Feeds:
Posts
Comments

Archive for the ‘Photography’ Category

¡Yo quiero…!

COLUMBIA, Mo. —

Yesterday, I read an informal look at how real fast food measures up to what’s shown in advertisements. The author compared the advertised-vs-the-reality at Taco Bell, Burger King and other major fast food chains.

It was pretty eye-opening, but not entirely surprising.

On a somewhat related note: Later, my friend Darren picked me up from campus and, on the way home, we swung by Taco Bell. Taco Bell is probably Darren’s greatest love, apart from Xbox.

Darren was excited to see that Taco Bell has resumed serving the Grilled Stuft Burrito.

Darren was not excited about the price.

Darren, at the drive-thru: "$9.52? What the ----?"

But Darren was excited enough to text our friend and his former roommate Jason since, apparently, this was one of their favorite menu items back in the day.

Unwrapped.

It’s the small things.

Read Full Post »

COLUMBIA, Mo. —

It’s Veterans Day, but I opted to watch the International Picture Story category judging for College Photographer of the Year, rather than watch and make pictures of the Veterans Day parade that began literally right outside the building.

Nevertheless — happy Veterans Day, and thank you to those who served and have served.

The Eternal Flame of Freedom in the courtyard of the Harry S. Truman Museum in Independence, Mo., on Sunday, Nov. 7, 2010. According to the museum, the Tirey J. Ford American Legion dedicated the eternal flame to fellow legionnaire and President Truman in 1991.

Read Full Post »

COLUMBIA, Mo. —

As I previously wrote, I’m taking a break from Houston. That doesn’t mean, however, that I’m taking a break from barbecue.

My flight on Sunday landed in Kansas City. Passing up on Kansas City barbecue would have been incomprehensible, especially since I’ve already sampled barbecue from two Texas establishments. After some heated discussion with Jeff, who’s very firm with his opinion of Kansas City barbecue, we decided on Arthur Bryant’s. Jeff’s first pick, Oklahoma Joe’s, is closed on Sundays, and I wanted Bryant’s over Gates because of the appeal of eating in an older location.

Arthur Bryant's on Boulevard Ave.

Jeff had already decided on our order: the beef and pork combo, with fries.

The beef is on the left, the pork on the right.

My informal barbecue tour so far had not featured shredded meat or a lot of sauce — until Bryant’s. Both of the above are why Jeff is not a fan of Bryant’s. While wolfing down the food, he mourned how the taste of the meat was lost in the sauce.

I didn’t mind it. It was tasty in its own right, and I didn’t think the meat was lost in the sauce. That said, I didn’t douse my portion in Bryant’s signature vinegar-based sauce, but rather ate it as it was served.

The remnants of another party's meal.

But, as I’ve written before, I’m no barbecue or meat expert. Bryant’s was good but not mind-blowingly good. I think generally I prefer a good steak over slow-cooked meats.

Read Full Post »

On a jet plane

COLUMBIA, Mo. —

It’s been almost exactly a year since the last time I traveled via plane. (Related: happy first anniversary to my brother and sister-in-law!) Hobby Airport in Houston has changed in aesthetics since then — for the better.

Early morning flight, early morning light.

One thing that’s neat about flying between Kansas City and Houston is, the flight path goes over the Houston metropolis. In my earlier college years, I usually flew between St. Louis and Houston, so this view is not one I’m used to seeing.

Flying over the south loop area.

Unfortunately I was on the wrong side of the plane to see downtown. But I did spot something familiar…

A few hours later, I was in Kansas City to eat barbecue (more on that later), in Independence to pay my respects to Harry S. Truman (more on that later) and — now — in Columbia to watch the College Photographer of the Year judging (more on that later).

More on everything later, in general!

Read Full Post »

A few weeks ago, some of my extended family came to town to celebrate my grandparents’ 60th anniversary. As is tradition with my family, “celebrate” means ordering and consuming an ungodly amount of food.

Way more food than that lazy susan was designed to handle.

As is Chinese tradition, the chicken in the poached chicken dish (which you can see at about 12:30 on the lazy susan in the above photo) arrived at the table with all relevant (and cooked) body parts. Including the head. Which was also cooked.

Complete with the comb. Completely cooked.

I am Chinese. I have grown up eating authentic Chinese food. The Chinese traditionally cook animals whole (sans organs), chop them up and serve them after arranging everything to resemble the whole body, for good luck. Therefore, I am used to seeing whole lobsters — with heads — arrive at the table. I am used to seeing whole fish — with heads — arrive at the table. I am used to seeing shrimp — with heads — arrive at the table.

