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May 31, 2005
Red Hybiscus
A traditional tropical flower, Hybiscus can be found in north American nurseries during the summer months. While in Roatan, Honduras, I saw these flowers in abundance, and watch local Garafuna people make jelly from the flower buds.
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May 26, 2005
The Carribean -- Color or Another Variation?
There is something to be said for the use of color film or digital media when photographing the torquois waters of the Carribean Sea. How would people who have never been there know just how stunning the crystal clear waters are if we photographed it in black and white of Infra red? How would they know how important preserving our oceans and our reefs is if they never saw the beauty of it in full color? How would they learn of the color in the culture? Color is necessary, yet I found what I believe is also beautiful in photographing in Black and White and in particular, Infrared. With thick lush vegitation, the area is ripe with opportunity to create stunning IR images. Just as the Fall foliage in New England begs to be captured in in color, so does the Carribean. But New England is also stunning with good black and white film. Look at the other entries in this post past the cut line and in the post below and compare for yourself. . . .
Two women spend the afternoon getting their hair braided from two local Bahamian women at Half Moon Cay.
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Bahamas in Infra Red #1
Man-made walkways through the dense vegetation allows visitors to this outer Bahamian island to walk more easily from point to point.
This view of the inside of a hut's grass roof shows the delicate weaving that holds it together during strong winds.
A church was one of a few building that existed on this small, remote island of the Bahamas.
A woman demonstrates how locals weave palm leaves to make various items and materials for housing.
A view of the pristine waters and the m.s. Maasdam from the beach at Half Moon Cay, Bahamas. The ship carries up to 1250 passengers.
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May 25, 2005
Light House Stairs
The stairwell of the Punta Celarain Light House.
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Porch of Punta Celarain Lighthouse
A view of the oceanfront porch of the Punta Celarain Lighthouse on the southern tip of Cozumel.
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For Linda
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May 24, 2005
Gallery Posting: September 11 -- The Pentagon
Some of my images from 9-11 are now online here:
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Gallery Posting: September 11th -- The Response
I felt that it was important to document Arlington and Washington's community response to the 9-11 attacks because there was such a large focus on New York. While I wanted to go to New York to document some of the events there, I knew that it was really more important to stay in Arlington. On any other day, what happened in my community would have been seen for the tragedy that it was, but I felt that because New York was so devastatingly tragic that the attacks in Arlington looked almost small in comparison. But people in my community were murdered. They were grieving and there was a large outpouring of emotion that needed to be documented. Public officials stepped up to address this crisis and our community fire and rescue was there day after day, doing search and recovery.
I've captured vigils, and other public events that I think give an accurate depiction of the events that followed the attacks on the Pentagon. Community memorials were held, and people sponstaneously visited the memorial that was set up at the edge of the Pentagon. Two of these images were exhibted at the Library of Congress in a group exhibition the year after the attacks.
The images can be viewed by clicking on the gallery link on the main page menu or by clicking here:
September 11 -- The Response
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Gallery Posting: Anthrax on the Hill
In October 2001, shortly after the attacks on New York and Washington, the U.S. was again gripped in fear over the largest bioterrorism event in U.S. history. First in Florida, then New York, and finally in Washington, D.C. Anthrax spores where mailed in letters to targeted locations by an unknown terrorist. In Washington, I was outside of Senator Tom Daschle's 5th floor office in the Hart Building shortly after the letter was opened. For about 2-3 hours I and several members of the press photographed and otherwise covered the story that was unfolding before our eyes. We saw a UPS delivery man walk into the office, a pizza delivery person, and a few lobbyists who seemed unphased by the event. A Capitol Hill police officer stood guard outside of the office, and we had been told that we were safe because the spill had been contained to the office and the ventilation system was shut down. It would not be until the following day that we learned that the area that we were working in was considered part of the "hot zone."
The images in this gallery document the initial hours after the letter was opened, the postal worker treatment at D.C. General Hospital, the testing lines on the Hill, the antibiotic distribution facilities, press conferences from various officials in response to the attack, clean-up efforts, and my own post-exposure treatment.
The story should never be about the photojournalist, but in this case, it is hard to look at these photographs and not talk about my own exposure and the difficult months that followed. Nausea, GI disturbance, some anxiety, and muscle pain from the antibiotic Cipro made functioning rather difficult. But I felt as though I was one of the fortunate ones -- that the postal workers and others who died never had a chance to take a drug that would have saved their lives. It is hard to complain when you know that others lost their lives.
Some of the images are in black and white because I needed a highspeed film without flash in some of the locations (or I ran out of highspeed color film). Two of the images were altered to better reflect how I saw the experience -- getting the nasal swab was one of those.
