Event Photography: Tucson Carnaval 2010
February 16th, 2010Now in its third year, Tucson Carnaval celebrates spring, life, the arts, and community connections. This event featured concerts by many local bands, including Spirit Familia.
Here's Spirit Familia's band leader, Jomo Alan, who lives a block away from me. He practices the flute while bicycling along our street...

Richard Rivera adds guitar and vocals to the Spirit Familia mix of African, Latin, Reggae, and Funk rhythms...

And what would a Brazilian-influenced festival be without Batucaxe?

Or how about those fun-loving Carnivaleros, who don't just get the crowd dancing, they join in!


Tip: You can view more event photography in my portfolio and on this blog. I am also available for event photography assignments in Tucson, Arizona, and elsewhere. I specialize in concerts, festivals, parades, political rallies, and sporting events. To check availability and to request a proposal, please e-mail me or call 520-690-1888.
Related Posts
- Concert Photography: Mid-2010 Retrospective
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Construction Photography: Replacing Windows
February 9th, 2010Five years ago, I decided to replace my house's drafty metal casement windows. I'm pleased to report that this home improvement project has finally come to an end. Earlier today, the Open Enclose crew came and installed two new windows in the living room.
But the old windows didn't go down without a fight. The guys had to use quite an array of hand and power tools to remove all vestiges of them...



Once the old windows were out, it was time to install the replacements...

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.
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- Construction Photography: Window Upgrade
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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.
Tip: You can view more event photography in my portfolio and on this blog. I am also available for event photography assignments in Tucson, Arizona, and elsewhere. I specialize in concerts, festivals, parades, political rallies, and sporting events. To check availability and to request a proposal, please e-mail me or call 520-690-1888.
Related Posts
- Bicycle Photography: Afternoon Wheel Shadow
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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.
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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.
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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 and on this blog. I am also available for event photography assignments in Tucson, Arizona, and elsewhere. I specialize in concerts, festivals, parades, political rallies, and sporting events. To check availability and to request a proposal, please e-mail me or call 520-690-1888.
Related Posts
- Event Photography: Dillinger Days
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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.
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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.
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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.
Related Posts
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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.
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