Two Eyes and a Brain

Dan and Heidi

2010-08-06T01:36:00.005-06:00

A few favorites from an engagement portrait session with two lovebirds named Dan and Heidi.

Had a blast guys!

Lavender Buzz

2010-07-12T16:01:00.004-06:00

There is a small field of lavender near my condo that seems to lately be a haven for bees. In my continued effort to photograph more and with a renewed interest in nature, I clicked off a few frames and tried not to get stung. It was a nice retreat. Bzzz.

Disney Geometry

2010-07-10T02:07:00.003-06:00

Went on a family vacation to Orlando, Fla. earlier in the summer to celebrate my parents' 40th wedding anniversary. Snapped a few photos. It was a wonderfully relaxing trip. Can't wait to go back. Maybe Christmas?

After The Rain

2010-07-10T01:13:00.006-06:00

Here are a few that I made of some backyard flora after a brief rainstorm Friday evening. A bit funky and abstract - a good match for my mood of late. I don't pick up my cameras nearly as much as I should, but I'm trying. Hopefully I'll get back to the habit of carrying a camera with me during my daily romps to class. I guess I'll see what happens. For now, cheers ...cll

Starting Anew

2009-09-14T23:49:00.004-06:00

For the most part, I have neglected my cameras for a long time. I got out today to clear my head a little by spending some time in the viewfinder of my Nikon. Playing with light and lines.

It was fun. I'll have to do it again ... tomorrow.

Love Portraits

2009-05-17T22:32:00.007-06:00

My great friend Josh met Kristin about five months ago. In that time, he's been having a blast while falling head over soles. He lives in Colorado and she in Pullman, Wash. while she finishes up a commitment as a veterinarian. It was a little more than 14 days ago that he popped the question on the snows of Mt. Ranier in the Pacific Northwest. As typical as it sounds, these two were made for one another and have an anything-but-typical future ahead of them.

I was honored to be asked to make some engagement photos for Josh and Kris this evening.

Tonight was about some people who are really important to me. Josh because he's always been there for me, pushing me to be better than I thought I could be--as a photographer, as a ball player, as a human being. Kris because she is such an important part of Josh's life and a natural friend that I look forward to getting to know over the years.

Now for those pictures. Here are a few of my favorites.

Two Wheels and Perspective

2009-02-23T22:21:00.006-07:00

I [HEART] quad rugby. A few years ago--when I was still in newspapers--I got the opportunity to do a two-part story on a local man who went from being a regular suburban husband and father to a quadriplegic in 24 hours due to a condition that attacked his spinal cord. In the wake of his injury and rehabilitation, he discovered wheelchair rugby and feel in love.

It's a story that still inspires me, even years later. I hadn't been out to shoot the sport or hang out with the athletes since completing the story, so I took the opportunity to get out this weekend for the Mile High Massacre tournament in Denver. What an awesome display of punishing metal on metal collisions.

Looking at these pictures tonight makes me realize how insignificant the challenges of my Monday truly are. Life is all about choices. Sometimes these decisions are in your control and sometimes they are so beyond your grasp. It's all about perspective, right?

Baseline Sitting

2009-02-09T14:02:00.003-07:00

Got out to shoot some high school basketball a few days ago. It had been a good long while since I pulled out the gear to shoot sports. It was a lot of fun and I think I could still compete for column inches in **most** newspapers. Too bad newspapers are dead. Hopefully this is the beginning of me spending more time tucked inside the finder of my cameras. On a side note, these are all shot ambient with the amazing Nikon D700 and 70-200 combination. In the past, I would have pulled out my speedlights to throw a little light around. That approach would have added some separation, but I'm pretty pleased with the nat light (read: cycling mercury vapor lights of death) results.

Happy New Year

2008-12-31T17:40:00.004-07:00

Here's to good fortune and great light. See you in 2009.

Visual Morsels

2008-12-28T16:32:00.002-07:00

Stirring Giant

2008-12-24T00:28:00.004-07:00

I just spent the better part of an hour getting inspired. I paid a visit to the College Photographer of the Year site to look at winning images in the 63rd annual competition. I left feeling really insignificant, but nonetheless inspired at the power of photojournalism. The inevitable demise of newspapers as we've known them will undoubtedly change the landscape for pictures. But, honestly, it's refreshing to note that the visual craftsmanship and compassion that has long sustained newspaper photographers is still very much thriving in a new generation of shooters. Almost all of them will likely find themselves needing to translate the power of a still image to the uncertain, and essentially unproven, power of new media approaches.

