SB Photography

Le Touch

2008-03-17T08:15:00.001-07:00

I think no matter how short or long of a time you stay somewhere, you become a part of it and it becomes a part of you.

I love you. Je t'aime.

Parc Zoologique

2008-03-16T14:02:00.001-07:00

In Plaisance du Touch (where I was living outside of Toulouse), there was a small zoo. I decided to visit it, because there was a driving area where zebras, ostriches, wildebeests, and other animals roamed freely.
There was a petting zoo (no, I didn't pet any animals!) with pigs, goats, rabbits, and little horses. I thought this little guy looked lovely in the light.

A natural-born performer.

This was the loudest belch I've ever heard. She's got talent.

On my driving "safari", I got to see these camels eating, with the exception of their napping friend. I don't think you are supposed to stop your vehicle, but I did stop and roll down the windows so I could get some better photos.

These guys were so animated, loving on each other one minute and being moody the next. It amazes me how similar that is to humans... I guess we're not as different from animals as we think.

Blending in never looked so awkward.

Ostrich! I think they're dangerous to a degree, yet I rolled down my window to get this photo (with a telephoto lens, of course... I'm not completely insane!).

Musée des Augustins, take 2

2008-03-16T13:46:00.001-07:00

I loved taking photos around the museum. Here are a few more that I liked.

Musée des Augustins, take 1

2008-03-16T13:40:00.000-07:00

I visited the Musée des Augustins (Museum of the Augustines) in Toulouse to see their collections of paintings and sculptures. The museum used to be a "Gothic convent" (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mus%C3%A9e_des_Augustins).

La Garonne and Pont Neuf

2008-03-16T12:57:00.000-07:00

"La Garonne" is a huge river running through the city of Toulouse in France. My first time seeing the river was at night (the same night that I attended the Cirque Bang Bang), and it was so beautiful with the lights under the bridges. On weekends, the banks of the river are covered with people bathing in the sun. I usually tried to go on a weekday so I could have it mostly to my self.

Lights under Pont Neuf change colors at night.

On a Friday, the Garonne isn't nearly as crowded as on the weekends.

Space reserved for dogs... keep out!

This little guy was such a great model... he let me get very close to him and take tons of photos of him without getting upset or flying off.

Cirque Bang Bang

2008-03-16T12:49:00.001-07:00

I was invited by another au pair in Toulouse to attend an interpretive dance put on by "Cirque Bang Bang". It was one of the most unusual things I've ever attended. The show took place in a parking lot with two large tents, one for food and drinks and one for the show. I'm so glad I decided to take my camera along, because it was such a neat experience that I'll never forget. I love the shadows the lighting created, as you can see from the photos.

Carcassonne, Cité Médiévale

2008-03-14T15:31:00.000-07:00

When I was living in France, I visited Carcassonne, the Cité Médiévale, about an hour away from Toulouse. It was a great place to visit, since the United States isn't nearly as old as Europe.

An ancient doorknob! I made it a point to try to photograph doorknobs, in Toulouse and in Carcassonne. They were works of art all on their own, I think.

I imagine this being their Christmas card for 2008.

It was really humbling to think that these streets have been walked on for several hundred years. And I love thinking how much has changed since the beginning of the Medieval City, from technology to fashion to society.

Old Carcassonne, meet new Carcassonne.

Peace, ya'll.

Capitole

2008-03-14T15:19:00.000-07:00

Look! I found the only fat chick in France!

In the "Capitole" area of Toulouse, kids go for a spin on a modern day merry-go-round near an old statue.

Some things are universal.

2008-03-14T15:10:00.000-07:00

Every day when I drove into Toulouse, I would see this old abandoned building with graffiti all over its sides. I love how "babe" is such a universal term, used in many languages. It makes you have a feeling of being at home in a completely different country.

