Our good friend and 2nd favorite 2nd grader Savannah is the sweetest girl in the world. ... and my 50mm f1.8 on a cold winter's day. The other day my wife took our boys and their friend Savannah to Monkey Joe's for some recreational fun, and to give me some quiet time to work on weddings. So when they returned to the house out came the fast 50 and some high speed black and white portraits. All were shot in a few minutes time, the camera went away, and back to work I went. I just toned them up and posted a few. Some times the best pics are the ones right in front of you. Jacob hard at work on the kitchen PC. Cruising the internet faster than a Google robot. 2nd grade and he types FAST. Max taking music to a new level. Let's mic it and run it thru Dad's wa-wa pedal. BooM Chicka Wa Wa, Chicka Wa Wa!!!!
I want to thank my friend Tom EB Borum for this link.
Willie Dixon was one of the greatest and most prolific artists ever to sing the blues, with more than 500 compositions to his credit. Dixon’s songs literally created the so-called “Chicago blues sound” and were recorded by such blues artists as Muddy Waters, Howlin’ Wolf, Bo Diddley, Koko Taylor, and many others. Some of Dixon’s songs went on to reach an international audience in the 1960s, when they were popularized by such British groups as the Rolling Stones, Cream, the Yardbirds, Jeff Beck, and Led Zeppelin.
So click here and check out the new OFFICIAL Willie Dixon website, full of photos, videos, and rich blues history.
Sunday was another typical newspaper assignment Sunday for me, four assignments in two states all within three or four hours of each other. So It becomes a DRIVE FAST, SHOOT REAL QUICK, DRIVE FAST, SHOOT REAL QUICK, and REPEAT kind of day. The flip side to an eleven hour day. But sometimes during all the chaos I still get a chance to make some photos for me. My first assignment was at noon covering the J&B Bridals 2011 Bridal show at Wilson College in Chambersburg, PA.
Due to my assignment load I couldn't stay for the 1:30 pm fashion show featuring the work of NYC designer Madeline Gardner and three NYC models, but Richard Resh co owner of J&B Bridals did get me backstage and dressing room access to make some fashion show prep photos. I would love to have covered that show both in front and behind the stage. Great models, beautiful gowns, and nice light. But you have to move on to the next assignment.
Madeline, Yana, and the other models were enjoying their day out in the country, and the folks at Wilson College got a little taste of NYC.
New Year's Day, a time that we all look at as a way of starting over or getting another chance. But sometimes in life you dont get another chance. Smithsburg, MD resident and U.S. Marine Lance Cpl Maung P. "Sam" Htaik was killed January 1, 2011 in the Helmand province of Afghanistan while he was conducting combat operations supporting Operation Enduring Freedom. He was 20 years old. Below are Sam's parents Hla and Flory Shwe being presented with Sam's Purple Heart during the memorial service.
I was expecting a huge resistance from the funeral home to photograph the memorial service, even though we had written permission from the family. But just the opposite happened, I was given full access to the memorial service. The Shwe family saw the media not as a hinderance but as a source to broadcast what kind of hero their son was. They actually WELCOMED the media and both parents thanked me and the reporter afterwards for covering their son's memorial. That may NEVER happen again in my career.
Maryland Governor Martin O'Malley shown above attended, spoke, and stayed for the entire two hour plus memorial service. A great honor to Sam, his family, and all in attendance. This was a memorial service not the funeral service. Sam will have a military graveside burial service January 18, 2011 at Arlington National Cemetery. His parents have welcomed The Herald-Mail's request to cover the service. Again, they want to celebrate their son and his good work and see the media as a way helping them to spread the word and good name of their son Sam. While most of us look forward to New Year's Day as a day off filled with food, friends, and football Sam's family will always feel a bit empty for the loss of their son, brother, and soldier Sam.
I recently found a real gem on You Tube. A young rising star on the jazz scene by the name of Esperanza Spalding. Amazing singer, wicked bass player, and a beautiful soul. This woman is TALENTED! A real example of "Play what you feel, and do things your own way". This should serve as a lesson to us all.
She has performed for President Obama several times. Take a look.
No!!!!! Not THAT Hurricane Agnes from 1972 that tore through Maryland and opened my 7 year old eyes to the almighty power of wind, water, and weather. No, I'm talking about super model Agyness Deyn. The English model with the spiked blonde hair, beautiful face, and long, long, long, legs. She was discovered on the streets of London, and decided to give modeling a shot. I'm glad she did. What I love SO MUCH about Agyness Deyn is that Agyness is Agyness. She is not trying to be like anyone else in any way. She knows who she is and she likes who she is. Like I always say, "Be true to thy own self", or was that some other famous dude that said that? Either way, Agyness stands out, loves being who she is, and runs with it. What a great idea, Be Yourself!!! It works for her, it will work for you.