That's scary. It's also liberating. The door is wide open for journalists, writers and photographers alike, to take a cue from Jenn Ackerman's haunting documentary on the mentally ill in the prison system.

As for what any of this means to me, I'm not entirely sure. I've done some transitioning in the past year and a half, some of which has been chronicled on this blog and most of which has gone publicly unrecorded. I know one thing, I miss making pictures everyday. I unequivocally know that I could still be making daily pictures, but simply have neglected to stay true to that part of me. It's unfortunate, really. But. It's going to change. The photojournalist in me is stirring. I don't know what the sleeping giant will produce, but I do know that he's hungry and ready to dine anew. Where to begin?

Tumbleweeds

2008-12-13T18:41:00.001-07:00

Fleeting Flits

2008-11-09T16:11:00.006-07:00

I have so many projects I want to dive into. Everything from writing and illustrating a children's book to shooting something cohesive and interesting. I have scribbled notes with my ideas that confront me everywhere I look. Random thoughts that flit through my brain thrown down on paper so that I remember to remember. I might be headed towards a creative awakening. Or. I might simply keep penning my dreams, waiting for the right tomorrow's yesterday.

"O"

2008-11-09T16:01:00.007-07:00

Scribble, Scribble

2008-08-25T22:36:00.003-06:00

Exhibition: Interactions

2008-08-20T21:23:00.002-06:00

Exhibition: Preparation

2008-08-14T20:26:00.003-06:00

Weeds

2008-08-14T20:23:00.002-06:00

SELF-SERVE

2008-08-10T20:56:00.000-06:00

D.C. Experience 2008

2008-06-03T23:41:00.005-06:00

I'm leaving on a jet plane tomorrow. Going to Washington, D.C. for a special project with work. I'll be keeping a blog. Check it out here.

Circumstances

2008-05-28T23:57:00.011-06:00

It was March 2004. A family trip to the Denver Zoo. I, of course, was carrying my camera. I have never really forgotten the photos. I just misplaced them in the dance of life and happened upon them tonight. Not sure what prompts me to post them more than four years later. Then again, maybe I do.

Life is just wild. Even when you're caged in by circumstances beyond your control.

Ominous

2008-05-21T23:55:00.003-06:00

Driving home tonight and the skies were exploding.

Seattle

2008-05-19T22:14:00.005-06:00

Playing the tourist for a few days in the Pacific Northwest. Had a nice dinner with a good friend this evening. Glad we connected. Great and interesting city--will have to come back when I can stay longer and see/eat/drink more.

Remember

2008-05-15T20:04:00.003-06:00

Normally my drive to work isn't all that inspiring. But, that sort of changed during a rainy Wednesday morning last week. While sitting in traffic, I saw a few poignant messages stuck on a bumper. One said, "Remember who you wanted to be," and the other said, "Enlighten Up."

Good advice. And. I'm trying to remember. I'm trying really hard.

Of Graduation and Transformation

2008-05-12T22:23:00.007-06:00

I had family in town over the weekend. My second cousin was graduating from high school and they came down from Washington for the celebration. It was definitely great to see them. While standing in my grandmother's garage with my father and my uncle, I saw some nice late afternoon light dancing off of my uncle's belt buckle. Click.

It was an interesting weekend in a ton of ways. Seeing my second cousin graduate was pretty surreal because I remember when he was born--I was in fifth grade. I know that means that I'm getting old. He's off to college this fall and I pray that he makes the most of his next steps.

Head Circus

2008-04-09T22:13:00.010-06:00

It's been awhile. I've been busy adjusting to a new job and just haven't made time to post anything. That and I've been mostly in my own head lately--dealing with stuff more privately and less transparently.

I'm more or less settled in to the gig. Hopefully that will inspire a more regular schedule of postings, but I suppose time will tell that story.

Lately, I've got some junk doing acrobatics in the circus that is my head. Nothing terribly consequential really, just junk.