But never until now had I seen a chicken — with its head — arrive at the table.

So that was new, and slightly grotesque, but fun. And now you can understand, perhaps, why I suddenly didn’t feel too hungry after the poached chicken dish came out of the kitchen.

Read Full Post »

It’s strange, reviewing my photos of the 2008 presidential campaigns. For example, two years and three months ago, I didn’t know who Sarah Palin was.

Alaska governor Sarah Palin greets a crowd of 20,000 supporters at a rally at the Missouri State Capitol Building on Nov. 3, 2008 -- the day before the election.

“Had you ever heard of this Sarah Palin, before he picked her?” I asked my roommate after John McCain announced his running mate in late August. (Having not heard her name before, I pronounced it “paw-lin” until my roommate corrected me.)

Weird, huh?

Looking back at my photos of the presidential campaigns of 2008 has made me realize just how much has changed since then. I didn’t start naming my files and embedding caption information effectively until the fall. Also, it goes without saying that the political landscape and the characters who populate it are now jarringly different.

For example — remember John Edwards before his affair made tabloid headlines?

Sen. John Edwards, D-N.C., campaigns at the Carpenters Union building in St. Louis on Jan. 19, 2008. In his speech, Edwards called opponents Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama "celebrity candidates."

Or how about John McCain’s campaign, pre-Palin?

As Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., waits to give his speech, Cindy McCain describes how her husband welcomed a young Bangladeshi girl she brought home to Arizona for adoption. Cindy McCain called John "a good father" before John took the stage in the JetDirect hangar of the Spirit of St. Louis Airport on Feb. 1, 2008.

Because Missouri was a swing state, four presidential candidates — Barack Obama, Hillary Clinton, Mitt Romney and McCain — made appearances in St. Louis in the weekend prior to Super Tuesday. Those hectic three days, as well as Edwards’s and Clinton’s rallies in January and Obama’s and Palin’s in the days before the election, helped make 2008 a tremendously exciting year for me as a student photojournalist.

Former Massachusetts governor Mitt Romney fields questions from the press during a campaign event at Dave & Buster's in Maryland Heights, Mo., on Feb. 3, 2008.

(more…)

Read Full Post »

A little more than a week ago, my dad and I went to Lockhart — known as the “Barbecue Capital of Texas” — and sampled sausage, brisket and ribs at Smitty’s.

This past Sunday, my mom took my younger brother back to College Station (I’d taken him back home to Houston after I was done shooting the Texas A&M-Missouri game). I accompanied them, largely because of the promise of dinner at Rudy’s.

Rudy's of College Station.

My dad had sung Rudy’s praises enough for me to ready myself for another meat fest. What my dad didn’t know — until I told him the other day — is that Rudy’s is a chain restaurant. Which, inexplicably, is a little disappointing. You’d think, or at least I’d have thought, that you could find the best barbecue only at local, often run-down venues whose proprietors wouldn’t dream of opening another location.

But Rudy’s barbecue was pretty good, and their ribs were more tender than the ones we had at Smitty’s. And their “Sissy Sause” was an excellent accompaniment to their meats.

Bread, brisket, ribs and containers of coleslaw and potato salad, served in shallow crates at Rudy's "Country Store" and Bar-B-Q in College Station, Texas.

Bottles of "Rudy's Sissy Sause" line the windows of Rudy's "Country Store" and Bar-B-Q on Sunday, Oct. 18, 2010, in College Station, Texas.

A single rib and a few slivers of brisket were enough to fill me up, even though the only other food I’d had that day was a bagel at 8 a.m. Another meal of Texas barbecue was meat overload — yeah, I’m weak — and I decided to go vegetarian for a few days.

That is, until the next night when I saw a piece of leftover chicken marsala in the refrigerator.

Read Full Post »

I’m pretty excited that I’ve now shot college football on Texas soil. (Apart from last year’s Texas Bowl game…)

Members of the Missouri football team take the field for some pre-game drills at Kyle Field in College Station on Saturday, Oct. 16, 2010.

Jeff and I shot Missouri’s game against Texas A&M in College Station on Saturday. It was only my second time on A&M’s campus — my younger brother is a sophomore there — but I was looking forward to witnessing the Aggie spirit.

Also for the first time:

  • I used my new full-frame camera.

Texas A&M junior wide receiver Jeff Fuller catches the ball for A&M's first and only touchdown against Missouri on Saturday, Oct. 16, 2010, at Kyle Field. Note: This photo has been highly sharpened, due to some backfocusing.

