Attendants participate at the Rage Against the War Machine event, organized by the Libertarian movement, Feb. 19, 2023 in Washington at the Lincoln Memorial. I give this guy a lot of props for his impressive outfit. It makes communism seem so appealing and not totalitarian at all!
What is more fun than a gathering of folks who want an open and free market but don’t want to pay for any of the services that make up civil society? Making double-exposures of the attendees!
Read MoreI have been feeling a little bored with photography, to the point where I feel it has become predictable. In most cases, I pretty much know how something is going to look even before I make a photo of it.
Also needing something new to sink my teeth into, I decided to start making more unpredictable photos by focusing on double-exposures in my personal work for the foreseeable future. Within that technique, I thought using the potential chaos of a double-exposed frame would be useful in communicating how it feels to be at some of the many protests Washington, DC has to offer throughout the year.
However, there aren’t protests here every day (even in DC). As a backstop against protest-less days, a second subject I’ve found is great for double-exposures are the different national monuments in the city. They all have clean, white backgrounds and are usually busy with tourists too busy doing goofy things for their own photos to be bothered with me using them as compositional objects.
The black and white images are from film I loaded into cassettes myself and I processed at home. I plan to start processing color at home in the near future as well, but for the time being, I’ve found a great place in Baltimore that will develop film inexpensively - Full Circle Fine Arts Services .
Despite all the commercial work on my website, street photography is really the reason I put the camera to my face. Check out some fresh work below and let me know what you think!
Constructed in 1926, US 50 was part of the original United States highway system and extends from California to Maryland. Our recent move from Oakland, California to Silver Spring, Maryland near Washington, DC inspired me to travel on this historic byway and document my journey. All work was shot on a Mamiya 6, a film camera that creates negatives that are six centimeters square. This camera really forces me to shoot with intention. The film stock is mostly Ektar 100, for those who are curious.
Nativity tableaux, Linn, Missouri.
Santa horse, Louisburg, Kansas.
Kaskaskia river, Carlyle, Illinois.
Spring Hill Cemetery, Shoals, Indiana.
A murmuration of starlings near Odin, Illinois.
East Saint Louis, Illinois.
Swing set, Cottonwood Falls, Kansas.
Wheatland Generating Plant, Wheatland, Indiana.
Roof cow, Rowlesburg, West Virginia.
Grafton, West Virginia.
Nativity tableaux, Odin, Illinois.
Harpers Ferry, West Virginia.
Harpers Ferry, West Virginia.
Motel door, Pleasant Valley, West Virginia.
Tanner's Creek Generating Station, Lawrenceburg, Indiana.
Sunrise, Ladue, Missouri.
Constructed in 1926, US 50 was part of the original United States highway system and extends from California to Maryland. Our recent move from Oakland, California to Silver Spring, Maryland near Washington, DC inspired me to travel on this historic byway and document my journey. All work was shot on a Mamiya 6, a film camera that creates negatives that are six centimeters square. This camera really forces me to shoot with intention. The film stock is mostly Ektar 100, for those who are curious.
Cañon City, Colorado. These colorful cider bottles with the sun streaking through them caught my eye, but not just because of the color, but because they were very dusty. It boggled my mind that someone would put these bottles out for display to entice shoppers to stop inside their store wouldn’t clean their product of dust I could see from a moving car passing by on the street. I stopped and grabbed a few shots of totally meaningless eye candy, and then noticed an old Chevy around the corner in the parking lot. I made a few shots when an older woman with a heavy Germanic accent aggressively confronted me to ask what I was doing. I told her I was taking a picture of the car and she replied that there had been a lot of vandalism lately. Mind you, this was in the middle of the day along a major artery of Cañon City, in a parking lot that was empty save for the Chevy. All in all, not a great first impression for Cañon City. I cut off her rant by apologizing for disturbing her and walked back to my car. It’s too bad because in hindsight, I would have loved to make her portrait and buy some cider.
Museum of Colorado Prisons, Cañon City, Colorado. The website compels visitors to “unlock the past and experience the colorful history of prison life!”
Museum of Colorado Prisons, Cañon City, Colorado. The website compels visitors to “unlock the past and experience the colorful history of prison life!”
Museum of Colorado Prisons, Cañon City, Colorado. The website compels visitors to “unlock the past and experience the colorful history of prison life!”
