Wonder why I’m a photographer? Because these stories surround us. I have a camera and ask others to talk with me. Photographs and stories are one result. You don’t need a camera to ask others to talk with you. Everyone has a story. Learn to ask. Learn to listen.

My Final Photo

iPhone Diptic of travel sites

Japanese Magnolia blossom

My only smarts is my phone – It didn’t help that the weather on a Sunday was rainy and chilly. There were few people outdoors enjoying themselves, and that complicated my photo bike trek. Complicated it so much that the best photo of the day came from my iPhone from the benches beneath the crabapple tree in my front yard.

I’ve many photos from that tree. With kids climbing, hanging, running around, standing in their Easter finery under a shower of petals, and studies on pistils and stamens. [ Read More ]

Skateboarder in the shadows

Better communication using contextual composition – Earlier I watched a conversation on CreativeLive with Joey L and Chase Jarvis who answered a viewer’s question who wondered what they thought was the most disruptive aspect of modern photography.

Jarvis said context was having the most effect on photography echoing a previous CreativeLive conversation with Robert Scoble about technology. [ Read More ]

Fiddler on the lawn

Fiddler on the lawn – The day was almost over. Well, the part of the day where I carry around a set of cameras was nearing its end when I spotted Phil on his bike carrying musical instruments. Of course when he stopped for the signal I began a conversation resulting in learning he was headed to the lawn at Otterbein where he would be joined by other musicians for a practice session. [ Read More ]

Earlene Wandrey portrait

Earlene Wandrey book signing portrait in available light – One of the greatest aspects about a photographer is being able to attend private events and be a witness to other peoples lives.

Today was one of those days.

Earlene Wandrey returned to Westerville for a series of books signings for her biography “Walk in My Shoes.” She greeted old friends and family  at the first signing at Old Bag of Nails meeting room. [ Read More ]

Spilled ice cream at Graeters

No use crying unless you’ve dropped your ice cream – Graeters Ice Cream in Uptown Westerville isdouble test of my strength.

It’s a rare day that I don’t walk or ride my bike past Graeters in Uptown Westerville. It’s rare I stop for a photo although I often step inside to fill a water bottle. The test arrives to see if I can leave without buying ice cream.

When asked I tell people that there is no way I can go home with Graeters on my breath. My family would never forgive me for going without them. Sometimes I fear my family.

Today I shot a photo at Graeters. [ Read More ]

Photos before the prom

Photos before the dance – Not a lot to say about today’s My Final Photo except how much fun it is to observe and record the joy of so many people. [ Read More ]

The Gardiner Collection
iPhoneography.us
The American Scene Project
mnmlst
daily swatch colors

A slice of Americana. Beer, cars, and a flag.

Suburban house. Flag pole with a flag. Chevrolet in the driveway. Ford in the garage. Beer in the hands. NCAA basketball on the brain.

I stopped, introduced myself, explained the reason I’d stopped and found them interesting. Then I told them to ignore me as I went about my task of shooting photos.

Earlier in the day I’d shot baseball at Westerville South High School. It was the season opener and a double header against Buckeye Valley.
Read more about Baseball, Chevrolets and Fords, and beer in the blog post at My Final Photo.

Good Friday at St. Paul Church

Good Friday is a unique day for Catholics for more than all the obvious Easter related reasons.

This is the day the Tabernacle sits empty. It is the only day when the Blessed Sacrament is not in the church revered and protected in its place at the altar.

All adornment is removed, covered , or extinguished. Altar cloths are removed. Candles are extinguished. Statues are covered in purple cloth.

The celebration of the presence of Christ is removed from the church. For one day it is emptied of faith.

Good Friday Blessings at St. Paul at My Final Photo

Man with feather in his cap

I don’t visit Hoover Dam often during the winter. It’s too stark and void of people.

As the weather begins to change in early spring there is a hint of color along the eastern shoreline as flower buds and leaves appear in the treeline. The grey monotone of winter begins its slow evolution to the bright colored tones of spring. And, people arrive.

One of the earliest arrivals stood for me at the center of the dam for several minutes. I’d told him that I wanted a photo of him with his hat, the red shirt, his beard, and cigarette.

Read the complete Blog Post at My Final Photo

All I had were a few minutes to shoot a quick photo of workers moving furniture from Amish Originals State theater location to its consolidated location one block north.

It was my luck that everyone was on break, enjoying a slow cooker meal of barbecue, beans, and chips. I was invited to join the meal with the understanding that afterwards I was to also join in the moving to help express my gratitude for a free meal. With a great deal of courteousy I declined both offers, mainly because I wasn’t traveling alone and we had another task to complete.

I did a quick grab shot (above) to show the collection of lamps that were scheduled to be among the final items moved to the new store. Not a great photo, but pleasant enough to help illustrate any story about the move. I knw I’d be able to get more photos later of furniture being moved into the new location after I’d completed other work.

About four hours later I returned to shoot furniture being removed from the truck at the new store. Again, as my luck sometimes irritates me, almost everyone was on break and sitting in furniture scattered throughout the building. All except to who said they had just a few items left in the truck.

Hoping for the best, I trekked to the small loading dock to see two of the lamps in my first grab shot photo being carried into their new environment.

Again, it’s not a great photo, slightly soft because despite the appearance it is a bright location, it wasn’t. Another grab shot.

The great luck is a set of photos nearly four hours apart in a completely random placement showing the same two lamps in two locations.

It’s the type of photo series a news photographer hopes will happen. It gives a small narrative to a larger story about the store’s move from a location where for 21 years their name is displayed on a theater marquee to a different location one block and a different generation away. It was a great deal of good luck that I found the set. It was probably good luck when both times the work crew was on break.

I’d certainly not used the first photo  as a primary image and instead would have shot workers carrying large pieces of furniture to illustrate the difficulty of moving a complete store. I might not have gone to the new store if my first photo had been better.

If it hadn’t been break time at the new store I would have tried to duplicate the energy of the moving photo in the old store in the new store location.

This was a lucky day, three times over.

The casket is taken from St. Paul Catholic Church at the conclusion of a funeral.

Feature photo of two college students studying at a small table in Java Central coffee shop  in Westerville.

A trail of smoke from altar candles floats  in front of a stained glass window at St. Paul Catholic Church in Westerville.

St. Paul Catholic Church deacon performs one of two baptisms following Saturday Mass.