phoebe's photo blawg

Meet a bolt of lightning...

2010-09-11T21:45:00.004-05:00

So I finally finished and defended my master's thesis and graduated from Mizzou and moved to Dallas, Texas, to seek my fortune and am finally settled enough to resurrect vital life functions such as blogging and eating protein and sleeping.

A summer thunderstorm popped up out of the heat over my apartment this evening. When I looked out my window to investigate the source of the thunder, I saw an amazing sky (a staple of Texas, I'm finding) of several layers of clouds that had lightning bouncing around among them. I grabbed my camera and sat on the top step of my balcony for a few minutes before the storm either dissipated or ran away or hid (or a combination thereof. I'm glad I managed to get this picture (and this bolt - my first, I think) and am looking forward to shooting and blogging and enjoying my new city.

Meet B.

2010-05-08T16:45:00.002-05:00

Former roommate Brandon (who's not a stranger to this blog) is in town this weekend, so we grabbed breakfast at Café Berlin and had some laughs.

He is one of my favorite people on this funny little planet.

#30 of 30

2010-03-15T11:46:00.003-05:00

Self portrait.

(It's really hard to photograph your own eyeball.)

Wow, I actually did 30 posts in 30 days! It feels good.

#29 of 30

2010-03-14T22:37:00.001-05:00

Had some red pepper with dinner tonight. Delish.

#28 of 30

2010-03-13T23:59:00.002-06:00

This is a picture of how it feels to work on my thesis.

(Someone else also took a picture of the darkened photoj hallway for his/her 30-day project (was it Calin?), but I can't find the post right now and I'm really tired. I'll update you if I find it.)

#27 of 30

2010-03-12T15:24:00.003-06:00

And now, for something completely different...

I am doing some photography for Mizzou's Craft Studio (a truly phenomenal resource here on campus). This morning, while working on their requests, I did a little side project of my own. I think this is a good first draft--hopefully over the rest of the semester, I can find a wider variety of backgrounds. This still feels a bit drab, which the Craft Studio definitely is not.

#26 of 30

2010-03-11T10:26:00.006-06:00

I was in a picture-taking mood yesterday, so I have two different images to share with y'all:

A storm bearing down on suburbia and its Walmart. (That street is curved...)

David Rees working in his office. One of my favorite scenes around Mizzou, actually.

Update: I shot David and he shot back!

#25 of 30

2010-03-10T13:10:00.007-06:00

The quicker picker-upper.

(It's a stove-top espresso maker...)

#24 of 30

2010-03-09T15:41:00.000-06:00

Sad.

#23 of 30

2010-03-08T23:58:00.001-06:00

Churrrrlz.

Love.

#22 of 30

2010-03-07T14:10:00.002-06:00

Breakfast at Café Berlin is an essential Columbia experience.

@Justex07 and @SGatzke

Careful with that camera...

Great way to start the day.

#21 of 30

2010-03-06T22:02:00.003-06:00

Big day, lots of pictures:

Gyros at International Café with Josh and Sarah.

Devil's Icebox at Rock Bridge State Park.

Spelunking is considerably easier with headlamps and without SLR cameras.

Put a ring on it.

Good light, good outing, great friend.

#20 of 30

2010-03-05T16:29:00.002-06:00

My friend Sarah is in town from Boston and is making my life considerably brighter.

#19 of 30

2010-03-04T16:19:00.001-06:00

And so it goes.

#18 of 30

2010-03-03T12:51:00.001-06:00

Some long-lost Halloween pictures. Above, redefining Photo Melvin.

"Boobie trap"

#17 of 30

2010-03-02T15:43:00.001-06:00

The energy I put into trying to win over the gray kitty is ridiculous.

She still hates me.

Sigh.

#16 of 30

2010-03-01T10:55:00.000-06:00

Micro cheerleading.

#15 of 30

2010-02-28T22:38:00.002-06:00

"And he found his humanity amidst mounds of FOOD."

--Matt.

#14 of 30

2010-02-27T18:25:00.003-06:00

Philly with a point 'n' shoot.

(The Liberty Bell is back there somewhere; outside is Independence Hall.)

#13 of 30

2010-02-26T17:43:00.002-06:00

With my head in my thesis, I easily forget how much is happening around me (and in the world in general). I'm really glad I snagged this photo gig and was able to see Jessica Care Moore perform. I was reminded that there indeed is life beyond grad school.

#12 of 30

2010-02-25T10:50:00.000-06:00

Scenes from my momma's house.

#11 of 30

2010-02-24T13:33:00.000-06:00

Wednesday night trivia at Harpo's with JC and my team, the Never Nudes, has become an increasingly important part of my week. We've been playing together for almost two years.

Chad, our captain and staunch support of all matters Ohio, and Justin, who always seems to know the most random things. (Well, everyone is like that on our team...except me.)

(Jess is the best waitress in the whole wide world.)

#10 of 30

2010-02-23T10:21:00.004-06:00

Former roommate Brandon. Above, he was doing a practice run of his Master's research presentation. Below, we were having one of our many hilarious chats at home. We met through my breaking the ice assignment during my first weeks here at Mizzou.

#9 of 30

2010-02-22T12:58:00.000-06:00

Off-campus housing.

#8 of 30

2010-02-21T01:23:00.001-06:00

Defining details.

#7 of 30

2010-02-20T22:08:00.000-06:00

Ms. Anjali Pinto

#6 of 30

2010-02-19T14:53:00.001-06:00

I doubt there would be anyone stupid enough to try to steal his laptop.

#5 of 30

2010-02-18T21:26:00.002-06:00

"Just remember, in six months, this will all be over,"

she said to me over coffee after I whined about my thesis.

I should have told her the same thing about her wedding planning.

#4 of 30

2010-02-17T12:57:00.003-06:00

Friend and fellow photographer Will Lounsbury is caught in a moment of ennui in the photojournalism hallway of Lee Hills Hall.

Or maybe he was just hungry.

(And I swear on a stack of seven pancakes that the vignette happened on its own, thanks to the 28mm and the way the lighting is there.)

#3 of 30

2010-02-16T15:39:00.007-06:00

I came across this cover while collecting data for my thesis. Legendary photography magazine, LIFE, was reintroduced to publication for a while, beginning in late 2004 and ending in 2007. The paper I was looking through was one to carry it as a supplement.

"When I was 8," I had a camera that I'd gotten out of a "free" bin at a garage sale. I took "pictures" with it, despite not having any film for the camera. I liked the sense of accomplishment that came with winding the film advance lever.

How do you finish the sentence "When I was 8..."?

#2 of 30

2010-02-15T09:36:00.002-06:00

Saw a sign at the store advertising "Ugli Fruit, 2/$3!" Thought I'd give it a whirl.

Originally discovered in the wild in Jamaica around 1920, it is believed to be a hybrid of the Seville orange, the grapefruit and the tangerine. Has a mellow sweetness and subtle tang.

#1 of 30

2010-02-14T18:26:00.003-06:00

"Peoples' imperfections are what attracts me to them.

It's their flaws that make them beautiful."

--Andy

Meet a few of my favorite things (mostly people)

2009-12-15T01:21:00.003-06:00

I'm finally catching up with my blogging and have a few random pictures from the several trips I took to Boston this summer while living in NYC. I decided just to lump them all into one post. Enjoy!

A Holga sunset on Comm. Ave. I miss BU.

