My Thanksgiving 2008

Another year is coming to a close, and another Turkey Day has just passed us. This year, I got to spend it with my mom, dad, brother, sister, her boyfriend, and my niece. My mom, the best cook in the whole world, cooked the most amazing meal (aside from my stuffing). Overall, the day was really nice and relaxing. Good memories, good food, and great times. That's all we need. 

My First Website

These are screen grabs of my first photography website ever.  I used to think it was awesome! 

:-)

Ahh those were the days

I can honestly say that I miss the days of peasant skirts, patch works, jams bands and festivals. lol. Yes that's right... I used to spend my summers in grassy fields dancing like i was in a trance listening to some of the finest musicians around. I don't miss it that much to ever spend my days doing that again though! haha!
I met these two lovely ladies tonight while covering the Tea Leaf Green concert and just had to take their picture.

These guys were pretty awesome. I might have to download a couple tunes. It was so much fun being there and just watching everyone enjoy the music immensely. No one was standing still. Everyone was dancing or just bopping around. It had to be nice for them to just forget about their daily lives for a while.

Getting Back to What Actually Matters...

...Family
So on Saturday I randomly called my sister Amy to see how she was. Two hours later, I ended up in Watertown bar hopping with her and David. It was great to see her, and to catch up on things, and to just let loose, and get over things. It was quite the night!!


I had the pleasure of experiencing Watertown in a dance club for a few hours that night too! hehehe

When Something Tragic has an Effect.

It's amazing how much a tragic event can hit a chord inside of you and you really don't know how to react. We are given this amazing gift of creating a life made from our own bodies, but it's sometimes overlooked how a cherished innocent soul can be so easily taken away.

According to the news, a baby was brutally beaten to death over a potty training accident by the 15 year old boyfriend of the mother. The mother, who is 18, is pregnant with another child. It is said, that the baby was often left alone all day so the two could attend high school. They both are being charged for various crimes because of this.

I know the mother. Her name is Cherron, and she appeared to be a decent kid. With one of my classes, I help teach a photography at a local high school. She was one of our students. She always photographed her daughter and enjoyed writing in her journal.

It breaks my heart and I can't really understand any of this. I'm angry. The baby was unrecognizable and died alone. I'm confused and saddened. And i think I feel horrible for Cherron.

Tonight, I went to vigil that was held outside of the home where Imani Jennings was murdered. Here is a short piece I just created:

You can read the full article on syracuse.com HERE

A Reply to Bird

My thoughts continued...

Sure, a child could have happy mistakes too. I look at the comment "its so easy a 9 year old can do it" a lot less literally than most people have (or more literally... I haven't decided exactly how i've taken it yet, read on). Yes, I will not deny this job is a difficult one. It's hard on the mind. It can be critical and take a lot of self motivation. But the equipment at the tips of our fingers is made so accessible. It's not easy to be successful at. It's not easy to make a career out of. It's not easy to be good at it. But simply, it's easy to do. It's easy to get sucked in if people are willing to play around. It's easy to get obsessed about if you really love it. Like writing. You're a writer (I certainly am not). All you need is a pencil and paper... literally (haha). That seems pretty easy. Not that, simply having those to items makes you a good writer. But having a computer doesn't either.  Also, it's not like having all of the best equipment makes you a good photographer.... that's not what I mean by the "easy" statement and I'll never believe that. 

What I took from the comment, which was geared toward journalists was, you can do it if you really want to. It's all here waiting for you. Direct your papers toward online, invest in some video cameras, tell more personal stories that the local community can relate to, make you websites more interactive, make it an experience. 

There are so many hand held this and thats. Technology is so awesome, and kids these days are born into this computer world, that Yes, literally, I believe a 9 year old and operate a camera. Easily. Not that he would instantly be good because he or she knows how to use a piece of equipment.

I stick to what I said. If you really want to do something, you can. It might take longer than some people and everything might not come swiftly or easily, but you can do it. You can be the person you want to be. Where there's a will there's a way.  I'm not cocky, I don't think because I own a camera and know how to use it that means I'm a photographer. It's like owning a paint brush and calling yourself a painter. I'm a photographer because this is my life and my passion. I can't do anything else. I just can't see it. i want to help people and document history. I still have a lot to learn and get through technically and personally. And, my road has been a lot longer and harder than some. But you just keep doing it, if that's what you want to do. 