While life is a bit less than aces at the moment, things are pretty much going well. I've got a job. I've got a family. I've got some health. I've got an imagination. My sense of humor is still very much intact.

Oh, and I've got some good ideas for a few stories. Written stories, not photo stories. After all, even though my voice mail greeting still says photojournalist, I'm more a writer than a photographer these days.

Random Views

2008-03-07T23:37:00.017-07:00

It was an interesting week filled with words, wonder, and conversation.

In some ways, these photos represent the wonder more than anything else. Anymore, I'm drawn to interesting light, shapes, patterns, and the juxtaposition of contrary elements in daily life. Thankfully I carry my pocket camera daily to record that which strikes me as intriguing.

Despite having a number of things running roughshod through my mind, I am surprisingly content. Maybe it's due to a lack of sleep. Or maybe it's something else that currently escapes me. Either way, it's nice to be coming into balance in what tends to be a fairly tilted world.

Randall

2008-02-28T22:32:00.007-07:00

I had the opportunity to visit with a friend of mine today. Randall is an artist whose work I really appreciate and enjoy. We met many years ago while working at the same indie camera store. There is really nothing he cannot do with a camera, a fountain pen, a paintbrush or a chisel. The last time I saw him--a few months ago--I took interest in some work he had penned into a sketchbook. Today, I made a picture of one of the pages in the book that I love because it is filled with wonderful imagination. I also snapped one of some finished pieces hanging in his living room.

I talked to him about starting a blog during our visit. Hopefully he will because it would be a fabulous window to his unique artistic perspectives on life.

Arbitrarily Freeing

2008-02-18T22:40:00.009-07:00

I shot a roll of black and white film through my Diana camera last week. Aside from, or maybe because of, the horrible mini-lab development and scanning, I like this frame pretty well for its utterly low fidelity.

The camera is pretty much entirely made of plastic and it definitely shows in the results. Many a photographer and artist have produced stunning imagery with this and other toy cameras. I hope to join the ranks with some cool pictures of my own.

Diana offers little to no control over such rudimentary aspects as aperture, shutter speed, focus, and composition. In that respect, it is arbitrarily freeing to use. It's also pretty thrilling to see what the latest plastic vision has rendered.

It's basically an exercise in happy accidents.

Note: the Diana shoots a square image, but in this case the full digital scan included light leaks and other whatnot that I think add something.

I [Heart] LEGO

2008-02-17T20:52:00.010-07:00

I think LEGO® bricks are out of this world.

original drunk harmony

2008-02-14T22:26:00.010-07:00

Transition

2008-02-14T01:39:00.015-07:00

Here's to new beginnings ...

I just got off the tele with Joshua Lawton, a close friend and fellow photojournalist. He is up late putting the finishing touches on a bunch of stuff - a resume, personal statement, etc. - that he hopes will help get him accepted to graduate school. I truly hope the university appreciates his vision and drive as a storyteller. I truly hope he gets this opportunity for advancement.

It's funny how life moves and grooves. A little over nine months ago I left the newspaper world in pursuit of a change; a new beginning. In that time, I have always held to the hope that I would continue serious work as a photojournalist. It hasn't really happened, but I'm still a paid-in-full member of the photo scene. Always will be.

I have continued telling stories. Now, instead of pictures, I get paid for primarily using words.

Talk about change.

Anonymous

2008-02-13T11:51:00.006-07:00

Free Film

2008-02-11T00:21:00.000-07:00

Denver photographer Trevor Brown hooked me up with more than 30 rolls of 120 black and white film this weekend.

I plan to shoot it in a Diana, a quirky toy camera with a plastic lens.

Thanks, Trevor. I'll make you a print.

A Stop For Reflection

2008-02-10T22:50:00.001-07:00

Lately, more often than not, I am in a state of utter restlessness. I can't point to any one thing as being the definitive cause. At least in part, I feel like I'm in a professional funk because I don't truly know whether I'm spending my time headed in the right direction. I doubt many folks do, but that doesn't necessarily soften the blow in my mind. I feel like I'm made to do some big things, but I can't honestly take credit for pursuing any of them at the moment. The fault rests with me and me alone.

