Freelance

So I had my first freelance gig in the Bay Area with a newspaper finally publish. I had covered one assignment already, but it will not be published till the end of the month.

I was the go-to-guy for a Friday night showdown between two prep football powerhouses, Oak Grove and Gilroy High Schools in the Central Coast Section Open Final Championship game. I was on assignment for the Blossom Valley Times, which is part of Times Media Inc.

It was a cold night at San Jose City College, but an awesome game that led to me getting two front page photos, a story and four inside photos.

Boy, have I missed the newspaper life. I missed the fresh stories, the interaction with people, and the excitement of the events themselves. It was nice not to be in an office all day, and even nicer to be making money.

Upgrade

With the holidays right upon us, I thought I would treat myself to an early Christmas present.
I picked up a D200 early last week, sticking with Nikon (like I would ever change) and taking advantage of all those people selling their older Nikon cameras back to get the new D300.

I would have loved getting a new D300 or even a new D200, but being the poor college student I am, I decided to save the $500-$1000 for a lens and go used. I always said that I would always buy a new camera, but the price was right and I have no complaints with the D200 so far. Shot the photo on this post yesterday.

Next, I am going to have to add a little more to my lens collection and then my Strobist kit.

What's on your holiday wish list?

Happy Anniversary!

So I just realized that it has been about a year since I started putting my two-cents on the internet. I don't know the exact date, but I know it was sometime around this time of November.

So, thanks to all of you who have stopped by and checked out my blog. Happy anniversary, and here's to another good year.

Trying to hack it as a Stobist

So I am taking it slow, working my way into the world of off camera lighting. I started out a few months ago purchasing a SB-24 and a couple of light stands. I haven't stretched my strobing legs as much as I would like to, but I have started.

Here is a quick head shot that I did in the empty room-for-rent that neighbors mine. It's of the brand new member of the San Jose Stealth's dance team, Miss Ashley. She was a great model, and we had some fun shooting.

As you can see, my setup was one SB-24 to the left of me and one white poster board reflector. For the background I used a black blanket and I had her sitting on my computer chair. To tilt the flash a little, I used a stack of DVD cases. If that's not resourcing then I don't know what is.

Next, being the poor college art student I am, I'm going to give a shot at constructing my own soft box and run with that. I felt that with these photos, I had a little too hard light, even though I did have a diffuser on my flash. We'll see how that works.

Breaking News

So living in the Bay Area has really shook my life up-literally.
The San Jose Mercury News is reporting a 5.6 earthquake somewhere around 10 miles from San Jose. Pretty damn close if you ask me.
Now you might be wondering where I was while the earth decided to move. I was on the fourth floor of Ducan Hall, hiding under my mini-desk, before busting my butt down the four fights of stairs.
This earthquake wasn't that bad, but it's pretty scary when your in the middle of a critique on the fourth floor. It was my first one here in the Bay Area, which seems notorious for earthquakes, but in actually my roommate who has been here for over three years said it was his first.
The irony of the situation is that I just recently read in the Mercury News that the "Big One" is due to make an appearance anytime now. This was just a little reminder.
But a question I ponder is how the media will respond to this. It is obvious a big deal, but no one was really hurt or not much damage. We have electricity, and my cell phone still works (though AT&T users were experiencing trouble with theres). The news jumped on the story, but quickly returned to regular programing. The Mercury website had a quick blurb about it, but it wasn't very prominent. But that was only about half an hour after the quake. I was quite impressed with the amount of info they had coming from all over the Bay Area.
All in all a crazy experience, lets hope that we keep those kind of experiences to a minimum.

So for the longest time I have been wanting to do this technique that gives the photo a cool edgy look. I don't know that I nailed it, but I am getting close. Photoshop is full of neat little tricks, and I am at the very tip of the iceberg. If you know the look I am going for, do you think I got it? Do you know any tricks yourself?

What a game...

San Jose State put on a-hell-of-a show against Hawaii on national TV. The Spartans took the Rainbow Warriors into overtime, but weren't able to pull out the "W". They had a two touchdown lead with four minutes left, but Hiesmen hopeful, Colt Brennan, led Hawaii to the victory.

I was able to shoot the game, my first time shooting in the rain, and got some very good shoots. I definitely learned somethings from shooting in the rain, one being were clothes you don't mind ruining, and will apply those lessons-learned in the future.

You can check out my shots from the game here.