Museum of Colorado Prisons, Cañon City, Colorado. The website compels visitors to “unlock the past and experience the colorful history of prison life!”
Museum of Colorado Prisons, Cañon City, Colorado. The website compels visitors to “unlock the past and experience the colorful history of prison life!”
A giant snow plow rests at Monarch Pass in Colorado. The pass sits on the continental divide at an elevation of 11,312 feet above sea level. I had great weather during the road trip and going through the pass in the middle of winter was a breeze – no snow plow required! Seeing this bright orange snow plow reminded me of a funny story my wife told me about learning to drive a stick-shift as a teenager. My mother-in-law told her she’d need to know how just in case she ever needed to drive a Snow-Cat. It seems hilarious because my wife is from St. Louis. But I suppose that since “The Shining” was still relatively fresh in people’s minds in those days, we all probably should have learned how to drive a Snow-Cat.
A decommissioned tank with the words “Spear Chucker” on the turret sits in the Offerle, Kansas city park.
Grain mill, Halstead, Kansas, photographed after eating a Subway sandwich. I realize grain mills at dusk are visual low hanging fruit, but I couldn’t resist!
A white-tailed deer sprints away from tracks left over from the old Santa Fe Trail near Dodge City, Kansas. Opened by Spaniards at the end of the 18th century, the Santa Fe Trail brought migrants into the west in the 19th century from 1821 until 1880.
Two views of the 8-ball water tower in Tipton, Missouri. The tower was built by Fisher Manufacturing, which for a time was the biggest maker of billiards tables, to protect its new factory from fire. The plant closed in 1977 and was bought by Fasco Manufacturing, which painted over the tower with its logo. Fasco closed in 1989 and the town decided to repaint the tower with an 8-ball in 1999. The tower is sometimes recognized as the world’s largest 8-ball.
Two views of the 8-ball water tower in Tipton, Missouri. The tower was built by Fisher Manufacturing, which for a time was the biggest maker of billiards tables, to protect its new factory from fire. The plant closed in 1977 and was bought by Fasco Manufacturing, which painted over the tower with its logo. Fasco closed in 1989 and the town decided to repaint the tower with an 8-ball in 1999. The tower is sometimes recognized as the world’s largest 8-ball.
Two views of the capitol building in Jefferson City, Missouri. The building is undergoing renovations but it looked like Christo and Jeanne-Claude had been by and wrapped the building like they did the Reichstag.
Two views of an abandoned school in Bushong, Kansas, population 34. The town was named after St. Louis Browns catcher Albert J. "Doc" Bushong who played in the 1886 World Series, beating the Chicago White Stockings. Bushong was also the location of an Atlas missile base, abandoned in 1965. Unfortunately, I didn’t know about the missile base while I was in the town, despite it being only 10 minutes away. However, it’s a great reason to head back out on the road!
“Paulhenge,” located in Versailles, Indiana. The sun shines through the holes on solstices and equinoxes .
Stonehenge structure, Matfield Green, Kansas, population 47. According to Wikipedia, the village contains a small colony of artists and writers. I assume their Stonehenge structure is an art project and gathering place.
Constructed in 1926, US 50 was part of the original United States highway system and extends from California to Maryland. Our recent move from Oakland, California to Silver Spring, Maryland near Washington, DC inspired me to travel on this historic byway and document my journey. All work was shot on a Mamiya 6, a film camera that creates negatives that are six centimeters square. This camera really forces me to shoot with intention. The film stock is mostly Ektar 100, for those who are curious.
Constructed in 1926, US 50 was part of the original United States highway system and extends from California to Maryland. Our recent move from Oakland, California to Silver Spring, Maryland inspired me to travel on this historic byway and document my journey. This image was made in western Kansas, where the US 50 runs almost parallel to the old Santa Fe Trail, a critical transportation route in the 19th century.
A demilitarized tank sits at the Dixie Valley Naval Training Area. Dixie Valley was a small ranching community outside of Fallon, Nevada that was acquired by the US Navy for electronic warfare simulation in 1995. While most of the area is publicly accessible, a sign near the entrance states “The land beyond this sign is used by NAS Fallon for military training. Low flying aircraft, military vehicles and personnel may be using flares, smoke/simulator grenades, and blank fire ordinance on this area at any time.” Needless to say, I wasn’t attacked while I was there. The area was quiet and vast. While researching the area, where other demilitarized vehicles and radar stations are spread across the valley, it was suggested that Dixie Valley was used to mock an invasion by a foreign power on American soil. Also, the Navy’s “TOPGUN” program (Naval Fighter Weapons Program), moved from Miramar, California to the area a year after Dixie Valley was acquired. If anyone has an idea of what kind of tank this is, please let me know in the comments!