This video is not only a fly on the wall look at one of her shoots, but it could double as an aerobic workout video. God I love a high energy photo shoot! This girl is what more models need to be. Cool, down to earth, FUN, energetic, and passionate about making great photos.
She makes it all look SO EASY!!! True sign of a professional. I wonder if she ever passes through Hagerstown, and might have time for a quick shoot. Agyness, if you are reading this post, CALL ME!!!!!!!! Seriously, CALL ME!!! I'll shoot with you anytime you want.
Jay Z has given the music world so much, but local Hagerstown rap recording artist Spencer "Spence" Jackson, pictured above, took it another step and recently wrote, recorded, and stared in this locally produced "Hub City State of Mind" video below. Yeah it is a take off video from that OTHER town, on a small island a few hours north of here, but does NYC have The Maryland Theatre, Krumpe's Do-Nuts, a WAL-MART Super Center, and The Prime Outlets? I think not.
Spence is a really cool person, and a smart young man who will go places and do just fine for himself. He is smooth, and never over does things. A great person to represent the Hub City, and he is for hire!
So like the song says, "Where are your H's at? Get 'em up." and be proud of your home town, the Hub City. Thanks Spence
It's late June in Washington County and that means two things, fresh picked corn and tons of Little League 9 and 10 year old All-Star games!!!! The best players battling it out for the MD District 1 Championship title. I shot a winner's bracket game tonight, Clear Spring vs West End, at West End LL. Clear Spring went up 11-0, West End rallied to make it 11-7, but Clear Spring came back to make it a 26-7 game. Great Game! I really thought West End might pull it off.
A few tuff breaks for West End, a great team effort by Clear Spring.
The 9 and 10 year olds only go to state championships, the 11-12 year olds go to states, regionals, and if they are REALLY good, The SHOW. Yeah, The SHOW!!! The Little League World Series in Williamsport, PA. THAT show!!! Is there any other?
Several photographers have made a huge impact on my life, my photos, and the way I approach photography. I will talk in depth of these men and women in future posts. Yes, names like Annie, Mary Ellen, Henri, Eugene, Tom, Mark, Terry, Kendal, and several others. Photogs that encourage me and all of us to be ourselves, see images the way we see them, and shoot what and who you like THE WAY you like.
I got into photography in the mid 1980's, and two things became very clear to me early on. You either shoot color or you shoot black and white. And I mean you shoot COLOR as in Kodachrome 25 or 64, underexposed by a 1/3 or 2/3 of a stop, and shot with strobes OR you shoot gritty available light 400/1600 ASA B&W or smooth studio lit B&W film on a black, grey, or white seamless paper backdrop.
Richard Avedon was the master of Black and White photography shot on a white seamless backdrop. There have been others and there will always be others who gravitate to this style, I am guilty as charged, but I think we all owe a tip of the cap to Avedon for this and SO MUCH MORE.
Avedon (May 15, 1923 - October 1, 2004) was more than a great B&W shooter, beyond a celebrity shooter, or a magazine shooter. He was THE photog that changed fashion photography forever. He took it from catalog work to artwork. He breathed life into it, gave it energy, and made the viewer of his photos think while also engaging themselves into the mood or style of the clothes he was shooting. A career that spanned from the mid 1940's til 2004, that is parts of 7 decades. This man changed the way things were done, and changed them for the better.
We are experiencing one of the hottest Junes on record, and with the heat and humidity come editors that ask the Herald-Mail photo staff for a "Heat" feature photo. Yes, a photo that shows the impact of the heat, or one that shows man's ability (or inability) to deal with the heat. I found Verizon road crew member Keith Bloyed Wednesday afternoon battling the heat the old-fashioned way, a couple ice cubes placed directly on the head. Quite a balancing act if you ask me. Don't laugh, it works. If the brain is cool, or believes it is cool, so is the rest of the body. Like Vanilla Ice used to say, Ice Ice Baby!!!!!
