Bicycle Photography: UA Criterium 2010
February 3rd, 2010This past Saturday, hundreds of bicycle racers and fans converged on the University of Arizona. The draw was the all-day UA Criterium, which wound its way around the campus. This one's from a men's race that took place during the afternoon...
Tip: This photo has just been added to my Bicycle Stock Images site.
Website Design: UNI PSM Degree Programs
January 29th, 2010Late last year, I was asked to design a website for the Professional Science Master's Degree Programs at the University of Northern Iowa in Cedar Rapids.
UNI is one of nearly 90 institutions offering the PSM Degree. It's a graduate degree that allows students to pursue advanced training in science or mathematics, while simultaneously developing workplace skills highly valued by employers.
UNI offers PSMs in the following five areas:
- Applied Chemistry & Biochemistry
- Applied Physics
- Biotechnology
- Ecosystem Management
- Industrial Mathematics
Tip: You can view more website design projects in my portfolio.
Bicycle Photography: Afternoon Wheel Shadow
January 28th, 2010My previous post on Dillinger Days was mostly about cars. Well, I'm here to tell you that a lot of people rode their bikes to Dillinger Days, so it's time to give some equal time to the two-wheelers. Like this one, which casts an interesting shadow on the Toole Avenue sidewalk ...
Tip: This photo has just been added to my Bicycle Stock Images site.
Event Photography: Dillinger Days and Downtown Tucson Construction
January 26th, 2010This past weekend, I attended the annual Dillinger Days celebration in Downtown Tucson. This event commemorates the 1934 capture of "Public Enemy Number One," bank robber John Dillinger. The festivities centered around the Hotel Congress, where Dillinger and his gang of outlaws stayed when they first hit town.
The hotel boiler caught fire, forcing the evacuation of the hotel. The Dillinger gang got out safely, then they realized that they'd left a couple of suitcases full of guns, ammunition, and money inside. They asked a fireman to retrieve the suitcases, and, just to make the trip worthwhile, the gang gave the fireman a hefty tip. Then they found other places to stay.
After the firemen returned to their station, they spotted a photo of John Dillinger in True Detective magazine. Time for Tucson's Bravest to pick up the phone and alert Tucson's Finest. Who arrested Dillinger and his gang a few days later.
The 2010 edition of Dillinger Days happened right after a major rainstorm hit Tucson. Same storm left a lot of snow on the Santa Catalina mountains, which are "jailed" behind the Union Pacific railroad fence that's just north of the Hotel Congress...
If you're into antique cars, Dillinger Days was the place to be. Talk about fun for the whole family...
I was very impressed by the amount of work that went into the restoration and upkeep of these cars...
What's even more impressive is the fact that most of them are still working automobiles. And, as you can see, they are much loved by their owners...
On the other hand, some of them still need work. This 1939 Chevy Sedan Bus was used to transport University of Arizona athletes during the 1940s. That was its heyday. Its current owners acquired the bus after it had been left to rot in the desert for more than 30 years...
The highlight of Dillinger Days is the re-enactment of the gang's stay at the Hotel Congress. Abundant seating is set up outside the hotel, and here are some smart people who arrived early...
I didn't show up in time to get a seat. Hence, no re-enactment photos in this post.
One final point: Even though there's still a lot of construction Downtown, a lot of things are open for business. Take, for example, Maynards Market and Kitchen, which is across Toole Avenue from Hotel Congress...
I've done a lot of blogging about the weekly Meet Me at Maynards social run/walk around Downtown, and you can read those posts here.
Tip: You can view more event photography in my portfolio. I am also available for event photography assignments in Tucson, Arizona, and elsewhere. To check availability and to request a proposal, please contact me.
Abstract Photography: Sidewalk Footprint
January 21st, 2010Came across this "set in concrete" footprint at a restaurant near the University of Arizona campus. The pebble was a nice added touch...
Tip: You can view more abstract photography in my portfolio.
Abstract Photography: Snowy Parking Space
January 20th, 2010Take a West Chester, Pennsylvania parking lot, add a two-foot snowstorm, and what do you get? A parking space gone abstract...
Tip: You can view more abstract photography in my portfolio.
Construction Photography: When Bad Things Happen on Rainy Days
January 15th, 2010While I was visiting family in Pennsylvania, the septic tank backed up. This happened while my mother was running the dishwasher.
The sight of icky liquid seeping into the house via the basement floor drain put Mom in a very bad mood. Did I mention that it was the day after Christmas and it was pouring rain outside?