Like someone once told me when I said I was sad.... Just be happy. I was so insulted... How could I just be happy? You don't understand me. You don't get it! I can't simply be happy! ...It took a long time to realize that you just have to put your mind to it and you can do it... Even if you have a serious imbalance and need medical assistance. If you want to do it you will. You can be happy, just find your happiness, in anything, and the other happinesses will follow. It might take a while. But, if you want to do something, whether it's being happy, going for a walk, being a writer, or a painter, or a body builder, you'll find a way to do it. This is all said without the expectation of receiving the satisfaction of public success and wealth and what not. What's more important is if you're satisfied with yourself, and worry about the rest later. If you want to be happy, be happy. For you and no one else. If you want to be a writer be a writer, because it's what you love and can't help but do... whether you're 9 or 90. Hopefully, you can make a career out of it... that's always a plus. However, if it doesn't work out that way, you still have it. It's yours and no one else's. Your own that passion. You own that happiness. 

I was chatting to someone yesterday, and we were talking about "late bloomers". I think it's okay to be 19, 25, 30, whatever age and still not completely know what you're passion is. It takes some longer than others, but they'll find it. It might not be an "easy" road either. I just know that I don't want to give up on anything and regret it later in life. I've heard so many people talk about what they really wanted to do and always wonder what their life would be like if they followed a dream or passion (and these dreams and passion can change, hell, i went from a dancer, to a musician, to fine art, to journalism, to married, to divorced, all in my super short 23 years of life, and it still might change!). I don't ever want to regret anything, whether it's life or love or career. I want to find all of my passions. And people need to realize, too, that it's never to late to turn around.

I recently learned that, I am the number one most self defeating person. I tend to control my fate with worry and negativity. So it takes me longer to get anywhere, because i put myself down before I even get there. I lose races because I don't run. I don't accomplish things because I think they're going to suck without even trying. We all need to control our thoughts and negative actions. We spend so much time brewing on unfulfilled expectations that we don't look at the greatness in front of us. Expectations are good, I'm not saying they're not. But you can't kill yourself over them and give up. Expectations of yourself and others change all the time too!

Eh. I'll stop blabbing, I'm probably getting myself in more trouble

Just be happy! Just be in love! Let go and do it... Don't give up... That's not something easy. But anyone can do it. 

Not saying that if I really really want to marry Robert Pattison, that I'm going to. lol. It doesn't work that way for everything. :-) But who knows! I can dream! hahahaha

The past few days

So this week has been rather interesting. Good, bad and ugly. I'm just taking everything day by day because that's all there is to do. Hopefully, it will all get better... but it's really not even bad!

Just keep shooting... that's all I can do.

My dear friend Sara and her husband Joe hanging out at a crazy art show.

dinner at cosmos. I wish i was a freebird..... At this very moment, I'm like a caged bird with clipped wings!

Aunt Pennie and Uncle Donny's kitty cat. She has such a personality, and she looks like my old cat Smokey.

Sara and I did go see Twilight last night. AMAZING! all the giggling girls (including me)were an absolute riot!

Advice for young photographers

Magnum photographers were asked what there advice was for young photographers. This is great. And very inspirational.

Larry Towell said: "Be yourself. Look outside of yourself."

Eli Reed said: "Stop talking theory when a camera is in their your and do not over-think the image. Lose the ego and let the photograph find you...."

David Hurn said: "Don't become a photographer unless its what you "have" to do. It can't be the easy option. if you become a photographer you will do a lot of walking so buy good shoes."

Check out the rest on Magnum's site here .

Twilight Parody

Awesome Twilight parody! lol 

My thoughts

So in my web journalism class this evening we watched a presentation Mike Rosenblum gave in London and started commenting on a statement he made. Then I made a statement and I think it was starting to get blown out of proportion... We were talking about video and multimedia, and Rosenblum said that it's so easy a 9 year old can do it.