Andy's always got his head in the clouds, which is why I love him. One of the freest spirits I know.

Cal & Kym after we napped in a park in the North End during their visit from Australia. Love love love these two and was so very glad I could see them while they were stateside.

My friend Tyler is preparing to be a minister and let me tell you, he's already a pretty darn good one.

Toward the end of one of our many deep conversations, this one in the basement of Marsh Chapel.

Meet the Bronx

2009-12-15T01:03:00.005-06:00

While living in New York City this summer, my explorations took me to all five boroughs and, not surprisingly, the new Yankee stadium was my excuse to visit the Bronx. As a Red Sox loyalist, however, I had a rule that I would go only if I didn't have to pay for the ticket. As it so happened, a friend I met in the city called me about three hours before game time one Sunday with a free ticket (in a really, REALLY good section), so I scrambled to get myself up there to see this new billion dollar stadium.

And, there it is, shot with my Holga. Pretty nice place and, though it pains me to say so, I got to see ARod hit a home run in his home stadium.

I strong-armed my friend Cassie into joining me because I thought the phrase "I have tickets" meant two tickets but it didn't, though she got in with a ticket anyway after a really hilarious story that, sadly, can only really be told by her and she hasn't blogged about it yet. She had the best sunglasses for making fun pictures.

Meet Mr. & Mrs. Bennett

2009-11-25T13:58:00.006-06:00

Here, finally, are some pictures from when my friend Staci got married in August in Iowa. It was a beautiful (albeit sweltering, temps were definitely three digits) outdoor ceremony and a lovely indoor reception at her parents' place in the country. I had a lot of fun shooting these two crazy kids, having fun especially with my film cameras - Holga, Minolta Autocord, Pentax K1000 and even a Lomo fisheye.

Ode to Grant Wood

From the pseudo engagement photos, taken the day before the wedding.

Cute!

Hangin' out, gettin' ready, bein' shmoopy.

BRIDEZILLA!

Just before the ceremony.

New suit.

Married smooch.

"And they lived happily ever after."

Meet Mr. & Mrs. Smith

2009-11-24T16:46:00.003-06:00

Continuing along with summer wedding posts, here are pictures from when my friends Emily and Austin got married in August. Though they live in NYC now, they tied the knot in our home state of Iowa and were kind enough to schedule their wedding on a day that let those of us in town for the wedding also hit up the Iowa State Fair. (And if you're from Iowa, you know how big of a deal the fair is.)

I've known both of these kids since middle school--14 years total--and actually knew them both independently before they started dating at the end of our senior year. Again, it was so cool to reconnect with our high school crew and to see a couple so happy and in love. The reception was amazing and I was too busy dancing and laughing to take many pictures, though I think the shot of their first dance together is my favorite.

The ceremony.

Picture time!

I really loved those ties.

Such simple elegance - the whole wedding was gorgeous.

I think this sums them up pretty well.

This picture always makes me laugh.

Aw...

Meet Mr. & Mrs. McLeod

2009-11-24T16:16:00.006-06:00

I'm sorry for neglecting the blawg, dear readers. I found a bunch of photos from the summer that I forgot to post, so during this Thanksgiving break, I'll be putting up some catch-up posts for you to enjoy with your turkey.

So, I'm reaching that age where my friends are starting to get hitched, which means I can actually attend a wedding, rather than just photograph it (Don't get me wrong, though. I actually LOVE photographing weddings! Hire me for yours!)

The first couple whose nuptials I witnessed this summer (was invited to five, made it to three) are Chris and Alex, who I know through our time served at BU's Daily Free Press. It was great to see them and to see some friendly faces from the newsroom. I got to go to the rehearsal dinner and actually chat with them a bit and then had a great time the next day at the DFP/BU table. Chris and Alex have been one of the greatest, kindest, most inspiring couples I've had the fortune of knowing and I was honored to get to share in their big day at their elegant wedding.

A quiet moment at the rehearsal dinner.

Such a lovely bride! (And such an elegant wedding!)

Hitched!

First dance.

The groom and his mother break it down.

Basically, this is how our table was for the entire reception.

Meet the MU Homecoming Step Show

2009-10-24T18:23:00.003-05:00

I went to a step show today -- my second, I think (I went to one of Boston University's Soulstice shows). It was pretty awesome to finally witness first-hand all the stepping and strolling and traditions of the various fraternities and sororities. I brought my camera, because that's what I do, and ended up capturing a few images I thought I'd share with you here.

If you're really interested in the subject, check out the work by my friend Jarrad Henderson.

Meet an Iowan sunset

2009-10-19T09:50:00.005-05:00

[ Note: This post looks best/most accurate when viewed on the most recent version of Safari. But I hope you enjoy them no matter what browser you're using. --Management. ]

Yesterday, I was driving home from a visit to my mother up in Iowa and I kept noticing how beautiful the fields were and thought about how amazing the sunset would be. Since I had a camera and was in no great hurry, I pulled off Highway 163 onto Route 14 near Monroe and drove around through the back roads (all gravel), essentially chasing the sunset.

It was worth every second. This was one of the best sunsets I've seen in a long time and my photos don't even begin to do it justice. A hundred and eighty degrees of technicolor neon brilliance. At one point, it didn't even look real.

The last shot was taken right after the sun sank below the horizon. I didn't add that vignette, that's how it came out of camera. I dig it, though, and think the image feels warm and cold at the same time. What do you think?

Meet some MPW outtakes

2009-10-14T20:24:00.007-05:00

Below are some of my favorite pictures from the Missouri Photo Workshop in Festus, Mo., that didn't make my final edit. Enjoy!

Meet Main Street USA

2009-10-04T00:29:00.008-05:00

Tonight was the final night of the 2009 Missouri Photo Workshop, which was such a tremendous, heartening experience for me that I can't yet put it into words. But I do have my final collection of pictures, an essay on "Main Street USA." I'm very happy with my images and very happy with the final product of my first attempt at a photo essay. Infinite thanks to my faculty members, Maggie Steber and John Isaac.

(I very, very highly recommend viewing this in full screen mode. Click the icon with four arrows in the lower right corner of the display.)

More photos from the workshop will be posted eventually.

Thanks for looking! What do you think?

Meet Charles

2009-09-26T02:40:00.001-05:00

Meet my Minolta Autocord and the PhotoJ picnic

2009-09-23T12:54:00.004-05:00

I finally got the film back of the photos I took at the previously posted Photojournalism "Welcome Back" picnic. I shot a roll of Ilford 50 ISO on my Minolta Autocord, metering with my Weston Master selenium meter. Nerdalicious. I'm still getting a hang of how best to shoot with the camera, particularly the focusing method, but here are some fun pictures.

Proof that Jakob Berr has successfully transitioned to American culture.

It wouldn't be a proper photo gatheration without a few photos of photographers photographing themselves taking photographs. (Yes, you read that right.)

See what I mean? Clint, with Kevin lurking in the background.

Photojournalism has never looked so cool.

Rita and Calin talk about serious things.

Rick is grillin' like a villain.

David and Calin made fire. They are proud.

Meet the St. James Grape and Fall Festival Parade

2009-09-12T20:58:00.005-05:00

--OR--

"We're On A Float! Winnin' plaques 'n' s***. We've got our spandex, and our flippie-floppies"
(To understand the reference, see this SNL digital short: On A Boat)

So my friend Josh Bickel edited a photo book on St. James, Missouri, for his Master's project and it was just published so he and his adviser/our professor Rita Reed and those of us photographers with work in the book who are still in the state built a big book float and rode in the town's Grape and Fall Festival parade today.

