I'm still around...and have audio

So, yeah. That last post is kind of a bummer, huh?
Well, there have been some developments since then.

 I am working at the paper again, mainly on the news desk; laying out pages and proofreading, but shooting a little also.
It could be really fun, once I get the hang of everything and if I am given some free reign to do something interesting. I'm just not there yet, but we'll see.

But I have been working on a side project with my friend from the paper, Alex. We started a podcast. For those that don't know (dad. haha) a podcast is like an internet radio show.

Our podcast, Another Trivial Conversation, is basically just us talking about entertainment media that we enjoy.

We have done one real episode and one test pilot and in the time from the pilot to now we have gotten a lot better and I think we might be able to make something really cool; provided neither of us get a different job and move away.

 Just FYI, if you are going to listen to it, we spoil a lot of the topics we talk on (like television shows and movie endings) and we (I) swear ... a lot. Plus we usually drink a little or more than a little before we start the show, so just be prepared for that.

Initial impressions from friends are it is pretty funny. Neither of us are radio guys, but we are pretty awesome, so that helps. :D

Laid off, pissed off, disappointed and hopeful. Confused?

It's been a few days now so my initial frustration has subsided but I was laid off at my paper this week. I don't hold any ill will or whatever to anyone at the paper, but I have been watching newspapers circle the drain and I want to vent about it in broad terms.

Anyone even remotely close to newspapers is familiar with the looming beast of layoffs.

I've been through layoffs at papers before, seen people that work hard get cut for no other reason than to get the budget in line. Others stay for reasons that no one else in the newsroom can figure out.

Others have said for years now that newspapers are dying. It doesn't take a genius to see that. I got into newspapers at a bad time; I almost typed "the worst time," but honestly that is every day. Every day accountants that make decisions to keep the ridiculous profit margins that newspapers held in their prime, but what they are really doing is just squeezing the life out of them. That reduces the quality which reduces the readership which reduces the advertisers.

It's like the number crunchers and people in charge are standing there watching the water boil over on the stove, notice all the paint peeling on the wall and see their curtains are missing; they try to deal with the individual problems instead of realizing that their fucking house is on fire. But they are just letting it burn and handing the still smoking vestiges to their employees expecting them to carry on like the roof isn't coming down sooner or later.

The death of newspapers is an inside job.

Of course journalists will make due; people shift responsibilities and take on far more duties to keep the paper going. Partly, yes, because they survived and are glad to still have a job...but more aptly because they love the work. Journalism isn't something you do for money, it's a passion, it's a calling. All these hedge fund guys and accountants know they can just ring the living hell out of the staff because journalists can and will take it.

Oh, they will complain, sure. The three things most journalists do best is their jobs, drink and complain. But they will usually take any and all injustice handed down from the corporate level and still do their jobs.

I don't know if there has been a journalist strike in America in recent history and I can't really see it happening.

It is the same principle as police, firefighters and doctors/nurses; the public would suffer. Obviously not in the same way. If your paper doesn't show up your day won't be ruined like if your house burnt to the ground, but over time an uninformed populace will suffer.

It might seem like that is pretty lofty ideal of the role of a newspaper, but that is the beating heart of dedicated journalism. You crank out your work day after day until something amazing comes in front of you and then you hopefully get to tell a story that changes something.

Well, despite this recent soul crushing experience I still want journalism in my life. I have been working on a plan to make something of my own in the realm of journalism for the last year or so. I'm was hoping to push it out into the world near the end of the year to see if there was any interest and hopefully start to find backers and partners.

I don't want to launch it too early out of panic because I'm unemployed, so I'm going to keep working on it and hopefully I'll have something to share in the near future.

A Swinging good time

Had a nice change of pace from my recent mood of edging on being burnt out with my job that still has my journalistic juices flowing after a fun weekend.

At the end of last week an a capella group, the Swingle Singers, visited the local college for a performance while they tour Texas. The group did a workshop for local schools and singers the day before their performance. It took forever to start because schools that were supposed to show up didn't, which was a shame for them, because everyone else had a blast.



They made the audience warm up by jumping around and being crazy, played fun singing games and then listened to local groups sing and gave them critiques, then performed themselves.



I was shooting video through the whole thing, trying to balance video and still photo. Sadly they both suffered a little, but it all turned out decent.  It was really fun to shoot, I had the songs stuck in my head and when I went home at the end of the day and I started throwing the video pieces together.