Carousel Details

2007-04-23T20:45:00.000-07:00

Our State North Carolina magazine recently asked the photojournalism students at RCC to photograph the Endangered Species Carousel at the North Carolina Zoo. I went on Thursday to shoot, and it was a gray day, but I was able to get some details of the carousel. I wish I could have gotten a beautiful overall, but with the weather, it was very blah. It'll be interesting to see if I have anything published... here are a few of the photos I submitted for publication.

Burn, Baby, Burn!

2007-04-23T19:35:00.001-07:00

Firefighters gather at a home in Pfafftown to have a controlled burn, where they put their skills to the test.

Serving the Community

2007-04-23T19:31:00.000-07:00

Randolph County Emergency Medical Services provides excellent urgent care to the residents of Randolph County.

Go Dog Wash

2007-04-16T13:36:00.000-07:00

The Go Dog Wash in Winston-Salem provides a unique dog-washing experience for dogs and their owners. The business opened in January 2004. On April 7, Wayne Cooper and Jennifer Goldman brought their dogs to the dog wash.

Haley

2007-04-15T12:51:00.000-07:00

I shot more portraits for my portfolio this weekend, and experimented with back-lighting. I photographed Haley Pierce. She was really natural and photogenic, which never hurts. I am definitely getting into this portrait thing more than I ever expected to....

Shot on Canon 30D with 70-200mm lens, ISO 100, 1/250 sec @ f/7.1, lit with Vivitar 285 in Vivitar softbox using Pocket Wizards.

Bathtime for Abigail

2007-04-09T18:58:00.000-07:00

Once a week, Abigail, a two and a half year old Boston Terrier, visits the Go Dog Wash in Winston-Salem with her owner, Jennifer Goldman. I'm going to make a SoundSlides with the audio and images I captured from the shoot, and that should be posted next week. Shot on Canon 30D with 18-55mm lens, ISOs ranging between 400 and 640, between 1/40 sec to 1/80 sec with f/3.5, used only available light.

Jill

2007-04-09T09:46:00.000-07:00

This weekend, I shot portraits of Jill Dozier for my portfolio, and to get more experience with lighting portraits outside. I'm really interested in environmental portraits... I think it's more fun doing an on-location shoot than being in a studio. I wish there had been more of a hairlight, but the sun went down right before we started the shoot. All of my images were shot on a Canon 30D with a 70-200mm lens, ISO 100, shot between 1/125 sec and 1/200 sec at f/2.8 to f/4.5. I used one Vivitar 285 with a softbox on a lightstand to light Jill, and fired using Pocket Wizards.

Clemmons Bicycle

2007-04-02T09:30:00.000-07:00

I recently reshot my business portrait for my photojournalism class. I wish my gel had worked, but there's not a lot of background so I'm still a lot happier with it than I was my first business portrait. My idea for the portrait was to sit the business owner of Clemmons Bicycle, Josh Tucker, behind a bike tire and have it spinning to get the motion blur. I shot a lot because I wanted to get his eyes without spokes going through them. This was the last shot during the shoot. Image was shot on a Canon 30D with a 70-200mm lens at 155mm, ISO 100, 1/25 sec @ f/7.1, lit with Vivitar 285 using a Vivitar softbox.

Tucker bought the business six months ago, after working there through high school. Tucker's passion for biking started at a young age. Says Tucker, "I’ve been cycling since I was 8 or 9 years old. My father was a competitive cyclist when he was younger, and we always used to ride together. Then I raced BMX for about 10 years when I was younger. Once I started working here, I started road biking and mountain biking." So far, the best part of business is "coming to work each day knowing that it’s kind of my baby, and it is what I make of it," he said.

The First Soundslides I'm Proud to Show!

2007-04-02T07:57:00.000-07:00

Old Town Baptist Church in Winston-Salem has a quilting ministry to provide small comfort quilts for the community, and some have even made it as far as the Middle East.

