A few web tear sheets from this past year

"Gone to the Dogs"

Back in October, I was contracted by the Humane Society of the United States to photograph a dog fair they were having in Fredericksburg, Va. I do have to admit it was much different then covering capitol hill or a red carpet. There are a lot more dangers to the assignment..lol...as in land mines spread through out the park.

One more time through these great halls...

After serving over 14 years as a congressman...Zach Wamp from Tennessee was hanging up his coat for now. So on his last day...he took a few of his closest friends and past staffers on a tour of the capitol and joining capitol visitor center.

Nigerian style birthday party

I have been busy over the last month, so I have not had the chance to post anything up. I know these images are a little different from what I normally post. I had the the rare experience to document a Nigerian style birthday party for Comfort Egbufor. What I like about these images is do from the party taken place in the basement of a church and the authentic african attire...it gives the viewer a sense that the images were taken in Nigeria itself and not in northwest DC.

What photographers did before the iphone..

I am finding myself going back to the simplest form of photography..shooting with a holga..no not the iphone app that everyone is posting to their facebook pages. The little $20 plastic camera that you load 120/220 film, not having any control over shutter, aperture or the way that it will leak light. Its photography at its rawest form...a lost art.

Director Zack Snyder for WB

Last week I was contracted to document a photo op by Warner Brothers with Director Zack Snyder, who just directed the upcoming movie "Legend of the Guardians: The Owls of Ga'Hoole." He visited an Owl Sanctuary in Chevy Chase, Md. It was a really fun shoot..as he is very laid back guy showing up in a plain t-shirt, jeans and sneakers.

Who has the right to say photojournalism is dead???

"Okay, I’m that friend and I’m stepping forward and calling it. “Photojournalism: time of death 11.12. GMT 1st August 2010.” Amen." was written by Neil Burgess photographer and who runs his own picture agency, NB Pictures. which was quoted in article on the Editorial Photographers UK website

I am starting to see articles like this almost on a weekly basis..."photojournalism is dead,""newspapers are dead,""The broke photojournalist" and "magazines are dying." I have decided that I am not longer reading these articles as I feel that they are just a way for people who are stuck in their old ways and not willing to get with the changes of the industry and the way a photographer markets themselves. So they decided that they have to complain and make it seem like that everyone in photojournalism school should drop out and get a job at Burger King, because they will make more money.

James Estrin wrote a great piece about the new cooperative Luceo Images and how these young and upcoming photographers have a good business sense and making good money doing what they love in the New York Times Lens blog.

I could go on paragraph after paragraph talking about how the ways that photojournalist can save the industry, how we only shoot for the respect for other photojournalist and not the consumer. We are in the business of sales, like it or not and you have to sale what the consumer wants. Yes that not might be the story about a starving family in India..instead it might be about a feature piece on a celebrity and their new movie. Even great photographers like Christopher Morris is doing stories on Taylor Swift and Ashton Kutcher.

So I am calling it..photojournalism is not dead...it is alive and well. So go out figure out what the consumer wants to read and shoot that to pay the bills. Every artist has those personal projects that they close dear to their heart. I am not saying give up on those..but realize that it might bring home the bacon. Sometimes its the most cheesiest stories that bring home the biggest paychecks.