Like I said in Tuesday's post, you know summer is here when the annual fireman's carnivals are happening. I had the pleasure of a ride in the countryside Tuesday evening as I made my way to the annual Mont Alto (PA) Fireman's Carnival. They have a brand new carnival grounds, tons of space, lots of buildings for bingo, food and drink, a stage area, and oh yah, RIDES!!!!! So if you are in the Franklin County, PA area this week, stop in, enjoy yourself, and help out the Mont Alto Volunteer Fire Company.
You know it's summer time when the heat and humidity, gas grills, swimming pools, tractor pulls, carnivals, long lines at the Dairy Queen, and Super Soakers come out. Such was the case yesterday when I was cruising Hagerstown for a Herald-Mail feature photo and found these two "kids" fighting it out in a local neighborhood.
I think I'll make a stop at the local dollar store and restock the Crocetta family's fully automatic water gun collection. Good clean fun!
My oldest son Max demos the new sleek iPod earbuds 4.0, which produce life like AM radio quality, Low-Fi, low volume, low quality, sound. One size fits all, hand held OR duct tape-able, and can double as a pair of portable speakers. So run out and get a pair for your new iPhone 4.0!!!!!!
Several years ago I met an amazing young lady named Andrea. She is a photographer and a model who likes to be on both sides of the camera. She is one of the nicest people I know, a genuine artist and free spirit, and loves life. She is a very driven, focused, and hard working person yet she never places herself ahead of others. She is the type of person we should all try to be a little more like. I give her a lot of credit for helping me out with my personal shooting. Several months after we met and I began to help her with her photography, she asked me to photograph her. I'm a long time news photographer with some freelance experience, but I'm not really a portrait/fashion photographer. Andrea pushed me to try something DIFFERENT, something OUTSIDE of my daily comfort zone of newspapers, and that has made all the difference in my personal work these last few years.
I have had so much fun shooting with Andrea and other models in the last two years. Usually I am shooting models for free as a way to work on my lighting and location work. I shoot what the newspaper needs all week, I shoot what the occasional freelance client needs, but what do I shoot for my own personal work? Photographers need to shoot subjects that interest them and in ways that don't have restrictions or expectations other than those placed on the photographer by himself. Personal work is pure, fun, and an absolute MUST to keep one's sanity.
These images are from our shoot last October at Elwood's junkyard on Rt 64 near Chewsville. Yes, there REALLY IS a village in Washington County called Chewsville and Elwood Grimm's junkyard is 72 acres of pure magic for any photographer. Andrea and I shot color, black & white, we used available light, strobes, and a ringflash and after two hours we had over 650 images of what ever we wanted to shoot and they rocked. It just felt great to stretch out and shoot new things in a new location.
I was covering South Mountain LL opening day today and after the ceremonies I was walking off the field when who walks on the field but the Subway Subman. Subway sponsors one of the T-Ball teams and they sent Subman on the field for a team photo. Well, I just couldn't resist a self portrait with an animated mascot that looks too similar to yours truly.
I have three sisters and NO brothers, Thanks Mom! Well if you count Maxwell and Jacob I guess they are the two brothers I never had. Thanks Gerry! Jackie is my older sister, and Valerie and Alison are my younger twin sisters. Growing up with twins was pretty cool. People always got a kick out of it, and It felt special having twins as siblings.
I have always wanted to shot a series of twins portraits, and last summer I did it for a full page spread in the Herald-Mail's Lifestyle section and an online photo/audio slideshow. With the ever shrinking photo space in newspapers these days and reproduction variables to deal with, not to mention limited geographic distribution, online images and multimedia photo projects have saved the photo story. Servers are almost endless in space, and urls have a mighty long shelf life.
The link to my audio/photo slideshow is here. Warning - you might want to get a drink or snack first and get comfy, it runs in the 5 minute range. Let me know what you think, comment box below.
Where does TIME go?? My oldest son Max just turned 11, Jacob will be 7 this July, I hit the FOUR FIVE last week, and my better half Gerry is only one year behind me. Came across some vintage Max pics from March 0f 2002. It was his 3rd Birthday party, we were living in an apartment at Eagle's Nest near HCC, and these are color negs, scanned, and converted to gritty B&Ws. VIVA la FILM!!!
Freehanded this one, left handed, while driving a five speed. Even Max can't believe it. What was I thinking??
A little George Turner ALL THE WAY!!!
Max refuses to share his Power Wheels front loader with Austin.
Gerry allows NO photos, so Max's grandmother June stood in for this one.
I am a full time photojournalist with the Herald-Mail newspaper in Hagerstown, MD. I cover general news, breaking news, sports, features, and advertising assignments.