  • I didn’t have a lens longer than my 70-200/2.8.
  • Which meant I shot a lot more features than I have ever before at a football game.

Will Lowe of Houston, right, is reflected on the side of a car as he watches the Texas A&M Corps of Cadets -- the university's student military organization of 2,002 members -- marching to Kyle Field in College Station, Texas, on Saturday, Oct. 16, 2010. Texas A&M is one of five U.S. colleges classified as a senior military college and, apart from the service academies, produces the most military officers of all U.S. schools.

  • It was a sunny, clear day. (With the exception of a cloudy daytime game, every other football game I’ve shot has been at night and/or indoors.)

Travis Nault, center, stands ready to sing the Aggie War Hymn as Wendell Nault, left of center, and Kevin Kenefic, right of center, remove their hats before the Texas A&M-Missouri football game at Kyle Field in College Station on Saturday, Oct. 16, 2010.

Largely because of all of the above, I had a blast photographing the game — but mostly, the game outside of the game.

(more…)

Read Full Post »

This is Mason.

© 2010 by The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. (Click on the image above to view the full photo story on my website.) Mason Taylor, 4, at the dinner table on Monday, Aug. 23, 2010.

Mason is four years old. Like other boys, he likes playing outside, squabbles with his sister and builds rocketships with blocks. He also has sensory processing disorder, which means he reacts to sensory stimuli differently, and he undergoes therapy to help him cope with these stimuli.

© 2010 by The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. (Click on the image above to read the relevant article on ajc.com.) On horseback and standing up in the stirrups, Mason Taylor reaches for a high-up ring during his hippotherapy session with hippotherapist Brent Applegate (right) at Chastain Horse Park on Thursday, Aug. 12, 2010.

I met Mason one morning during his hippotherapy session at Chastain Horse Park. Having met his therapist Brent on a previous assignment for The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, I had originally thought about working on a story about hippotherapy — but after I met Mason, I wanted to know more about him.

Mason’s mother Carol is an occupational therapist, and she was very open and candid about her son and the disorder. She let me follow Mason for another hippotherapy session, and then for an occupational therapy session in their house. On my fourth visit with Mason, I spent the entire day with him — all the way up to bedtime.

View the complete picture story on my website.

(more…)

Read Full Post »

Yes, it’s been about five weeks since I last updated this blog. No, I’m not dead.

Rather, I’m back home in Texas. I am available for freelance work, have been working steadily on a few projects and am applying for jobs and internships. Speaking of projects, tomorrow I’ll post a picture story I completed in the last week of my internship in Atlanta — so be on the lookout for that!

In the meantime, today my dad and I made a pilgrimage to Lockhart, Texas. Officially “The Barbecue Capital of Texas,” as declared by the state legislature in 2003, Lockhart is a small town south of Austin. It has four barbecue restaurants. We went to Smitty’s.

Dad savors the last bite of lunch at Smitty's.

Yeah. We drove almost five hours roundtrip from Houston for this:

Pork ribs, brisket and sausage - and, of course, cheap white bread. What's up with barbecue and cheap white bread?

On the trip back, I realized I’m not a big-enough food — or meat, or barbecue — aficionado to be making these kinds of trips. I’m certain many foodies are game for pilgrimages to the meccas of their various food interests, but I’m just not cut out for that. I know when food is bad, but after a point, meat is meat. Barbecue is barbecue. It’s good when it’s good. If one barbecue place is better than another, I wouldn’t know the difference.

Shame on me, as a Texan? Maybe.

(Check back tomorrow for my picture story!)

Read Full Post »

As I’ve written before, Atlanta Journal-Constitution readers will continue to see my byline throughout the month of September — mostly under photos of food.

I photographed for food writer Wendell’s articles twice, which was always a pleasure. For one, Wendell is just fun to work with. For another, his house offers great places to photograph food using only natural light.

© 2010 by The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. (Click on the image above to read the relevant article on ajc.com.) Andrew's peanut collard greens, a recipe from Atlanta author Joseph Dabney's new book "The Food, Folklore, and Art of Lowcountry Cooking."

That said, the collard greens (above) in their peanut sauce were a little hard to capture in natural light — mostly because the sauce’s surface was very reflective.

© 2010 by The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. South Carolina sweet potato pies, a recipe from Atlanta author Joseph Dabney's new book "The Food, Folklore, and Art of Lowcountry Cooking."

Pie also proved a bit challenging at first — because the surface texture is pretty monotonous. But I photographed the pies as whole and then a slice.