It’s hard to describe the isolation of Dixie Valley, a former ranching community in the Nevada desert now used for combat simulation by the US Navy. So, imagine my surprise when I met this cowboy as I was going down the last road I told myself I’d explore in the valley before moving on down US 50. I stopped and we chatted for a spell and he told me I was the first person he’d spoken with in weeks. Apparently, the valley is not just for combat simulation, but is also interspersed with ranchland. He was preparing to ride out into the desert to drive cattle to another pasture, and I’d be lying if I didn’t say I was completely jealous. He’s originally from Cleveland, Ohio but made his way to the desert after a series of moves that became more and more rural as time went on.
Street signs mark a former neighborhood in Dixie Valley, Nevada. The area was purchased by the US Navy in 1995 to use for combat simulation by fighter and electronic warfare pilots. There’s a part of me that is fascinated by neighborhoods that revert back to nature ever since portions of my childhood neighborhood were allowed to return to nature following a 100-year flood.
A demilitarized troop carrier, used as target practice inside the Dixie Valley Naval Training Area in the Nevada desert. The area was purchased by the US Navy in 1995 to use for combat simulation by fighter and electronic warfare pilots. The area is littered with decommissioned tanks, radar stations, troop vehicles and other abandoned structures. While the area is publicly accessible, there is still a warning sign at the entrance to the valley stating that the area is still actively used for training purposes.
Buses traveling back from the sierras to a school district near San Jose.
Cattle watering troughs near Dixie Valley, Nevada.
A Project Shoal Nuclear Test Site monitoring well in the Nevada desert. The underground nuclear test took place October 26, 1963 to compare seismic activity between a natural earthquake and a nuclear blast. The 12-kiloton device was detonated at 1,211 feet underground.
Graffiti covers a metal wall inside a target structure at the Dixie Valey Naval Training Area. The valley was acquired from local ranchers by the US Navy for electronic warfare simulation in 1995. The water table is very high in the area and many ranches in fact were beginning to experience sinkholes and subsidence.
Target structure at the Dixie Valey Naval Training Area. The valley was acquired from local ranchers by the US Navy for electronic warfare simulation in 1995. The water table is very high in the area and many ranches in fact were beginning to experience sinkholes and subsidence.
A wall of polaroids at La Fiesta restaurant in Ely, Nevada made on a dinner break on a cross country trip from California to Maryland on US Highway 50.
I married into a family that has many more traditions than my family. We go to my wife's hometown of St. Louis at least three times a year, and every time I go, I add to an ongoing photo essay of St. Louis and the region. St. Louis is different in a way that is hard for an outsider like myself to describe, so I do it with images.
As some of my other personal work is about the environment and our impact on it, some of the pictures I make relate to this theme. However, I also make pictures of my in-laws and their home. It's a quiet house on a quiet street, with a quiet dignity to the area that is different than the suburbs of San Antonio I grew up in, hewed out of South Texas caliche and live oak scrub.
As we become more alike in the Age of Information, I still try to celebrate the regional differences in America that give each place it's own particular flavor.
My daughter plays with a glow stick, Dec. 2017 in St. Louis, Missouri.
Guest bedroom, my wife's former bedroom growing up, Dec. 2017 in St. Louis, Missouri.
A performer at the St. Louis City Museum, Dec. 2017 in St. Louis, Missouri.
Lighthouse decor, my in-laws' home, Dec. 2017 in St. Louis, Missouri.
My in-laws' bookshelf, Dec. 2017 in St. Louis, Missouri.
My daughter lights Hanukkah candles, Dec. 2017 in St. Louis, Missouri.
Geese fly Dec. 2017 in St. Louis, Missouri.
The Gateway Arch, as seen Dec. 2017 in East St. Louis, Missouri.
A graveyard in the middle of farm land, Dec. 2017 south of Columbia, Illinois.