All Day Bird Hunt

2007-03-26T14:24:00.000-07:00

On Saturday, several hunters gathered north of Statesville with their dogs for a quail hunt that lasted all day. I'd never been bird hunting before, so it was a neat experience. The hunters place the birds in the field, then go as a group down into the field with a dog. The dogs, most of them English Pointers, point where the bird is, then when it flies up, everybody shoots. For lunch, the hunters fried up some quail and some potatoes. I shot from where the trucks were all parked, and also ventured down into the field with the hunters. I gathered audio from the day for a SoundSlides I'll put together for a project.

Sage, an English Pointer, watches a quail fly up as the hunters aim and shoot. Shot on Canon 30D with 70-200mm lens at 200mm, ISO 400, 1/1600 sec @ f/4.

Shot on Canon 30D with 17-40mm lens at 17mm, ISO 400, 1/1600 sec @f/4.

Shot on Canon 30D with 70-200mm lens at 185mm, ISO 100, 1/125 sec @ f/2.8.

Shot on Canon 30D with 17-40mm lens at 17mm, ISO 640, 1/80 sec @ f/4.

The New Teacher on the Hall

2007-03-26T13:38:00.000-07:00

On Friday, 5th graders at Bolton Elementary School in Winston-Salem gathered for a Biography Luncheon. Allison Reese, a 5th grade teacher at the school since January, helped to organize the event. Says Reese, "It's a neat experience for the kids because they get to pretend they're somebody they look up to. It's neat because you can have George Washington sitting next to Queen Elizabeth, or Oprah sitting next to Daniel Boone."

Allison Reese, a 5th grade teacher at Bolton Elementary School in Winston-Salem, teaches her students about poetry on Friday afternoon. Reese has been teaching at Bolton since January, after graduating from UNC-Wilmington in December. Shot on Canon 30D with 70-200mm lens at 200mm, ISO 640, 1/250 sec @f/2.8, shot with available light.

Shot on Canon 30D with 17-40mm lens at 17mm, ISO 640, 1/125 sec @ f/4, shot with available light.

Shot on Canon 30D with 17-40mm lens at 35mm, ISO 400, 1/125 sec @ f/4, shot with available light.

When Blackbeard (Garrett Long) gets a nosebleed, Reese comforts him with laughter. Shot on Canon 30D, 17-40mm lens at 33mm, ISO 250, 1/400 sec @f/4, shot with available light.

The Little Details

2007-03-18T14:59:00.000-07:00

Old Town Baptist Church, in Winston-Salem, has a ministry that gets together every Tuesday morning to make quilts for police departments to give to children. The ministry has also made quilts for cancer patients, baby dedications, and world-wide missions.

Grace Wages, left, and Billie Barr, right, work as a team to make a quilt for a cancer patient. Shot with Canon 30D, ISO 400, 1/320 sec @ f/3.5, lit with 285 on light stand using Pocket Wizards, 18-55mm lens at 18mm.

African American Heritage Extravaganza

2007-03-18T14:24:00.000-07:00

On Saturday, March 10, people from all over the triad gathered together at the Greensboro Cultural Center for a day of fun during the African American Heritage Extravaganza. Music, crafts, shopping, and galleries were all entertainment options for the festival-goers.

Yvette Bull, left, and Tabia McKenzie, right, perform for the audience at the Greensboro Cultural Center in Downtown Greensboro on Saturday afternoon during the African American Heritage Extravaganze. Bull and McKenzie are dancers with the Wesley Williams Urban Dance Theater. Shot with Canon 30D, ISO 1250, 1/200 sec @f/2.8, 70-200mm lens at 125mm.

Jill Hollingsworth (second from right), of Greensboro, dances with other members of the audience on Saturday afternoon during the African American Heritage Extravaganza. Hollingsworth took African dancing lessons beginning last June, and joined others in a final dance with the Wesley Williams Urban Dance Theater. Shot with Canon 30D, ISO 1600, 1/250 sec @ f/2.8, 70-2oomm lens at 70mm.