Tell me what you think.

Printing

So I have recently found the need to send-out some prints for customers. Like anyone else out there, I am looking for the best quality I can at a great price.

I am also looking for someone that will print similar to what I modify my prints too. I know a lot of that lies in the calibration of my monitor, which I have calibrated as much as I can. It's also difficult to work off a laptop, but it isn't impossible to get similar prints.

I have tried two places up here in the Bay Area, one local shop in Downtown San Jose called Foto Express and a semi-professional lab in San Francisco called Photoworks.

It's kind of funny, I use to work for a photo lab called Photo Express back in Hanford, Ca.

But the prints I get at Foto Express in San Jose aren't too bad, but they print a lot darker and a little less contrast than what I expected. But the service and turnaround there is excellent. It is ran by a SJSU Graduate, who is one of the nicest persons around.

The above shot was printed at Foto Express, but it was printed a lot darker, and with less contrast.

Photoworks printed rather well. I don't know that I was wowed by the quality, but I got what I wanted. The only problem was that it took a while to get to me. I had them Fed Ex-ed, but they didn't get sent out the right day and ended up taking over a week to get to me. All I had was three 8x10. Granted, when I called and asked where my prints were, they overnighted them and were cool about it.

I would use Photoworks again, as well as Henry at Foto Express, but where do you print?

A business question

So I have felt the need to create a business card, as I start to get into a little freelancing. It's not something I am too familiar with, but came up with a satisfactory card. I created it pretty quickly as I was out the door to Stanford.

Tell me what you think and if you have one to share please do.

One of the worst nights of my life...

And not because SJSU lost to Stanford.

I shot my first collegiate football game this past Saturday at Stanford Stadium. It was a great stadium to shoot at, especially lighting wise.

Unfortunately I had to leave at half time, due to the food poisoning I received prior to the game from the press box hamburgers. I am still recovering from the effects of the bad beef.

On the bright side, I had five photos in the Spartan Daily, including a front page shot.

The photo to the left was a victim of the 400mm lens. You live and die by it. But I think it's still nice shot.

Check my Flickr! for more photos.

The end of an era.

It is official, the good times are over in Riverdale.

In a move that was seen long before the sun set, the Hanford Sentinel has closed the Twin City Times, a newspaper that I was a journalist at for nearly a year and a half. It is a move made after I left the newspaper barely a month ago.

It doesn't surprise me that the decision was made to close the Twin, but it is a little tough to swallow. My whole time there, I was always worried that the small newspaper serving Riverdale, Caruthers and Easton was about to close its doors, but it outlived myself. Actually they probably closed it because it would have been to much trouble to find a reporter after I left.

I owe a lot to the Twin and all those I served in the communities I reported on. I made a lot of friends and learned more than I ever could in a classroom. It is a shame to see that it never got the backing it deserved. It was doomed since I got there, never given the chance to succeed.

But when the ink fades away from the pages of the Twin City Times, more than just the readers will be left in the dark. Mary Mancillas the office manager for the Twin will be out of the job. She has put her heart and soul in the Twin for nearly a decade, writing stories and taking photos, when all she was asked to do is answer phones. She is the one that has kept it together for so many years, a truly sad day for her.

It is funny that the last issue will be published on my 21st birthday, September 26, furthermore reminding me that one chapter in my life has past and another has started. There really is no going back now, even if I wanted to.

I am sad to see the paper that was so good to me, one I worked on so hard, just shut down. Like I said before, it was a paper that was never given a chance by a company that just doesn't know it's readers or employees. Hopefully down the line, it will be revived and flourish like I and a few other people know it can.

So here is to the Twin City Times: an end to a good paper; an end to an era.

I'm Back

So it has been a little while since I have posted. Only three weeks into school and it has me going crazy.

One class that I am taking is Color photography. Unfortunately we don't get to dabble at all into creating actual color prints in the dark, as it is all digital. But in the end it will make life a little easier and cleaner.

My First assignment was to shoot in different types of light. Now everyday I walk to this class I see a row of Palm Trees from a window. I have conjured up a few ideas on how I would like to use those for a photo, and I used one of them for this assignment. I was disappointed after trying a few different techniques that weren't working, but once I got back and saw this picture it all went away. It was a long exposure, somewhere close to like two seconds.

