Burnouts and Boss Cars

Eric Kayne November 25, 2019

I’ve always wanted a hot rod, something loud and fast. Unfortunately it’s been a long series of used, practical cars since I was sixteen. Don’t get me wrong, I was more than happy to have a set of wheels to allay my boredom.

But wouldn’t allaying that boredom with a 500 horsepower engine, tuned headers, fat tires and a shiny paint job be so much better? I tend to think so. My respite recently has been visiting a couple of drag strips out here in Maryland - Cecil County Raceway in, you guessed it, Cecil county, near the Delaware border, and Capitol Raceway in Crofton, Maryland. Of course I love the speed and power of the machines, the smoke they throw behind them as the engine rages like an angry god. But I also love how accessible they are. I can walk around in the pits all day long.

But mostly, I love it because it’s good company. These are people who are passionate about going fast, expending a huge amount of time and money to feed their addiction to speed. What could be better? Check out the images below and let me know what you think!

Verticals and Horizontals

Eric Kayne September 20, 2019

Images from Cape Cod, Massachusetts, Summer 2019

Sunset on Depot Pond

Hand goggles

Beachgoers

Lacrosse lesson

At the beach

Tiny House

Beach towel

Dunes

Beach grass

At the Drive-In

Fifty from 50 - Images from US Highway 50, from California to Maryland, fourth in a series of posts

Eric Kayne April 30, 2019

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.

Motel door, Pleasant Valley, West Virginia.

Tanner's Creek Generating Station, Lawrenceburg, Indiana.

Sunrise, Ladue, Missouri.

Fifty from 50 - Images from US Highway 50, from California to Maryland, third in a series of posts

Eric Kayne March 15, 2019

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!”

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 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.

Fifty from 50 - Images from US Highway 50, from California to Maryland, second in a series of posts

Eric Kayne February 27, 2019

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.

Graffiti at Sand Bench Viewing Area in Utah. The pullout features spectacular views of the San Rafael Swell, an area managed by the Bureau of Land Management, consists of a giant dome-shaped anticline of sandstone, shale, and limestone that was pushed up during the Paleocene Laramide Orogeny 60-40 million years ago.

A man jumps in the air for a photograph at the Sand Bench Viewing Area in Utah. The pullout features spectacular views of the San Rafael Swell, an area managed by the Bureau of Land Management, consists of a giant dome-shaped anticline of sandstone, shale, and limestone that was pushed up during the Paleocene Laramide Orogeny 60-40 million years ago.

Ticket booth, Blackhawk Arena, Salina, Utah.

Camp Salina, a former WWII POW camp in Salina, Utah, is the site of the worst POW massacre in United States history. American private Clarence Bertucci, immediately after beginning his guard duty around midnight, fired a .30 caliber M1917 Browning machine gun into thirty of the forty-three prisoner tents, unloading 250 rounds in about 15 seconds. Most of the German soldiers were from Erwin Rommel's Afrikakorps. Nine soldiers were killed and nineteen were wounded. Bertucci, who already had two prior court martials, concluded that he had hated Germans, so he had killed Germans. Bertucci was found to be insane by military officials and spent the rest of his life in Mason General Hospital in Brentwood, New York until his death in December 1969.

A roadside Native American statue in Salina, Utah. The statue used to be a slave holding a cup, but was rebuilt sometime between 2003 and 2004. The cup was changed to an axe, and the slave was transformed into a Native American.

The home of the Herbert Clutter family, Holcomb, Kansas. The four family members were murdered in the home in 1959 and were the subject of Truman Capote’s masterpiece “In Cold Blood.”

AARP at the Armed Forces Retirement Home for Valentines Day

Eric Kayne February 22, 2019

A few select pictures created for AARP Benefits, 1-800-Flowers.com and Cheryl’s Cookies for Valentines Day. Donated cookies and roses were passed to all the residents at the home bringing them sweet and beautiful things for the holiday.