I agreed...

To an extent. I do believe anyone can do this job if they really wanted to. I don't think it's entirely easy to do though. Today, it is easier in many ways,  everything is smaller, and very very accessible, and that's a major problem newspapers are having. I would never ever discredit my art, my work, and my passion. Simply put, anyone can do this. But, not everyone wants to. Not everyone wants to invest the loads and loads of time and loads and loads of money that it takes to get good at something like this.... And that's just talking about the technical half!  

Further, Rosenblum was talking to a bunch of seasoned journalists. Seasoned journalists that, as he stated, are scared to make a change. That's why he said a 9 year old can do it. NO, not everyone has the same ethical standards and creativity a good journalist has. And, much of that does take lots of training or lots of self motivation. But still, anyone can do this. Hell, I'm doing it right now, and I'm nothing special. Do I believe in natural abilities/ pure raw talent? Yes. Do I believe I have any? No. However, I always wanted to sing, but i'm completely tone deaf. I do believe with more than the three voice lessons I took and more self motivation, that I would have been able to sing. Probably not well, but i would have been. Any one can do it, but they might not be very good at it. 

I know pee wee football dads making home videos and using final cut pro. Good for them. My mother blogs, makes photographs, and owns a mac book pro. Go mom. There are soccer moms with more expensive cameras than me. Although that one can be frustrating, power to them. Everyone should embrace this amazing technology in front of us. Play around. Have fun. Because we have made it so accessible that anyone can do it. It's not an exclusive thing anymore. We've made it this way.

It is frightening because this is my profession. And I would never talk politics with a politician or ask to race Michael Phelps in the water (now in a car, that's a different story).  I am looking to make a living off of this and hopefully, some day, support a family. However, people need to get over that it is so accessible and stop sitting and complaining that the newspaper world has gone to hell and do something different and better ( I don't have any answers to this.).... But not everyone wants to. Many want to get paid for the same old thing they've been doing for 10/20 years. They had their plan. I don't blame them either. They worked hard to be where they are at. I spent my early career years (they're still really early who am I kidding), sticking to my guns. I'm a still photographer. Period. But, I didn't really know any better. It wasn't until I invested the time and money and blood sweat and tears to become a multimedia journalist.

 And when the next big thing comes along or if still ever completely dries out, I'm going to be right there trying to learn the next thing. But, that's the generation that I have grown up in. Technology changes faster than you can really get good at it sometimes. Who knows what the future has in store. We all need to get paid.. yes yes. But I love what I do, so I'm going to find a way to do it. 

Anyone can do anything, but not everyone wants to. Plain and simple. 

I'll stop ranting, but there's so much more i want to say. 

Can't we all just... tell stories? :-)

NYT article

HAHA tweeting with cats. 

read article

How to handle Criticism

here an interesting post I found. check it out HERE

Some highlights:

"It's easy to fall in the trap of criticizing things because you think it's wrong. But do you really understand what you're criticizing?"

"Simply don't accept the gift of a criticism. You don't have to. Then it still belongs to the person who offered it."

"When you criticize someone, what does that say about you? And when someone is criticizing you who are they really revealing?"

"Do what you feel in your heart to be right-for you'll be criticized anyway. You'll be damned if you do, and damned if you don't."

November 11, 2008

Crouse Hospital parking garage late at night. 

Video

Some more work from election night. This was posted on syracuse.com

Check it out HERE

This weekend

Election Night November 4, 2008

Some images from election night. The atmosphere when Barack Obama won was indescribable. Please feel free to view some more of my photos from election night at my Photoshelter site.

Hungry for Obama

November 4, 2008 Democrat election night party at the Holiday Inn in Syracuse. The food and drink were a big hit. :-)

November 2, 2008

My day. So far. 

Whatever she was talking about, I'm not sure if he liked...

Assembly required... Uncle Donny and Aunt Pennie putting together their shed to get ready for winter. 

Little guard dog.. All two pounds of him. This is Joe and his 4 year old mini dachshund, Harley. 

Nice fall light and a HUGE hive of some kind. 

Old, Used, and Broken

Some Images from a walk I took in Cicero.