork, when I was in school, at the start of this rivalry, we had to share a stadium, and sit on the away side every other year... I'm glad to see that some things do change.

Hope everyone is doing well out there, stay safe, and make good images.
-Flashnick

p.s. If anyone out there can figure out how to get my BlackBerry Pearl to transmit images from the above mentioned games any faster than the abysmal 8kbps I'm getting now using this method posted on fibble.org please let me know. It moves so slow that all of my FTP transmissions keep timing out. It is killing me paying for this BlackBerry service and not being able to use it to its full potential.

Biker Heaven

2007-08-02T12:15:00.001-05:00

©2007 Brett Flashnick/All Rights Reserved

When the alarm went off at 6am on Sunday morning to get out of bed to go shoot another assignment was the last thing on my mind, especially after having 14 hour days Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, and late night of shooting on Saturday. However this is one of those assignments that I "had to do." Its not like anyone was going to fault me for turning this down, and I almost did, until I found out that this "church assignment" wasn't your typical church.
©2007 Brett Flashnick/All Rights Reserved

On the last Sunday of the month since April, 2007, the quiet neighborhood on Holland Street, in West Columbia, S.C. has been brought to life by the sound of motorcycles thundering down the road, to Suburban Baptist Church, on their way to "Biker Church" at 7:30am. Inside a group of approximately a dozen bikers, congregate over breakfast, and a small worship service that follows. "And when the weather permits after that we take the church out on the road, because the theology here is that the church is the people, not the building, and even when we hit the road the church is still there," Biker Church co-Founder, Frank Lengel said.
©2007 Brett Flashnick/All Rights Reserved

To add insult to injury, as I was beginning to work on getting all of my non deadline assignments from last week out to clients, and starting to work on the multimedia from "Biker Church," my iBook decided to take a yet another dirt nap. In an effort to get work done, I swapped the hard drives of my iBook with a 5 year old PowerBook G4 that was laying around for just such an occasion. Even though it is slow, the screen looks a "little yellow", and there is some gunk on the screen that I can't seem to get off the PowerBook is running like a champ so far, and while it took a little longer than normal I managed to produce a multimedia slideshow from Biker Church. Hopefully next week will go better.

To view my multimedia presentations point your browsers here -- http://www.brettflashnick.com/multimedia.php

Meet the Romneys

2007-07-20T12:24:00.000-05:00

Over the past few days I've had the opportunity to spend some behind the scenes time with the family of 2008 Republican Presidential hopeful, Mitt Romney as they toured South Carolina. I had a great time getting to know Ann, Mary, and Parker Romney, as we drove around the state on their tour bus. ABOVE: Ann Romney, center, and Mary Romney, left, along with campaign supporters and staff, laugh as Parker Romney, tries to make a call on his baby monitor on Tuesday afternoon. BELOW: Mitt Romney, left, and Ann Romney, right, share a moment as they prepare to go separate ways, after departing a fundraiser at Saluda Shoals Park on Thursday afternoon. After three days of campaigning separately, the Romneys only spent a few hours together in Columbia, S.C., before going their separate ways again.

More From the Trail

2007-03-20T23:59:00.000-05:00

After a busy couple of weeks I finally have some time to sit down and update my website. I've added a gallery from my time on the 2008 presidential campaign trail. So far I've spent some time with five of the candidates vying for their party nomination. Photographing these events can be frustrating, and rewarding at the same time however. It is a lot of hurry up and wait (note the recurring theme of this profession), you show up 2 hours early, get set up, scope things out, talk to the handlers, and then wait. When the time comes you can be shoulder to shoulder with 10 other photographers trying to get the same shot as you, so hopefully all of the planning, and politicking and your instincts will take over and put you into a position where you can find a unique angle, when the moment comes.

The whole experience can be a draining one, and hopefully when the smoke clears, my editors and I will be happy with the result. Even though every time out hasn't resulted in a home run, it has been a learning experience seeing how these campaigns work, and it will be interesting to see which candidate and strategy comes out on top in a years time. Until then time to celebrate the small successes, and get back to work telling stories... until next time.