Festival-goers dance as Lamont Bradsher, of Durham, sings the "Electric Slide" with the group Sweet Dreams. Shot with Canon 30D, ISO 1250, 1/50 sec @ f/3.5, 18-55mm lens at 18mm.

Parenting- A Full Time Job

2006-11-02T19:51:00.000-08:00

Captain Jonathan Hale, left, of the Army National Guard, and his wife Dawn Hale, right, make funny faces at their six month old son, Isaac, on Thursday evening during the 15th Annual Triad March of Dimes Signature Chefs Auction at The Empire Room in Greensboro. The black tie event offered entrees and hors d'oeuvres as well as a silent and live auction to raise money for the March of Dimes.

Shot on Canon EOS 30D, 18-55 lens set at 43mm, ISO 200, shot 1/100 sec @ f/5, used a 285 to light.

Republican Headquarters

2006-10-04T17:43:00.000-07:00

Mary Lou Brady of Bennett calls residents from around the county to inform them of the upcoming election on Monday evening at the Republican Headquarters in downtown Asheboro. Brady made sure to tell everyone, "Make sure you vote Republican."

Shot on Canon EOS 10D, 17-40 mm lens set at 17mm, ISO 100, 1/45 @ f/4, flash fired. Used 550 flash on light stand with ST-E2 on camera to fire.

Portfolio #2- Friday Night Football

2006-10-03T05:46:00.000-07:00

Dee Fonville, #21, from Asheboro High School, gains yardage on Friday night during a game against Southwestern Randolph. Asheboro went on to win the game 35 to 7.
I like this shot because I have action, a ball, a face, and it's in focus. Friday Night Football isn't an easy sport to shoot, so I'm very happy that I got what I needed in this shot.
Shot with Canon EOS 10D, 70-200mm f/2.8 lens at 155mm, ISO 800, 1/180 @ f/2.8, used a 550 flash on camera.

Process #2- Soup Kitchen

2006-09-28T19:27:00.000-07:00

I shot a quick-hit assignment for my photojournalism class at a soup kitchen in Winston-Salem. I had my flash on a lightstand at a 45 degree angle. I first shot the kitchen, then later, I shot the photo of the preparation. I wanted to have a photo of the kitchen before everyone arrived and began cooking. In my detail shot, Mae Sanders, who has volunteered at the kitchen for a year, lays out toast that will go along with the chicken noodle soup, salad, and donuts on the trays.

Shot on Canon 10D with 17-40mm lens at 17mm, ISO 100, 1/45 @f/4, flash fired. Used a Canon 550 flash on a light stand with an ST-E2 on camera to fire.

Portfolio #1- Bike Mechanic

2006-09-28T17:43:00.000-07:00

Todd Crisco, 6, of Asheboro, focuses on fixing the broken chain on a friend's bicycle on Monday evening in front of his friend's house. Crisco was out playing after school with his brother, Trevor Crisco, when the bike chain broke.
I like the angle of the camera and the intent look on Crisco's face. I also like the background, with all of the people on the porch. Children are always difficult subjects, with their constant staring at anything that appears to be a camera, so I like that I caught him focused so hard on something other than my camera.

Shot with a Canon 10D, 17-40mm lens set on 17 mm, ISO 100, 1/125 @ f/4, used a 550 flash on light stand with ST-E2 on camera to fire.

Concentration Assignment- Environmental Sports Portrait

2006-09-19T17:00:00.000-07:00

For my environmental sports portrait, I decided to photograph a girl golfer. I was able to get in touch with the girls' golf coach at Asheboro High School and follow the girls around at Asheboro Municipal Golf Course during a practice. It was an overcast day, so the lighting was really soft and perfect for a portrait. I set up a Vivitar 283 on a light stand with a Vivitar soft box, and used Pocket Wizards to fire the flash. My subject, Briana McWhirter, has been playing golf since August. I'm pleased with my results-- I think it could be more "unique", but I'm happy with the lighting.