Time to call the company that installed the Retallick family septic system more than 40 years ago, Hickman Sanitation. The owner of the company, Dave Hickman, came out to do the cleaning...
The contents of the septic tank pretty well filled up his truck. So, time to head back to the Hickman Sanitation world headquarters in West Chester, Pennsylvania, and do a transfer to a bigger tank...
If you've ever wanted to have the road to yourself, do what Dave does and drive a honeywagon. I guarantee that you won't get tailgated or cut off. Not to mention the fact that no car will stay alongside you.
And it's not because your vehicle smells bad. If you know what you're doing, it won't. (The Hickmans have been in the sanitation business for over 100 years, so they know how to handle the, ummm, stuff.)
Now we come to the final photo in this septic saga. Time to transfer the honeywagon's contents to a bigger tank...
Once that task was completed, it was back to the Retallick residence so Dave could clean the seepage pit. After that was done, the Retallick household was a much more cheerful place. After all, when Momma's not happy, no one else is happy.
Tip: You can view more construction photography in my portfolio. I am also available for construction photography assignments in Tucson, Arizona, and elsewhere. To check availability and to request a proposal, please contact me.
Architectural Photography: West Chester, Pennsylvania
January 8th, 2010I grew up outside of West Chester, Pennsylvania. It's where I first learned to be a photographer.
After lo these many years of slinging a camera, it was nice to go back and see the old town through fresh eyes. Let's take a look at a couple of notable landmarks along High Street.
This bell used to hang in the bell tower of the Church of the Holy Trinity...
The church was constructed of local serpentine stone after the Civil War. The bell tower was taken down during the late 20th century.
Further up High Street, there's this ahead-of-its-time high rise office building...
When I was growing up, this place had a bit of reputation. On more than one occasion, pieces of the building would fall to the sidewalk below. To the best of my recollection, no pedestrians were ever injured.
Tip: You can view more photography in my portfolio.
Nature Photography: Snow in Pennsylvania
January 7th, 2010Throughout much of the continental United States, the big story is the cold and snow. Even though I live in the Arizona desert, I can relate.
Just got back from visiting family in eastern Pennsylvania, where they were still talking about (and coping with) the two feet of snow that fell on December 19. That was Philadelphia's second largest snowfall since records began in 1884.
Say what you will about what snow does for driving conditions, it does make for a good photo op...
Tip: You can view more nature photography in my portfolio.
Travel Photography: Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C.
January 5th, 2010While I was back east visiting family, my father and I took a day trip to Washington, D.C. With Congress out of session and President Obama on vacation, Our Nation's Capital seemed a bit empty.
On the other hand, if you prefer to leave the people out of your photos, Capitol Hill was a great place to be...
If it wasn't for a few tourists braving below-freezing temperatures, Washington, D.C. would have been a ghost town...
Time wasn't too long ago when you could challenge your buddies to a footrace up the Capitol Steps. Can't do that anymore -- see that discreet little fence? Don't you even think of venturing past it. Unless you care to run your silly little hurdling story past the U.S. Capitol Police...
When I first ventured into the U.S. Capitol Visitor Center, I thought, "Oh, goodie, another federal museum full of boring exhibits." (Yours Truly tends to avoid museums, federal or otherwise, like the plague.)
But, since it was so much warmer than the Great Outdoors, I decided to give the place a chance. First thing that got my attention was the full-sized replica of the statue that's on top of the Capitol Dome. Much bigger up close than off in the distance...
Much of the exhibit space was devoted to the history of the United States Congress. I was impressed with the honesty that was on display. We talk about partisan bickering these days, but the 1800s were downright vicious.
The Visitor Center took that on, including a detailed account of the 1856 caning attack on Massachusetts Senator Charles Sumner, an outspoken Abolitionist. This incident happened on the Senate floor, and the attacker was Sumner's fellow Congressman, Preston Brooks of South Carolina. Three days earlier, Sumner made an anti-slavery speech that disparaged Brooks' uncle, South Carolina Senator Andrew Butler.
Brooks took umbrage and set upon Sumner in the almost-empty Senate chamber. Sumner was so badly injured that he didn't return to the Senate for three years.
I was thinking that, of all the Congressional history topics that wouldn't be mentioned, the Sumner caning would be at the top of the list. But it was there.
Then there was the political cartoon that showed Andrew Jackson having his mouth sewn shut. Much nastier than anything I've seen recently.
Tip: You can view more travel photography in my portfolio.