Click here to view more photos from my time with the candidates.

Waiving flags, kissing babies, and shaking hands...

2007-02-22T17:56:00.000-05:00

Welcome to the 2008 Presidential Campaign Trail....

Just spent my first week on the 2008 Presidential Campaign Trail, I can't believe I'm saying that and its only February of 2007... This trail is looking more like a marathon course. With 11 months to go until primaries the outcome could favor anyone. Every editor I have spoken with this week has shared the same sentiment. Along the road I've had the chance to meet a lot of shooters... seeing old friends and meeting new ones. It has been a great journey so far, I've had a great time getting to know the candidates, their families, campaign staffers, and more importantly the voters. Everyone I have worked with has been extremely professional, helpful, and on many occasions have gone above and beyond the call of duty to help me get great access. To top off this crazy week, I was called to go on assignment for Newsweek, with former Massachusetts Governor, and Presidential hopeful, Mitt Romney, and I had a really nice frame published from it. Ahhhh... this is the life.

Cheers!
Flashnick

Just pretty pictures, nothing more, nothing less...

2007-02-03T16:51:00.001-05:00

I've spent five out of the past seven days on the road, and put more than 1200 miles of highway behind me, while traveling up and down the South Carolina, Georgia, and Florida coastline.I have a had a lot of time to think about things and make some pretty pictures even though I was going through technology withdrawal from time to time, due to the lack of internet, and cell. But after I returned and the emails starting pouring in, and the phone kept ringing off the hook I realized that I had taken for granted the time I had to just enjoy making photographs. I became a photographer because I love meeting people, seeing new places, and having the ability to share those experiences with others. However, recently I have let life get in the way. Sure you need to be concerned with making a living to put food on the table, a roof over your head, an gas in your car, but there are much easier and more lucrative ways to do that, aside from being a photographer. People are photographers because they love it, and I lost sight of that. What reminded me of my passion was something so simple. While sitting on the deck of a beach house I was staying at (aka sleeping on the couch) I saw seagulls swooping down to grab pieces of bread tossed into the air by some kids walking down the beach, the first thing that came to my mind was "How can I setup a remote camera to get in the middle of that?" and just like that I put the beer down and went to work, no distracting cell phones, no email, just the challenge of figuring out how to make an image that was in my head. When it was all said and done, all I needed to get my passion back was a monopod, a camera and a cable release... who know it would be so simple.... So where ever the road may take you in the future, remember to have fun doing what ever it is that you love, and stay safe.
Peace
Flashnick

A “visionary Luddite pixilator”

2007-01-12T00:41:00.000-05:00

There are certain parts of any job that you love, and others that you dread. I always have a pit in my stomach when I have to photograph funeral proceedings for someone that was taken from loved ones all too soon. Its a delicate balance between telling a story about what this person meant, and being respectful towards a grieving family, and sometimes that line is hard to find.

On Wednesday I photographed the funeral of Helen Hill, a documentary film maker from New Orleans, La., who was murdered in her home just six days earlier. What most people know by now is that Hill, a talented film maker, who has become an example of the escalating violence in "The Big Easy," was one of six people murdered in a 24-hour period in hurricane ravaged city, which she loved. But what has been left out of the network news reports, and what I learned throughout the day, is that she was a wife, a mother, a daughter, a sister, and a friend to almost anyone she met.

As the Hill's casket was carried into St. Paul's Lutheran Church, I caught a glimpse of her 2-year-old son Francis Pop, in the arms of his father and Hill's husband, Dr. Paul Gailiunas, who was also shot in the same incident in which Helen was killed. As they walked past me, I had to put the camera to my eye in order to avoid making eye contact. However as they passed where I was standing to enter the church, Francis' eyes locked with my lens, and I couldn't look away. There was something so innocent about his gaze in my direction, which wasn't the typical stare of disgust that I am used to receiving as I photograph a funeral. As he continued to stare, I framed the image, of him looking over his fathers shoulder, and took a picture. His father turned to kiss him on the head, another picture, and another, and another, and so on. The few moments the two were standing on the steps of the church seemed to last an eternity.

