Amazing Rocker Kid - Guitar Lesson

These photos are from before and during Rhett's guitar lesson with his instructor. His sister's lesson is right before his and they are both in the band together. Mom often watches and listens in the practice room during these session. Rhett simply does not put the guitar down and played while wandering the store that the school is in.

The nastiness in these photos is due to the limitations of my gear and available light - sorry.

Amazing Rocker Kid - Bedroom Practice Session

Here are some results from my first attempt.  I had to shoot wide open at ISO6400 with lots of strong back lighting so the photos are soft and grainy.  My purpose for this evening was to ask some questions and get a feel for the story but since the kid, Rhett, was going to practice anyway, I was not going to waste the opportunity.  He really knows how to play!

Rhett Howell, just turned 9 years old.

Too bad the background is all blown out. 

Is it too blown out?  I like that it takes away some

background clutter like a ceiling fan and light but

one can still clearly see the hat.

Rhett only recently started to be able to tune his

own guitar.  His arms used to be too short.

This kid is so small next compared to a full sized bass.

Is the window frame too crooked to keep this one?

Great Stratocaster bedsheets!

Please let me know if the image quality is simply too poor to use in any of these - thanks!

Who wants to make a little money for an amazing lady!!!

Susan Mitchell is a lady from Cataldo who gave me a scholarship for the past two years and is going to continue to help me. I'd like to return the favor of having someone better than me do this. Funny but seriously. She's a really awesome person and is looking for someone to take a portrait of her for an online digest. Just a good pic- looking warm/friendly, relaxed in a normal setting...

Also a picture of her and people at the Harding Family Center in the 400 block of 15th street. Tue at 6- maybe 6:45.

Call, text or email me if your interested or have any questions!

Thanks,

Rachel

(208)512-2223

2011 Pulitzers

The 2011 pulitzers were have been announced. Here's the link to the photography winners. One thing that's remarkable throughout most of these images is the emotion portrayed. Talk about capturing moments. Some strong photos were chosen for sure.

http://www.spokesman.com/picture-stories/2011-pulitzer-winners-photography/

Portraits/freelance stuff

I've done some portraits recently freelancing for some local musicians, so I thought I'd throw a few up here for feedback. The first few were for a drummer who wanted something sort of "badass" that was somewhat conceptual, so we found this little spot tucked away sort of behind Porky G's BBQ in CDA and I started shooting away.

The last three are of Halley's Comet, a Spokane acoustic rock duet and were taken in the downtown Spokane area.

At this point I think I'm going to continue pursuing freelancing, but I will tell you it's pretty damn hard to get going in and prepare to make very little money at first. For the dummer shots I got paid with a meal at Moon Time and a couple beers (he's a friend of mine so I didn't really charge him), and the second shoot I netted about a whopping $35 after gas cost to Spokane and back. I'm finally getting a decent portfolio and landing more and more gigs with a little better pay. This week I've actually got three paid gigs - two shows and I'm doing baby photos for someone. I've also landed two weddings for the summer, so that's really exciting. It's not easy getting hired for weddings when you haven't shot one yet. Freelancing definitely requires a bit of marketing and business skills for sure.

Just some random practice...

My wife and I went to the Multicultural Faire at Lakes Magnet Middle School on Saturday and I decided it might be a chance to practice my skills.  I tried to work on my audience shots from a few assignments ago with the gymnasts but they finished before I could take a few shots with the crowd in focal plane instead of the performer.  Too bad... next time!  There were some amazing kids there and I came across, and started working on something that might make a great subject for our current assignment.

These are high ISO shots so they are grainy, especially if you enlarge them, and I did crop and levels adjust some of them in Photoshop a little bit since it was just for fun.

The over saturated colors are an occasional artifact of the Microsoft Office Picture Manager I use to resize the photos to post them on the blog.  I does this sometimes and I do not know why.  Sorry!

Influential Editor Insight

“I’m 92 years old, and I’ve survived a lot of crises in photojournalism,” he said. “I find the present situation depressing, but I’m crazy enough to be hopeful. There have never been more images out there, and we need more help in sorting out all the information.” — John G. Morris on the 'death' of photojournalism in 2008

Photographers are responsible for capturing images, but it ultimately is the editors decision on which images get sent out. More so before the "digital age" changed how images were sent out to the world. John G. Morris is responsible for sending out some of the most iconic, moving and society-changing images ever captured. This man has had his hands and eyes on more award-winning images than any other editor. 