1-800-Flowers.com and Cheryl's Cookies surprise AARP members and residents at the Armed Forces Retirement Home on Valentine’s Day on Thursday, Feb. 14, 2019 in Washington, DC.

A military veteran enjoys Cheryl's Cookies at the Armed Forces Retirement Home on Valentine’s Day on Thursday, Feb. 14, 2019 in Washington, DC.

A military veteran receives a rose from 1-800-Flowers.com at the Armed Forces Retirement Home on Valentine’s Day on Thursday, Feb. 14, 2019 in Washington, DC.

A military veteran delights in a rose from 1-800-Flowers.com at the Armed Forces Retirement Home on Valentine’s Day on Thursday, Feb. 14, 2019 in Washington, DC.

A military veteran receives a rose from 1-800-Flowers.com and a cookie from Cheryl's Cookies at the Armed Forces Retirement Home on Valentine’s Day on Thursday, Feb. 14, 2019 in Washington, DC.

A military veteran takes a bite of a cookie from Cheryl's Cookies at the Armed Forces Retirement Home on Valentine’s Day on Thursday, Feb. 14, 2019 in Washington, DC.

Fifty from 50 - Images from US Highway 50, from California to Maryland, first in a series of posts

Eric Kayne February 21, 2019

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.

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.

Jill Vialet, CEO and Founder of Playworks for Harvard Magazine

Eric Kayne November 15, 2018

I recently had a fun shoot with Jill Vialet, the CEO and founder of Playworks. How could it not be when the founder’s organization partners with schools to promote exercise and social and emotional health through recess, and the shoot is on a school playground? Jill was game for just about anything and the location was perfect. Check out some outtakes and tearsheets below.

Jill Vialet, founder and CEO of Playworks, a nonprofit that partners with schools to promote exercise and social and emotional health through recess.

Rolex Monterey Motorsports Reunion at Laguna Seca for Nissan

Eric Kayne August 27, 2018

This past weekend was spent shooting the Rolex Monterey Motorsports Reunion at Laguna Seca, primarily to photograph the U.S. debut of the GT-R 50, Nissan’s one-of-a-kind, $1 million sports car, of which only fifty will be made.

The GT-R 50, Nissan’s one-of-a-kind, $1 million vehicle, during its U.S. debut at The Rolex Monterey Motorsports Reunion on Friday, Aug. 24, 2018, in Salinas, Calif. (Eric Kayne/AP Images for Nissan)

A gentlemanly racer at The Rolex Monterey Motorsports Reunion on Saturday, Aug. 25, 2018, in Salinas, Calif. (Eric Kayne/AP Images for Nissan)

Nissan racing legend Steve Millen autographs a fan’s vehicle at The Rolex Monterey Motorsports Reunion, where Nissan is the featured marque, on Saturday, Aug. 25, 2018, in Salinas, Calif. (Eric Kayne/AP Images for Nissan)

A Datsun 240Z at the Rolex Monterey Motorsports Reunion drives through the corkscrew section at Laguna Seca in Salinas, Calif. on August 25, 2018. (Eric Kayne/AP Images for Nissan)

Collectable cars and owners gather at The Quail – A Motorsports Gathering on Friday, Aug. 24, 2018, in Carmel-By-The-Sea, Calif. (Eric Kayne/AP Images for Nissan)

The Shell Eco-Marathon for Royal Dutch Shell

Eric Kayne May 4, 2018

Photography: Action and behind-the-scenes at Sonoma Raceway

I had the fantastic opportunity to cover the 2018 Shell Eco-Challenge at Sonoma Raceway last month. The four-day event was a competition between college and high school engineering students to design, build and race the most fuel-efficient vehicle possible. The top winners of each category - electric, gasoline and hydrogen - proceeds to the big race in London later this year.

Check out some of my favorite images below and let me know what you think!

Team B-17 with their vehicle the B-17, #511, from Braham High School, Braham, Mn, United States, competing under the UrbanConcept - Gasoline category, hits the track at Shell Make the Future at Sonoma Raceway, Sunday, April 22, 2018 in Sonoma, Calif.