Quickly I realized I should have done an interview with the singers.  There wasn't really time to do it at the event though.  So I vented my disappointment on various venues of the www.  One of the singers from the group saw it and said they would be up for an interview.

So the next day after I finished work and hurried over to the venue they were performing at, not sure when they were supposed to be done or if they were even still around.

But the god of journalism, I call him Journalisto, was smiling down on me, because I got there just as they were walking out of the building to load their gear.

I got some interview stuff with two of the singers, the sound level was a little low but it was way better than the nothing I had previously.

So I left there on a journalistic high and it has been carrying me until now.  I spent a large chunk of my day off on Sunday putting the video together. I have most of my recent "highlight" videos boiled down to an hour or so production time.

But because I cared about this video (and am using a crappy free video editor) I spent hours nitpicking the placement and overlaps and transitions.  Now I feel like I know these people, I've developed crushes on the girls and fascinations with all of their talents.  I've watched a few of their videos online, one where they do a flash mob style singing on a subway in London was awesome.

So I present to you, my Swingle Singers video. Enjoy, I did. :D

...And now for something completely different

In the last week I have created six videos for the newspaper.

I was doing videos fairly regularly during football season but, due to both my work computer and my home computer being slow, making the videos became very annoying. My home computer was slightly faster, so I did most of them here...until it blew up.

Some stuff fried inside my computer, luckily I didn't lose any stuff on my hard drives, but I'm trying to be a bit more focused on archiving.

But I had to fix my computer. Luckily there was a credit deal at newegg.com, so now my computer fasterific! That's right, I'm making up words.

What I really want to do is make a true journalistic video about something that matters. I was hoping to get some help as far as subject matter, but it's looking like I'm just going to have to go it alone.

Anyway, instead of a pile of photos I thought I'd change it up and post some videos.  Enjoy.











Since I started posting videos I was looking at The Facts Video channel on youtube. I realized they aren't really credited except for at the end, not saying you shouldn't watch Holly's, but you are reading my blog...so just in case you are partial to my work, here are a few of my better ones.

This was the one I had the most fun shooting so far with actual voice interview describing the event to go along with the video and photos. And there is...ya know, ZOMBIES!

Running

I've been floating day-to-day here. I'm feeling uninspired. I need a photo story to work on, like my Digmann or Jacob projects.  I told my editor I would like them to post a call for idea submissions on the facebook for me to do a story on, but it has yet to be posted.

I need this. I need something to occupy myself - to drive my work forward.  In Michigan at this time I would have just had my photojournalistic batteries recharged by attending the Michigan Press Photographers Association annual banquet.  Watching professional visual people judge the works of the best photographers in the state is unmatched in experiences...even if you don't win anything.

I didn't enter anything to MPPA for 2010, which was stupid, because I had some decent stuff.  But really it was the experience of watching as your photo comes on screen, hearing maybe a few rumbles of comments from the crowd and then having your hopes dashed when the "out. out. out" sounds out from the judges.  Having one win, or even be held to the second round of judging, is dizzying.

But mostly it is just seeing what all these great visual artists can do in a year will really kick you right in the face when you have settled into a kind of rut at your paper.

I always try, despite the toll it takes on me sometimes, to keep a fresh log of photographers that are better than me. These days CMU is cranking out classes that I would have a tough time of breaking into the middle of. It's cool, from my time there and at the Sun, seeing some of these kids after me become amazing photographers. It makes me feel like a piece of crap, but it's amazing to watch.

That said...here are some photos.








On a non photo front, I've been trying to run in the mornings.

My bike was broken for a little while and I was starting to get out of the habit, so I just went down to the track near my house and tried to run.

It's been slow going, because I'm out of shape. Riding a bike is pretty easy, so I've been diluting myself. Riding almost 20 miles seems like a lot, but I need to ride that many to really work up a sweat.

The big hindrance to running is my knees suck, but I've been trying to fight through it.  I got a brace thing and after a few days some actual running shoes.

Ran a few tour de stades or whatever the hell you call them, when you run up and down all the steps in a stadium.  Had to drive a short ways to the big football field to get some real steps, but it fits my running style better, I think.

I've always liked running up steps, I feel like if I stop I'm going to regret it. Running on flat ground is too easy to give up on.

I'm weird.

Can't think of a clever title

See, I'm back in less then two months. Hurray for me.

Since I've been gone from the blog I've been playing some games, using a few of them to actually connect with my friends who are far, far away. (Everyone move down here, it's warm!)