Charred foliage surrounds the cap at the Weldon Spring Site Remedial Action Project December 27, 2017 in Weldon Springs, MO.
Car accident, Dec. 2017 in St. Louis, Missouri.
Bridgeton Sanitary Landfill, Dec. 27, 2017 in St. Louis, Missouri. An underground fire was detected underneath the landfill in 2010 and still burns today. There have been concerns as radioactive waste is also buried nearby the landfill.
Self-portrait, under-construction golf driving range outside of Chesterfield, MO, Dec. 27, 2017
New Year’s Day, 2018, St. Louis, MO at the City Museum.
Frosted window in my in-laws' bedroom window, Dec. 2017 in St. Louis, Missouri.
My father-in-law speaks on the phone in his bedroom, Dec. 2017 in St. Louis, Missouri.
In the spirit of Throwback Thursday, I've assembled an edit of some of my favorite photos from the production of the Arcade Fire/Spike Jonze short film "Scenes From the Suburbs," shot in the summer of 2010 in Austin, Texas. Currently Arcade Fire is touring full force for their latest release "Reflektor," a killer double album and true Gesamtkunstwerk. I've been lucky enough to photograph for Arcade Fire a number of times since then and am looking forward to seeing them play in Win and Will Butler's hometown of Houston next week.
Day One
Behind the scenes of "Scenes From the Suburbs," by Spike Jonze and Arcade Fire, Austin, Texas, April, 2010.
Behind the scenes of "Scenes From the Suburbs," by Spike Jonze and Arcade Fire, Austin, Texas, April, 2010.
Behind the scenes of "Scenes From the Suburbs," by Spike Jonze and Arcade Fire, Austin, Texas, April, 2010.
Behind the scenes of "Scenes From the Suburbs," by Spike Jonze and Arcade Fire, Austin, Texas, April, 2010.
Behind the scenes of "Scenes From the Suburbs," by Spike Jonze and Arcade Fire, Austin, Texas, April, 2010.
Behind the scenes of "Scenes From the Suburbs," by Spike Jonze and Arcade Fire, Austin, Texas, April, 2010.
Behind the scenes of "Scenes From the Suburbs," by Spike Jonze and Arcade Fire, Austin, Texas, April, 2010.
Behind the scenes of "Scenes From the Suburbs," by Spike Jonze and Arcade Fire, Austin, Texas, April, 2010.
Behind the scenes of "Scenes From the Suburbs," by Spike Jonze and Arcade Fire, Austin, Texas, April, 2010.
Behind the scenes of "Scenes From the Suburbs," by Spike Jonze and Arcade Fire, Austin, Texas, April, 2010.
Behind the scenes of "Scenes From the Suburbs," by Spike Jonze and Arcade Fire, Austin, Texas, April, 2010.
Behind the scenes of "Scenes From the Suburbs," by Spike Jonze and Arcade Fire, Austin, Texas, April, 2010.
Behind the scenes of "Scenes From the Suburbs," by Spike Jonze and Arcade Fire, Austin, Texas, April, 2010.
Behind the scenes of "Scenes From the Suburbs," by Spike Jonze and Arcade Fire, Austin, Texas, April, 2010.
Behind the scenes of "Scenes From the Suburbs," by Spike Jonze and Arcade Fire, Austin, Texas, April, 2010.
Behind the scenes of "Scenes From the Suburbs," by Spike Jonze and Arcade Fire, Austin, Texas, April, 2010.
Behind the scenes of "Scenes From the Suburbs," by Spike Jonze and Arcade Fire, Austin, Texas, April, 2010.
Behind the scenes of "Scenes From the Suburbs," by Spike Jonze and Arcade Fire, Austin, Texas, April, 2010.
Behind the scenes of "Scenes From the Suburbs," by Spike Jonze and Arcade Fire, Austin, Texas, April, 2010.
Behind the scenes of "Scenes From the Suburbs," by Spike Jonze and Arcade Fire, Austin, Texas, April, 2010.
Day Two
Behind the scenes of "Scenes From the Suburbs," by Spike Jonze and Arcade Fire, Austin, Texas, April, 2010.
Behind the scenes of "Scenes From the Suburbs," by Spike Jonze and Arcade Fire, Austin, Texas, April, 2010.
Behind the scenes of "Scenes From the Suburbs," by Spike Jonze and Arcade Fire, Austin, Texas, April, 2010.