Team #316, E-Team UDA Elec, of Universidad del Azuay, in Cuenca, Azuay, Ecuador, Prototype, Battery Electric work on their car in the paddock during day one of Shell Make the Future at Sonoma Raceway, Thursday, April 19, 2018 in Sonoma, Calif.

Team Cal Poly Supermileage with their vehicle the Donald Duck, #4,from California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo, CA, United States, competing under the Prototype - Gasoline category waits before a group portrait during day two of Shell Make the Future at Sonoma Raceway, Friday, April 20, 2018 in Sonoma, Calif.

Team #5, University of Toronto Supermileage, of University of Toronto, in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, Prototype, Gasoline works on their car in the paddock during day one of Shell Make the Future at Sonoma Raceway, Thursday, April 19, 2018 in Sonoma, Calif.

Team #201, Wheat Ridge STEM Gold, of Wheat Ridge High School, in Wheat Ridge, Colorado, United States, Prototype, Hydrogen is pushed out of the paddock during day one of Shell Make the Future at Sonoma Raceway, Thursday, April 19, 2018 in Sonoma, Calif.

Team OSU Beavers with their vehicle the Beaver Bolt, #302, from Oregon State University, Corvallis, Oregon, United States, competing under the Prototype - Battery Electric category, and Team SEMA PUCP with their vehicle the PUCP 1, #21, from Pontificia Universidad Católica del Perú, Lima, Lima, Peru, competing under the Prototype - Gasoline category leave the paddock during day two of Shell Make the Future at Sonoma Raceway, Friday, April 20, 2018 in Sonoma, Calif.

Team HydroAggies with their vehicle the Streamline, #211, from North Carolina A&T State University , Greensboro, North Carolina, United States, competing under the Prototype - Hydrogen category in the paddock during day two of Shell Make the Future at Sonoma Raceway, Friday, April 20, 2018 in Sonoma, Calif.

A Saskatchewan Polytechnic SaskEco participant carries a car part to the paddocks, competing under the Prototype - category at Shell Make the Future at Sonoma Raceway, Sunday, April 22, 2018 in Sonoma, Calif.

Participants take in the experience during day two of Shell Make the Future at Sonoma Raceway, Friday, April 20, 2018 in Sonoma, Calif.

UBC Supermileage Team with their vehicle the Zephyr, #520, from University of British Columbia , Vancouver, BC, Canada, competing under the UrbanConcept - Gasoline category work on their car near the paddock during day two of Shell Make the Future at Sonoma Raceway, Friday, April 20, 2018 in Sonoma, Calif.

Team members prepare signage to signal their driver during day three of Shell Make the Future at Sonoma Raceway, Saturday, April 21, 2018 in Sonoma, Calif.

Team Mavericks with their vehicle the The Tank , #508, from Newburgh Free Academy, Newburgh, New York , United States, competing under the UrbanConcept - Diesel category on the track during day three of Shell Make the Future at Sonoma Raceway, Saturday, April 21, 2018 in Sonoma, Calif.

The driver of Saint Thomas Academy Experimental Vehicle Team Alpha with their vehicle the The Doppler Effect, #701, from Saint Thomas Academy, Mendota Heights, MN, United States, competing under the UrbanConcept - Battery Electric category took 1st place in the Drivers World Championship on the final day of Shell Make the Future at Sonoma Raceway, Sunday, April 22, 2018 in Sonoma, Calif.

Saint Thomas Academy Experimental Vehicle Team Alpha with their vehicle the The Doppler Effect, #701, from Saint Thomas Academy, Mendota Heights, MN, United States, competing under the UrbanConcept - Battery Electric category gets the checkered flag during the Drivers World Championship on the final day of Shell Make the Future at Sonoma Raceway, Sunday, April 22, 2018 in Sonoma, Calif.