Now I don't have a tripod yet, so this is were I had to improvise a little. One thing I have learned during my short time behind the camera, is that if you can't improvise, you can't survive. I had an extra light stand that I used while I snapped this shot and held my breath. I am glad to say the light stand proved more sturdy than anticipated .

What are some examples of times when you had to improvise due to a lack of equipment?

Although we're not truly into the fall season, last Thursday marked the end of my summer.

School started, (I don't know why on a Thursday) and I am back at it, hitting the books. But this semester is one I have been looking forward to since January. I have crossed that line from a Bulldog to a Spartan, enrolling at San Jose State University.

I have to say that I am pretty excited, and was even more excited about my first assignment for my online Journalism 61 class. Do you want to know how cool it is?

Guess what, you're reading it!

Yup, we have to have a blog, which is the way we will post assignments and such. Pretty cool to see that even journalism classes are keeping pace with the journalism world.

In my assignment I am suppose to introduce myself a little and say what aspects of media interest me, along with what I want to get out of this class. Here it goes:

I am Joe Proudman, hailing from the Central Valley. More specifically, a small town called Lemoore. I am very much so interested in journalism, mainly newspapers. I have a simple goal of latching onto a daily newspaper as a photog or reporter and riding it out for a few years, having all the fun that I can, before I move into teaching.

I expect to come out of this class a better reporter/writer. I hope to be more informed about the journalism world, and maybe make some contacts.

Here's to a good semester.

Oh boy, oh boy...

Nikon just announced the newest additions, that's right, additions with an "s", to their camera family.

On August 23, 2007 they introduced the Nikon D3 and D300.Ken Rockwell has some very nice reviews on both cameras.

Thom Hogan can fill you in on the new lenses that Nikon plans to release; five of them due out in November along with the D3 and D300.

Now there is no way that a poor college student like me can afford either of these cameras, but lets hope they drive down the price on the D200 enough for me to grab one.

My journalism portfolio

Here is my journalistic portfolio from the past year and a half. The photos have appeared in the Twin City Times, Selma Enterprise, Kingsburg Recorder, Lemoore Advance and Hanford Sentinel.

On the right side of my blog is a link to my portfolio filled with captions.

My portflio problem

I have ran into a sort of problem lately.

I have been applying to different news publications, trying to land a spot as a staff member or freelancer. I market myself as a photographer and writer. The issue is, how do I show a possible employer my portfolio when I submit a resume and clips via email?

An obvious answer would be to create a website. Personally I don't have much knowledge in that area, nor the extra funds at the moment. It's an option, but with school starting next week, time will not be an option.

So I have decided to create a slide show which is in the above post, and a Flickr badge in the right column of this blog page that links to my portfolio with captions.

I think it's a nice temporary substitute for a website. But sooner or later I will need to get one of those up and running.

Is there anyone out there that wants to offer a helping hand?

Summer Haze....

So I am getting adjusted to my new digs here in San Jose. One of the best things about living in the area is I have so much going on around me.

For example I went and checked out Ozomatli, G Love and Slightly Stoopid at the Greek Theater at UC Berkeley.

An awesome show at an awesome venue. The best part is, it was less than an hour from my house.

Here is my girlfriend Courtney Laine taking a moment to pose with G. Love. By the way, I took that picture with my cell phone! Technology is definitely on the up and up.

A new me

So, I am coming to you from my new home in San Jose. Last Thursday marked the end of my time at the Twin City Times, quite possibly one of the most of important periods of my life.

I appreciate all that I have learned there, and will take it with me for the rest of my life.

Before the end of this month I will be starting school at San Jose State University. Lets all pray that things work out for me.

On to other news, I recently purchased the foundation to my off camera lighting set-up. I acquired two light stands, a SB-24 and a few cords. I hope to bring out the strobist in myself. I can't wait to start taking pictures of people.



And yes, that's my bear. It was a gift.

Shot with a SB-24 to the left with a toothpaste box snoot.

Firemen

Here are some photos from the fire I talked about below, just firemen doing their job. Not to bad for being a volunteer fire department.

"This is a dark day in Lemoore."-John Murray, City of Lemoore Mayor

This past Saturday morning, about 1:30 a.m., I awoke to the smell of a campfire scenting my room. I particularly love the smell of campfires, but not in my room.

A fire had broken out in an apartment complex less than a mile from my bedroom, and it's smell canvassed most of town.

But this was not your everyday fire, in fact it was the worst fire in the history of Lemoore, killing five people. All of them were under the age of 20.