As I walked up the stairs to enter the balcony of the church my mind jumped back in time, to three hours earlier, where a crowd gathered outside of a small independent theatre, before the funeral. Friends and family lined the block as they waited to enter the dark screening room for a viewing of Hill's short films, as the governor of South Carolina was being sworn in across the street. As the the services began Hill's brother, Jacob D. Hill IV spoke to a the crowd now gathered inside of St. Paul's Lutheran Church on Bull St., saying “I think she’s laughing seeing all her pacifist, left-leaning activist friends gathering across the street from where a Republican governor is being sworn in with F16s flying overhead.” More stories from friends, and family followed, all describing the same compassionate, fun loving, artistic person, that I began to wish I had the chance to meet.

As the service ended, Hill's friends and family spilled onto the street, still wiping tears from their eyes, comforting each other, but all seemed to be overcome with athe spirit of compassion, in the memory of someone they loved dearly. As the crowd began to break up for the procession to the cemetery, Christine Gump, a friend of Helen's, who flew to Columbia, from Los Angeles, removed the jacket, that was covering her left arm where a brightly "chicken embryo" tattoo had been freshly inked into her skin. "Eight of us went and got these on Sunday... We wanted to do it to remember her," Gump said.

As I walked back to my car, physically and emotionally drained, I couldn't help but feel happiness, because even though I never had the chance to meet Helen, her spirit, which lives on in her friends and family gave me a brief, and fleeting glimpse into how wonderful of a person she really was. Even posthumously, Helen touched my life.

Helen Hill Memorial Website
b.rox:Life in the Flood Zone
Videos of Helen Hill on You Tube
NPR Commentary by David Koen

Thanks for the Funk!

2006-12-31T17:07:00.000-05:00

On Saturday afternoon in Augusta, Ga., the world said goodbye to a true legend. James Brown, the "Godfather of Soul" was sent off with four hour long "Home Going" memorial service presided over by Rev. Al Sharpton, and Rev. Jessie Jackson, in the soul singer's hometown. Seeing the number of people who showed up at the James Brown Arena in Augusta, was a sight to behold. It was amazing to see how many people Mr. Brown's music and message touched. Throughout the day tens of thousands of mourners passed by the casket of this amazing human being, each paying their final respect to the "Godfather" in their own way. Some passed by with a look, others wept and could not even face the sight of their hero lying helpless in his 24 karat gold casket. From time to time, the line would be stopped, and a celebrity friend of Mr. Brown would be escorted to the front of the room for their own private moment.

By 11:45 the arena had reached its 8500+ person capacity, and the doors were shut, yet hundreds still gathered outside, behind orange barricades, to listen to the service to loudspeakers wired into the arena's public address system. The following hours are still a blur to me. Remarks were made by Brown's family, and close friend Michael Jackson. M.C. Hammer, was so moved during a performance of "Like a Sex Machine," by Bobby Byrd that he broke into dance on stage, to the cheers of thousands, however by the time Rev. Al Sharpton proclaimed the famous words "Ashes to Ashes, Dust to Dust" those in attendance made their somber exit of the building, having paid tribute to a legend.

As I drove home I couldn't stop humming the hits of the "Godfather" myself. This will definitely be a story to tell the kids one day. May you rest in piece Mr. Brown, and as one mourner put it "Thanks for the Funk!"

Change of Pace...

2006-11-19T12:11:00.000-05:00

For the past three weeks I have been following home school families associated with the Forest Acres Christian Educators association, as they prepare for their first annual Fall Heritage Ball. To the students this was more than just a regular fall dance. Since they are home schooled this is the closest that many of them would get to attending a formal dance that resembled a prom. For the parents the evening marked one more victory in their quest to provide an education for their children... on their terms.