Photog's note: I shot these on 400-speed black and white film with a red filter.
Hellooooo, grain.

A giant book, which was then tethered to Josh, who was riding on a bike, "Bookin' it to St. James."

A Romanian and a German looking very American.

He's such a cherub.

Josh and a whole lotta spandex.

The float won first place among groups/organizations!

Josh is ready to go.

Rita said "we need to make sure to get shots of this float from the ground," so Jakob leaped off the bed of the truck, hit the deck and took this picture. She trained us well.

The photogs hit the pavement.

"We're on a float!"

Josh pulled that book for the whole parade. He was plumb tuckered out.

Meet the PhotoJ cookout

2009-09-10T17:54:00.006-05:00

To kick off the new semester, the Photojournalism department here at Mizzou had a gatheration of sorts at Stephen's Lake Park with some food and fire and shenanigans. Stay tuned on this event, though, because I took (what I hope are some) sweet photos with my Minolta Autocord, but I won't have them until next week. Until then, however, here are a few nice pictures.

"DRINK THE KOOL-AID!" says Keith, my thesis chair.

Jarrad is one of my favorite shining faces in the department. He gives great hugs.
Check out his photos here at his blawg.

Considering this film was ISO 200 and I didn't have a tripod and the sun had set, this image isn't that bad...

Meet the Missouri State Fair

2009-09-10T17:34:00.004-05:00

Sorry for such a long delay in posts. I've got a ton of photos from my last weeks on the East Coast, plus a pile of weddings, but my last semester of grad school is underway and I'm still trying to figure out how to balance my time. Anyway, that's not why you're here. You're here for photos! And photos I've got.

Before classes started, I went to the Missouri State Fair with some fellow J-School nerds. I am a true-blood native Iowan and will defend the superiority of its state fair to the death, but the Missouri State Fair surprised me with its offerings and "quality" food. The only thing we couldn't find were deep-fried candy bars, but something tells me that was for the best.

I've been playing around with my Pentax K1000 and the various lenses I have for it. I must say, I'll always love film more than digital. I just like the way the pictures feel and the mechanical sounds of the camera when I use it. You just can't beat it.

Deep-fried cheese on a stick for $4. It was like a grilled cheese sandwich but without the pesky bread part. Worth every penny.

I went to my first-ever circus and it was both free and AWESOME.
To quote myself, "That was the best first circus EVER."

DUDE, she almost touched the top of the BIG TOP!

This is a picture of 1900 people setting the Guinness World Record for most simlutaneous soda-Mentos geysers. As my friend Chad said after witnessing the feat, "That makes me really proud to be a part of Missouri."

We took in a few pig races. In the final, music-themed round, our corner was assigned to cheer for Squealy Nelson and our pig won! (Photographer's note: this was taken in the "Hail Mary" position and I am quite proud of the results.)

Time to go home after a long and fulfilling day at the Missouri State Fair. (Don't worry, Iowa State Fair, you will always have my heart.)

Meet my Andykins

2009-07-20T15:21:00.003-05:00

While visiting Boston, I always sleep on the couch of my good friend Andy and in my time with him, there's at least one impromptu photo shoot, if not more. At the beginning of the summer, we managed to work in two, one while he was ironing his clothes for work and one while we were playing on a nearby playground. Love this kid.

Meet Holga fun, part 2

2009-07-18T13:57:00.005-05:00

I got the second roll of my Holga photos back the other day. The roll was Fuji Reala ISO 100, a film I've known to be a bit hyper-saturated. Unfortunately, as indicated by ten of the 12 images, I have lost my sense of light metering and had no idea how much light was really needed for a proper exposure with such a low ISO. I blame my extensive work last semester with the Nikon D3 and nighttime/indoor photography. The good news is, however, that I made two pictures that were properly exposed. So, here they are:

This is the view from out my bedroom window, during a sunset that peeked through after one of our many summer rain storms.

This is the Stonewall Inn in Greenwich Village. This landmark, like a lot of the points of interest I've seen in the city, was one I stumbled upon almost accidentally. Everywhere you go here, there's something historical or interesting or both. (The other day while waiting for my bus to Boston, I found myself standing outside the death place of Nikola Tesla, one day before his birthday.)

Meet New York City Tourism

2009-07-18T13:39:00.004-05:00

About a month ago, I had a delightfully touristy day with my friend and Mizzou colleague, Cassie, who is also in the city, but being far more productive than I as she works as an intern at a magazine. We walked the Brooklyn Bridge, got some ice cream at Brooklyn Ice Cream factory, took the Staten Island Ferry, saw the Statue of Liberty and spent 40, uh, lovely minutes on Staten Island, waiting for the boat back to Manhattan.

(A Canon 20D isn't quite as good at a high ISO as the 5D Mk II...)

Meet ISO 6400

2009-07-18T13:24:00.003-05:00

The hooligans of Daily Free Press past assembled at the end of May for an alumni event, but I couldn't get there until after the gig I was working that evening. I showed up just after midnight, after the party had relocated to a rooftop in Beacon Hill, which had absolutely no light.

Using a borrowed 5D Mark II set at ISO 6400, I made these three pictures in what, to the eye, looked like almost pitch black settings (safety note: the rooftop had a very high ledge; don't be worried). I had to focus using distance, since I couldn't tell and the auto focus certainly couldn't tell if anything through the lens was in focus. Not the greatest shots, but pretty cool that I was even able to make them.

The Boston sky at midnight.

Dave, lit by his iPhone.

I think this is a fairly accurate portrait of beloved former editor, Dan Atkinson.

Meet Sarah at the Seashore

2009-07-18T12:16:00.004-05:00

My favorite part about visiting (or living in) Boston is easy access to the seashore. Growing up in Iowa didn't afford many opportunities to visit and splash around in a vast body of water (shocking, I know), so if the weather is decent, I try to say hullo to the Atlantic when I'm in town. Earlier this summer, my friend Sarah took me to a nice beach in Nahant, which is north of Boston. It was a perfect day to kick around in the waves.

Meet my summer Holga and New York City

2009-07-08T04:06:00.005-05:00

The last two months of this past spring semester were the hardest two months of my entire life, Red Sox experience included. I got to New York City for my summer excursions and was beyond burnt out.

So, I decided to buy a Holga and some 120 and make some fun pictures for myself. I just got my first roll back today and thought I'd post my five favorites (out of 12...also known as the five that turned out; shot on Ilford XP2 400). I just took in a roll of color film, which I'll pick up and post next week when I return from Boston. But for now, enjoy:

A jazz trio in Washington Square Park

When the weather isn't so great, the LaGuardia flight path pays us a visit.

Thanks to all the June rain, I can actually drown out the sound of a 747 30 seconds before it touches down.

Times Square, to which I have a curious attraction. I like the giant man "on the street" in the left, a byproduct of me not winding my film far enough.

People just chillin' in the middle of Times Square, where there are tons of folding chairs available for your sitting pleasure.

Meet the Boat Mitzvah

2009-07-08T03:02:00.011-05:00

I worked a really fun gig at the end of May when I was back in Boston: A bat mitzvah...on a boat, which sailed around Boston Harbor. Ergo, "Boat Mitzvah."