The following videos are a little insight into this man and what he looks for in an image. As always, editing is always subjective. But there's no denying Morris has a gift.

If you have time, watch these videos, discuss and be prepared to share your ideas on the theories and concepts he presents.

WARNING — The first video is almost eight minutes long. The other four are 15 minutes each. 

Morris Discusses Capa's Eleven Frames from D-Day

John G. Morris' "Get the Picture" Interview Part 1

John G. Morris' "Get the Picture" Interview Part 2

John G. Morris' "Get the Picture" Interview Part 3

John G. Morris' "Get the Picture" Interview Part 4

Social Issue Assignment

You will be responsible for creating a photo and writing an informative caption of a social issue. 

The main purpose behind this assignment is for you to capture an image and do research so you can present a photo and caption that relates the impact of the social issue while showing who it effects.

Highlight those adjectives and adverbs. And dig in to get some statistics and background info on the social issue you pick and how it affects the person (or people) within your photo.

This assignment should test how well you research an issue, identify and locate people dealing with the issue and how quickly you react to situations. This is where the journalistic efforts come into play and the photography portion is about equal to the research portion. 

A helpful tip is this, identify an issue you have some sort of familiarity with or you are passionate about.

A few examples would be:

•  Animals (Humane Society)

•  Homelessness (Contact me before doing this)

•  Poverty (Dirne Center)

•  Unemployment (Temp Agencies or Labor Office)

•  Single Moms

•  Teenage Parents

•  Mulit-Job Workers

•  Pollution

•  Poaching

•  Illegal Dumping

•  Wolves (Idaho Fish & Game)

•  Medical Reform/Care Needs (Dirne or KMC)

•  Bicycles vs. Traffic

I can give you some direction on finding contacts for these and other issues you may find.

Make sure you have a back-up event if something happens to your primary shoot.

The baseline requirements for this assignment are the usual: properly composed, a good exposure, sharp focus, correct color balance and a complete caption. The rest of your grade depends on the items we talk about in class: communication points, accurate representation, well thought out idea or concept, creativity and those adjectives and adverbs that come across in the image.

Shoot with a purpose, always be editing and work that viewfinder from the outside in.

If you have any questions or need some guidance, feel free to contact me via email or cell. We'll be going over more information on the person at work assignment in class on March 23.

The due date for this assignment is April 6.

Below are some examples of social issue photography.

Animal Shelter Crowding

Allison Campbell browses the cat area of the Kootenai Humane Society shelter on Tuesday. The shelter currently has about 120 cats and kittens waiting for adoption and many more being cared for by foster homes.

Health Care and Poverty

Lani McLane, right, a dentist at the Dirne Dental Clinic, and her assistant Kelin Bard work with a patient Wednesday. The clinic's MediCaid client load is about two-thirds full leaving Dirne administrators searching to fill chairs with those in need of dental care.

Food Banks

Nancy Kadrmas organizes the groceries she chose Tuesday at the Community Action Partnership food bank in Coeur d'Alene. A proposed House bill and the proposed 2012 budget would call for significant cuts to the Community Services Block Grant, which funds Community Action Partnership services.

Dying with Dignity

After the hospice staff left for the day, Nancy Warner tried to bathe her husband Dick Warner in order to stick with a routine. Despite her best efforts, she had to stop because it was too painful for him. "He's here because this is where he wanted to be," Nancy said while fighting back tears. "I can't imagine what he would have to deal with being in a facility with strangers caring for him." Hospice of North Idaho has seen a significant shift in the number and type of patients they are caring for since 2000.

Homelessness

Kenneth "Wolf" Giffin, a Persian Gulf War veteran, collects his possession after receiving a trespassing warning from Kootenai County Sheriff deputies Friday. The homeless camp where Giffin was staying had more than 20 different camp sites where the homeless population has stayed unknown to the general public for the past six months. The site was in the trees near the Harbor Center along the west side of Northwest Blvd.

Caring for Children with Disabilities (this was a student's shot from last year)

(Sorry folks, but I couldn't find a caption with this image)

Bicycles and Traffic

Jay Johnson pedals his way north Wednesday on 4th Street in Coeur d'Alene. Several efforts are underway to make the community more bicycle friendly. Kootenai Medical Center has received 22 patients who were involved in some of the 51 accidents between bicyclist and motorists over the past three months.