And then I ate it. Because I could. And it was delicious.

Read Full Post »

Today was my last day as the summer photo intern at The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. I shot two assignments and then had to turn in my photos, my story (to be published in September), my camera gear and my computer.

Oh, and my ID badge, too.

I'm sad I had to give up my ID. But not surprised.

Interning at the AJC has been an overall good, if challenging, experience. This was my first time working five days a week for a newspaper — and my first time at a big metro daily, too. Suffice it to say that I’ve definitely learned a lot, and I’d like to think I’ve improved as well.

Although I’m no longer at the AJC, you’ll still see my byline throughout September — mostly under food photos. But also keep an eye out for a story I worked on. (Or, you can just check back here on my blog: I’ll definitely post the link and blog about my experiences with the story!)

What’s next? Tomorrow, I’m roadtripping to Missouri; the next week, I’m going back to Texas. And, as you might have guessed, I’m also applying for jobs. If you know of any leads, let me know! My experience at the AJC was challenging at times, but it definitely hasn’t burned me out on newspaper photojournalism.

In closing — I’m grateful to all the help and support I received from AJC editors and photographers, and also to all the people of whom I’ve made pictures. It’s been a pleasure. Keep in touch, and y’all take care now.

Read Full Post »

The day before I knocked on the door and persuaded a caught-off-guard Kelly to let me spend time with her husband and her newborn baby, I parked my car in a cul-de-sac in McDonough, walked to the front door and was promptly greeted by David and Melissa. Unlike Kevin and Kelly, this couple was expecting me.

“What do you need pictures of?” they asked. “How can we help you?”

“Just go about and do whatever you need to do,” I answered. “I’m here to make pictures of what you’re doing today, so I’ll just be a fly on the wall and you can completely ignore me.”

And that is exactly what happened.

© 2010 by The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. (Click on the image above to read the relevant article on ajc.com.) David James, of McDonough, takes a quiet moment for himself in his family's kitchen before dinner preparations begin, on Tuesday, Aug. 17, 2010.

Why David?

The reporter met David at a government jobs fair and decided to feature him in an unemployment article. David has been unemployed for about a year since January 2009 — with a few three-month stints here and there — and I was sent to make some pictures. Expectations, I later learned, were not high.

So, for the first time ever, I walked into somebody’s home, became invisible and made pictures of everyday life. For almost three hours.

© 2010 by The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. David James talks with a traffic attorney who called in the middle of the James family's dinner on Tuesday, Aug. 17, 2010. While he was still a truck driver, James had a rollover accident in August 2009 that lost him a job offer earlier this year and that has him doubting whether he could get a driving job again.

Coincidentally, in those almost-three hours, David received two important phone calls: He got an offer for a job interview, and a traffic attorney finally called him back.

(more…)

Read Full Post »

Last Thursday, I walked up to a house, rang the doorbell and spent the next five hours with the new parents and their baby who lived inside.

© 2010 by The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. (Click on the image above to view the full photo gallery on ajc.com.) Kelly Skelly, of Roswell, breastfeeds 2-week-old Liam before she and Kevin prepare to take him to Kevin's parents' home for a few hours on Thursday, Aug. 19, 2010.

Kevin and Kelly Skelly met at cancer camp when they were teens. They both overcame their diagnoses. He proposed to her a few years later, at camp. They didn’t think they could have a child — Kelly had been told her medication for the cancer had rendered her sterile.

They decided to try anyway. And now they have 3-week-old baby Liam.

© 2010 by The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. (Click on the image above to read the relevant article on ajc.com.) Kevin Skelly, of Roswell, cradles 2-week-old Liam in the master bedroom on Thursday, Aug. 19, 2010, after feeding the baby some medicine for jaundice.

Thanks to Kevin and Kelly for letting me into their home for five hours, especially since they weren’t expecting me at the time.

Read Full Post »

This is Harold.

© 2010 by The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. (Click on the image above to read the relevant article on ajc.com.) Forsyth County Jail volunteer Harold Adair leans on the front window desk on Monday, Aug. 9, 2010. Adair volunteers at the jail about 4-5 hours every day, and usually helps with administrative work.

Harold moved to Forsyth County when he married his second (and current) wife. She told him to volunteer in the jail, since he didn’t know anyone in the area.

Harold now knows all the staff and officers, as well as many of the inmates. And he’s a tough old cookie, too.

Read Full Post »

Elvis lives.