Omni Labs, Inc. for Yahoo News

Eric Kayne April 16, 2018

Photography: Portraits of start-up co-founders

Alex Modon and Vikram Tiwari, co-founders of Omni Labs, Inc. in San Francisco, have been forced to open a secondary office in Vancouver, BC because an immigration regulation, the International Entrepreneur Rule, is under threat by the Trump administration. The regulation is supposed to grant a limited stay in the U.S. to certain qualifying entrepreneurs. Two of Omni Labs, Inc. co-founders meet this qualification. Yet, their immigration status remains in limbo.

Alex Modon, left, and Vikram Tiwari, co-founders of Omni Labs, Inc., Friday, April 13, 2018 in San Francisco, CA.

After speaking with the photo editor and reporter before the shoot, we discussed ways to communicate what is at risk. In this case, it is Omni Labs, Inc. business itself. I asked one of the subjects to send me some shots of the office a few days before the shoot. It was a small, humble office, shared with another start-up. However, in the location shots, I noticed a huge map on the wall, and a small conference room with a huge window. Driving down the freeway, where I get a lot of ideas, I wondered if the map was the right distance to reflect back onto the conference room window, possibly allowing me to use the map as a translucent layer on top of the subjects, a prop to connote immigration in an abstract way.

I got to their office as early as I was allowed, and started by lighting the map with a 10 degree grid. Then I went inside the small conference room where I would photograph Alex and Tiwari and set up another 10 degree grid. The wall behind them was white, so I had to bring the key light up high and angle it down so I wouldn't illuminate the wall as well. In hindsight, I should have brought a 5' roll of black or grey seamless to tape up behind them to create better separation. Nonetheless, having a high, angled spotlight cut enough spill from the back wall to do what I needed it to do. One of the subjects showed up late, and had a meeting scheduled for 10 minutes after we started. Having arrived two hours early, I was able to accomplish what I had set out to do in 13 minutes.

I caught a lucky break with the giant map and glass-walled conference room. I hope Omni Labs, Inc. catches one, too.

The Light Is Fantastic

Eric Kayne February 14, 2018

Photography: Portraits of a stage artist, student and tech wiz

I love working as a photographer in the San Francisco Bay Area. The light is fantastic, there are numerous locations offering great architecture or interior design, and because of the culture’s embrace of creativity and innovation, many of the subjects are game to play and experiment during photo shoots. To show you what I mean, I’ve selected just three images from some recent assignments.

Theater artist Taylor Mac won a MacArthur “Genius Grant” in 2017. Mac writes, directs, acts, sings, and performs experimental works that work as theatre and social commentary. I had about 15 minutes to photograph Mac for the MacArthur Foundation. Be… — Theater artist Taylor Mac won a MacArthur “Genius Grant” in 2017. Mac writes, directs, acts, sings, and performs experimental works that work as theatre and social commentary. I had about 15 minutes to photograph Mac for the MacArthur Foundation. Between performances of the groundbreaking “A 24-Decade History of Popular Music,” Mac was staying at the Hotel G in downtown San Francisco, built in 1909. The hotel room abutted a stairway; I peeked inside, saw the color of the walls and the window light, and immediately knew this was the place to make a picture. I had Mac play the ukulele, which was slightly difficult due to a hurt finger from stumbling in high heels during last night’s performance. Nonetheless, Mac was able to strum two or three chords, humming a quiet melody as I made pictures.
Photographed for the MacArthur Foundation.

Aaron Chow, an economics freshman at UC Berkeley, decided to research and investigate a real estate investment trust that a friend had invested in, only to discover that the trust had failed to file all kinds of SEC paperwork. Oops! Good for him, an… — Aaron Chow, an economics freshman at UC Berkeley, decided to research and investigate a real estate investment trust that a friend had invested in, only to discover that the trust had failed to file all kinds of SEC paperwork. Oops! Good for him, and probably bad for shady investment firms, once this young man graduates and starts his career. Chow suggested we shoot at the Asian Studies library because it has "cool architecture." By the Japanese periodicals, I custom white-balanced the fluorescent light by his head, which pushed the huge skylight in the background into a deep blue. I love it when I can employ optical physics instead of a dolly full of lighting equipment to make a compelling portrait!
Photographed for The Wall Street Journal.

