i'm movin on

round one of photos from my move this weekend. Saturday was a long day, with much soreness to be had on sunday. when i post photos of the new place, i will describe everything.

AH HA! i lied.

more baseball. ta da! i've got a bit of a cold, so being in the sun was nice. now back to being sick.

when you were young

Long weekend of baseball. shot two games and on saturday went with some friends just to watch. it was fun, it was the first game in a long time that i had just gone to as a fan. but, i swear, the next post will not be baseball related.

i think im in love, but it makes me kinda nervous to say so

Baseball time!!! hooray baseball!!! it was cold.

the version of this photo that will be running is cropped down, but i kinda like it a bit more wide. i was just tryin something different. so sue me.

mama i'm comin' home

So, i went home today for the first time in a couple of months. i got to see my grandparents (that's my grandpa there), eat some tasty fried chicken made by my mom, and i got to check out a new trail that fairbury has built. i took a nice walk on it, and i was rather impressed with it. it was rather short, but the shortness was redemed by the old railroad bridge over the damn.

the other photo is some friends at a cowboy theme party. hooray party!!!

I'm back!

so, long time no post. ive been shooting a whole lot of freelance, a bunch for the omaha reader and for the GI independent, so that has been nice. I got to cover a lot of state basketball action, and i just got back from a small trip to KC with some friends. good times.

this fire is out of control

part 3 of the light painting workshop. hooray. after getting bored with the plain black background, i decided to add a little color with an orange gelled hot light. what i did not expect was that it would make it look like i was on fire. two words. hell yeah. i'm quite happy with how it is shaping up.

Ballet class

Ok, so i shot some ballet class, which made me feel very unfit and definitely not flexible. i was hoping for a better moment, but i settled for a decent enough composition.

side note for the light painting, it has slightly changed focus, it will be for the spring sports preview. It will include 6 sports, 3 men, 3 women, and will be track, baseball, softball, gymnastics, golf, and tennis. i have done some work on the baseball, softball, and track ones, and have ideas on the other 3. i'm rather excited about this project, and i hope it turns out well. the photo professer here told me i could just take the photos without the traced light and then just add that in photoshop, but that is kinda missing the point. ive tried it, saw how it looked, and it just does not look as organic. meh.

the evolution of an idea

ok, im going forward with an idea that i have been enjoying. i have more free time on my hands now that i am no longer photo editor of the DN, and taking time on things that make me happy makes me....well, happy. ive been practicing forming shapes for a series of sport portraits, and these are a few that are starting to take shape. the disk golf one turned out a little bit better than i expected, the football one was terrible, and the basketball one was in the middle. i could only practice for so long in my garage, because it was damn cold. i could see my breath, and i could no longer feel my fingers, even while wearing gloves.

light test

So, bored one night, i decided to play around with some long exposures, in preparation for a portrait i am starting to set up. here is my room outlined, my attempt at a flower vase, and my attempt at drawing the globe, which ended up looking like two sea horses.

some times i like to get fancy

Gabe Baldwin

In the corner portrait of polevaulter Gabe Baldwin. It could have been better, but it could have been worse. For those curious, it was shoot on a cloudy day on tungsten white balance and with pink and orange gells on a strobe. Some times i like to get fancy.

a little track and swimming

I miss the rains down in Africa

I've been back in the states for a little under a week now, after a handful of weeks in Zambia. Thanks to all those who sent emails of support and encouragement while we were there. I will post a more in-depth explanation later of everything we did, but I'm in a bit of a rush right now. Sorry.

As for the photo, this was taken in the shanty town Buseko in northwest lusaka. The photo is not that good, but i just wanted to show what many people are living in. We had gone there to talk to a family that lived there. We were told we would be OK to go to their home, but when we got there, the "mayor" of the town brought a large group and basically told us that we should leave. I was not able to shoot pretty much anything, and i really wish i could have had time to do some work. The only photos i took there were basic pray and spray, shoot from the hip type, and it was only about 20 images total.

so kiss me, and smile for me

this is it. in 12 hours, i will be at epply, going through security and then waiting to board my series of flights that will have me trading Lincoln for Lusaka. i have spent tonight with my brother, including eating pizza at isles pub and drinking a very cold and amazing pitcher of fat tire. Im watching monday night football, and cramming in all the america i can for the moment. take a deep breath, and let it out. i realize i am very lucky to have been born here, where power, food, health, and all the other things we take for granted come easily. I will be leaving for a place where over half of the population of 2 million in the city are unemployed, one in five have hiv/aids, and most do not even have electricity.

so, im mostly packed. after fitting all my gear in a backpack (thanks, CVK) and having charged all my batteries, im just about ready. i'll be thinking of all of you.

CVK

Friday marked the end of my tenure as photo editor at the Daily Nebraskan. Chris VanKat, rock star and all around great photographer has taken my place. Best of luck to you, CVK. I know you will do great.

As a side note, I have only 8 days until i leave for Africa. Nervous? Damn right. I have never been so excited and anxious before in my life.

Volleyball

Saturday was the last regular season game of the Husker volleyball season. The Huskers beat Texas in three sets, and held a farewell for the two graduating seniors. Here, Dani Busboom hugs her mother after the game. I have not been able to shoot as much volleyball as I would have liked this season. I think I only shot two games. It showed on some of my action, as many more shots were out of focus than i was used to. meh. still, managed to come away with a decent frame, even if it has the arm of some stupid TV person.

some football fun

much football love.

six man football

So, i went to Bartlett Nebraska last Thursday to cover the six man football championships. everyone was very nice. sadly, the team from arthur lost 70-6 to wheeler central. it was great, i shot a quarter of action and then spent almost the entire rest of the game shooting features.

Texas A&M

That was close. Nebraska pulled off a miracle against Texas A&M this weekend. here is the catch after what people are now calling "the drive."

President Bush

So i went and took some pics of President Bush's visit to Grand Island. what a circus. get there are 1230 and wait until almost 4 for him to talk. sigh.

Carraway Lane

So, my friend John Wenz and i made a short movie for the Cinema 16 Halloween film festival. It is called "Carraway Lane" and it is a film about zombies....and sock puppets. hooray!