I successfully avoided sea sickness, dropping things/self into ocean, losing my balance. And while I was working hard to not mess up in that respect, I made some nice pictures. It was pretty easy to do, though - this group knew how to have a good time. Here are a few of my favorites:

When I made this picture, I finally relaxed. This felt like THE picture of the event. And I got it.

The lady of the hour.

Whenever I look at this picture, Paul Simon's "Father and Daughter" starts playing in my head, though that wasn't the song to which they danced. (It was a rare James Taylor track...same difference, right?)

He was doing the ad-libs for "Shout!" and, may I say, he was KILLIN' 'em.

Like I said, these people knew how to enjoy a great party.

Meet Momma Sexton (again)

2009-07-08T02:59:00.003-05:00

I think Mother and I have figured out this photographer/subject duo.

Here are my two favorites from when she drove down to Columbia to help me pack up my apartment for the summer and we did a quick "Facebook photo update" session.

Meet deliciousness

2009-07-02T10:48:00.003-05:00

I've been baking these brownies for as long as I can remember. In fact, yesterday, when I called my mother for the recipe, she told me she bought the book that the recipe is in when she was pregnant with me. Yesterday, we had a guest stay at our house, so for that occasion, and because I was hankerin' to bake something I knew would turn out, I made these (all from scratch, frosting too):

(Doesn't it look like the plate is happy? I'd be happy too, if I were that plate.)

Meet Dean Elmore

2009-07-02T10:05:00.003-05:00

While having a fun night out with a pile of BU/Daily Free Press photogs, we found ourselves in the same bar as Dean Elmore and some of the lovely gentlemen from his office. We said hi, we joined them and it turned out to be a really fantastic evening.

The best, most poignant part of the evening was when, while we photographers were photographing something or adjusting something photographic, Dean Elmore said, "You guys are so cool," and I said, "I think you're the first person ever to tell us that."

He is the coolest Dean of Students ever in the history of life. Seriously, if you don't go to BU, you need to be very jealous of us.

Meet a gaggle of BU photogs

2009-07-02T09:31:00.004-05:00

When I was in Boston, I was able to put together a small assembly of BU photo students and alumni at BU's classy Dugout Cafe for a night of joy and merriment and shooting each other in the face with cameras. I do believe it was a 5:7 cameras-to-people ratio. It was a really lovely time and we eventually got around to talking about important things and hanging out with Dean Elmore, once we were tired of photographing ourselves photographing ourselves photographing...

Point-blank portrait session. She had a flash. I did not. Ow.

There are about 3829 photographs like this from that night, just different people and different backgrounds. This one features Brooks Canaday, Sarah Beth Glicksteen and Kristyn Ulanday.

Brooks, sporting the poor man's ring flash, a decidedly un-lightable roll of gaffer's tape.

Yes, we did rig some lighting at this event. Obviously.

Now tired of photographing one another, the photogs switch their focus(es) to photographing photography equipment on the table. It's the only way we could have gotten nerdier.

Dominick, eyes glistening from the the hope and opportunity stirred up while speaking with Dean Elmore, the excitement of the night and maybe a few other things.

It's Brooks! And he's happy to be here!

Meet the Sox v. Mets at Fenway

2009-07-01T18:07:00.007-05:00

At the end of May, when I was in Boston, I was given the opportunity to go back to my old stomping grounds and photograph the Red Sox's game against the Mets at Fenway Park. I didn't get any award winners (I hadn't shot baseball since October 2007), but it was a gorgeous night for some baseball and, along with seeing the (highly talented) Boston photographer crew, I got a few decent (bloggable?) images. Thanks to Mike Ivins for inviting me back and to Brita Meng Outzen for lending me a 400.

Brooks Canaday, one of the photo interns and one of the Fenway crazies. Nice guy.

MLB hazing isn't humiliating, it's cute. (And that's a Japanese language/culture guide in that side pocket.)

Jacoby Ellsbury adjusts his pant leg after stealing third base.

Kevin Youkilis dives back to first base safely.

Pretty nice view of Fenway from the third base pit, eh?

The Green Monster guy watches to make sure he finishes changing the scores before the inning starts. The game score and some of the out-of-town games can be updated from inside the monster, but the slots further out have to be changed with a ladder from the outside.

Kevin Youkilis snags a throw from the pitcher to pick off Mets player Gary Sheffield.

Red Sox manager Terry Francona talks with the umpires about a home run call made from instant replay after a ball hit off the top edge of the Green Monster.

In anticipation of rain, the Fenway grounds crew put the tarp over the infield.

Boston photographers Matt Lee, Matt Healey and Winslow Townsend file images after the Mets game...

...so long, in fact, that the lights of Fenway are turned off.

The inside of Fenway park with the stadium lights turned off. Seems kinda lonely to me.

Meet Banana Bread

2009-06-08T00:30:00.002-05:00

Things are finally beginning to settle down after the whirlwind of the past semester and a trip to Boston and a relocation to New York City (just for the summer, shall be back in Columbia, MO, for the fall). I have many photographs to share with you and thought I'd start off with a post showcasing the banana bread I made with the roommate tonight. I couldn't get over how photogenic it was - such pretty, textbook-definition banana bread. I'm only sorry that I can't post samples for you all to taste.

Meet Joshua

2009-05-14T08:38:00.004-05:00

Joshua from Phoebe Sexton on Vimeo.

This is the final project for my Picture Story class, the capstone course in the Photojournalism sequence. I will come back and talk about this when I've had a little more sleep and a little more time, but for now, let me say that I think this is the best work I've done so far in my career. I don't think I could have shot this when I first got to Mizzou or even at the beginning of my semester. I plan to keep working with my subject on a long-term project and am forever grateful for his openness and candidness. I appreciate the trust he had in me to tell his story and hope I did it justice.

Meet "isolated"

2009-04-26T21:20:00.002-05:00

I tried to make a picture of my mood. Do you think it is successful?

Meet an award-winning multimedia...ist(?)

2009-04-21T21:43:00.003-05:00

I learned today (via Twitter, actually) that my LBC Gospel Choir project won first place in the Student Society for News Design (SSND) competition this year.

Announcement here:

http://ssnd.wordpress.com/2009/04/21/multimedia-winners-announced/

Analysis from one of the judges here:

http://www.innovativeinteractivity.com/2009/04/21/analysis-on-2009-ssnd-multimedia-entries-and-winners/

Hooray!

Nostalgia Friday: Beisbol Island

2009-04-18T01:13:00.006-05:00

The summer of 2005 was the first summer I spent away from home and I spent it living in Boston. Well, technically, we were in Allston (Rock City!), which is squished right up against Boston and the only reason you can really tell the difference is that you're surrounded by crappy student-infested apartments, rather than Boston University buildings and facilites.

When I wasn't working part-time at a retail photo store or part-time at BU's Office of Photo Services, I was hanging out with the hooligans I knew and had grown to love through our time together at The Daily Free Press ("The independent student newspaper at Boston University," as well you know). A small herd of these gentleman decided to rent a whole house at 20 Wadsworth, which was just down an alley and across a couple streets from the basement apartment I shared with my friend John Tozzi.