The reflection reveals a certain inability to take chances and change which in turn exposes great vulnerability and dissonance.

Mr. GoodJob

2008-02-08T12:23:00.003-07:00

Of late, I have been shooting quite a few photos of trash. Trashy photos, if you will. Not sure why I've gravitated towards the things others throw away, but it has been interesting.

Last weekend I came upon something pretty funny in a dumpster - a Mr. GoodJob bar.

Who was given this and for what deed(s)?

Apparently the honor was refused.

Wall

2008-02-06T12:33:00.001-07:00

Underpass

2008-02-02T01:11:00.001-07:00

Slow and Often Belligerent

2008-01-31T22:21:00.001-07:00

I got on the roads this morning at about 8 a.m. destined for a downtown job interview scheduled to begin at 9 a.m. I can typically make the drive in about 35 to 45 minutes, depending on how well or poorly fellow motorists are motoring.

Did I mention it snowed last night?

Yeah.

Suffice it to say that my drive was reminiscent of a snail taking a sobriety test after a night of heavy drinking - slow and often belligerent. I finally made it at 10:30 and since my unintentional tardiness threw off the planned timing of various segments of the three-hour interview, I ended up having to split it up into two sessions. I had about three hours to waste in between, so I shot a little picture essay of sorts.

Snowcone

Thanks for the warning

Graffiti

Unnecessary Button

Blue

Watered Down

2008-01-30T23:40:00.000-07:00

I stopped at the mall tonight to buy a tie for a job interview in the morning. I have not worn a tie in a long time - probably a few years ago at my grandfather's funeral. Hopefully tomorrow will be a happier day.

The photos don't really have anything to do with the tie or the interview, unless you consider that I need to stay hydrated and I will battle snowy roads in the morning on the way downtown.

Chlorophyll

2008-01-22T22:52:00.001-07:00

Found some nice light on a plant at work this afternoon.

Momentary Stop Signs

2008-01-21T01:26:00.000-07:00

I was heading across town the other night and was reminded of a great benefit of living in Colorado. Every now and again, we are fortunate enough to witness breathtaking sunsets. The sunrises might be equally wonderful, but I'm rarely awake to enjoy them. It's amazing what light and clouds and pollution on a sky canvas can create.

As the colors began to dissipate, I made a frame looking through these black dots on my windshield to create a surreal repetition effect that I enjoy.

With the most vivid colors almost completely absent, I took a quick grab shot of some geese migrating across a sea of blue that seems almost prehistoric and haunting to my mind.

Taking time to look around every now and again really makes me pause with wonder. These momentary stop signs in life stand as great reminders of the smallness and insignificance of all the little mind goblins that attempt to steal away my enjoyment of this life.

Strip Mall

2008-01-20T00:52:00.000-07:00

There is a strip mall behind the house where I grew up in a neighborhood made up of mostly original owners. My folks still live in that house and many, but certainly not all, of those neighbors have passed away in the past decade.

I remember being a kid and riding my bike around the corner to a discount bakery that sold Suzy-Q's, Ding Dongs and all other manner of sugar-loaded debauchery. It's long gone, but unfortunately my gut is still paying rent.

I remember getting my hairs cut at a legitimate barber shop by a friendly fellow named Augie. The shop is still open and on the occasion that I stop in for a little off the top, he asks if I'm there for my wedding haircut. I think by now he knows I'm not, but he asks. He talks about someday retiring, but he can't put down his scissors and clippers completely until he does the matrimonial hairdo he's promised me. Hopefully I'll still have hair at that point.

True to form, businesses have come and gone in the past twenty odd years and the face of the shopping center, much like that of the adjacent neighborhood, has changed too.

These days, for the most part, the strip mall has been transformed into a mega-church and that makes the scene I photographed in a window on the backside of the building that much more intriguing. And bizarre.

Perhaps they are praising His name. Or maybe vying for some beads from Ken and the gang.

Paper Wisdom

2008-01-16T14:35:00.001-07:00

Postmarks

2008-01-11T08:41:00.001-07:00

I rarely write letters that depend upon a postage stamp and letter carrier for delivery.

E-mails and text messages, while decidedly less personal and more disposable, provide a quicker and more direct method for communicating. This blog is another counter to the handwritten note. The mass method of personal discourse is not going anywhere.