The gallery can be found by clicking the "Anthrax on the Hill" gallery link on the main page or by clicking here:
Anthrax on the Hill
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Gallery Posting: From Selma to Montgomery
Selma to Montgomery: 2000
In March, 2000, I had the opportunity to travel to Alabama with civil rights legend and U.S. Congressman John Lewis along with many other civil rights luminaries and other members of Congress for the 35th Anniversary of the enactment of the Voting Rights Act of 1965.
The weekend began with a chartered jet trip to Birmingham where we would visit historic places such as the 16th Street Baptist church, the Kelly Ingram Memorial Park, and the Civil Rights Museum. The following day, we would travel by bus to Montgomery where we would see Dexter Baptist Church, Mt. Zion AME, and others with the Civil Rights Memorial that honors fallen heros of the movement.
On Sunday, we would all gather for a bus trip to Selma for a church service and lunch at Brown Chapel, followed by a reenactment of the 1965 bridge march that began in Selma at that church to the end of the Edmund Pettus Bridge and on to Montgomery. In the first attempt to cross the bridge in 1965 by John Lewis (who was then President of SNCC) and other marchers, they were met at the foot of the bridge by Alabama State Troopers wielding guns and nightsticks. John Lewis would be beaten within an inch of his life, suffering a fractured skull. Two weeks later, The Dr. Reverend Martin Luther King, Jr. took up where the marchers left off and made that long and dangerous journey to Montgomery.
Although 35 years have passed since the Freedom Riders and marchers, such as John Lewis, made these historic strides for civil rights, the spirit of the movement lives on in these sites and in these people who were there. They pass that spirit on to each generation that is willing to recieve it. I count myself as fortunate to have been there, and hope that some of that spirit is portrayed in the images that are exhibited here.
To view these images, please look to the left under the "Galleries" heading and click on "From Selma to Montgomery" or click here
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May 18, 2005
Portrait of a Plumber
Tom, a plumber in Washington, D.C. poses while installing handicap accessible restroom fixtures in a historic house.
I shot this while documenting the historic restoration of the house/museum.
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May 16, 2005
"No Count" sign at the Supreme Court
An apparent Gore supporter speaks with a reporter outside the U.S. Supreme Court as the both sides present arguements in Bush v. Gore.
These are some offerings from my archives. I just ran accross these photos while looking for some others and though that I would bring them out and dust them off. . . . I have many more that aren't digital and would like to do a gallery at some point.
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Bush Supporters at the Supreme Court
Supreme Court Police guard the building as the decision is being handed down inside the Supreme Court in Bush v. Gore. Bush supporters (right) heckle Gore supporters on the opposite side of the steps (out of view).
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Orin Hatch and Patrick Leahey
Orin Hatch and Patrick Leahey meet with the press following the decision in Bush v Gore, which handed the election to George W. Bush. The two senators encouraged the two political parties to put their differences aside and come together to support the courts decision.
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Jackson Boise & Lee After the Decision
Jessie Jackson, Sheila Jackson Lee and David Boise confer after the decision was handed down in Bush v. Gore on the steps of the U.S. Supreme Court.
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Tom Harkin and Sheila Jackson Lee at the Supreme Court
Senator Tom Harkin and Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee talk with the media following the Supreme Court decision that favored Republicans in Bush v. Gore. Lee was in Florida for much of the time just following the election while the recount was conducted.
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Boise at the Supreme Court after bush v. Gore
Gore attorney David Boise talks with reporters following the decision by the high court to halt the recount efforts underway in Florida in a hotly contested election. The decision let effectively handed the U.S. Presidency to George W. Bush.
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David Boise following Bush v Gore
David Boise, attorney for Al Gore, talks with the press following his defeat at the U.S. Supreme Court in Bush v. Gore. Gore supporters rally in the background.
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May 15, 2005
Gallery Posting -- Farewell to a President
On the day of Ronald Reagan's Funeral Cortege down Constitution Avenue in Washington, D.C., I was working on Capitol Hill. Just before I was to leave my office to make the walk down the hill to a vantage point that I had scoped out that morning, all of Capitol Hill was evacuated due to a small private plane that was in restricted air space. Apparently the governor of Kentucky had clearence to fly into National Airport (sorry, old habits die hard -- I can't remember to call it Reagan National Airport). The only problem was that someone forgot to tell the people who are in charge of evacuating Capitol hill that fact. It was frightening. People were running -- being told to run -- from the buildings. Only after a few minutes did anyone realize that it was a false alarm. We get a lot of those these days, but I guess you can never be too careful.
Covering the Reagan funeral cortege was an experience that I probably won't ever forget. I was not a fan of Ronald Reagan. But his funeral service was memorable and the massive display of military pagentry and reverence for a fallen Commander in Chief was a sight to behold. Mind you, I am a licensed funeral director and have worked many, many funerals at Arlington National Cemetery so it takes a lot to impress me. Reagan's funeral impressed me and being there was memorable.