Being the journalist that I am, I hoped out of bed after my cousin alerted me where this fire was. In less than five minutes I was out the door with my camera gear on my way still feeling a little groggy.

I didn't find out that find out five people didn't make it out until about 2:30 a.m. I talked with the mother of three of the victims, while she patiently waited for news. Though obviously distraught, she had no problem talking with me. Niether did one of the victims bestfriends, who had just visited his friend hours before.

It's intersting, that the people that are directly affected with the incident had no problem talking with me, but one person, who was a bystandard, was upset that I was there reporting. They felt that I was in the wrong covering the tragic fire.

This has really grabed a hold of me the past couple of days since. Was I wrong to be there covering the fire? If so, what makes it wrong?

Personally, I don't feel that I was wrong. It was a news event that people wanted to know about. But beyond that, I feel that those five that parished deserved to be known. Their story deserves to be spread from each and every person possible, so that they too can mourn with the family.

People might think journalist are just looking for a next story, not caring about the event they are reporting on, and are only doing it because it's their job. I can tell you being a journalist is more than a job. I don't do it for the pay, because there isn't much, and I don't do it for the recognition, because my name will be in the paper no matter what I write.

Not to sound cliche, but I do it for the people. I do it to inform, to educate and to assist. I do it because I like too.

This was not just another story for me. Five people parished, and I was there watching the reaction of the family and friends as they waited for any kind of informaiton from authorities. I felt just as bad as any other person out there, and didn't sleep much after I went home at 4:30 a.m. because I couldn't stop thinking about how five people younger than me just died.

I guess that's part of being a journalist though, taking the good stories with the bad, but it still stings a little. That was the first tragic incident that I have had to cover in person, less than a week before I leave the paper. It was the first time someone didn't agree with my presence. A lot of first.

My heart and prayers go out to the family and friends of those who died. It's a tragic event that will be remembered for years to come.

God bless.

America today...

My view of Old Glory during the National Anthem.

It just doesn't seem right.

Take me out to the ballgame....

So this week I am in Selma, shooting for the Selma Enterprise and Kingsburg Recorder, while their photog, Corey Ralston, is on vacation. Lucky him.

The big news in town is the 12 year old Cal Ripken Pacific Southwest Regional Tournament, which is compiled of teams from Hawaii, Arizona, Utah, Nevada, Guam and California. The tourney is being held in Kingsburg

Two hometown teams and only two California teams, Easton-Caruthers and Kingsburg, are in the semifinals after beating some very good teams from out of state.

I shot two games on Monday battling bugs and heat, and will shot another tomorrow. The Enterprise and Recorder will be doing a scene page on the tournament.

I have had to use my cat-like reflexes and smooth moves, after a few foul balls and wild throws came my way. While shooting I have to be on the field in front of one of the dugouts, with no sort of protection. But that's part of the job, and it doesn't hurt to pray you don't get hit with a ball.

A new look

As you can see, I am sporting a new look here in the blogging world. It is my first step towards stepping away from the templates provide by blogger. It's not a big step, but one non-the-less.

I hope you dig the new look, and keep an eye out for future changes to enhance your viewing pleasure.

I included this picture of some grapes, that I took about 10 minutes ago, just for fun.

One more day till the weekend!

A little recognition

I received some great news this past Monday.

I was up for a CNPA Better Newspaper Contest award, and took home a second place prize. I was gunning for first, but I was out-dueled by a paper in Northern California.

It's funny that most of postings on here revolve around photos, but my award was for writing. It was a story about a school out in the rural parts of Fresno County that had a connection with a school in Uganda. It was a two part story that took me a total of two months to put together.

It was nice to get some recognition for the story that I worked the hardest on.

Next year I'll take home first though.

Come get some

If you haven't happened to check out an arena football game, you should. If you like football, it's a fine cure for those off-season withdrawals. It's a lot of scoring and a lot of hitting, some will say almost too much hitting, but that's just being silly.

The reason I have been at the past couple of games for the Central Valley Coyotes, based out of Fresno, is because their quarterback, Clay Groefesma, is from Lemoore. I consistently contribute to the Lemoore Advance, mainly sports, so it's kind of cool that I can go watch these games and get paid for it.