Honestly, I miss the permanence of a postmarked communique. Through the years, I have been on the receiving end of the occasional postcard from a friend or the love letter from a long since scorned former flame. Or the "look how great my life has become" Christmas card. I even sent a few.

I miss that exchange, even if I wasn't very good at the exchange part.

Some adage says that a person has to send letters to get them in return. Sounds completely logical to me. The sending and receiving is something I need to experience on a regular basis. I would like to soon find myself penning a strongly struck letter to someone. Perhaps I would include some photographic trinket to accompany the words or maybe I would let them stand on their own accord. Promptly depositing 41 cents of self-adhesive bus fare, I would send it on its journey with hopes for reciprocation. It would be amazing how the old way would become my new way.

Interested? Send me an address that does not include the "@" sign to this address that does: cl [at] christopherlawson [dot] com.

P.S. YIELD TO INCOMING SEMITRUCKS.

Gut-Checking and Soul-Wrangling

2008-01-10T09:55:00.001-07:00

My window washer shooters decided not to spray on the drive to work earlier this week. I think they must have froze up with the cold temperatures. Instead of pulling over to see about coercing them into operation, I decided to just roll along with my smeared view of the world. It was an interesting drive that sort of represents how I feel at the moment.

I am having some gut-checking and soul-wrangling in the new year.

Stainless

2008-01-06T23:26:00.000-07:00

Plastic Head

2008-01-05T12:23:00.001-07:00

I was digging through family photographs and found one that strikes me as more than a little odd.

Yeah. That is me holding some sort of doll head. Not sure what the story is and no one seems to recall what provoked this particular Polaroid. Perhaps it was shot by my folks so they could someday attempt to get me cast in a Tim Burton film or a documentary on circus people. I think it is darkly amusing how much my expression and general appearance mirror that plastic head in my hands. I also love the lawn chair.

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A Soulful Idea

2008-01-04T23:06:00.000-07:00

It is only the fourth day of the year and I already have a project I want to begin working on. Not going to let the dog out of the cage quite yet as the idea is still slobbering about in my brain, but I think it could be an interesting look at humanity from a fairly unconventional perspective. At the very least, the idea will likely garner some interesting initial stares from my chosen subjects.

Stay tuned for updates - I will likely be looking for ideas as I get moving on it.

New Year Beginnings

2008-01-02T21:37:00.000-07:00

A few images to kick off the new year.

Hopefully 2008 will be a blessed one. I have some work to do this year. I want to shoot pictures that matter. I want to cultivate my writing. I want to do a lot of things.

Looking forward to sharing the journey with you. It promises to be a memorable ride.

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Indifferent Days

2007-12-29T14:22:00.000-07:00

Why is it that the end of the year is always cause for reflection and contemplation? Is it because we are compelled to gauge our lives by absolutes? We have this need to put our lives into a little yearly vignette that we then process and analyze for all that it was and all that it was not.

We tend to rate our year through the lenses of success, defeat, loss and gain. What about all the days that had none of that? What about all the days that were just indifferent? I was still alive and it is those lukewarm days that led me to find a little success, some defeat, a bit of loss and a few gains in 2007.

My advice is to focus this year on the indifferent days where you truly have little more to go on than your gut instinct and a whole lot of faith. They tend to be the catalysts for bigger things.

Not always great things. Just bigger.

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Pine Drive

2007-12-26T20:47:00.000-07:00

Still messing around with video and here is a short piece I pulled together from footage captured over the past day or so of a road adjacent to my apartment. It has only recently become an arterial connection between two major roads and this is my perception of the increased traffic flow. My new favorite night sound is snowplows at midnight.

2007-12-25T00:10:00.000-07:00

First Lost Tooth

2007-12-24T12:01:00.000-07:00

My niece lost her first tooth earlier this week and I couldn't let that important life moment go unrecorded. I set up my lights and she obliged me with moderate interest for a few frames that I will certainly treasure for a very long time. We celebrated Christmas a little early and so she got to open up a few gifts that I quickly incorporated into some fun pictures. The butterfly bath towel wrap was from me and it seemed to be a hit as she refused to take it off after putting it on.