David Wallerstein, the “Chief Exploration Officer” for Tencent, works in a converted church in Palo Alto. We made a number of moody pictures by the stained glass windows, and thought we had it in the bag. As we were walking back to the front door, w… — David Wallerstein, the “Chief Exploration Officer” for Tencent, works in a converted church in Palo Alto. We made a number of moody pictures by the stained glass windows, and thought we had it in the bag. As we were walking back to the front door, we passed through the kitchen area where I saw the yellow-green wall with symmetrical clocks. At this point, we were warmed up and talking. David was using his phone to play some of his band’s heavy metal songs for me, and I commandeered his public relations assistant to hold a strobe. As you can see, David rocks!
Photographed for The Wall Street Journal.

A Midwestern Holiday

Eric Kayne January 16, 2018

Photography: Road trip photos of Missouri

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.

Annals of Promotion: Pictures of Home photography promo tabloid mailer

Eric Kayne November 21, 2017

I'm quite jazzed with my latest printed promo mailer piece, "Pictures of Home." The images were created over a period of years without a final purpose in mind. However, after a recent second look at these images, I discovered that many spoke to me about how "home" can sometimes contain ironies and contradictions.

I designed the 12-page tabloid in InDesign, with final touches by fabulous graphic designer Tanyia Johnson. Printing was completed by Newspaper Club on 95gsm bright newsprint. They do a great job, are very communicative and have a fast turnaround, especially for a company based in England.

Have thoughts or improvements you'd like to share? I'd love to hear them!

Until the next press run,

Eric

Northern California fire coverage for The Wall Street Journal

Eric Kayne October 19, 2017

Last week, I was called by The Wall Street Journal to shoot video and still photographs of the aftermath of the historic wildfire in Sonoma and Mendocino counties in northern California. The devastation was unlike anything I had ever witnessed.

My assignments allowed me to interact with the Monroes, whose family property in Redwood Valley, California was completely destroyed. You can read the harrowing story here.

Fire aftermath in the Coffey Park neighborhood Oct. 12, 2017 in Santa Rosa, CA.

Cal Fire officials survey the damage of a devastating fire in the Coffey Park neighborhood Oct. 13, 2017 in Santa Rosa, CA.

Fire aftermath in the Coffey Park neighborhood Oct. 13, 2017 in Santa Rosa, CA.

Eli Monroe, center, stands by his car he used to barely escape the Mendocino-area wildfire on his family's property Oct. 15, 2017 in Redwood Valley, CA.

Jan Hoyman's property destroyed by wildfire in a secluded neighborhood off Tomki Road Oct. 15, 2017 in Redwood Valley, CA.

Firemen search for hotspots on Jan Hoyman's property destroyed by wildfire in a secluded neighborhood off Tomki Road Oct. 15, 2017 in Redwood Valley, CA.

The Monroe family property destroyed by wildfire in a secluded neighborhood off Tomki Road Oct. 15, 2017 in Redwood Valley, CA.

Firemen leave the Redwood Empire Fairgrounds Oct. 15, 2017 in Ukiah, CA. The fairgrounds were used as a staging area for fire officials.

A burned car sits on the road to the Monroe family property, destroyed by wildfire in a secluded neighborhood off Tomki Road Oct. 15, 2017 in Redwood Valley, CA.

Right-wing rally at Berkeley's Martin Luther King Jr. Civic Center Park

Eric Kayne August 28, 2017

It was a busy weekend here in the Bay Area, ending with a sometimes violent rally held at at the Martin Luther King Jr. Civic Center Park. The event began quietly and then quickly ramped up into violence. I avoided the main scrum and stayed around the edges. However, quite a bit of activity happened where I was stationed near Allston and MLK, where I made the photos below. 13 people were arrested, but thankfully nothing happened as tragic as what took place in Charlottesville a few weeks ago.