While shooting this game, it is not uncommon to see me swearing at my camera. I am forced to shoot with a D30, please don't mistake that for a 30D. The first generation DSLR from Canon is a piece of junk, that will not fire even though you are pressing down the shutter and the linebacker just knocked the QB into the stands. Don't even get me started on the focusing.

I had to shoot this game at 1600, and was around 320-250-f/2.8. 1600 is not the ideal setting on this camera, and 320 is a little slow to catch the ball moving. I don't believe I am allowed to use a flash, even so I don't have one that would work.

The question I keep asking myself is, if I had a better camera, say a 1D Mark II like everyone else on that sideline, would I be getting better shots. They would definitely be higher quality, but would I be getting the shots?

I assume that I would, but for now I should be happy with the camera I have.

Selma High School Class of 2007

Here are some additions to my last post, in which I mention graduation photos.

Now I went into this assignment with some pictures in mind. The sun was getting low and casting long dark shadows, and I had a brilliant blue sky that would make for an awesome background.

One other thing I notice as I was walking in, was the firework setup at the end of the stadium. That was going to have to be a must shot, especially since I missed that opportunity last year.

The group shot with 2007 painted on the grass was just something I saw. I shot that picture earlier with the blue sky but it just wasn't exposing right. I shot the photo you see below right before I shot the fireworks one, which meant me running from the side there to the front of the students. I know I got in someones way.

Now for some reason I forgot to include the shadow photo I took, but here are a few to hold you over until I get it up. What do you think.

WAKE-up

Last week I spent my whole day Wednesday on a boat shooting pictures of professional wakeboarders Nick and Julz Heanley.

The photos I shot ran in the Hanford Sentinel and Lemoore Advance. They actually ran twice in the Sentinel, once on the sports page on the next day and a full page spread on the front of the local section this past Monday.

It was definitely cool to see that full page spread in a daily paper, especially the front of the local section. There was nothing else on that page except my work.

It was a busy week, as I shot graduation photos for the Selma Enterprise ( see above post ) and still had to fill the Twin City Times with enough news. So it was rewarding to see that.

But it all paid off, as I got good graduation shots and good wakeboarding shots.

Time to throw the ball around

It has been a little while since I last posted, probably because I haven't had much to post lately. It has been a busy time, but I have been really pursuing through other blogs lately.

One notable blog that has captivated me for hours at a time, is Strobist.

I believe the person who maintains the site is a photojournalist with the Baltimore Sun. I tell you, the information that is posted onto that blog, is gold! Never have I learned more about off-camera lighting than reading that blog. I use to wince at the idea of using a flash, but am now just counting down the days when I can afford a good set up. Which also brings up the point, that they have countless links to other sites that can be just as helpful.

Another blog that has caught my eye, is one of Hanford Sentinel Chief Photographer Apolinar Fonseca. He posts on his experiences on shooting for a daily and also has some very good links.

Joe Hollak is another great blog. I truly feel that this journalist/student/bloger is a big reason why I have grown as a photographer and journalist. He currently attends California State University, Fresno and is the Multimedia Editor for The Collegian.
His blog is full of great posts on the ever-changing world of journalism and is really big on multimedia. He also has some great links as well.

Well, these are actually the three main blogs I frequent, and then I tend to branch off from them through links on their sites. Make sure to check out what they have to say, and be sure to leave comments.

Whoo-whoo are you looking at?

You know, sometimes I feel real lucky covering the rural parts of Fresno County. Often times, it seems that I come across stories that are not in existence in more populated areas. Things work different in the country parts.

The most difficult task, is finding these stories. To the right, and below, is young barn owls which were rescued at a winery in Madera, after its mother was found dead. Mrs. Mary Funk, who is a volunteer with the Fresno Wildlife Rehabilitation, was able to bring three owls into her class, before they dove into dissecting owl pellets.

Now this is no award winning story (I already received one from this class, as a CNPA Finalist for a story I did on them and their connection with a Ugandan school) , but I was able to come away with several interesting photos that can make up a strong photo essay. With the school season winding down, things will really slow down in the Twin City Times area, giving me a void that I will need to fill. I hope to fill these voids with photo essays, but we'll see. But the problem is how will I find these compelling essays, which could also lead to possible multimedia projects?

Anyways, here is to a summer that hopefully isn't too slow.

It's Rodeo Season

This weekend will mark the 51st Riverdale Rodeo. Spring time in California means rodeo season. One of the bigger rodeos is the Clovis rodeo, which featured PBR riders this year.