Kids have a great knack for reminding us of the value of being carefree and imaginative. I sometimes wonder what life looks like through kid eyes because I have largely forgotten. Every child is infinitely irresistible. Even when they're not.

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Lit Legs

2007-12-23T13:41:00.001-07:00

I was watching the light dance across the furniture in my apartment and decided to mess around with the movie mode on my point-and-pray camera. My excursions into multimedia are going to be slow and mostly uphill, but I'm excited to see where it leads. Stay tuned.

Orange

2007-12-23T00:25:00.000-07:00

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Whiskers

2007-12-22T00:02:00.001-07:00

I photographed the remnants of a bit of goatee maintenance on my bathroom counter earlier this week and then I saw the grass growing out of some freshly fallen snow yesterday afternoon. The bathroom gets cleaned. The snow melts. And the whiskers are no more.

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Josey Ann Peterson

2007-12-21T10:15:00.001-07:00

(Obituary from Port Orchard (Wash.) Independent)

Josey Ann Peterson, 30, a resident of Portland, Ore., died May 28 in Portland. She was born on May 12, 1974, in Bremerton to Randall and Marion (Breiland) Peterson. She graduated from South Kitsap High School in 1992 and attended Lutheran Bible Institute in Issaquah. She was a co-manager for Blue Moon Camera and Machine in Portland. She enjoyed photography, family, animals and hiking. She was a Lutheran. She is survived by her sister Jamey Peterson of Port Orchard; maternal grandmother Anna Breiland and paternal grandmother Doris Peterson. Visitation was held on June 4 at Rill Chapel and will be held on Sunday, June 6, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. at First Lutheran Church in Port Orchard prior to service. A funeral will be held at First Lutheran Church on June 6 at 3 p.m., followed by interment at Sunset Lane Memorial Park. Arrangements were under the direction of Rill Chapel’s Life Tribute Center. Memorial donations can be made to First Lutheran Church, 2483 Mitchell Rd. SE, Port Orchard, WA 98366. Please visit the online memorial at www.rill.com.

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my last photograph of Josey, circa December 2001

She was born on the same date - 57 years later - as my maternal grandfather.

I was not there. In fact, I don't necessarily remember the day that I first met Josey. I do, however, have a ton of fond memories that surround the days and nights the two of us spent together while she lived in Colorado. Man, did she ever live in Colorado

Josey convinced me of a lot of things.

She was there when I, filled with doubts and confusion about my talent, was plodding my way through college as a photojournalism major. She always told me that I would someday make it as a photojournalist. I started my first full-time photo gig at a newspaper one day before she took the train to photograph heaven with a Holga. (**I wanna see that contact sheet**)

A few years later, I have essentially made it. Still, I can't help thinking that greater pictures and richer stories are still somehow beyond me and my abilities. Maybe they are simply just ahead of me, in part, because she is above me.

She convinced me of a lot of things.

Her sense of fashion was definitely a defining part of her personality. In her purple Chuck Taylors and fishnet stockings, she often looked like a character in a vividly dark Tim Burton film. She liked Tim Burton and I loved her. She was the friend I never knew I needed before I truly needed her to calm my soul. I remember spending hours one night sitting on the front porch of her rented home. We talked about life, love, God and photography - all topics she seemed to know quite well. Remembering the spunk in her voice and laugh brings a funny smile to my face.

I visited her memorial site and found the picture that made me remember hearing this story about Josey after she moved to Portland to work at an eclectic little camera store. This is a classic case of the story likely paling in comparison to the reality.

She apparently walked into a thrift store - she loved thrift stores, dive bars and toy cameras - and walked out with a pair of purchased wings. She promptly boarded a public bus wearing her newfound flair and engaged just about every passenger in friendly conversation without any fear of judgment. It was probably amazing and was the kind of act for which Josey was known and cherished.

A lot of things.

Angels do exist. They wear fancy wings and fishnets, shoot a Diana camera and love unconditionally.

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Furry Boots

2007-12-20T00:29:00.000-07:00

Standing outside a downtown restaurant this afternoon waiting for a table and I saw the lady rocking the boots. She's a photographer.

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Polaroids and Philosophy

2007-12-16T12:52:00.000-07:00

I was digging through relics of my life and found some 4x5 Polaroids I made some time ago. The cameras in use - a Busch Pressman and a Crown Graphic - require two eyes and a brain to use.

