Portraits oh Portraits!

Small Town U.S.A./ Local Artist

Hi,

So we have been doing an ongoing feature on Small Town USA, and have been covering this town called Haysville, which as a population of 78. The city council meetings are held in the president's living room. I thought it was an interesting scene, especially the two people on the couch. Next I had to profile a local artist named Michelle Greggio, who did the layout and installation of a local show. The story was for an ongoing feature called "On the Job" where we do a multimedia piece on interesting careers. The interview went well and the piece will be up in a week or so.

Baby Tiger at the zoo and politicos

Hi all,

and thanks for the birthday wishes! Today I photographed a baby tiger and took the opportunity to take some shots at the zoo for myself. If you haven't seen Gary Winograd's work on the zoo, go google it now! I then had to shoot a standard press event downtown that isn't worth posting but I thought I would show some shots I took around downtown on my way to the assignment. 

First day of work!

So I had my first day at my internship today, it went really well. I hung out with staff photographer Justin Merriman, who just returned from covering the conflicts in Pakistan and Afghanistan. He was very helpful and supportive. I had 2 assignments, one was a portrait of a local councilman, and the other was a simple weather shot. 

Chester, West Virginia, and...I made it!!

Yesterday I spent the day in Chester, West Virginia, where I photographed a JROTC unit in the town's 4th of July parade. This experience was by far the most extreme culture shock I experienced on my trip. This was classic small town culture in the hills of West Virginia. The disastrous effects of the outsourcing of the steel industry were quite apparent, and the poverty was quite intense. It was a part of America i knew existed but had never seen with my own eyes and I suggest everyone experiences it to gain a deeper understanding of our country. The couple in the 4th image were my neighbors in the motel I stayed at, and I ended up talking to them for more than 2 hours. They were quite sweet and had traveled most most of the U.S. They even used to be carneys! The last 2 were from the fireworks that night. I decided to give them a b and w film quality to them to do something different. Pittsburgh seems really cool, it has a Brooklyn/Oakland vibe to it and I look forward to getting into some stories here.

Red, White and Boom in Columbus, OH

Today I photographed a July 4th celebration in Columbus, OH called Red, White, and Boom. While Columbus is one of the largest cities in the U.S., it was interesting to see the mix of people who came for the parade, many who seemed to be much more country. The last few shots are from the parade, and the top few are from the firework celebration, which was quite spectacular. I really liked the shot of the ex-prisoner of war looking on the Ohio National Guard band.

Out of Kansas (thank god) into Missouri

I made it through the rest of Kansas, but not before being tailed by another cop. I guess Toyota Camry's are the new drug trafficking car of choice. I thought it was a Prius( Weeds anyone)? I then settled for the day in St. Charles, Missouri, which was green and quiet. I took these shots by the river, there are definitely some Stand By Me moments in there.