June 3, 2008

#100

It seems like yesterday when my infancy of blogging began. My initial thoughts of blogging were that it was kinda geeky but when I started posting found it was very therapeutic. Another great thing about posting is that I have learned so much about the coding language HTML since my first post in March of 2007.

Nowadays all posts are made using "tags" and typed out exclusively with code instead of using the pre-formatted fields. Controlling the look of your blog both sets it apart from the plethora of blogs with similar themes and gives me a skill to add to my resume. If you asked my friend Keith what the best attribute of my blog is he would probably say that since starting to post and learn HTML I have stopped bugging him to answer questions that I could research myself.

The photos posted in this 100th post represent some of my favorites and their stories from the past year.


In many ways this photograph is the culmination of what I have learned in the five years I have been a photojournalist. I was sent to photograph a man who had lost everything he had in a Tornado. The only thing left were the steps that went into his home. I chose to make the portrait there.

I used a flash with a colored gel to give the scene mood. Basically the story was over since we hooked up with him after the storm cleanup was done with. I had him talk about his experience as I made photos of him. The lighting, mood, framing all worked together for me as a storytelling image was made. This was truly a success in my opinion.




The first time I drove into Decatur this is the first photograph that I saw. In many ways it typifies the landscape of the area. Myriad farmland, humidity and landscape are all available in this photograph. Two and a half years later I am still looking for the essence of the region I am in. The people met and stories told help to satisfy this need to become more aware of my surroundings.



In my photographic life it has been said to me that being a human first then a photographer is the way to conduct myself. The person that told me this is someone that I highly respect and regard. Saying that to explain how the photograph materialized.

In 2006 our area suffered a severe drought followed the next by the worst in one hundred or so years. One day when I didn't have much to do while driving in the far reaches of Morgan county I stopped in on a farmer that irrigated his crops. He was very nice to me when I met him he was working on a pipe that had busted crippling his irrigation system. After we talked for a while and I made photos of him working he went back to his water supply to test out his repair. He allowed me to go back with him and even at one point I helped him out.

As I stayed longer and longer I noticed the clouds to the south gathering. By investing time with someone and not swooping in making a few photos and then bugging out I was able to make this landscape photograph that I am very proud of. It was a lesson in the power of the human condition if even in a more basic state.



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