© 2010 by The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. (Click on the image above to view the full photo gallery on ajc.com.) Dames Aflame showgirl dancer Tracy Sacan dances with Elvis impersonator Robby Dean off-stage as the band Kingsized performs "Polk Salad Annie" on-stage during the Elvis Royale show at Variety Playhouse on Friday, Aug. 13, 2010.

I had my doubts, when I was assigned to photograph an Elvis tribute concert on Friday night. How would I tell one “Elvis” from another? Aren’t tribute bands stereotypically notorious for being… well, not-so-good? Would this be just another concert where I’m ushered from the lobby to the pit to photograph three songs, and then booted out?

© 2010 by The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Dames Aflame showgirl dancers Rebecca Crawford and Beth Del Mero wait offstage for their cue before dancing alongside Kingsized band singer Mike Geier during "CC Rider" the first number of the Elvis Royale show at Variety Playhouse on Friday, Aug. 13, 2010.

Turns out, I had no need to worry about any of the above. There weren’t too many Elvis impersonators, the band and dancers put on a great show and — a first for me — I had complete backstage access.

(more…)

Read Full Post »

Yesterday was Friday the 13th. And it was rainy, and there was bad traffic, and there was no way I was going to make it to an assignment on time. (In my defense, I left early enough to allow for the estimated driving time — as determined by Google Maps and my GPS — as well as an extra 40 minutes. That’s how bad traffic was.)

After I called my editors, I shot some rainy traffic photos. Then I drove around, got a little lost — and found an indoor shooting range.

So I walked inside and made some pictures. I figured if anything, the rain couldn’t deter business from this place.

Brandon Ball, of Lawrenceville, said this was his first time shooting a handgun.

(Left to right) Adam Donnelly, of Doraville, and his nephews Brandon and Aaron Ball examine the last target of the day. Aaron said he had just flown in from Florida, where he lives, for Brandon's bachelor party.

Empty shell casings litter the ground as Adam Donnelly, of Doraville, fires at his target.

Read Full Post »

On Wednesday, I photographed people preparing a furniture store that opened in midtown on Friday.

© 2010 by The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. (Click on the image above to view the full photo gallery on ajc.com.) Store designer Chris Bowers, of Chicago, arranges furniture and decor for furniture store CB2's storefront facing Peachtree Street in midtown Atlanta on Wednesday, Aug. 11, 2010.

“Furniture store? Business news photos? Eww!” one might say.

But I had fun. And I like furniture. Especially furniture I can’t afford — I mean, I can dream, right?

© 2010 by The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. A worker enters the CB2 storefront, as seen from inside the Bank of America parking garage located between Peachtree Street and Crescent Avenue in midtown, on Wednesday, Aug. 11, 2010 -- two days before the store opens for business.

Read Full Post »

Yesterday was a long day — I worked 8 a.m. to 8 p.m., with a two-hour break in the late afternoon. But the day began with horses and ended with puppies, so it’s all good.

© 2010 by The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. (Click on the image above to view the full photo gallery at ajc.com.) Nelly Segal, of Maine, walks her daughter's Bernese mountain dogs Molson and Jasper up and out of the Piedmont Dog Park on Thursday, Aug. 12, 2010. Hundreds of dogs and their owners came to the park on its official reopening day.

Special thanks to Stephen, who helped me out last night after I circled around Piedmont Park and all nearby side streets, with no luck for parking, for 40 minutes.

Read Full Post »

Within the space of a week, I was assigned to photograph two different brands of lawyers here in Atlanta.

First, the “boutique” law firm that won a $17.5 million case over the city of Atlanta, an advertising company and a local businesswoman:

© 2010 by The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. (Click on the image above to read the relevant article on ajc.com.) (From left) Stephen Lowry, Jeff Harris and Darren Penn -- of boutique law firm Harris Penn Lowry, LLP -- stand for a portrait in their downtown Atlanta offices on Wednesday, July 28, 2010. Beside them are a few of many boxes containing roughly 150,000 documents relating to the Billy Corey case, which the law partners won in court this Monday.

That was a one-light set-up. Wish I’d had two. Then it could look even more like a TV show promotional.

Next: A lawyer who quit practicing law full-time and opened up her own restaurant. She still practices — on-call.

© 2010 by The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. (Click on the image above to read the relevant article on ajc.com.) Noon Midtown restaurant chef/owner Katie Birmingham lets 2-year-old Carter Loegel of Decatur choose his dessert from a platter of samples, during the lunch hour on Thursday, Aug. 5, 2010.

Read Full Post »

« Newer Posts - Older Posts »