Social Issue - Local Soup Kitchen

Laurie Dorame of Emanuel Baptist Church carts in food casseroles and donations from community members on Thursday, March 24 in preparation for a soup kitchen offered by the First Presbyterian Church every week. Eleven churches rotate the responsibility for this faith-based service. Last year 2,661 meals were served at this church. There are thirteen similar kitchens in Kootenai County. The Kootenai Environmental Alliance which donates to the First Presbyterian Soup Kitchen reports that in Kootenai county overall in last year 6,447 individuals received assistance from the Food Bank Network with an additional 15,226 meals served at different facilities. Anna and Charles Setzer sit down for lunch on March 24 at the First Presbyterian Church Soup Kitchen. The couple have been eating lunch here for over 25 years. Mrs. Setzer was in a car accident that left her a "three year old kid in a woman's body," according to her husband. Social Security Disability Benefits average $474 per month per recipient. This stipend is not enough to cover rent , food and utilities. Soup Kitchens not only help the homeless , but people at risk of food insecurity. 1 in 6 Americans qualifies as food insecure adding up to a total of 50 million Americans. Kameron Barber, 6 weeks old, sleeps in his car seat while his grandmother waits in line for a hot meal at the First Presbyterian Church Soup Kitchen on March 24. The Community Action Partnership program which distributes food to 30 different sites in Kootenai County reports serving 35,321 families last year. 18 % of its beneficiaries are under the age of 18. Nationwide 1 in 4 children is food insecure or does not receive adequate nutrition which places them at risk for irreparable damage to their cognitive development.

Social Issue-

Josh Guffey broke his leg, fractured his pelvis and his back in five places March 17th while riding his four-wheeler with a friend on a trail not made for four-wheelers. He took a ride with the bike down a 75 foot embankment and took quite a beating landing right between two logs that pinned him in place until an ambulance and help could finally reach him up a trail at Nettleton Gulch.

When Josh isn't laying in bed or sitting on a chair you can find him fishing or going to the grocery store with his friends and family. It's been hard for Josh to do everyday tasks like taking a shower or simply shaving. Now maybe the next time he rides he'll stick to four-wheeler trails.

Social Issue - Homeless/poverty/hunger

Cooper Downs, volunteer at Community Action Food Bank in Coeur d'Alene, loads a van full of food to be distributed to area shelters for the homeless Wednesday morning. The food, delivered weekly, varies in quantity based on need, with the greatest demand coming toward the end of the month when food stamps run out. "There's more in need around here than many people realize," Downs said. "Last week we delivered 470 pounds of food."



















George Erdman, full-time volunteer at Fresh Start in Coeur d'Alene, helps unload and set out the food shipment from the Community Action food bank Wednesday morning. A portion of the food is spread out on tables and counters for those at the shelter to eat as they wish, while the rest of the shipment is portioned out into bags given to individuals based on need. Fresh Start, open from 7:30-noon daily, has shower and laundry facilities, computers with internet, and also provides a mailing address for those without one.



















Geoff Groth, 20, (left), volunteer for Community Action Food Bank in Coeur d'Alene, hands bags of food Wednesday morning to a recipient in need who wished not to be named. Most of the recipients are homeless and rely on the food to stay alive. Individuals obtaining food are allowed one bag per person in their family they are feeding. Many fear for the future of the program as government funding is expected to decrease substantially in 2012, increasing the importance of donations to keep the program running.

Social Issue- The Real Life Superhero Movement

Friday April first, Knightowl, one of Portlands real life superheroes, patrols the streets searching for someone in need.

Straight from the pages of comic books, superheroes are appearing on the streets of major metropolital areas. From Pitsburg to Portland these caped crusaders are cleaning up our community one citizen at a time. But, unlike the comic book heroes, these do-gooders are no more than the average people who have a common desire to help others and uphold justice. Some call them vigilantes, some call them crazy, but to me they are just good people trying to make a bit of difference in our corrupt society. While I was in Portland, OR over spring break I had the opportunity to meet with one of their local real life superheroes named Knightowl. This 28 year old good samaritan is a volunteer firefighter and EMT student by day and superhero by night. When asked what his role in the community was as a real life superhero he replied "I think that if you can ease a little suffering or be that person who happens to intervene when you see something wrong, that’s something that anybody can do. The only difference is that the real life super hero community tries to show that anyone can".