Sounds familiar, eh.

I started this blog as a means to share pictures and words that celebrate slices of life that I appreciate within the context of my two eyes and my brain. I probably don't post as often as I should. Perhaps that is because it is a therapeutic process that forces me to confront a great many things in my mind. Things that sometimes I don't care to wage the battle against. I have mentioned the process to a few people lately as I encouraged them to consider beginning a blog of their own. The response is typically something along the lines of "I don't have anything to say." I think that is not very accurate because everyone is a character in the great story of life and all versions of the tale are worth expressing in some form.

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Wine + Cheese

2007-12-16T11:19:00.001-07:00

Pure 1970 in 2007. Guests at a holiday wine + cheese party this weekend. The ridiculously cool vintage dress and white latex knee boots gave her away as a hipster and he was drinking something that, with its aquamarine color, resembled window washing fluid - truly a timeless duo.

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Just Seen

2007-12-14T22:27:00.000-07:00

Seen this week.

No reason. No rhyme.

Just seen.

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Every Last Word

2007-12-09T12:19:00.000-07:00

I purchased a book a few months ago that I finally started reading this weekend. Written by Pulitzer Prize-winning writer Jim Sheeler, "Obit" is a collection of narrative obituaries celebrating the extraordinary lives of ordinary folks.

As a journalist, I can think of no piece of editorial writing that carries more responsibility for truth than the final words penned in an obituary. Sheeler is clearly masterful in his ability to find great stories and craft words into sentences to form paragraphs that truly immortalize lives lived and then completed. I have only read six or seven pieces and every one is a small portrait painted with Sheeler's delicate and expressive stroke to celebrate a giant, although sometimes quiet, existence. Every one and everyone is important. It is amazing what lessons can be learned about life from writing born of death.

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Uncorked

2007-12-01T01:26:00.001-07:00

Drinking wine and listening to some late night jazz on the radio and decided to make a few pictures to pass the time.

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Seeing Stars

2007-11-20T23:42:00.000-07:00

I recently purchased a small point-and-pray camera* because I wanted something I would carry with me all the time. I have been using it as my photographic notebook and making pictures as I see them emerge as part of my ordinary daily life. I shoot pictures of anything that strikes a nerve. I'm studying the art of seeing and learning to free myself from any preconceptions about what makes a successful photograph.

Went to a birthday party the other night and saw something that spoke to me.

Click.

*Canon SD1000

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The Dashbird

2007-11-16T00:14:00.000-07:00

I will be the first to admit that I have been in a weird photographic mood lately. Can't necessarily explain it, nor do I guess any explanation is very important. I am having some fun making some pretty unconventional (at least for me) pictures. In many ways, I have been looking to infuse my personal work with a certain creative component - unique light, interesting patterns, etc. Sometimes I think the process overrules the statement. Other times my imagination takes over and I come up with something that temporarily appeases my terminal curiosity.

I made this photo while driving across town the other night. Perhaps you will see what I think the camera set for an 8 second exposure created - a bird in furious light flight. Or maybe you see something else entirely.

"The War"

2007-09-23T21:55:00.000-06:00

Tonight I watched the first of Ken Burns' seven-part documentary on World War II aptly named "The War."

Wow.

A ton of things occurred to me as I sat riveted to my television for the opening episode. Here are a few of those thoughts. First, everyone of a certain age (not suitable for young eyes or minds) should take in this work. Second, I know next to nothing about World War II. Third, I have a different appreciation for Irving Berlin's holiday staple "White Christmas" and can almost imagine American soldiers listening to the melodies and lyrics and dreaming about home. Finally, I am going to often make an effort to find and thank a veteran.

As a photojournalist, I was fascinated with the still photographs in the film. I can only imagine what it would have been like to be a combat photographer during World War II or any war for that matter. I am thankful that a ton of photos were preserved from the important (and often dark) chapter in world history. I'm also thankful that Ken Burns and his team have presented the work for the consumption of the many.