On Commission: Non-profit photography for Plant It Forward Farms

Eric Kayne August 23, 2017

A recent commission to create fresh imagery for a Houston-based non-profit organization allowed me to see first-hand how refugees are being helped to establish themselves in their new country. Plant It Forward serves mainly Congolese refugees by allowing them to farm unused land in urban areas while letting participants keep all their profit. Farmers sell their fresh veggies at local farmers markets as well as farm-to-table based restaurants.

The images were used to build a new website, create print collateral and for social media publication.

From the archives: Bull Riding School Student Portraits

Eric Kayne June 26, 2017

I recently took time to reorganize some of my negative archives when I came across some portraits I took at a bull riding school in 2014. I remember my goal was to make a portrait of the students immediately following their first-ever ride on a bull. The students, to my surprise and initial disappointment, looked nonplussed. I wanted to see a modicum of vulnerability in their faces, but instead only saw pictures of teenagers in cowboy clothing. I scrapped the idea and moved on.

A second look this month, at least three years later, revealed there is an underlying tension in the images, for me at least. Whom of us as adolescents couldn't wait to grow up to be the archetype we most admired? In some of these images, I see some who easily slide into the role, and others have a long trail ahead of them.

In case you're interested, the images were shot with a Hasselblad 553ex and Tri-X film. Let me know what you think!

Cheers,

Eric

On Assignment: recent photographic work for a large chemical company

Eric Kayne June 23, 2017

I'm proud to present work I recently completed for a large chemical company. It's always an adventure suiting up in fire-retardant clothing, steel-toe boots, gloves and safety glasses and venturing into the maze-like catacombs of a multi-billion dollar chemical plant expansion.

The scale of the project is awe-inspiring and I'm amazed how over 4000 people show up to work every day and bring such an enormous project into reality. Visually, it's always fun to get this close to the action, something most of us don't have the opportunity to do. The geometry, symmetry, and the amazing way everything visually fits together into one delights my eye.

Check out some of my work below and let me know what you think.

Cheers,

Eric

Protest coverage for the San Francisco Chronicle

Eric Kayne January 24, 2017

Last week was busy in the Bay Area with multiple rallies and protests connected to the presidential inauguration. I was sent to cover two protests, both at or near Oakland City Hall on two separate days, for the San Francisco Chronicle.

As this was the same area that was exposed to rioting following the 2016 election, it was all-hands-on-deck. For the protest following the inauguration, photojournalists, myself included, would work in overlapping shifts that began at 7am in the morning and didn't end until 15 hours later. For those who've never experienced it, covering a large, all-day protest with the threat of possible violence in the evening required a bit of planning and mental preparation. Having covered the riots in Ferguson, Missouri, where I was shot in the arm with a "non-lethal" projectile and sucked up plenty of CS gas, I made sure my ducks were in a row: putting the flak vest and helmet into my car, as well as making sure I had a fresh respirator cartridge in my gas mask.

While covering Ferguson, I learned an important lesson. I had bought a gas mask from local Army surplus store the day after my first night of coverage where I found out just how nasty CS gas is. Like clockwork, gas came again the next night. It was only then I learned that filter cartridges have expiration dates. Whoopsy! Luckily, things didn't progress in that direction in Oakland this time around. After all was said and done, I think only three people were arrested out of a march of thousands, which I've learned is apparently very tame by Oakland standards.

By the way, I'm totally great with tame protests. Imagine looking for moments to photograph while simultaneously keeping an eye open for anarchists looking to punch me, or grab my camera, while carrying about 30 pounds of gear following four hours of marching. It's a lot to think about.

The images I've included in this post aren't necessarily the most storytelling or dramatic, just my favorites from the last couple of weeks. Enjoy!