Tag Archive for 'Dallas'

UFC Fighting for Dallas Observer

I shot some action a week or so ago. I’m not one to fight, so it was a bit weird to be shooting an event where people are literally blood thirsty for guys beating each other senseless. Minus the lions and the gluttonous lords, this was straight out of Gladiator. The guys were even caged in.

I was close enough to smell the blood splatter. Needless to say, I won’t be getting into the ring or “octagon” any time soon.

I wish I could have roamed the arena in search of the obvious oddball spectators, yet unfortunately, I was actually restricted to my seat outside the octagon. I was not allowed to move. So…action it was.

Check out the slide show on the The Dallas Observer from the event.

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Friday Night Return

Yesterday was the opening night for high school football in Texas. As everyone knows, it’s kinda a big deal here. Stadiums tower like college domes and tailgaters cook like it IS that holy day of the week. Only these are kids…17 year old kids. Needless to say, most of them are bigger than me.

I usually attend these games to shoot action shots for the Dallas Morning News. I’ll be the first to admit, I am not a great sports photographer. I only have short lenses. I also don’t like the deadline pressures. I have to miss halftime and most of the third quarter as I fumble to send photos into the office. On a side note, check out Dallas Morning News photographer Gerry McCarthy to see what awesome sports photography looks like.

It’s no secrete the best part of high school football is the culture surrounding the event. Everyone has heard of or read the book Friday Night Lights. I am also a fan of the documentary style television show. It is a true prize to photograph these games. It’s like being at a circus in the way that everywhere you look there is a photo to be taken. The hardest part is deciding when to press the shutter. I love the fans, the bands, the cheerleaders, and even the ridiculous Dallas women wearing heels to a high school football game.

I am hoping I get to shoot a lot throughout the season. I may even improve my action shooting…but I’ll certainly be looking elsewhere.

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West Village plus One

The West Village near downtown Dallas is always a scene. A strange scene and one that seemingly revolves around image and class status. When one thinks of Dallas they invariably think of the famed TV series and continue to quote “who shot JR?” Update the show 20 years and you get the West Village. You still get women with over stylized hair ( and shorter skirts), men with fancy skinned boots and the occasional cowboy hat. You also see Starbucks, a new lingerie boutique, and an upscale hamburger stand selling meat patties with finely greased buns complete with fancy three pronged forks.

I don’t fit in, but I do enjoy the ridiculous nature of the scene and the people watching I encounter.

To bring back the iPhone montage, I had fun one night before watching Angels and Demons (substantially entertaining but not overwhelmingly fantastic.)

A free cookie to the person who can point out the one square that does NOT come from the West Village.

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Faces In The Crowd

All too often I go to an assignment and find a large room, full of brochures, booths, and people talking up their ideas. Usually these are not the most exciting assignments. There will be one person and product I am there to highlight. Ten or 15 minutes inside then off to file on deadline.

Today was different. I saw the same booths, selling the same products, yet the people seemed different . Maybe it was the humidity outside, but I wanted to stay as long as possible. Around every corner was another face waiting to be captured. Nothing fancy. Just a face under a light. I love faces.

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One More and That's It

Last batch. No more iPhone posts after this (could be a lie.)

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Welcome to My New blog

Hi people,

It has taken me a few days to get things set up, but I am now connected with my new blog. It’s not that Blogspot was bad as much as I was simply bored and wanted to learn Wordpress (it is a lot more HTML intensive than I expected.) While it is certainly more complicated, in the end I think it is more content friendly. I also like the set-up and the customization capabilities with added plug-ins. If you have any suggestions on layout or design please let me know.

With the slowing down of the economy, my work schedule has taken a swift dive into a dark cave (winter sleep.) Hopefully the slowdown is only temporary, so I can continue to purchase my essentials: glossy magazines at coffee shops with latés and the occasional bran muffin. In the meantime, I am working on several story ideas. My ideas range from serious, mind inspiring, and passion driven to general, money making ventures. Without going into too much detail and based on theme, and theme alone, my projects traverse travel, micro-lending and forestry, immigration, psychology and joblessness, as well as teenage issues. Broad I know, but that’s it for now.

I am hoping these develop into something productive, meaningful, and possibly (fingers crossed) publishable. If nothing else, I will be satisfied if they keep me busy and inspired while the rest of this industry dies. If not, I’m thinking grad school or Spain as the next destination…maybe.

Here are some photos from a recent concert shoot. The Early Republic. I remember thinking how terrible that band name is. After searching for their names online I came to learn that the Early Republic could be the period of time between George Washington’s inauguration (1789) and the Declaration of the Monroe Doctrine (1823). I’ve always wanted to read more about the the beginnings of this country. Maybe now I will. I still think it is a terrible band name, but I did enjoy the music.

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