Behind the scenes of "Scenes From the Suburbs," by Spike Jonze and Arcade Fire, Austin, Texas, April, 2010.
Behind the scenes of "Scenes From the Suburbs," by Spike Jonze and Arcade Fire, Austin, Texas, April, 2010.
Behind the scenes of "Scenes From the Suburbs," by Spike Jonze and Arcade Fire, Austin, Texas, April, 2010.
Behind the scenes of "Scenes From the Suburbs," by Spike Jonze and Arcade Fire, Austin, Texas, April, 2010.
Behind the scenes of "Scenes From the Suburbs," by Spike Jonze and Arcade Fire, Austin, Texas, April, 2010.
Behind the scenes of "Scenes From the Suburbs," by Spike Jonze and Arcade Fire, Austin, Texas, April, 2010.
Behind the scenes of "Scenes From the Suburbs," by Spike Jonze and Arcade Fire, Austin, Texas, April, 2010.
Behind the scenes of "Scenes From the Suburbs," by Spike Jonze and Arcade Fire, Austin, Texas, April, 2010.
Behind the scenes of "Scenes From the Suburbs," by Spike Jonze and Arcade Fire, Austin, Texas, April, 2010.
Behind the scenes of "Scenes From the Suburbs," by Spike Jonze and Arcade Fire, Austin, Texas, April, 2010.
Behind the scenes of "Scenes From the Suburbs," by Spike Jonze and Arcade Fire, Austin, Texas, April, 2010.
Behind the scenes of "Scenes From the Suburbs," by Spike Jonze and Arcade Fire, Austin, Texas, April, 2010.
Behind the scenes of "Scenes From the Suburbs," by Spike Jonze and Arcade Fire, Austin, Texas, April, 2010.
Behind the scenes of "Scenes From the Suburbs," by Spike Jonze and Arcade Fire, Austin, Texas, April, 2010.
Behind the scenes of "Scenes From the Suburbs," by Spike Jonze and Arcade Fire, Austin, Texas, April, 2010.
Behind the scenes of "Scenes From the Suburbs," by Spike Jonze and Arcade Fire, Austin, Texas, April, 2010.
Behind the scenes of "Scenes From the Suburbs," by Spike Jonze and Arcade Fire, Austin, Texas, April, 2010.
Day Three
Behind the scenes of "Scenes From the Suburbs," by Spike Jonze and Arcade Fire, Austin, Texas, April, 2010.
Behind the scenes of "Scenes From the Suburbs," by Spike Jonze and Arcade Fire, Austin, Texas, April, 2010.
Behind the scenes of "Scenes From the Suburbs," by Spike Jonze and Arcade Fire, Austin, Texas, April, 2010.
Behind the scenes of "Scenes From the Suburbs," by Spike Jonze and Arcade Fire, Austin, Texas, April, 2010.
Behind the scenes of "Scenes From the Suburbs," by Spike Jonze and Arcade Fire, Austin, Texas, April, 2010.
Behind the scenes of "Scenes From the Suburbs," by Spike Jonze and Arcade Fire, Austin, Texas, April, 2010.
Behind the scenes of "Scenes From the Suburbs," by Spike Jonze and Arcade Fire, Austin, Texas, April, 2010.
Behind the scenes of "Scenes From the Suburbs," by Spike Jonze and Arcade Fire, Austin, Texas, April, 2010.
Behind the scenes of "Scenes From the Suburbs," by Spike Jonze and Arcade Fire, Austin, Texas, April, 2010.
Behind the scenes of "Scenes From the Suburbs," by Spike Jonze and Arcade Fire, Austin, Texas, April, 2010.
Behind the scenes of "Scenes From the Suburbs," by Spike Jonze and Arcade Fire, Austin, Texas, April, 2010.
Behind the scenes of "Scenes From the Suburbs," by Spike Jonze and Arcade Fire, Austin, Texas, April, 2010.
Behind the scenes of "Scenes From the Suburbs," by Spike Jonze and Arcade Fire, Austin, Texas, April, 2010.
Behind the scenes of "Scenes From the Suburbs," by Spike Jonze and Arcade Fire, Austin, Texas, April, 2010.
Behind the scenes of "Scenes From the Suburbs," by Spike Jonze and Arcade Fire, Austin, Texas, April, 2010.