As the summer drew on, their place became known to many as T'Wads a magical land of grilling and poker and hookah (pictured; just fruit-flavored tobaccos, I assure you) and the natural disasters party and who could forget the epic 5:30 a.m. spontaneous bike ride in the wide-open streets of downtown Boston. We were young and carefree and full of ourselves and determined to make every night one for the ages. My absolute favorite parts of that revered summer, however, were the lazy afternoons with Nils Reid, fellow DFP photographer:

[ shot on 3200 in a room lit by one wimpy little bare bulb. Hooray, grain. ]

For the bulk of the summer, we stuck to a fairly basic schedule: We'd work in the morning (Nils was a bike messenger...for most of the summer, at least) and return to Allston Rock City in the afternoon. I'd change and walk over to T'Wads, where Nils and I would turn on the Red Sox games (and possibly the air conditioning), set up the hookah and settle into our assigned seats (he had the arm chair, I had the love seat), maybe crack open some beers and definitely watch some baseball.

Some days, we'd talk about work or about the future or laugh about the past. Some days, we'd just sit there in silence thinking about how cool it was that the Sox finally won the series so the whole city of Boston could just relax already. One day, Nils and I got off on a random--albeit creative--tangent and created a world we called "Beisbol Island," which was further defined with the help of our friend Bob Henne. I couldn't possibly explain the intricacies of this creation in one blog post, if ever, but I can tell you that Beisbol Island has its own special form of sign language and if you're one of the few people in this world who knows what I'm talking about, you're probably giggling (Bob, this means you). I only wish I had a photo that truly captured the essence of Beisbol Island.

Anyway, Nils and I hung out most of that summer, being terrifically lazy bums. Yet everyday around the sixth or seventh inning, it would happen, without fail. We'd both be in our respective vegetative states, lounging and staring, and the faint but discernible chimes of the neighborhood ice cream truck would suddenly ring out across the neighborhood. Nils and I would always look at each other wide-eyed, like kids, knowing that if we didn't act fast enough, the guy wouldn't stop at our corner. So we'd bolt up off the couches and go from zero to 60 looking for cash and sprinting out the door, down the block to get our ice cream cones. We'd then walk back, grinning like we found gold, settle back in our spots for the rest of the game and talk about what an awesome summer it was, here and on Beisbol Island.

Meet Lucy, Mizzou's Piano Technician

2009-04-16T01:24:00.001-05:00

Here is my video for the job profile assignment in Picture Story. As a long-time piano player myself, I really enjoyed working on this and was surprised by how much I learned. I thought Lucy had so many wonderful quotes; it was truly a challenge to get it down to this length. This is my first truly public attempt at video shooting and editing and my second overall. Enjoy:

Perfect Pitch from Phoebe Sexton on Vimeo.

Meet the rally cap

2009-04-12T11:19:00.004-05:00

With Boston University trailing Miami (Ohio) 3-1 in the third period of the 2009 NCAA National Championship hockey game (easily the greatest game of hockey I (or anyone) have ever seen), there were certain things that had to be done. Jack Parker called a timeout. He then pulled the goalie with four whole minutes still to play. So I did what I could to help by donning the rally cap. Primarily a baseball practice, the rally cap does not easily translate into other sporting venues (I attempted to rock one during a Mizzou football game and it failed miserably on all fronts), but I think that Boston is a city that allows the rally cap whenever necessary, bet it a 2004 Red Sox playoff game or a slow Friday afternoon at work. Or a run at a national championship.

I spent the next three minutes with my fingers wrapped up in the band of my rally cap until BU scored a goal with 59.5 seconds remaining. I retrieved the cap from across the room and dug in again. With 17.4 seconds left in the game, BU erased a 2-goal deficit to send the game into overtime. After calming myself down from one of the greatest comebacks I'd ever witnessed, I anxiously tugged at the cap for the next 11 minutes of play, until Colby Cohen deflected the puck off a Miami player and into the net. Again, I flung my hat across the room while jumping up and down, yelling things and frightening the neighbors. What a fantastic ending to a fantastic game.

While a part of me wishes that I were posting photos from the game and the on-ice celebration, since I photographed the team for so many years (seven), I am also happy that I had a chance to watch the games of the tournament as a fan, wearing team colors, cheering and cursing when needed, and, most of all, that I could celebrate as fervently as my friends and the players did when we clinched the title. I didn't have to concentrate on snapping the soon-to-be-iconic jubilation shots or jostling (without falling) on the ice or meeting a filing deadline. For once, I just got to watch and yell and scream...and yes...cry.

Go BU.

Nostalgia Friday: Boston University Hockey

2009-04-10T18:24:00.009-05:00

"Though you only get four years as a student,
you get a lifetime as a Terrier."
[ Joe Rouse ]

How exciting that my 100th blog post is about my beloved Boston University Terriers. I earned my undergraduate degree (BS (ha) in Photojournalism) from Boston University and spent a significant portion of my time photographing the men's hockey hockey team. I was able to photograph a lot of great players and a lot of great men out on the ice, got to see the transition to a new arena and my own transition to digital photography.

Some of my greatest friends, greatest moments and greatest memories are deeply rooted in the Boston University hockey tradition, and in honor of their appearance in tomorrow's NCAA National Championship game, I am posting images from my first full season covering the team as a sophomore and photographer with The Daily Free Press ("the independent student newspaper at Boston University").

These photos come from back when I shot with two rolls of 36-exposure film (ISO 1600) for an entire 60 minutes of hockey using a Canon Rebel (with absolutely no hint of a motor drive) and a 70-300 3.5-5.6 zoom lens (think about that for a minute). These are from the days of Walter Brown Arena and Section 8, of Faro and Mags and Fieldsy. That season was a crucial part of my college experience for so many reasons and, even though it was far from being a year for the record books, I loved every second of it. When it was finally over, I was so moved by my time in the rink that I wrote an overly-schmaltzy editorial for the Freep (and when a college photographer voluntarily writes an article, that's really saying something).

So anyway, here are some of my favorite shots, scanned from the original negatives (which were mailed to me by a kind editor who noted that with the vast digital archive they now had, they never looked at the film archives, which is sad, because there are so many wonderful images hidden away in those neg sleeves). I've included captions and some of these captions contain jokes that are only funny to those who were there for them and I hope you can indulge me in not explaining them all just this once.

These images are a record of where I, as a photographer, truly began.

BU's David Van der Gulik nets a goal in over-time at the University of New Hampshire that gives BU a spot in the Hockey East Playoffs.

Whenever I think of my first season of BU hockey, this is the image that flashes in my mind.

Happy that the season isn't over yet.

Goaltender Sean Fields flashes his glove save at the University of Minnesota's Mariucci Arena in Minneapolis.

Steve: "Hey, my parents had a layover here once."

Goaltender Sean Fields denies a shot from a BC Eagle at Conte Forum. (Remember the home & home against UNH at WBA when he let in 8 and shut them out the next night for the first time in several seasons?

...That was pretty awesome. (well, the second part))

UNH fans know their Hockey East history and come prepared to taunt Ryan Whitney and the Terriers about the 2003 quarterfinal mishap.

(I don't have the heart to recount that; just Google it.)

Freshman Eric Thomassian battles with a UNH player at Walter Brown Arena.

Captain Mark Mullen battles with a University of Toronto player as David Van der Gulik looks for the puck during an exhibition game in Walter Brown Arena to kick off the 2003-2004 season.

And let us not forget: BC sucks.

