dissolution

[if you've run into me in the past couple of months, you know what a debbie downer i've been. the mere thought of confronting my abilities as a photographer triggers an uncontrollable emotional response in me that makes people uncomfortable. that compounded with the unfortunate attitude about journalism these days that i've misguidedly absorbed has put me in this...weird place. 

whatevs. a new year approaches. a perfect excuse to toss all the bullshit out. including this rotting sandwich of a blog. a new one will come in a hot second.

introspection will be productive, no longer self defeating. shooting will be for the greater good, not the greater grade. ]

---

Brian Storm, of MediaStorm, spoke at Mizzou's school of journalism commencement ceremony and articulated positive things about the future of journalism that i'm keeping close to me during this time of personal change. take the time and read it here.

mah-car-ena

LA LLORONA - JUNE 15, 2008, BELLFONTAINE, OH.

her transmission just wont hold up. my car's final resting place will be athens, ohio. at first, i wasn't comfortable with that, but after thinking about what a fulfilled and exciting life she's had as a vehicle, i feel like it might be okay. when i picked her up in 2004 for 8g's, she only had a shitty sound system and cigarette burns on the roof --- evidence that she's always been taken for granted a little. after four years of me, most of her exterior is being held up with a complicated duct tape and string system. right turns mean listening to liquid roll across underneath her hood [it sounded like automotive tears and is how she earned her name "la llorona" -- the crying girl]. hills are a no-go. none of the passenger side doors work.

i know its just a thing, but i will miss my car. from miami to michigan, yo. i can't help but feel sentimental about my ride. i need to get rid of her and i know that no price can truly match up to how i will feel without my carrito and being that she is in bad of a state as she is, i will be lucky if i get $1000.

postcards from the space between

to break past the on-the-job tedium involved in being shy, i force myself to establish face-to-face relationships with the individuals and objects i photograph. i was very tired my last month in northwest ohio and made a lot of these kinds of images. i'm unsure what i was responding in these situations, but looking back at them will always speak volumes to me about how in the time around the shutter release.

at the end of the road

my last month in lima was much kinder to my soul than the nine preceeding months ever were. these are from my last week.

ladies nite!

so there's this kind of cheeseball club in lima that i had always been curious to go into. my last weekend there we slipped into their ladies night for dollar margaritas and amazing...atmosphere.

its actually this kind of amazing space in an old theatre that has been glammed out with 80s style geometric and glittery gimmicks. there was hardly anyone there, but the couple of girls on the floor danced away.

brynn, second-most enthusiastic proponent behind this field trip and avid shirley temple drinker.

oh, lima.

in the move, v1

LOS ANGELES, CA. JUNE '06.
in my recent move to athens, i found some images i had forgotten from a trip to the west coast.

smoke break scrapbook v1

MIAMI, FLA. JULY '07.
travis: boy toy extraordinare. i braved the hot rain that steamed the sliding glass doors outside his first apartment to puff on tobacco while he opted to stay dry and eat almonds as we both kept an eager eye on the oven heating up our breaded chicken at 1:14 a.m.

italian dinner

softball

discus thrower

more baseball

out my elida window

this weekend boys and their toys rolled into lima for all kinds of large truck related activities. i spent a couple of hours in the sun and light beer atmosphere for the sake of cultural understanding. here's some fotitos.

insights

the internet is wonderful:
here is a photo of my roommates fish, fausto carmoma. he's named after a great pitcher for the cleveland indians. he's very people-shy and likes to jump out of his vase. i spent the weekend feeding and watching it.

st. rose church festival

when i was assigned to cover this on saturday, i asked my boss:

"what's the st. rose festival?"

and he said:

"oh, its the festival at st. rose."

thanks man.