2009/02/26

100th post!

And I couln't think of a more fitting post to do it with than with the lovely family of mine that has had to put up with me for 22 years.

This was just as I was leaving for school for the first time. What a lovely good bye present.

Oh Julie... that's classy.

2009/02/25

People, Poles, Pana and past pictures

Met up with the fam last weekend in Pana, Ill. It is a small town just about smack dab in the middle of Illinois and almost halfway for both of us. Works out well so hopefully (hint, hint) it will be happening more.

On the road there...


Getting ready to go out on our big date to the pizza place. WHOO!




On another note...
These are from my last shoot with Tim at his house before his first show at a new bar.


Wads of cash, too bad they're all ones.

This is Tim's mom checking out him putting on his makeup for the show. I think it's pretty cool she is so approving and a part of his life instead of just shunning him.

Penny, Tim's mom again, and his Nana at the show. She video tapes every show he has been in and he is very proud to show them off. Trust me...

Nakkita, one of his best friends, puts on Tim's eyelashes for the show.

And we end with another fun little tidbit I found funny...

2009/02/19

Rodeo pt. 2

Obviously not from the Rodeo, this is just a late installment to the MLK vigil post a while back.
And back to crazy people on horses, bulls and anything else that bucks!






I was sitting up by the medics when this guy came out. Not 5 seconds into his run the medic said, "O he is out!" and sure enough the guy had totally gotten knocked out and was out cold for the majority of his run... he held on though.

2009/02/18

Rodeo pt. 1

Sorry the posts have been so sporadic this week, I shot the rodeo this weekend and have been playing catchup for awhile.

Here is the first round of photos from it, there will be more to come.


It was pretty cool to shoot and I decided try and light it the last night. It almost worked...

There was zero light hitting this practice area but for some reason I tried to pull something out of it.



I shot this on Friday night and found out that he was actually the son of the secretary of the rodeo company, little did I know that would work out to my advantage later on that weekend. He has been riding in rodeo's since he was six he said.



Let me just say: These guys are nuts. Totally insane. This bull was ahuffin and apuffin and did not want to be there let alone with some dude on his back. After about a five minute struggle to get on this bad boy, Mr. Cowboy was ready to go when all of a sudden the bull jumps up on its hind legs and nearly jumped over the pen onto me and two other shooters. They get him back down and proceed to poke him with a jolt stick just to piss him off again. CRAZY.


"Thank god I'm alive, Thank god I'm alive, Thank god I'm alive."

2009/02/17

Loveless on the day of love

Assignment: Singles on Valentines day.
Location: Froggies Bar

This poor guy just sat at the bar looking at everyone else with a terribly sad look in his eye. I asked him what brought him here and he was just like, "didn't wanna be at home." He was a freshman and some older frat guys came over and said something to him. I'm thinkin he is the DD tonight.

This dude was trying to pick up everything with boobs that night. Most saw right through him, if they could still see straight.


This wasn't just a peck on the lips, we are talkin full make out session. Ya they were wasted.


Music man in the window. Nothing really to do with the story.


Single ladies on Vday. And I quote, "dih you jus tahe r pisher?" This right after I asked them for thier name and stuff and told them I did.


The men prepping for a night of debauchery. Heres to ya.


And we end with the greatest single of them all... Mr. Scott Powers ladies and gentlemen.

2009/02/10

MLK Vigil

Still trying to play catch up a bit...
Candle lights and flashbulbs lit up the night for a vigil that was held to honor the progress of blacks through history. I swear there were probably just as many photographers there as actual participants which made it kinda awkward. Someone would go to light up a candle and, POP POP POP, flashes would start going off like Michael Jordan was jumping through the air. Ah, oh well so it goes at a PJ school I guess, just kinda felt bad for the people because they are trying to get into the feeling of this vigil but keep getting asked their name, age and where they're from.


Anyway, it started up on top of the hill and then they walked down to the arena. A guy at the beginning was reciting Dr. King's "I have a Dream" speech to start the night that was ended with Obama's inauguration speech.

The people were still really cool and didn't seem to mind so much all the cameras in their faces. Thank god. I think there were about four other shooters clustered around this group alone.

Random little bit I found was funny.




Throughout the walk, people would recreate scenes in history like segregating the sidewalk and a couple people put on robes and caps to be KKK members. Anyone who didn't know what was going on kinda looked at the crowd a little sideways to see all this going on at like 8:30 at night on campus.

2009/02/09

Highlights and History

We had the great pleasure of welcoming Bill Eppridge and his wife Adrienne Aurichio to school last week to speak and do some portfolio reviews. Eppridge is a living legend in the photojournalism world. He probably most well known for his work with Bobby Kennedy and his photo of Kennedy's assination. I was lucky enough to see him at the Eddie Adams Workshop in october this year so to get to see him again and get the chance to talk to him personally was amazing.

He had a informal talk with just the Photo students before doing his big presentation later that night.


These are just some random thoughts from my life these past weeks...

Its a pellet gun.

2009/02/06

Feelin' Blue

There was a blues show on campus on Wednesday so I took a gander over to see what damage I could do there. It was a good time, the bands were really good and one was even from Illinois...

Backyard Tire Fire. These were the guys from Bloomington, Illinois. The singer had a really cool fedora on.


This is Rufus Huff. They are a local band that have this crazy mix of blues, rock, soul, and funk in their music. Sounds like it would be a big mess but it was pretty good.

2009/02/02

Campus Funny Business

Random shot from campus today... now that all the ice is gone. Hope that freezing weather is treating you all nice at home. It was 50 here today!

Window to the world...

...or at least Bowling Green. Some fun stuff walking around campus the other day.