American City Business Journal has had an ongoing photo competition since I started working for their Austin company last year.
For 4 quarters in a row now, I’ve led the company as the highest ranked photographer across 40+ major cities, as ranked by the photo departments of the Oakland Tribune and Columbus Dispatch among others. I’m extremely grateful for the support and trust that the editors have provided in allowing me to develop ideas into images; the writers also served a crucial role in developing leads and inspiration for me.
So here are some winners from the latest quarter’s competition:
Anne Shiflet and daughter Tate browse the handbags at Nordstrom’s. The Domain has brought high-end retail to Austin.
Buda resident Sam Braswell says a polluted creek has killed a flock of 50 ram. He’s worried Dexter has also been poisoned.
Wellness programs are being employed by businesses around Austin.
Employees at Build A Sign will be working in larger digs later this year. The company says its online strategy has proven to be very fruitful.
The Hilton Austin brought 800 rooms downtown when it opened in 2004. 2,000 hotel rooms across Austin are now in the planning stages.
Portrait of Paul Carozza, owner of RunTex.
Even though Christmas/Hanukkah/Festivus/Kwanzaa/et al are all over, the season of giving can continue at Kerbey Lane Cafe and online through the Luminary series.
Forty percent of the proceeds from the series will go to loans at www.kiva.org, empowering entrepreneurs in the developing world to lift themselves out of poverty. (see who I’ve loaned to already)
Ten mounted prints are now hanging at Kerbey Lane on South Lamar through the month of January.
You can also view and order online here.
Happy New Year!
In the last week, I’ve been introduced to Dietrich Bonhoeffer two different times. First, I enjoyed Public Radio’s interview with documentary filmmaker Martin Doblmeier. He explored Bonhoeffer’s legacy as a theologian–a legacy that took on another dimension when he was imprisoned and executed for participating in a plot to assassinate Adolf Hitler.
Then, my girlfriend’s brother and sister-in-law got me a compilation of his writings for Christmas.
I appreciate Bonhoeffer’s unshaken voice of faith and optimism in spite of the holocaust that surrounded him and the execution that awaited him.
And so I’ll end 2007 with these words from Dietrich Bonhoeffer:
Surrounded by good powers, faithful and still,
wonderfully protected and comforted–
in this way I want to live these days with you
and go with you into a new year…Wonderfully secured by good powers,
we confidently await what may come.
God is with us in the evening and the morning,
and most certainly in each new day.
I was recently accepted into the London College of Communication’s Masters Program for Photojournalism and Documentary Photography.
This is the first time they’re opening it up as a part-time online program.
There are 15 total students in the program, and it is directed by Paul Lowe.
I will continue to be based in Austin but will be working on the masters program for the next two years, starting in January.
Christmas was merry and full of family time.
I’m now back in full force from the appendectomy and seizing the days.
One of the partly-self-serving presents I gave my lady was the Sigur Ros movie, Heima. The Icelandic band has been one of my favorites for years. I’m usually listening to their invented lyrics and ethereal sound while post-processing images. The film follows the group as they tour around their motherland giving free, unannounced shows at intimate venues. The photography is beautiful. It’s sold me on traveling to Iceland. Enjoy the trailer:
My 2nd quarter as a member of the Wedding Photojournalist Association yielded another award in this quarter’s competition. The image below from Neal and Dan’s rehearsal won 7th place for the Ceremony Rehearsal category.
And here’s my current price list if anyone is looking for a great wedding photojournalist.
I recently launched a new site: photoprogress.org
It’s been a fun side project of mine for two weeks now–it serves as a daily blog, community, and forum for professional photographers.
It’s updated daily with portfolio samples, news, articles, videos, and anything else relevant to the professional photo world.
Have a look, register, and subscribe if you like it.
I was pleasantly surprised to have David Steadman contact me for another shoot for the UT publication, Focus On Science magazine.
The assignment was for another portrait of a professor. This time it was Lili Qui, a very sweet computer science professor who is working on a solution for wireless networking signals. Instead of having many central routers, her algorithms will allow a computer to pass on the signal, so one connection could serve an entire campus or village.
I took some inspiration from Loretta Lux for the portrait.
apologies for the long stint of being incommunicado.
i had some sudden extreme stomach pain early this week and found out in the emergency room that i had an inflamed appendix that needed to be removed. it was a very smooth and harmonious experience. i was out of the hospital in less than 24 hours and am now recovering for two weeks.
i’m enjoying finally having time to read again–currently working on paul krugman’s conscience of a liberal, and re-reading mary baker eddy’s miscellaneous writings.
it’s refreshing to have some time before the holidays for some meditative and introspective thought.
i’m blessed and grateful for the love and support of my family and friends.
This was my 2nd engagement shoot in two days at the end of a long week but was still full of energy and dynamic images with YuFang and Trent.