Check it out. Please.
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Big Hit

2007-09-20T20:25:00.000-06:00

As promised in a post earlier this week, here are the two decent football frames from the Colorado v. Florida State game last Saturday in Boulder, Colo. I was positioned on the end line and saw this pass play developing and managed t0 hit the button on time to capture these two pictures. I think they both work fine, but the first one is more representative of the incomplete pass. I like the second one because the receiver has his eyes on the football unaware of the punishing hit that is coming and I love the first one because it all comes together - the ball, the hit, the quarterback in the background, etc.

Contrary to my last few posts, I do shoot more than football. Hopefully I can show off some of the other stuff soon?

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First at Folsom

2007-09-17T21:39:00.001-06:00

For the second time in a week, I got to make pictures at a college football game. For Saturday's game - Colorado v. Florida State - I was assisting my good friend Joshua Lawton at Folsom Field in Boulder, Colo. I didn't really do much other than babysit his cameras while he dashed to the press box to transmit on short deadlines at halftime...the rest of the time I was trying to work on catching a few nice moments on the gridiron. I felt a bit more comfortable with the pace of the game and when my Nikons weren't backfocusing or otherwise not cooperating I felt like I saw the action pretty well. These are three that I liked pretty well - not game changing moments necessarily, but standard "they could run in the newspaper" frames. I did have a pair of 1/500 of a seconds that kinda rocked...look for a comparison post of those two pictures later in the week.

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Opportunity

2007-09-14T01:40:00.000-06:00

Had the opportunity to cover a college football tilt last night and I had a lot of fun aside from some major circus-like credential issues. I was assigned to shoot "action portraits" of the players from Texas Christian University and I'm pretty sure I didn't do a spectacular job. I did however make some images that I think tell a pretty good story about the way the game went. Air Force erased a 14 point deficit in the fourth quarter and ended up winning on a field goal in overtime. Quite a bit different level and speed of play than I'm accustomed to, but football is football.

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Gridiron in Motion

2007-09-01T00:59:00.000-06:00

It happens in towns big and small and far and wide this time of year - high school football. Now that I am a shooter without a newspaper, I decided to give myself a self-assignment to cover a showdown between two Class 5A rival schools last night. The stands were packed, the uniforms were clean and the weather was perfect as Ponderosa and Mountain Vista hit the green for the 2007 campaign opener in Highlands Ranch, Colo.

In years past, I found myself working for the storytelling picture from the game to publish in the newspaper. Old habits die hard they say and so it isn't surprising that for much of the first half I was shooting the game pretty straight and sharp. With those frames tucked in my back pocket I decided to play and have some fun as action resumed in the second half. I slowed the shutter down to a crawl and let light, color and motion work a little calculated magic in the camera. I think it worked for the most part and I am really glad I decided to take the chance on something I haven't done much of in the past. I am also glad that I spent my evening witnessing some fine athletes unconcerned with endorsements, huge contracts and fame.

Thank the Lord for prep football season.

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Layers of Life

2007-08-30T13:45:00.000-06:00

Last weekend, I headed up to the Colorado mountains near Estes Park for a family camping trip. It was one part birthday celebration for my niece who turned five and many more parts rest, relaxation and reflection. On Saturday we ended up journeying through Rocky Mountain National Park and up the majestic Trail Ridge Road. When we started it was about 80 degrees and by the time we stopped near the top the mercury had dipped near 60 degrees with a fierce, oxygen-deprived wind to add to the temporary climate shift. We in Colorado are lucky to get the chance to live in a state where God's paintbrush spent a lot of time creating beauty, grace and serenity. Here is my photographic version of that painting.

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Sit Down, Stay A Spell

2007-07-14T17:17:00.000-06:00

About three months ago I left my job as chief photographer with a group of weekly newspapers in Colorado. The reasons are many, but my primary driving force was a need for change. My vision had become less than I knew it could be and that coupled with a lack of confidence in the direction my career was headed drove me out the door. I am very resolved in my decision and am vigorously pursuing greatness behind the lens - some days are better than others. At least I am doing it my way.

Lately, I have not picked up my cameras as much as used to be normal for me.

I picked them up the other day to make these two images that I really enjoy for simplicity, lines and perhaps even irony. An old car with a fainted and peeling paint job and a weed juiced with life rising from the asphalt is sometimes all I need to push the buttons with purpose.

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