After months of planning, shopping, and rehearsing the formal dances like the Virginia Reel, Postie's Jig, and several Waltzes, the night finally arrived. However unlike most proms the was no blaring hip-hop music, no gyrating bodies, and no skimpy dresses that left little to the imagination. As one parent stated, "if its not for sale, don't advertise it. As the sounds of a traditional waltz made their way out of the stereo, fathers danced with daughters, brothers danced with sisters, and friends danced with each other.

This story has been a nice change of pace for me, and its also been a fun opportunity to learn more about a part of the community that I didn't know much about. Even though I'm sure we have a lot of differences in ideals, morals, and religion, these families were absolutely wonderful to me. They allowed me complete access to anything I wanted, and thanked me for being there every time I showed up. It is stories and experiences like this, that recharge my batteries for photojournalism, if only I could do more of them.

high school sports... its a love-hate relationship

2006-11-11T15:56:00.000-05:00

High school sports... bad light, coaches who could care less, officials that give you a hard time, and parents who seem to do nothing but complain, for all the difficulties... every now and then a nice fram slips through the shutter.

The art of Hurry up... and Wait...

2006-10-08T15:15:00.000-05:00

Seven and a half hours of waiting, for six seconds of excitement... That is what Saturday boiled down to. It was the classic scenario of "hurry up and wait... and wait... and wait," where all I was told was that "We know this is going to happen some time today, but we're not sure when," but when didn't really matter it was the what and why that made this a fun hunt.

The movie "Death Sentence" is being filmed in Columbia, and on Saturday they were going to drop a car off of the top floor of a parking garage in the middle of Main St. In LosAngeles, the fact that they were doing a movie stunt wouldn't have even gotten a blip on the radar, but in Columbia, S.C. its big news, so I had to do something big with it. I talked my way into the South Carolina Health and Human Services building, which sits adjacent to the parking garage, and picked my location, the 9th floor mens restroom. As the crew was setting the car and cameras below me, I began placing remote cameras in the windows, covering the lenses with gaffers tape to cut down on glare, and making sure everything was set. Its one of those shots that you don't get a second chance with, so no screwing up.

Reggie, the head of security who had let me into the building, poked his head in the door around 2pm and said "They just called the 30 minute warning." After seven-hours of standing around on the street corner, the parking lot across the street, and in the mens restroom, every movement on the parking garage below got my coplete attention. Through the tinted windows I could hear the director call "Stand By" and a few seconds later "Action". As the car began to roll I fired both cameras simultaneously, and didn't stop until I heard the car crash on the asphalt below. See the Sequence I guess there is something about dropping stuff off of high places that excites us as people, not to mention the fact that when the movie comes out, I can say "hey I saw that happen" and I have the pictures to prove it.

Peace

Sometimes the pictures you don't take seriously are the ones you need to be taking...

2006-10-04T10:18:00.000-05:00

Lately I've been taking my job a little to seriously, and it is becoming something I do to have an income, instead of something I love to do. But then again lately I've been taking life a little to seriously. I suppose that is the curse of making something that you love to do your career. In some ways its inevitable to just take something lightly as you get older, because you begin to realize that you need to be able to make a car payment, rent, insurance, food, etc... But when you worry about all of that stuff you tend to forget why you really started doing this in the first place. Perhaps its just time to stop taking everything so seriously, and start having fun again. Maybe then things will just fall into place. Who knows how everything will work out in the long run, and if we did know that... what would be the fun in living life. Its time to get up off of the couch and go explore the world, have some fun, and see what happens. Its time to take the point and shoot out, like I did at the beach the other day, because its more about the journey than the resullts. In that moment when I wasn't thinking about shutter speeds, f-stops, and iso, so I get to remember the sunrise, instead of how I photographed the sunrise. I think the line from the movie is "Don't take life to seriously, you'll never get out alive."

Peace