Meet a family

2009-04-07T17:21:00.002-05:00

This photo is also in the previous post, but I think it is slightly buried and I wanted to highlight it because it's probably my favorite image from my time photographing Payton and his family.

Payton and his sister (who is wearing her Snow White dress) were ecstatic to see their dad when he came home from work that day and were climbing all over him (Payton is literally wrapped around his father's feet), asking him to dance and lift them up, swing them around. I enjoyed witnessing the interactions of this family.

Meet Payton

2009-04-05T11:13:00.003-05:00

Here are some images from a story I did about Payton, a six-year-old who chose to be baptized (in his faith, the individual has to consciously decide, unlike other denominations that automatically baptize or christen babies). The loose thesis of the story was "the religious life of a 6-year-old"/"raising a Christian child." In addition to the baptism, I went back to photograph the family at home, Payton's Sparks meeting (it's kind of like the Boy Scouts, but centered on Christianity, learning Bible verses, etc.) and a few hours of his home schooling.

I enjoyed shooting this - I think there are a lot of parts of this story to which people, regardless of their current religious life, can relate. And I have to say that Payton was one of the coolest, nicest kids I've ever met.

Nostalgia Friday: Shabbatlucks

2009-03-27T19:13:00.005-05:00

My good friend Sarah (whom you can find at www.sbglicksteen.com) introduced me to the tradition of Shabbat, the Jewish sabbath, or day of rest. She had these parties, each called a "Shabbatluck" where a whole pile of college kids would cram into her apartment and eat challah and drink wine and enjoy one another's presence. I really enjoyed them and would write more, but the sun is about to set and I want to be sure to keep the sabbath properly when posting about it on my blog.

(Not from Shabbat, but Sarah is on the left.)

Meet my momma

2009-03-27T12:46:00.005-05:00

It only took me ten years behind the camera, but I finally took a really nice picture of my mother. I like making her laugh and I finally got a picture of her laugh, even though I wasn't the source of this laughter. Enjoy:

Meet Eric Wright

2009-03-11T10:50:00.004-05:00

Here is the character profile with audio that I did for my picture story class. It was my first time doing an audio story on something other than a musical group, which made editing the audio much more difficult for me. I'm fairly pleased with how it turned out, though there are a few types of shots I wish I could have gotten. The color is a bit dull because I forgot to convert the images to sRGB and had already done all the timing in SoundSlides and I didn't have the time to re-sequence the whole thing. I have to rebuild the show in FinalCut, though, so I'll convert the images and repost.

Anyway, on to the project. I hope you enjoy it:

Meet Rugby

2009-03-04T02:50:00.005-06:00

Contrary to what my lack of blog posts may convey, I am actually taking a lot of photographs this semester, even a few that I actually like. I've got tons of things to put up here, but for now I'm taking the time to only post a few shots from a rugby match I shot last weekend. While at the pitch, I redid my "Five Points of View" assignment (I think), the edit for which you see here, plus two extras (the first two). More to come later.

(They, um, didn't win.)

Meet the Meramec Spring...

2009-02-17T19:24:00.002-06:00

I went to St. James, Missouri, for about 24 hours this past weekend to shoot a story for my graduate component in Picture Story. After meeting with the people I needed to talk with, I drove around aimlessly, enjoying the rolling hillsides and nice weather. I happened to catch a sign pointing to Meramec Spring and thought I'd check it out, since I'd never seen a spring before. It's impressive to see so much water just pop (er, "spring"...?) out of the ground like this. The area is also a fish sanctuary and had several pools chock-full of various sizes of fish. [Insert lame joke about "shooting fish in a barrel" here.]

Meet the Youth Day Gospel Concert

2009-02-16T23:37:00.004-06:00

I shot a youth gospel concert a few Saturdays back so I could make some contacts for doing a story on liturgical dance. Here are some photos!

Meet the published LBC Gospel Choir!

2009-02-13T14:07:00.002-06:00

After a lot of hard work by a lot of talented people, the LBC gospel story is live on the Columbia Missourian's website. A big, exciting print spread will hit newsstands tomorrow, but for now, check it out:

http://www.columbiamissourian.com/media/multimedia/2009/02/13/media/Archive/index.html

Woo hoo!

Meet my first season covering Boston University's men's hockey team

2009-02-09T22:53:00.004-06:00

Tonight, I listened from 1500 miles away as my Boston University Terriers claimed their 29th Beanpot Tournament title, wearing my BU hockey jersey and driving my Twitter followers mad with incessant updates reacting to Bernie Corbett's call.

While chatting after the game with some fellow Terriers, I suddenly remembered an article I had written for the opinion section of The Daily Free Press, the paper for which I began truly covering hockey. I cut my teeth with assignments here and there through the Boston University Office of Photo Services, but with Steve and Mike, with our road trips and access to behind-the-scenes, I started to understand not just the game of hockey, but the world of hockey.

And thanks to the Internet, keeper of eternal records, I found said article and am sharing it here. It's not just about hockey, but about my first season photographing hockey. I hope you enjoy it:

Learning the game, loving a team, all through the lens.

As my friend and fellow Freeper Joe Rouse wrote, "Though you only get four years as a student, you get a lifetime as a Terrier."

I have a photograph I want to post here, but it's on film and needs to be scanned. I'll update soon.

Also of note:
My first-ever published photograph of hockey, taken at the first hockey game I'd ever seen: http://tinyurl.com/aj5lgd

Meet the Super Bowl party

2009-02-01T22:48:00.002-06:00

Caption info gives a bit of insight into the images...but not much. Enjoy!

Meet my contribution to the Super Bowl party

2009-02-01T16:14:00.002-06:00

My legendary brownies, made from scratch with love. (Frosting, too.)

Meet Reynolds Journalism Institute

2009-01-28T08:42:00.002-06:00

I took this last October during a moment of Zen on my way to the library. These are the stairs into the amphitheater outside the new RJI building here on campus. Purdy.

Meet some football and some thinkin'

2009-01-27T02:12:00.007-06:00

About a week ago, I was digging through some folders, looking for a photo, when I found other photos from an assignment I keep forgetting I shot. I'm not sure why, but it keeps slipping my mind that I shot a high school football playoff game in Jefferson City last November for the St. Louis Post Dispatch. Real newspaper. Got paid, got a clip...plus it was sports coverage - my favorite. And, considering it was only the third time I'd photographed football ever, I was pleased with what I got. No real award winners were made that night, but here are a few of my personal favorites:

(If you're in the critiquing mood, #4 vs #5 and why? And image #2 is mostly just a photo of the weather conditions in which I was working.)

So, now for the second part of the title.

I'm in a class this semester that's really making me think (I know, the nerve) about my photography. Buzz words like "passion" and "personal" and "meaningful" are flying. We're on day three of this class and I'm already panicking. Probably because I'm thinking. And not shooting. I tend to do (or not do) these things.

I came to Mizzou to expand on my photo skills, which were firmly and fairly exclusively rooted in sports photography. I've made it a point while here to not shoot sports, to look for stories that in no way are connected to athletics or athletes or physical fitness or...well, you get the idea. And, aside from a wrestling picture (a bad one, at that) in February, some Show-Me-State Games coverage in the late summer (kickball, dodgeball, and geriatric darts - I hardly feel these count), and a few football slips in the fall, I've stayed pretty clean. Expanding the horizons. Getting out of the comfort zone. Learning new tricks. Yadda, yadda, yadda, personal growth and edification and such.