But I have actually spent the last few weeks with my mind obsessed with a possible business idea. I honestly felt like a genius, because I'd never heard about anything like it before, I even searched the internet and found nothing similar. So I spent the better part of a day frantically scrawling down details and plans, imagining what could happen if it took off.

The next day, first thing in the morning, I did another search and found a very similar idea. It broke my heart. But it looks like it's not exactly working for them...so I've adjusted my idea and we'll see if I ever actually get to the point where I seriously consider talking about it with people.

Anyway, on to some photos.


Swimming is fun to shoot, but I've said that before.
The one below I've been thinking about for awhile; getting someone completely underwater from over them.  It didn't work exactly like I wanted, but I think it's a good first attempt.  The water distorted her face, but I like the way it curved her and the lines.



I believe I've mentioned it previously, but my favorite sport to shoot is boxing.  Probably because it's just fun to watch from right next to the ring, but also because I don't cover it often.


The story is about the guy on the right, Terrance Woods. He will be boxing on ESPN2 or 3 on Friday, I believe.  He seemed pretty damn good.  They were having him box for eight rounds, with different guys every couple rounds, so they stayed fresh and he had to deal with it.   In his sixth or seventh round they put in a really big dude and after Woods got a few good shots the guy just kept running away; actually almost turning around to move faster a few times. I wish I had those channels.


A cool shot that didn't run because it was a junior varsity kid (boo!). Very intense.


This little girl was the first place female finisher in a local 10k and her dad still gave her a hard time about being slow. Sports parents are jerks.




She was playing a game where you keep a feather floating by blowing before it gets too far down.


Didn't run. Double boo.

That's it for now. I was going to post a shot I took so I could tell the story of how I almost got run over by a car.

But that's the story, I was shooting tailgating and was crouching in a driveway packed full of cars and the guy didn't see me and started to drive his Escalade into my back.
No harm though.

Glowing water & seeing the world

Part of why I love journalism is getting to learn things and see things that other people don't.

Since moving to Texas I've learned several things: Barbecue is not just a sauce, people here think I sound funny and you have to watch out where you step because fire ants SUCK!

I also learned that water can glow.

After seeing it I remembered Tom Hanks talking about glowing algae in Apollo 13, but I still kept thinking "this can't be real."

It would be a huge news story if it were from any of the chemical plants down here, but it is just bioluminescent algae.

One of the reporters had an article about it, but it ran before I got my pictures. I got to the beach pretty late, so I guess it had dulled down some, but it was amazing looking.

The fog kind of made it harder to shoot, but I tried.



A guy that was on the jetty fishing said that earlier in the night it was really bright. Makes me bummed it missed it a little.

I went back the next two nights to see if it would come back, but it was gone. With hindsight I realize I could have spent more time there, I was tired and hungry...sure, but if I had known it was the last time I might see something like that I could have sat there all night.
In the haze lit sick orange by plant towers in the distance, I was just sitting there, hearing the sounds of invisible black waves coming in from the wide, wide gulf. I would then see this pale blue eruption of light burst into existence as the wave crested and churned the algae into a dance that made them visible.
Seeing it was probably one of the more breathtaking sights I've ever witnessed.

I know I'm a photo guy, but cameras truly and absolutely do not do some things justice. If it wouldn't have been foggy, maybe I could have captured a closer comparison to what I saw, but that's not the point. I often see people looking at the world through their cameras, phones or whatever. That's not the way you do it!

You have to see the world, then you document it.
I want to just yank it out of their hands and tell them;
"Just look! Soak it all in, because your camera phone is not doing justice to the amazing thing you are seeing. Look at the world with your eyes, capture it with your memory.
Some things are too rare and fleeting for cameras to truly represent, only the unfiltered eye can appreciate the depth and width of the world we have that can be so pure and surprising.
Your pictures should remind you of what you actually saw, not just be a product of what you pointed a camera at and pushed a button.
Make a true and beautiful mental image of these scenes; your kids, a game, the beach, your true life.
Because if you use a tiny lens to truly see and remember your life when drop that phone in the toilet you are really going to be pissed."

Rumors of my death have been exaggerated

Yes, I am in fact still alive.

I've been a swirling mix of busy, bored to death not busy, completely engulfed by some video games and tired. Most of these situations have also had a nice coating of pain from a re-occurring back pain that makes me so angry that I attach the hate to what I am currently doing.

It has some complicated thoughts and evaluations of my lot in life. But in moments of pain or the sweet joy of...not pain I still take photos.