As part of their service to the community the real life superheroes do such things as bring food or blankets to the homeless, serve as a deturant for predators of all sorts, or just to lend a helping hand to whoever may need it. Although, there are a few real life superheroes who've taken their role to the extreme and have taken it upon themselves to begin performing citizens arrests and seeking out known criminals. This has been the case with Phoenix Jones of Seattle. Recent happenings in the area with said superhero have caused a stir in the real life superhero community. Knightowl's view on this was "I’m not going to fault them as long as they’re doing it legally".

But other than the bit of controversy this has created the real life superhero is a good way to give back to the community and make a difference in a fun and rather unorthodox way. Knightowl commented that his favorite part of being a real life superhero is that "It’s just cool. The people I’ve met and the people I know in the community, they’re some of the most amazing people I think I’ve ever met,"

and when asked what he would suggest to anyone wanting to become a real life superhero he stated jokingy "Don’t! no just kidding. Set realistic goals be real about yourself. I mean above all be real. A lot of people get caught up and too fixated on the paraphernalia of the superhero motif that they don’t think about the reality of it"

So, next time you walk down the street and see someone dressed up in costume, and it's not halloween, instead of pointing and staring, respect them because they might just be a real life superhero.

Social Issue Oil prices are an every ones mind these days and people are actually struggling to get buy on just a minimum wage pay. The economy is shot because we are purchasing way too over priced oil and petroleum products in eastern countries when there is nicer cheaper oil right above us in Canada. With gas near four dollars a gallon and diesel fuel over four and a half we are draining the economy and plunging are self's into years of debt. I believe this is a important social issue that we need to fix right away because its starting to effect people's life's. A normal minimum wage worker spends at least 60% of his/her paycheck on gas just to drive back and forth between the job and home. If we don't change either what powers are cars or lower gas prices soon, I feel that America will never be debt free.

Social Issue- Hunger/Soup Kitchen

I found this assignment very challenging because there were multiple subjects to concentrate on and each offered different opportunities. This Soup Kitchen took place at The First Presbyterian Church and was hosted by Emanuel Baptist Church. Perhaps I can get some feedback from the class.

Social Issue - Final Edit (Almost)

I have narrowed everything down to four photos and have written my captions.

Soon to be new homeowner, Carolyn Williams, and Henry Netzer inspect the progress of Habitat for Humanity’s latest project near 12th and Walnut Streets on Saturday, April 2nd. The program requires at least 250 hours of sweat equity and she has completed over 500 to date along with homeowner training and a 6 week course on how to get and stay debt free. With 18.6 million American households spending more than 50 percent of their income on housing, Williams will be able to maintain 30 percent, a level considered sustainable.

Regular volunteers,(left to right) Henry Netzer, Jim Pontier, Bob Siegert and Tom Collier enjoy a lunch of beef stew and rolls on a cold, rainy day last Saturday. These gentlemen are here most Tuesdays and Saturdays to help complete Habitat for Humanity of North Idaho’s 33rd home since its inception. While this is another milestone for the organization, the fact remains that 1,500 people are now homeless in Kootenai County, up more than 50 percent from last year.  They and many other low income people do not qualify for this or any other form of housing assistance.

Only one of the next two is going to be used.  I have
not decided yet and any input is very welcome!!!
Their captions are very similar.

Jim Pontier, 63, of Spirit Lake, on Tuesday, March 29th, cuts a length of pole to size for a bedroom closet in the new home. The plan is to have the project completed for a ceremony in March after which the new owner, Carolyn Williams, can start moving in. With 14.3 percent of Kootenai County living at or below the poverty line, up from 9.4 percent in 2008, and pay rates remaining essentially the same despite inflation, the need for affordable housing is increasing rapidly.

Jacob Kendra, 19, of Coeur d’Alene, on Tuesday, March 29th, installs the finish trim around a bedroom door in the hallway of the new home. The plan is to have the project completed for a ceremony in March after which the new owner, Carolyn Williams, can start moving in. With 14.3 percent of Kootenai County living at or below the poverty line, up from 9.4 percent in 2008, and pay rates remaining essentially the same despite inflation, the need for affordable housing is increasing rapidly.

PS: Based on a comment from Gabe, I also have the following photo as an alternative to the lunch break photo above but I think I prefer the wide angle of the one above to this one that seems a little soft to me.  With this photo, it would essentially make three photos with similar perspective.

The sad thing for these captions is that I have so much good information this time that it seems a shame to waste it even though my captions seem a little too long already.

Any thoughts?  Thanks very much!