But then I looked through this Jeff City shoot. I thought about the experience. The game was frigid. Blustery. Excruciatingly cold. I could barely hold the metal cameras, lenses and monopod, even with the sexy grip gloves I had and, despite four clothing layers, two coats, a hat and a waterproof outer shell, I started shivering in the second half. At random points throughout the game, it rained, of course, and the wind was nearly constant. My 500mm lens kept spotting up from the rain, even though I had the hood on, had it wrapped in a trashbag, and kept it pointed down. The water was blowing up into the lens and also hampering the functionality of my glasses. Of course it was.

In addition to my personal trials on the sidelines, the team I was covering was having issues. They were kind enough to score a touchdown early in the game, right in front of me, so I could send that picture, but then the wheels fell off. I could only take so many pictures of their defense running away from me, after the opposing guy with the ball in the end zone, but I made my deadlines by camping out in the faces of fans and cheerleaders who were watching their team lose their playoff run and then forcing myself out on the field after the whole mess to document burly teenage boys openly sobbing and desperately trying to hide from me.

And I loved every damn second of it.

I did what I do best, which was photograph sports action and couldn't have been happier. The weather never bothered me, despite how terrible it was. I was prepared for it, knew it would suck, made the most of it. I made deadline, sent complete captions, gave coverage to both on and off the field, sent options. Sent good pictures. Rocked the assignment. Was encouraged to apply for an internship. Didn't destroy any equipment, didn't lose any fingers, wasn't hit by a football or a player.

Even though I hadn't been on a sideline in almost six months, I was home again, and never missed a beat. Fell right back in stride. In terms of how I felt during an assignment, that game was the high point of my time in Missouri.

My point here - and I do have one - is that maybe I've been trying so hard (too hard?) here to create a new passion when I already identified it. I seem to always want to take the toughest road I can find. If I'm too comfortable doing something, then it's just too easy and I'm not learning enough and I really must challenge myself more and move outside my comfort zone to grow as a journalist and a human and all of these other poetic things, yet all of this growth involves such an overwhelming gnashing of teeth and wringing of hands and, as you can see, late night blog posts about existential crises and ultimate purposes of grad school and life in general.

So, really now, what am I doing here?

---
[This question will be revisited, rehashed and, perhaps, if we're all lucky, may even be answered before too long. Hopefully before I graduate in December.]

Meet more of the LBC fall concert

2009-01-10T00:17:00.003-06:00

As you can see, today has been a photo-filled day and I finally made some time to go through my take from the LBC gospel concert that I shot at the end of last semester. I posted two photos right after the concert and those two images were probably my favorite of the evening, but below is a slideshow of the runners-up.

I'm still frustrated with this project. I still don't feel I have really shown the story. I keep missing the little telling moments that piece together an accurate portrait of this choir and this genre of both music and worship. Feedback is much appreciated. Also, I apologize for the graininess, but I was not able to check out a camera that could handle the church's low light, so I did what I could with my 20D and RAW files. I hope you enjoy:

Meet the Devil's Icebox...and Josh Bickel

2009-01-09T18:50:00.003-06:00

Josh and I took advantage of the amazing weather (it was 68 degrees when we went) and communed with nature at Rockbridge State Park, hiking to the Devil's Icebox and poking around a bit. We didn't realize that we needed flashlights to explore the caves, but we had some fun taking photos at the entrance. Please enjoy:

Nature is purdy, eh?

Josh Bickel, thinker.

Josh Bickel, statesman.

Josh Bickel, philanthropist.

Josh Bickel, intrepid newsman.

(I have already secured the rights for this photo to be used on the cover of any Josh Bickel biographical paraphernalia. Let me know if you want to order the t-shirt.)

Josh Bickel, nature lover.

Josh's photos can be seen at www.joshuabickel.com/blog

Meet my holiday card

2009-01-09T14:46:00.004-06:00

As one should do on one's winter break, I have been lazing about in a brilliant imitation of a pile of shoes or laundry and, as a result, have been woefully neglectful of my dear blog, though I have many images to post.

To ease back into the habit, I would like to share with you the image I shot for my "holiday card" (because I failed to get my act together in time to send out cards that would arrive before the most notable of winter holidays but could still be used to celebrate the dawning of the new year).

I shot it in my apartment (yes that is my (most beloved) K1000 modeling), then jazzed it up in Photoshop, had a stack printed up via one-hour photo and then taped the pictures to blank cards. I am quite happy with the final product - it's exactly what I was hoping to produce and share with my friends.

Meet LBC Gospel Choir's Fall Concert - part 1

2008-12-14T03:30:00.002-06:00

I work best when I have rewards waiting for me and tonight, while I plugged along on a paper, I decided my reward for doing such would be to post two photos on my blog from Mizzou's Legions of Black Collegians Gospel Choir's concert I went to Friday night. I'm working on filling in some gaps for my story, so I was glad to get to photograph them in a performance setting again.

Anyway, more on all of that later, here are two photos for you to look at:

Meet Phoebe, the early years

2008-12-13T11:19:00.004-06:00

Hooray, it's my birthday! I turn 25 today and so far, it's been going great. I got a cake from my Boot Camp family (...it's a j-school thing) and went out for some dancing and shouting and laughing. Lots of well-wishing AND, because I'm a Starbucks Gold Card Member, a free drink of my choice (and what a large one it is).

I am so happy.

So here are some of my baby photos, because those are always fun to look at:

I am pretty sure this is exactly 25 years ago:

6 months old:

A year...?:

And my kindergarten school photo:

Meet the feeling

2008-12-12T02:03:00.008-06:00

Last spring, when I first started here at Missouri and was trying to figure out how to be a non-sports photographer, I took the photo you see below for my portrait assignment. I liked the shot but couldn't figure out why. It wasn't technically strong, in my opinion. But still, I liked it.

David Rees, my professor at the time and Mizzou's own Yoda, articulated why I liked it: it didn't just show something, it showed how something felt. It wasn't just "this is what I saw" but also "this is how it felt."

"Really good photos don't just show you something, they also make you feel something." That's roughly what David wrote in my critique and it was a bit of an ah-ha moment for me that I still keep with me.

Below are a few photos from a jam session that broke out my last night at Hazel Kinder's Lighthouse Theater and one from backstage that, for me, also convey this. They stick in my mind for the simple reason that they show how the scene felt at the time. Dark and mysterious, perhaps, but with intense and purposeful light in just the right places. Like the riffs played to the basic melody that evolved on stage.

Understanding and shooting this kind of photography is why I came back to school.

(Saxophone player)

Meet Hazel Kinder's Lighthouse Theater

2008-12-11T12:30:00.008-06:00

Here is my contribution to my group's final project on Hazel Kinder's Lighthouse Theater. I took most - but not all - of the photos and edited the pictures and the audio.

UPDATE! Check out the full project here.

(Also, I highly recommend the new full-screen option. Click the box with the four arrows pointing outward to see a GINORMOUS presentation.)

Meet 1,000 words

2008-12-07T23:07:00.009-06:00

--or--

"Advanced Techniques of Photojournalism in a photographic nutshell"

In direct opposition to my previous post of optimism and serenity, I am putting up a picture that sums up the experience of using flashes/artificial light both for the subject and the photographer. I'm editing for my final project and found this very poorly executed gem in my outtakes.

