Event Photography: Habitat for Humanity House Dedication
December 21st, 2007Yesterday brought an early Christmas present for Ann Hoy, her youngest daughter, Dani, and her grandson, Aiden. They became the proud owners of the 273rd house constructed by Habitat for Humanity Tucson:
This occasion was marked by an official Habitat dedication, which included some really cool housewarming presents:
I first met Ann when she came out to work on her house, and help other Habitat families build their houses. (Habitat families are required to work 400 "sweat equity" hours if it's a two-parent household, or 200 hours if it's a one-parent household.)
This past July, Ann and I were part of a volunteer group that was assigned the job of sealing nail holes in a house that was about to be insulated. There were hundreds of nail holes, and we had to seal every one before the insulation contractor could come in. So, we turned it into a game and went on a nail hole hunt. Long story short: We won. The nail holes lost.
Then there's that late September classic, the story of Ann and her new neighbor, Monica Pesqueria, when they were asked to load some recalcitrant ductwork into plastic bags. This task reminded Ann a little too much of her job (she works in a gastroenterology lab), which reduced her, Monica, and the rest of the volunteers to uncontrollable fits of laughter.
Fortunately, we all recovered by the time Coco the Chihauhua came to visit Ann, Dani, and the rest of us...
Coco also attended yesterday's dedication, along with her owner, who was celebrating her 8th birthday.
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.
Bike-tography 101
December 17th, 2007I get around by bicycle. Most of my riding is utilitarian, 'round town stuff, but when I was younger, I biked all over the United States.
While I was out on the road, my carrying space was limited. So was my strength. Which meant that I was forced to take a minimalist approach to photography. I carried one Nikon FM body with a wide angle or normal lens, and that was it. No flash, no tripod, no laptop. All of those things would have added extra weight.
My travels taught me to make do with what I had, and that's a philosophy I carry into photography's digital era. For lack of a better name, let's call it Bike-tography.
Yesterday proved to be a good Bike-tography day, so I took the camera along as I rode around town on errands. One of them was to the bank's 24-hour deposit box, which is on the other side of this building. Architectural photography isn't on my usual to-do list, but what the heck...
Then it was on to other exotic destinations like the drug store. Nothing to photograph there, but there was this really cool construction site a few blocks away. Or, should I say, it was a destruction site, because it was full of rubble from a recently demolished building.
There was no fence between me and the rubble, so I parked off the bike and got down to business...
One of the great mysteries of solo Bike-tography is how you capture yourself on film -- or pixels -- if no else is around to do the honors. Well, I'm here to tell you that it can be done. You just use your bike's rearview mirror as a photographer's assistant:
Tip: You can view more bicycle photography in my portfolio.
Nature Photography: Rain in Tucson
December 12th, 2007Long-term weather forecasts were promising a winter with above-normal temperatures and below-normal rainfall.
Boy, were they wrong on that one. Our current cold snap is making the utility companies very happy. And, since late November, we've had almost 2.5" of rain. So much for that dry spell we'd been having.
To document our unusual weather, I embarked on a trek to...
...the front yard.
Although these prickly pear cactii have had an annoying habit of keeling over during heat waves, they're standing tall right now. Let's hope that the current rains help them grow bigger and stronger.
Tip: You can view more nature photography in my portfolio.
Event Photography: Downtown Parade of Lights
December 11th, 2007Here in Tucson, we love our offbeat parades. Take, for example, the annual Downtown Parade of Lights. If there's a theme, it's "Things That Have Lights On Them." And that covers a lot of territory.
The 13th edition of this parade included a collection of vintage police and fire vehicles, the public library's Bookmobile, a moving company's truck hauling full-sized Christmas tree, a mail delivery van, and...
...a City of Tucson trash truck!
But, as the late-night informercials say, "That's not all!"
We were also treated to an Arizona Department of Transportation truck with a "Let It Snow" poster on the back. ('Tis the season, all right. The high country's been getting snow for several days.) Then there was the motorcycle cop who showed off his no-hands riding skills -- for all of two seconds. And let's not forget...
...scooters!
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.
Travel Photography: Ann Arbor Wanderings
December 4th, 2007One of the great joys of visiting another place is wandering around. Even if you've been there before.
Take, for example, Ann Arbor, Michigan, which is home to the University of Michigan. I first developed the habit of wandering around town with a camera while I was a U-M student. It was a nice break from classes, studying tests, and other joys of undergraduate life.
While I was en route to the off-campus office of a college friend, I happened upon this vintage Corvair. You don't see too many of them now, especially cars that are as well taken care as this one.
Then there's the University of Michigan campus itself. I was in Ann Arbor for 2007 Homecoming Weekend, and needless to say, the place was swarming with returning alumni like me. Since so many of us were in town, the university had to find ways of entertaining all of us. In the Law School's Quadrangle, the alumni are treated to a huge tent party beneath the trees.
But first you have to pitch the tent. This hardworking team worked like a finely tuned machine -- once one fellow finished pounding the stake, another one took his turn. And 'round and 'round the stake-pounding circle they went.
Tip: You can view more travel photography in my portfolio.