Shot on Canon EOS 10D with 17-40 mm lens, shot at 27mm, ISO 200, shot at 1/350sec @ f/4, flashed with Vivitar 283 with a Vivitar softbox on a light stand.

NYC Commuter

2006-09-19T16:05:00.000-07:00

I attended the VII Conference over the weekend (September 15-18), and it was my first trip to New York City. My photojournalism teacher, Bill Thompson, told us to photograph people's shoes. I love shoes, and when I saw this woman in the subway, I knew I wanted to photograph her shoes. She was wearing them with shorts, so I was able to photograph just her legs and shoes. I photographed this by letting my camera hang on my neck and just clicking the shutter. I like how the shot came out... something about the contrast of her legs with the grimy subway is just interesting to me. I didn't crop it any, because when I tried, it took something away from the image.

Shot on Canon EOS 10D, 17-40mm lens, shot at 40mm, ISO 200, shot 1/8sec @ f/4, flash not fired.

Process #1- W.H. Moring Jr. Arts Center

2006-09-14T05:22:00.000-07:00

For my process, I shot the gallery at the W.H. Moring Jr. Arts Center in downtown Asheboro, NC. For my "detail" shot I photographed pottery that was on exhibit in the gallery. The art in the gallery was by Kim Luther (paintings) and Chris Luther (pottery), a brother and sister.

Overall and detail both shot on Canon 10D with Canon 17-40 mm lens, ISO 200, shot at 1/125 sec at f/4, used Canon 550 flash on light stand.

JV Football at Asheboro High School

2006-09-12T05:56:00.000-07:00

Devan Day, #27 for Williams High School in Burlington, NC, tries to get past Taylor King, #34 for Asheboro High School, at a Junior Varsity football game at Asheboro High School on September 8, 2006.

Shot on Canon 10D with Canon 70-200 f/2.8 lens, 1/200 @f/2.8, ISO 400, shot at 200mm, flashed with Canon 550.

Riverwood Therapeutic Riding Center

2006-09-07T06:45:00.000-07:00

Trey Tobias gets a leg adjusted in a stirrup by Laura Pallavacini at Riverwood Therapeutic Riding Center on July 24, 2006. This was one of Trey's first sessions at the riding center. Riverwood specializes in therapeutic horse riding for children and adults with disabilities. Not only does the center help the students, but it also helps the horses, who are no longer able to work due to chronic illness or age. The center has been open since 1995.

Shot on Canon EOS1 with Fuji ISO 400 film, 1/500 @ f/2.8, lens Canon 70-200 f/2.8, shot at 200mm, flash not fired.

Character Study Portrait- Animal Lover

2006-09-03T18:13:00.000-07:00

My niece, Elizabeth, loves to search out all animals, especially cats, and proceed to "play" with them. Here she is behind my old apartment playing with one of two orange kittens. Please note the mewing of the kitten and the distress it appears to be in while in the arms of a 2-year old. I have some other images I really liked of her playing with the kittens, but this one best shows her personality as an animal lover.

Shot on Canon EOS 10D, ISO 200, 1/500 sec @ f/4, flash not fired.

"Motorcycle Mama"

2006-08-29T11:34:00.000-07:00

Katrina Reagan, 92, steps outside of her apartment at a retirement community in May 2006. Though she may appear to be a bridge-loving lady, she's actually an honorary member of a motorcycle group, and loves to ride motorcycles. She is known by many as "Motorcycle Mama".

Bowman Gray Race Stadium

2006-08-29T10:26:00.000-07:00

Ashleigh Brill, 9, gets very upset with a stock car at Bowman Gray Race Stadium in June 2006.

Up-Close and Personal

2006-08-22T12:15:00.000-07:00

Grover Teeter, 80, sits outside on a sunny afternoon in May 2006. I met him at an apartment complex for elderly people. He was a photographer, and shot commercial, portrait, wedding, and arial photography.