Being a small town newspaper, the Riverdale Rodeo is a huge event for us and the community. The only thing is, it happens every year. So how do you shoot something that will be very similar to what you shot the year before? I also recently shot the Laton Rodeo, and no matter how cool shots on a a bull are, it is the same thing that has ran in the paper years before.

To keep this year from getting too repetitive I hope to try some different perspective at the rodeo grounds and possibly come away with a multimedia project including comentary from the riders themselves. But in the end how many different ways is there to shoot a rodeo? I will try and find that out this weekend.




Cowboy boots decorate the Veteran's Memorial Hall in Riverdale, Ca the night of the Riverdale Rodeo Association Kick-Off Dinner, the weekend before the rodeo. The rodeo queen is crowned, along with the rodeo princess.

Oh ya...

My third attempt at a sound slideshow.

And the winners are....

The Pulitzer Prize winners were recently released and with no real major events such as 9/11 or Hurricane Katrina, there was not one dominant event. I believe The Wall Street Journal was the only entity to walk away with multiple awards.

The main two winners that interested me, were the photography winners.


Oded Balilty of The Associated Press won for Breaking News Photo and his shot of a Jewish settler challenging Israeli security officers.


A lone Jewish settler challenges Israeli security officers during clashes that erupted as authorities cleared the West Bank settlement of Amona, east of the Palestinian town of Ramallah. Thousands of troops in riot gear and on horseback clashed with hundreds of stone-throwing Jewish settlers holed up in this illegal West Bank outpost after Israel’s Supreme Court cleared the way of demolition of nine homes at the site. February 1, 2006.

For Feature Photography, Renée C. Byer of the Sacramento Bee won with her very compelling photo essay on a young man battling cancer with his mom by his side. I tell you the last few photos are so impacting, as is the whole story. This is a very sad story, but these photos help you to feel that sadness.



Cyndie holds Derek on May 8. He is on medication that hinders his speech and keeps him awake at night. Except for a few minutes while hospice nurses are with him, Cyndie spends nearly every moment of the day at his side.."I was exhausted beyond belief but I had to do this. He would call my name and always expects me to be there," Cyndie said.

Both of these photographers were very deserving artist. Let's give them a round of applause.

Check out more winners here.

Time to use some words...

So I wrote this article a while ago and tried to get it ran in a few publications, but it just never panned out. Well I take that back, It might have ran in the Screamin' Eagle at West Hills College Lemoore, but I am unsure. It is just a little opinion piece I wrote, so I hope you enjoy.

Age Go-Go and flares boots really in our future?

Cowboy Up

Thought I would give you something else to look at since it has been so long since I posted.



I took this at the Laton Rodeo, right before the rider was let out of the gate. What I really like about it is the hands reaching in and framing the flag on his shoulder.

Laton is a small town, located in the middle of the country in the Central Valley of California. The rodeo is by far the biggest event of the year for the rural community. All around you see cowboy hats, spurs and huge belt buckles.

I really think this picture captures that small town America look. It's simple like the town, you always have a helping hand from the community, and you're modest, like the rider who is looking away. The riders hands are worn from hard work, much like the residence of the small farming community.

I feel that this is what journalistic photography is all about; portraying an entire event, community or demographic with a single photo. It's a tough job, and I am by no means saying I did or do a good job doing it. But being a photographer in the media world, means telling a story. I think this photo tells that story and tells about the community where it comes from. I didn't run this photo in the newspaper, but it was favorite.

What do you think?

America the Beautiful

So it has been a while since I have posted, so I thought I would throw up a picture I took a couple of days ago. Just the right thing to help finish out the week. Here in California, it's starting to feel like summer and flowers are blooming, matching perfectly with our clear blue skies. I snapped this shot in Caruthers, Ca at a Veterans Memorial Site. These roses were just planted a few months ago, replacing the dead flowers and foliage that was there before.

Entering a new world...

So here is my first video-blog, I hope you enjoy. I had a tough time posting the video with google video, but I think I solved the problem.

Photos of the Past

Here are some past pictures that I have taken. I haven't been blogging very consistently, so I thought I would treat you to some past shots. This blog is meant to get some exposure to my work, and for that to happen I need to put more of my work up. I hope you enjoy.



This photo was taken at a Carnival Church in Caruthers, Calif. The service was held in the bumber cars, and if you look really hard, the title of the music she is playing says calm assurance.