It was difficult to get good shots at the time because the police that were lining the streets were so thick that you had to somehow shoot around or over them. Some of them were polite and moved a bit to one side when the casket actually passed by. It seemed as though I was not the only photographer who decided ahead of time that the intersection of Constitution and Pennsylvania Avenue was going to be the vantage point for getting the Capitol dome in the background so there were a number of us staked-out there. Everyone was helpful to each other -- knowing that it was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to photograph an event of this magnitude. Photographers moved aside to allow others to get a shot and rotated positions as much as space would allow. It wasn't the stereotypical image of the press pack that you would normally see at an event like this. We were all decent to each other and that was good to see. But then Hill photographers usually are pretty good to each other and don't tend to get fight over turf very often -- at least that is my experience. Perhaps some of the politicians could take a lesson. . . .
The gallery can be viewed here:
Or click on the link under the "Galleries" listing on the main page of this blog.
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Gallery Posting - The Eastern Shore Series
The images in this series were taken late-winter in the Mid-atlantic coastal region of the United States during a storm that is known as a "Nor'easter." I wanted to show these usually busy resorts in their bare form, without the hundreds of thousands of tourists who normally inhabit the region during the Spring, Summer and Fall months. Included in the series are images from Rehobeth Beach and Cape Henlopen, Delaware, as well as Ocean City and Assateague Island in Maryland.
All of the images were taken with a digital camera with a wide-angle lens in natural light and then altered in Photoshop to more accurately reflect the surreal and somewhat haunting essence of the experience. Although I would have chosen to use a pinhole camera or perhaps even a "Holga" to capture some of these images, gale force winds and driving rain with near-freezing temperatures dictated a more practical approach to my choice of equipment.
I tried to attain a black and white "Pinhole" or older camera and film effect because that was the media that I envisioned in my mind's eye at the time that I made the exposures.
To view the images, please click on the gallery link on the front page of this blog or go here:
I haven't figured out how to link back to my main blog page yet, so if you want to go "home" after viewing the gallery, just got to your browser URL line and delete the letters back to the blogphotog.com line.
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May 14, 2005
Equal Rights Amendment Reintroduced
Members of congress and leading women's rights activists gather outside of the Cannon Office Building at the U.S. Capitol for a press conference announcing the re-introduction of the Equal Rights Amendment (ERA). March 15, 2005. Kim Gandy, President of the National Organization of Women, addresses the press.
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Martha Burke at ERA Press Conference
Martha Burke, President of the National Council of Women's Organizations, speaks at a press conference announcing the re-introduction of the Equal Rights Amendment at the U.S. Capitol on March 15, 2005. Burke, a long-time activist, has recently been the target of threats due to her postition on the exclusion of women golfers at the Master's Tournament at Augusta, GA.
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May 12, 2005
Broad view of the Ruins
A broad view of the Mayan-Toltec Ruins at San Gervacio, on the Island of Cozumel, Mexico. The ancient ruins are slated for further excavation.
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Light House View of the Yucatan waters
The image was captured from atop the Punta Celarain Light House, showing the waters off the southern coast of the Isle De Cozumel.
I'd love to be there today. . . .
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Cozumel Crab
The juvenile sand crab on the eastern beach of the Isle de Cozumel, Mexico, watches intently for danger as he is photographed. Or, perhaps he is staring at me and just wondering what the heck I'm doing. What am I? A crab mind reader?
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May 11, 2005
Electric Outdoor BBQ Grills
I'm not sure what buying an electric outdoor BBQ grill for your deck has to do with photography, but if I really wanted to stretch things I could probably come up with a loose association. . . . better food makes for better pictures? On the other hand, while I am out in the feild in my camper van, I could take this along and cook up some grub between shoots. . . .
But I live in a condo so I'll be mostly grilling on the deck and the grill has to be electric (I know, is electric grilling really authentic?). My neighbor has a Meco 9359W.
He really likes it -- just leaves the temp set to high and it cooks pretty fast with a pretty authentic flavor depending on his seasonings. He likes the stand that it comes with, but I am not looking for one with a stand. I'd prefer a table top unit like his but I am not sure which one of these to buy -- the differences that are listed in the product descriptions just aren't all that clear to me.
You can see the various Meco Grills here:
I want the equivelent to the 9350W but not that entire grilling cart that comes with it. . . . it would appear as though the 9309W is the same grill without the cart. whatever I get, I want it to put a good "scald" on my veggies and meat.
That Grill is here:
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May 3, 2005
Tahoe - Late afternoon
I shot this a few years back while in Lake Tahoe. A road that leads to south lake tahoe from Carson City runs through this arch.
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May 2, 2005
Gatorback
The back of an allegator that I spotted swimming in the mangroves at the western end of the island of Cozumel, Mexico.
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Tree Ova
I shot these maple tree pods/seeds in my back yard this morning using my Fuji S2 and a Nikkor 60 mm micro. I was surprised at how lovely they looked in a group -- the shape and form were especially appealing to me.
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