I'm thinking 2009 CPOY...this screams "personal vision" (or lack thereof?).

(Sorry, mister.)

Meet simplicity

2008-12-07T12:50:00.002-06:00

At the risk of being overly poetic, let me tell you that last night, as I was parking my car, I had a moment of serenity where I was glad and thankful to be a photographer. I have the ability to see beauty in unexpected places and find myself appreciating somewhat random scenes. The parking garage was one of them. I looked out my window and thought "how pretty" and, after a few seconds, "how weird...to think that a parking garage is pretty." This morning, I spent several minutes watching the smoke from my incense waft around in the sunlight. Simple, beautiful scenes can bring such serenity.

For more waxing photographic, check this out.

Meet Multiple Flash

2008-12-03T19:41:00.001-06:00

(November 30, 2008 Columbia, Mo.) Alita Stoneking, left, and Tom Weisburger, from St. Peters, Minnesota, warm-up their instruments and fingers in the lobby of Hazel Kinder’s Lighthouse Theater Saturday afternoon before the theater’s first annual fiddle contest. Stoneking, who plays in fiddling competitions throughout the Midwest, won first place out of four fiddlers in the open division and Weisburger placed second. (Photo by Phoebe Sexton)

Lighting Diagram:

Meet Hazel Kinder's Lighthouse Theater (pt. 1)

2008-12-02T00:50:00.002-06:00

Some fun shots from the fiddling contest and bluegrass show at Hazel Kinder's Lighthouse Theater:

Meet Kevin, your multi-light assistant

2008-12-02T00:45:00.002-06:00

I wasn't paired with Kevin for the multiple light assignment, but since he's in my group and we were all working on our final project together, I got some fun shots of him assisting.

Slideshow examples

2008-12-01T18:24:00.004-06:00

Audio slideshow for class:

The Flower Show

---

While poking around online, I found it interesting that various universities' news/photo offices are doing multimedia. A sample:

Tufts:

Science Takes Center Stage

Harvard:
Harvard's Election Excitement

Boston University:
The Hot Seat

Meet some of my role models

2008-11-27T03:03:00.002-06:00

While in Boston, I was able to get some face time with a few of the folks who had a hand in helping me become the person and photojournalist I am today. Many thanks to them; I hope I can continue to make them proud.

Professor Mitchell Zuckoff, Boston University Journalism Department

---
Pastor Lorraine Thornhill, First Holiness Church

(her "oh, can I go there, Church?" face)

---
Vernon Doucette, Boston University Office of Photo Services

---
Professor Peter Southwick, Boston University Photojournalism Department

---
Professor Joe Lippincott, Boston University Photojournalism Department

Joe: "Phoeb! ...What the hell are you doing here?"
---
Justin Ide, Harvard News Office Assistant Director for Photography

I triple-dog-dare you to have a portfolio edit with him. Triple.Dog.Dare.

---
Rick Young, Boston University Office of Photo Services

Life is good.

2008-11-24T00:06:00.001-06:00

[ Tyler ]

Meet the Inner Strength Gospel Choir of Fall 2008

2008-11-22T02:17:00.004-06:00

The whole reason I am in Boston is to follow through on my personal dream to sneak back and surprise my choir for their concert. I tried to do it last year, but ended up canceling the flight because their Spring concert was far too close to finals week for me to both make the trip and pass school that semester. This Fall was one of my last chances to fulfill my dream and still have people in the choir who knew who I was, so I kept my trip super secret and strolled into sound check earlier this evening. For a first-person account of this, go here:

And now, for some pictures (nothing too innovative; all were taken from my seat area):

Tyler at the start of the [really awesome] liturgical dance.

I just like this photo. And she sang really, really well.

The choir had a huge amount of energy - it was wonderful to witness!

Herbert S. Jones, one extremely talented director.

This is my Dionte, with whom I used to sing in the front row of the tenor section. He had two really wonderful solos tonight; I'm so proud of him!

Everyone listening to Matlin's wise words.

I love Marsh Chapel (despite the fact the acoustics aren't too friendly with gospel music) and was happy to get to look at all its intricacies again.

Tyler was KILLING it as a director and brought some extreme joy and energy to his two songs.

It was an awesome concert with such great music - the trip was absolutely worth it.

[More to come from this event - stay tuned!]

Meet my fall Boston trip: first 24 hours

2008-11-22T01:58:00.004-06:00

I am in Boston and it is glorious. Some highlights:

Dominick showing off his scooter tricks in BU's photo-j hallway.

My boys Eron and Andy being some sort of ridiculous right before
we all decided to chop off about six inches of my hair.

Andy giving it up for the deliciousness of our dessert choice.

One of my absolute favorite T musicians. I was first hooked when he and his buddy would play the Park Street platform Wednesday afternoons at the time when I'd be on my way to Harvard News Office. Today, he was playing "Besame."

Meet Multi-Light Training Camp

2008-11-19T01:20:00.004-06:00

So, this is a light. And a very stern TA in the background.
(I was paying attention!)

Be safe: protect your equipment from Dynalight VD.

Esten keeps Rita on one lapel and David on the other so he can be a well-balanced,
driven photographer at all times. And because the buttons are super cool.

Woo hoo! Cross lighting achieved!

Now with fill light! Esten approves.

Apparently the cool thing to do in lab is be serious and point at the camera.
(PFal, why so serious?)

Things I forgot to say before I took this picture:
"Hey Esten, I'm going to take a picture of you holding that fill light." (sorry, buddy)

Break dance party.

"J-School Rocketman" -or- "Who needs wrists to photograph?"

Meet my ode to learning flash: labs in review.

2008-11-14T01:00:00.009-06:00

I didn't think I'd survive it, but I've made it through all the individual assignments involving flash for Advanced Techniques. A look back on the painful process for all to enjoy (or lament), done in the style for competition submission (amped up contrast, saturation AND vignetting: the trifecta):

Flash? Really? But...but...I can do fine with available light...

And flash just makes me that much more conspicuous to my subjects! (This shot was an intentional
homage to the amazing and hilarious laundromat shot we saw in class.)

Yeah, Jimmy, the idea of juggling another piece of equipment and
technical calculation makes me feel dead inside, too.

It's going to be okay, Will. We're all scared. Just wait it out.

I feel your pain, Anjali. Trust me, girl, I feel. Your. Pain.

Jakob's fancy German Leica flash has the ability to reach a higher power (badumpching).
He wastes no time calling out for help.

A huge, special, wonderful thanks to Catalin for holding our hands and drying our tears through this painful process.

Meet Balance Flash

2008-11-13T12:32:00.002-06:00

(November 13, 2008, Columbia, Mo.) Sonny Schwarte, a mechanic for Big O Tires on Broadway in Columbia, Mo., rolls a new tire through the garage to be washed before being placed on the car Thursday morning as he changes the tires on two different cars. Schwarte, who has worked at the garage for “a year and a day, exactly,” says he spends most of his shifts doing standard procedures such as tire and oil changes.

Extra assignment (Pop Flash):

(November 8, 2008, Columbia, Mo.) Dan Hatfield plays the steel guitar during a warm-up rehearsal of the Beacon Street Band Saturday evening at Hazel Kinder’s Lighthouse Theater near Columbia, Missouri. Hatfield, a Springfield, Mo., native, began playing the steel guitar and the piano in high school and enjoys country, bluegrass and gospel music.