Behind the scenes of "Scenes From the Suburbs," by Spike Jonze and Arcade Fire, Austin, Texas, April, 2010.
Behind the scenes of "Scenes From the Suburbs," by Spike Jonze and Arcade Fire, Austin, Texas, April, 2010.
Behind the scenes of "Scenes From the Suburbs," by Spike Jonze and Arcade Fire, Austin, Texas, April, 2010.
Day Four
Behind the scenes of "Scenes From the Suburbs," by Spike Jonze and Arcade Fire, Austin, Texas, April, 2010.
Behind the scenes of "Scenes From the Suburbs," by Spike Jonze and Arcade Fire, Austin, Texas, April, 2010.
Behind the scenes of "Scenes From the Suburbs," by Spike Jonze and Arcade Fire, Austin, Texas, April, 2010.
Behind the scenes of "Scenes From the Suburbs," by Spike Jonze and Arcade Fire, Austin, Texas, April, 2010.
Behind the scenes of "Scenes From the Suburbs," by Spike Jonze and Arcade Fire, Austin, Texas, April, 2010.
Behind the scenes of "Scenes From the Suburbs," by Spike Jonze and Arcade Fire, Austin, Texas, April, 2010.
Behind the scenes of "Scenes From the Suburbs," by Spike Jonze and Arcade Fire, Austin, Texas, April, 2010.
Behind the scenes of "Scenes From the Suburbs," by Spike Jonze and Arcade Fire, Austin, Texas, April, 2010.
Behind the scenes of "Scenes From the Suburbs," by Spike Jonze and Arcade Fire, Austin, Texas, April, 2010.
Behind the scenes of "Scenes From the Suburbs," by Spike Jonze and Arcade Fire, Austin, Texas, April, 2010.
Behind the scenes of "Scenes From the Suburbs," by Spike Jonze and Arcade Fire, Austin, Texas, April, 2010.
Behind the scenes of "Scenes From the Suburbs," by Spike Jonze and Arcade Fire, Austin, Texas, April, 2010.
Behind the scenes of "Scenes From the Suburbs," by Spike Jonze and Arcade Fire, Austin, Texas, April, 2010.
Behind the scenes of "Scenes From the Suburbs," by Spike Jonze and Arcade Fire, Austin, Texas, April, 2010.
Behind the scenes of "Scenes From the Suburbs," by Spike Jonze and Arcade Fire, Austin, Texas, April, 2010.
Behind the scenes of "Scenes From the Suburbs," by Spike Jonze and Arcade Fire, Austin, Texas, April, 2010.
Behind the scenes of "Scenes From the Suburbs," by Spike Jonze and Arcade Fire, Austin, Texas, April, 2010.
Behind the scenes of "Scenes From the Suburbs," by Spike Jonze and Arcade Fire, Austin, Texas, April, 2010.
Behind the scenes of "Scenes From the Suburbs," by Spike Jonze and Arcade Fire, Austin, Texas, April, 2010.
Behind the scenes of "Scenes From the Suburbs," by Spike Jonze and Arcade Fire, Austin, Texas, April, 2010.
Day Five
Behind the scenes of "Scenes From the Suburbs," by Spike Jonze and Arcade Fire, Austin, Texas, April, 2010.
Behind the scenes of "Scenes From the Suburbs," by Spike Jonze and Arcade Fire, Austin, Texas, April, 2010.
Behind the scenes of "Scenes From the Suburbs," by Spike Jonze and Arcade Fire, Austin, Texas, April, 2010.
Behind the scenes of "Scenes From the Suburbs," by Spike Jonze and Arcade Fire, Austin, Texas, April, 2010.
Behind the scenes of "Scenes From the Suburbs," by Spike Jonze and Arcade Fire, Austin, Texas, April, 2010.
Behind the scenes of "Scenes From the Suburbs," by Spike Jonze and Arcade Fire, Austin, Texas, April, 2010.
Behind the scenes of "Scenes From the Suburbs," by Spike Jonze and Arcade Fire, Austin, Texas, April, 2010.
Behind the scenes of "Scenes From the Suburbs," by Spike Jonze and Arcade Fire, Austin, Texas, April, 2010.
Behind the scenes of "Scenes From the Suburbs," by Spike Jonze and Arcade Fire, Austin, Texas, April, 2010.