I have quite the backlog to post, but luckily I have just put together my end-of-year contest submissions. I have total control over my National Press Photographers submission, but the ones through the paper were chosen from my initial selection by people I will admit I don't entirely trust as far as photo critiquing goes.

I love having eyes other than my own to look at my stuff, so I can get a unattached opinion, but if it is someone that has told me to stop doing my job creatively...well, come on.

Anyway, things are progressing.

I will admit in the months since my last post my passion for journalism is waning, which breaks my fucking heart. But I'm not sure how much validity to give to my thoughts right now, because I seem to have lapsed into one of my angry Ryan phases. It's been a long time since I've been in one and I have to say I used to kind of enjoy the distance it provided me from real self evaluation. But this one is different and I don't like it. So I've turned back to one of my old favorite venting techniques (besides video games), writing. Which is partially why I am clicking the keys right now.

Even if I hold back some of what I want to say, the process of just writing what is currently running through my head is like opening a gate to release the flood waters. Because at any moment something stark and truthful might just appear on the screen. Usually I will backspace over it, because this is a public forum and I don't want the entire world (Hi, world!) to know everything I think. But it works like those letters you write and then never send. Venting.

Okay, so here are some of what I think are my best work from the year that I haven't already posted. As I'm loading the photos on I may describe what I did or the story behind the image, if it is interesting.

I'll start with what I think is my favorite shot from the year.


Shot an event for a bunch of Marines returning from Afghanistan, but got there an hour and a half before they actually showed up. So I had some time to wander around and find interesting photos. I like almost everything about this photo.

Firefighter training. I felt brave standing right under this mock roof that they were swinging an axe into.





This is was a freaking awesome event. This local taekwondo studio hosted a squad from Korea that did some straight-up Matrix kung-fu shit. Jumping off a couple dudes to kick a board held on the top dude on a pyramid of STANDING people! I got some sweet stuff I was out loud saying "holy shit" about every other setup that they did. Then I got back to the office and my memory card corrupted and I lost every picture except this one and another. It was LAME!




He was trying to choke the chicken...too easy


He turned 11 on 11/11/11




Ending with my favorite sports shot of the year. Trying to do this same effect with a different runningback but the shot never worked with that kid.

Well, that's it for now.

I've had some decent stuff in January, including driving to Houston just to shoot tailgating at the Texans playoff game. It was kind of tease, but then I almost got run over by a car...so there was that.

I'll get to that stuff soon...hopefully. Or maybe in six months. :D

Wedding Shots

Went back to America's High Five for the wedding of Chad and Kathryn. It was a good time. Took a week, shot some stuff, had fun seeing some people.

Here are some photos:

Re-created the poster from Tombstone...sort of.




I may have photoshopped myself into this photo because I forgot to actually get in one of these group shots.


The Groom

The Bride

Awwww.







Doing the extended group portraits for weddings is not something I like to do. But I kind of wish I had done them all for this wedding, because I saw the other photographer's attempts at them...





Been very lazy with the updates lately.

I wish I had a good excuse, but I don't. I've been lazy with pretty much everything lately.

Sorry. :D

I'll try to kick my ass back into gear.

Austin Town

Spent three days in Austin a few weeks ago shooting state softball finals and just spent two days around there this weekend shooting the baseball equivalent.

Austin is my new favorite town in the world. It's a good size, there is a ton of cool places and it just has a character I haven't found in other towns.

The both teams that won the state championships, Danbury softball and Brazoswood Baseball, kind of adopted me as a member of the teams by the end of the weekend.

Probably in the way when you see a sad looking dog standing outside in the heat you feel a little sad. I was soaked through with sweat within the first 10 minutes of the game and would slink into the dugout in between innings to find some respite from the completely unfiltered, unrelenting hellish sky bitch; aka the sun.

I was smart enough to wear sun screen, but I still got a little burnt on my forearms, which are already more brown then they have ever been in my life from my time here.

It was around 100, sunny and beautiful both weekends. The humidity DOES make a difference, but 100 is still hot. 100 in Austin felt about as comfortable as 90 where I live.

I did a video for the stories on both championship teams. The Danbury one was basic and the video camera I was using is a piece of crap, so it was frustrating.

The video for Brazoswood was way better even though I had to use IMovie, which I hate with a passion.

I had a neat idea for the start of the video and it worked exactly like I wanted. I love when that happens.



I taped the little video camera to the end of a baseball bat while they were warming up and had one of their big hitters take a couple swings with it. I had to slow it down a bit for the video, but it looks cool.




Here is a mix of photos from the weekends. Enjoy.