7.30.2008

waiting for the straight talk express

Sitting in an airport for 3 hours before a candidate's arrival can make your mind wander...

7.29.2008

pink

Elizabeth Wang is 8 and she has broken 80 on the women's tees. I don't know much about golf, but that's supposedly very good. She's won numerous tournaments, so I headed out there at 6:30am to meet her last week.





7.21.2008

stabbing

Charles and Berkie's son, Jesse, 22, was stabbed to death last Thursday night by a bartender that is "well known and has a bad temper." They were torn up but tried to keep composure around me. Although Berkie was initially apprehensive about the press, I think she found some sort of refuge and clarity in talking to someone her son's age and eventually opened up to me.

Mile High Music Festival

Here's my take from the Mile High Music Festival the past two days. It was exhausting but fun.



Here's the video I slapped together the morning before Day 2.

http://www.rockymountainnews.com/videos/detail/mile-high-music-fest---day-1/

7.17.2008

Pikeville, KY Dips

Catching Up -- This is the series of diptychs I shot during the American Diversity Project. The idea was to show a contrast between the wealth in Pikeville and the poverty in the surrounding areas, but it ended up branching out to a more general theme. The Web site has been up for a while now, but check it out if you haven't yet.

The multimedia is pretty impressive.

Emote

Xcel energy announced today that 47,000 customers would have their power turned off if they didn't act fast. This happens every year, but due to the dipping economy this year it was 140% above the amount cut off last year. Theresa and Cherise got the notices a couple days ago, but were able to contact an organization that helps low income families in situations like this. So, even though they both recently lost their jobs and had to recover from debt, they were still in good spirits.



Sans Pick Axes

Tonight, in the penthouse suite of an old folks home, the city held a town hall meeting between two young leftists and a whole room full of middle-aged concerned citizens. The two stood up in front of them in the stuffy room and pleaded their cause to set up a Tent City called Tent State University in the downtown City Park in non-violent protest during the DNC.



7.15.2008

O

The Obama campaign opened a new office in Denver today. So they had a party.

hats and politics

from a local senate candidate debate...

7.14.2008

nationals 2

I endured the vehicular earthquakes again today. It was the final day of the Mile-High Nationals. I know I make it sound bad, but really it's a unique slice of American life. I was happy to spend 8 hours in the hot sun strapped with gear I didn't use. At least I got Mexican food in the press room. And candy.






Here is the video from Friday.












7.12.2008

loud things

I went to Mile-High Nationals yesterday. I mostly shot video, which I will post once it is up on the site. Those cars are way too loud. While all these tough photographers on the side of the track bear the bone-crushing force of these cars like it's nothing, I literally get knocked over, snapped in half by the fiery vibrations speeding by me at 300 miles an hour. I don't know how you could ever get used to that, all the while breathing in clouds of toxic fumes of burning rubber and gasoline. Turns out I'm not the American I thought I was.

7.05.2008

independence day

I started the day shooting a neighborhood parade--with kids on tricycles, hot dogs and all. Then I went to a BBQ for the homeless. The first of those images in of a man praising God while waiting in line for food. The second is a lady that started crying when talking about her situation. She was kicked out of her family's home last night, and although she has been in trouble with the law, she has never been homeless. Then Noah and I went up to a little touristy gambling town west of the city and watched locals blow up the top of a mountain. All in a day's work.


7.02.2008

tickle me pink

Fans and friends gathered to mourn the death of Tickle Me Pink bassist Johnny Schou at a record store in town. He was found dead this morning in his home in Fort Collins at 22 years old. The last show he played with the local band was at the Warped Tour.

Earlier this morning I was wanting to make a photo that went with this lyric from the Iron and Wine song Trapeze Swinger. I didn't seek it out, but the images still found me.

Please, remember me
Happily
By the rosebush laughing
With bruises on my chin
The time when
We counted every black car passing
Your house beneath the hill
And up until
Someone caught us in the kitchen
With maps, a mountain range,
A piggy bank
A vision too removed to mention