Sunday, August 31, 2008

Here's a link showing one of my favorite photographers, Tyler Hicks, work in Afghanistan.

http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2008/07/06/weekinreview/kabul-multimedia/index.html

and then a little something closer to home;

http://www.nytimes.com/slideshow/2007/11/29/nyregion/1129-BIKES_index.html


Also related;

http://www.foreigncorrespondence.org/?q=node/92

The last link is quite interesting (to me at least) as it shows the process of how a photographer sends images around the world
using portable satellite technology.

Saturday, August 30, 2008

Hurricane Gustav



So...my previous plan of going to New Orleans to "cover" some of what is now Hurricane Gustav changed drastically as it was upgraded to a Category 4 Hurricane. Rational thinking and really having no other choice (contraflow/evacs) lead me to a back-up/secondary plan or idea; "covering" the evacuations. The plan was a bit safer as well; fly into New Orleans tonight (Sat) at 6:30pm, shoot all day tomorrow then fly out around 5:00pm (Sun), right before the airport is supposed to be shutdown. I found a ticket for really cheap, ie $220 so I thought I was good to go. My camera gear has been packed and ready to go since yesterday.

Unfortunately there's a catch and a big one at that..after some serious research, numerous phone calls, and lots of cigarettes I have found it to be impossible to find a hotel in New Orleans that has not been shut down or evacuated (no sh*t, eh?)
So at this point the question(s) I have to ask myself are, "Do I really want to go to New Orleans (for basically 20 hours) with no place to stay, 48hrs or so before a Cat. 4 Hurricane hits Houma, just west of downtown?" or "Do I want to fly there tomorrow morning, shoot for 5 or 6 hrs and fly right back?"

For me right now, I think the answer to the first question is a emphatic no, BUT if I COULD find a hotel to stay at tonight then things would be different, I would be on the way to the airport now! That doesn't seem very likely at this point.

As far as flying there and back tomorrow; well first of all I'd only have a couple of hours to negotiate and shoot amidst the craziness that is bound to happen on the streets tomorrow AND then get BACK to the airport. UGH, sounds a little too risky.
Getting stuck in New Orleans and the evacuation process 24 hours before a pretty major hurricane hits doesn't sound too appealing to me, especially with no direct link to a major media outlet.

So, I guess I won't be going, which I have to admit is a bit frustrating at this point. At the same time, it's a bit of a relief.

For me, at the very, very least this has been a definite learning experience as far as logistics go and a reminder that very simply, we have no idea what can/will happen.

I hope everyone has a safe weekend.

Cheers

btw, I do have another "photo-project" in the works; 10-12 days, cross country on a train at the end of October/beginning of November...i.e., election week, where I plan to shoot a photo-essay of sorts and interview people concerning what is definitely the biggest election in "awhile." More details on that later.

Friday, August 29, 2008

Sporadic headaches accompanied by blurred vision/flutters and dizziness seem a bit worrysome i think...but maybe i'm just paranoid.

Thursday, August 28, 2008

Two from today


One more thing...

KID LOCO's new album "Party Animals and Disco Biscuits" is very good.

That is all for today, time to go make money.
GUSTAV



So I'm definitely keeping an eye out on Tropical Storm Gustav which as of this morning appears to be strengthening. It also appears to be headed towards New Orleans, three years after Katrina. So, I know this will sound crazy to some, or all of you (who reads this crap anyways?), but if it does strengthen and head to NOLA then I may go there myself, to document whatever it is that may happen. If it does hit NOLA, which I hope it doesn't, it will definitely be interesting to see how the local/federal govt manages things this time around (hopefully better).
Plus, I figure if I really want to be a true "photo-journalist" then I've got to take a bit more initiative. We'll see.
Armenia, revisited.



Croatia, revisited.

Sunday, August 24, 2008

Dreaming of Paris...again.





Saturday, August 23, 2008

To quote an old climbing flick and to express my feelings in regards to how the climbing scene/vibe has changed here in the South, or at least Alabama, quit talking so much about it and "Shut up and Climb."

Seriously, please.

Wednesday, August 20, 2008

Airport hustle

Tuesday, August 19, 2008

Nothing much to say here, just pure silliness/boredom while testing out a ring-light flash system.

Cat shots.





Few taken with a ring-light flash system.

Monday, August 18, 2008

Okay so I'm currently shooting pretty much all the time...hence the onslaught of pics.





I'm super-psyched/inspired right now on shooting so expect lots more shots...Plus I'm working on some audio-slideshows, as well as a REAL (i.e. FLASH) website, so keep an eye out.
Last but not least, my 5 week hiatus from climbing is over as of today, time to get back to it...Gotta get fit for the season.

Word!!
Summer Days...







Where we (un)patiently await the cooler weather to come...

Sunday, August 17, 2008

Few shots from a wedding I shot yesterday.







Amazing day!!

Saturday, August 16, 2008

People/Faces




Monday, August 11, 2008

Josh at the B-Fields.



Saturday, August 02, 2008

I'm tooting my own horn here I guess but oh well.
Here's a pic of a billboard featuring a shot of mine I did for an ad agency. It's located on 18th Street in Homewood on the way towards Vulcan.


Friday, August 01, 2008

Just another shot of Ben on "Serenity Now"