This is a photo of Hooligan Mike on a country road in Lemoore. To the left is a giant tamato factory. Funny where good pictures happen.



This was the shot I was going for the whole time. I took it the same night as I took the one above, but at a park in Lemoore. Sean has always been a great model and looks so good doing it. I added the words "Live Free" in photoshop, a message to all you reading this.



This is from my very first expierement with strobing. I took it at a park at 3 in the morning with a 25 year old camera and a really cheap flash. Baisically I held the shutter open and strobed her from down low. I really wanted this crop and framed the picture like on site. Lauren is a beautiful model, but was a pain to work with that night. Most of the time she is ok though. She loves the camera

Building Faith

Members of Riverdale's Assymbly of God work on the roof of thier future sanctuary. The enourmous 30,000 sq. ft. church is almost near its second year of construction and will be completed this fall.


I drive by this church on my way to work all the time and I see these lifts sitting next to it. For the past three months i have just been thinking how cool it would be to get a shot up on those lifts of the cross with some clouds. Now it wasn't the greatest cloud day, but they still got the job done. The church members, who are the ones constructing the sanctuary, were more than willing to take me up 50 feet in the air and get a shot of them working on the roof. They are good people there.

I'm Back

Ok, so after a little hiatus from blogging I am back with a new post. I will have a few more post up in the next few days with some photos and info.
Life has been crazy. Both in good ways and bad ways. But hey you can't be afraid to live right?
So I got a new toy and I am in love. Why wasn't I on a mac sooner?
Here are a couple of photos that I took with my mac books on board camera. Please feel free to laugh at my expense.

How important is your $5000 camera?

It is comonly said that if you want to be the best, you got to have the best. Everyday more and more people are finding their way into the world of photography, either with a simple point and shoot or high-end DSLR. How many times have you seen a soccer mom carying a 20d only to take pictures of her two smiling children with cake on their faces on their birthday. I am not saying she doesn't have a right to have one, it is just funny that people have $1000+ cameras to do a job that a camera worth a few $100's would do. Even if you are a profesional photographer do you really need that $5000 camera with the $2000 lens. Ken Rockwell has written an excellent article here that explains this situation much more better than I could.I hear that newspapers are contemplating buying the newer and much more expensive cameras becuase the quaility they need could be acomplished by a much cheaper camera. So taking this article to heart, I will take a page from the book of this fine photographer and start my own cell phone picture collection.

Here are my first few pictures:

All I have done is convert these to black and white and adjust the levels a little. Not a bad start right?

Where do you work?
Do you get free gourmet meals? Do you have a game room at your place of buisness? How about a free fitness center and five doctors on site? Does your company give you free massages and wash your car for you as you work? I know for sure mine doesn't, but this one does. Fortune magazine named that company the top place to work out of 100 companies across the country. Where do I send in my application?

One more post

Ok so school is starting tomorrow and any life that I had will go on hiatus until the summer sun shows up, and it better hurry up cause these 19 degree nights aren't cool. I thought this was California? Anyways, thought I would give my three readers a little post since i am not sure when I will be able to get the next one up. So here is a picture that was that was taken out in the rural parts that just seemed to work for me. How about you?

Who will be the Change?

So what are we waiting for?

All hail the ROBOTS

In the future we can picture Robots doing all things that humans don't want to do. Even today machines make our world a whole heck of a lot easier, but will that day when machines replace our hands come? It has been said for the past 50 years that robots are just around the corner. These two articles here and here alarm me. The first discuses Honda's inovations, developing a robot that will be used to help the needy. That doesn't sound too bad at first right? But tell me when you were in need you always reached for a hand, not a cold piece of machinery. The point there I am trying to make is why is a robot being developed to do something that a human should do, me or you. We can develop cutting edge technology to help, but can't lend a hand? Just something to think about. The second story is just stupid to me. We need to worry about the rights of people before we even begin considering the posibility that a robot could one day sue someone in a court of law. That's nuts man. But hey robots would still be cool.

Take your pick!

Ok, so a good friend of mine offered me some tips. I tell you what this guy is the reason I am were I am. But that's a different blog for a different day. Anyways, here are different versions of the picture posted below this post. Tell me which one you think is best, it's as simple as that. It is the same picture but cropped differently. So lay it on me, which is you pick, if any. Just click on the photo to make it bigger.