I had a recent photo assignment that sent me down to Freeport, Texas, about an hour south of Houston, where I live. While the story I shot for is an important one (and will subsequently will be published this Friday), being back in Freeport brought back memories from ten years ago, when I was a staff photographer at The (Brazosport) Facts. At the time, most of what I shot was newspaper fare: car wrecks, parades, high school athlete portraits. I could sense there was a deeper narrative to the place, basically built from the ground up around World War II to help process magnesium for the war effort. From that industry sprouted dozens of chemical refineries throughout the area. This evolved side by side with the shrimping industry. While photographing the chemical refineries is something that is typically done from the side of the road (and even then, a photographer will be asked questions and have his license plate recorded by a plant security guard), the shrimp dock in Freeport is much more accessible. According to Tom Wood, of Tom's Net Shop, the canal where the shrimp boats dock used to overflow with hundreds of ships. The one shrimp processing facility, I was told, started making drastic cuts for the price it paid for shrimp, and a great deal of the shrimpers eventually started docking elsewhere. Now that there is new ownership at the processing facility, it's thought by Wood that the docks may someday revive to their former glory. I photographed Tom Wood at his net repair shop as well as a few other areas that looked compelling. I used a Hasselblad to force me to slow down and take a closer look at the area. I look forward to returning to the area soon to explore the dock and Freeport soon.
I took a trip last week through the Eagle Ford Shale drilling area of south Texas. I wanted to see the oil and gas boom in action and first hand. I met a few interesting folks along the way, including the two men I met in a Carrizo Springs, Texas barbecue joint - Wes Baucom, left, and Terry Vaughn. Both are from other towns in Texas and have been working in the oil fields for many years. 
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The adventures of photographing typewriter repairmen continues with Ross Herdejurgen, 83, who has been repairing typewriters since 1947. He has been in his current shop since 1973. He poses next to a pre-1948 Royal manual typewriter. This image was shot on chrome, which I can only get processed locally. The C-41 batch should arrive next week. Stay tuned..
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During a massive cleaning of my office, I rediscovered some negatives from a self-assigned shoot to photograph a Tea Party rally in the summer of 2009 (I think) at a race track in Bay Town, Texas. Wanting to try something different, I rented a Hasselblad medium format camera and made the trek out to the rally. I seem to be attracted to the overt patriotism: flags and people dressed up as figures from American history, as well as a sense of the paranoia of a dystopian, socialist future that seems to drive much of the conversation at these events. Also to note: I shot a couple of different film stocks. One is chrome and the other was an expired batch of porta left over from grad school.[gallery]
After a portfolio review in Austin last week and hearing great feedback all around, but especially from Will Chau regarding a quirky-ness in my work I hadn't really defined before, I've decided to post some recent work I made with my Hasselblad. I've also been on a cleaning jag as of late and in the process discovered a bunch of uncut, unscanned negs that I'm going to give a second look. I also have one more roll of black and white film I shot on the way home from Austin that I still need to develop.
As for the review itself, I must say that I really need to step it up and attend these gatherings more often. It's hard to get honest feedback as a freelancer. We're kind of out here on our own and the opportunity to hear reactions to our work from professionals in the visual communication industry is priceless.
On a whim, I also went out to photograph a typewriter repair man after reading about him in the local paper. There is something anachronistic about someone who still makes a living repairing old technology. The experience has sparked some ideas about what I might focus on next. We'll see!
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Another set of photos from behind the scenes of the making of the Arcade Fire/Spike Jonze film "Scenes from the Suburbs" can be found on my website here.
In April, 2010, I had the opportunity to shoot the behind the scenes still images for the Arcade Fire/Spike Jonze production of the short film "Scenes from the Suburbs." The movie, screen-written by Arcade Fire, illustrates themes explored in their Grammy-winning album of the year, "The Suburbs."
For five days, I shot a mix of Illford HP5 and Kodak Tri-X film using two Nikon F5 cameras to shoot the images that eventually were included in a booklet released with the DVD of the movie. The grain you see in the film is a result of "pushing" the film three stops in some cases. It effectively raises the ISO (sensitivity) of the film. The trade off is increased grain in the film. For this assignment, it seems to work well.
To view images from the first day of shooting, check out the link to my website here.
