Workworkwork

Since I've been back in Athens, I've taken up the mantle of Photography Editor at the Red and Black, which is pretty cool, but takes up most of my time with the actual managerial stuff that I've always detested. I've been taking to the concept that my photographers are my main concern, and I should do anything and everything to make their jobs easier. Because That's How It's Supposed to Go, right?

Anyway. I've always been trying to let them shoot the stuff that'll run bigger, and I've tried to take up the slack wherever I can. Including shooting some really boring question-and-answer sessions with the provost candidates.


I'm terribly excited that she came off the podium. I hate it when people feel like they have to stick behind a wooden desk ... hmm ... but it also makes the photo a little better, methinks.

AAAAaaand, a last minute tennis portrait. These guys are both from San Antonio, the guy in the back is a few years younger and claimed the guy in front was his childhood hero. Had to run out for it after the photographer had something come up. Three minutes to spare, too.


Oooh, and my roommate Colin had a plant that bloomed. Not particularly interesting until you hear that the plant only flowers once a year, at night, for only a few hours before it dies. Pretty cool, and, no, I have no recollection of it's name, scientific or otherwise.

But I do have photos.


I'm sure there'll be something else after a while.

Boo

Surpised? I'm still here. Promise.

I'm going to skip the banter and get to the photos, mostly because I'm weirdly tired today. Didn't sleep last night, and it's showing.

I shot the SGA debate on Tuesday night. Couple highlights here ...



Jump over to my other blog (it's somewhere in a side panel) to check out my other blog for a couple stitches I've been working on, including one of the debates.

Ciao for now.

Over a century old and still voting

106 and still voting: the power of democracy. Miss Pauline Franklin voted for Obama on November 4th.

She was so much fun. The writer was already done by the time I got to Ms. Franklin's granddaughter's home on election day. I walked in and she immediately assumed I was the writer's husband.

"No," she said. "He does look like my husband, though."

"Oh, I thought you said he was," Ms. Franklin said. "Maybe you just want him to be."

... so maybe it was a tad awkward, but she got a good laugh out of it, and I gotta admit, I thought it was pretty funny, too. Ahhh, good moments in history.

Election day

Out and about by six, home by 11 -- it was a long day, but the whole day had the feel of a festival. People were singing, dancing, celebrating before/during/after the point ... just nice. It was good fun. Little aside from the voting/polling place photos: cruising by another polling place, and I spotted a fella across the street, headed towards the sheriff's department with a sign in hand. Thinking he was a protester, I pulled in, got out, and we talked for a few. Turns out he's not protesting anything or campaigning or doing anything, in fact, about politics. He just wanted to announce to people passing by the joint that on July 4, 2009, he would strip naked in front of the building at the behest of God, who told him to do as such. Go for it, Charlie; I might actually come back just to see what happens. Not that seeing this guy naked is particularly high on my "do before dying" list, but it might be a hell of a photo.

I'll have more later, I'm fairly certain.

Politicking is elementary

One of the local elementary schools, Princeton Alternative, decided to throw its own national political convention. The fifth graders had apparently organized the whole thing, facilitated by one of their social studies teachers. They went through the whole shebang: voter registration, campaigning, casting ballots and then ended up with the political convention.

Yep, John McCain is actually a 10-year-old African-American kid from Birmingham. Weird how things work out, huh?Obama takes a wave while his commercial plays.
Does the other Nancy Pelosi use a stepstool? Nah, she's not cool enough. Or short enough.
Pretty intense stuff. I've seen adults with less enthusiasm for their democratic rights.

Jeeeez

Been a while, I know. Things have been decently busy, and I just haven't found the time to update this blog in the past week or so. The following portraits ran this morning, and I remembered that I wanted to post a couple since I kind of liked them. Little short on words at the moment because I'm a tad tired, and not looking forward to being up and mobile at five tomorrow. Between last Saturday night (if you have to ask, you don't need to know) and tonight, "miscommunication" has proven itself to be a massive, painful, ubiquitous issue that may well be the root of all evil and all the stress and unhappiness that fills the world. But, right now, "miscommunication" just means that I have to be up and across town at Lipscomb City Hall at 6 AM. Fun.

Anyway, portraits of the outgoing mayor of Vestavia Hills, a very nice and learned gentleman named Charles McCallum ...

For those crazy monkeys (no, the plural of monkey has no -ies; yes, I had to check) who may be interested, the first was shot on a pleasantly rainy/nastily foggy Friday morning, and the second and third shot within seconds of each other on a rather nice Monday afternoon. Though I personally love the rain, and would love to spendy such days splashing through puddles and running around like a madman with no umbrella, most people find it rather depressing, and I got the feeling that depressing was not the emotion we wanted to evoke with this here fella, especially after meeting and talking with him. Thus the reschedule.

I added the third to the set ... because I like things to come in threes? Well, I guess it was because I didn't know which I liked better, though the differences are all pretty subtle. Subtle to the point where I can't remember which of the two they ran. Anyway.

Tired, gotta go get some suppa, snag a showa, and catch some zzz-s.

Minor note from Election Day

Runoff elections were today -- standard stuff, "go and find some election day photos, if they tell you can't shoot inside, shoot parking, et al, et al" and then some candidates. And the candidate stuff was okay, though it was a lot more waiting around than usual. But I digress.

I drove north through Tarrant and then Pinson, knowing that both cities were having minor elections. In Tarrant, I pulled into the city hall parking lot, waved at the couple of older fellas out in the parking lot, went inside and did my thing. The folks inside, as I'm taking photos and talking, mention, "hey, if you want to talk to the candidates they're outside."

Turns out the older guys hanging out in the parking lot, waving at folks and chatting idly, were the candidates for the city council position. Friends for ages and ages, hardworking folk, nice guys. One thing that caught my eye was that one was missing fingers on both hands. And I mean all his fingers. I asked (cautiously and carefully, of course) and apparently he had to get them amputated not two months ago, but is learning quite well how to adapt without them.

So this might turn into a story later, but for now here's some photos of the fellas.

I love cool old people. One day, I might be one.

Election night in Homewood

Followed the mayoral campaign in Homewood on Saturday morning and then shot the candidates on Tuesday, election night.

Newly-elected Mayor Scott McBrayer moves through a crowd of supporters at New York Pizza in Homewood. [They actually used this one, in color, for print. FYI.]

Scott McBrayer gets a message from a campaign aide during the celebration party at New York Pizza in Homewood.

Scott McBrayer speaks with a supporter during a celebratory party at New York Pizza in Homewood.

Incumbent Barry McCulley sees supporters to the door after a party at Nabeel's Imported Foods, about half a mile from McBrayer's party, in Homewood.

Former mayor Barry McCulley sees his supporters to the door of Nabeel's Imported Foods after losing to challenger Scott McBrayer in the 2008 Homewood, Alabama, mayoral race.

Nice guys, both of them.

Why I adore Craig Ferguson

And this is why I like Craig Ferguson. Why have I never seen this before?

More stuff later.

Sort of saw this coming

Well, Castro stepped down today. This was the reason that I spent the money to go over the summer -- I now have the ability to say that I was one of the last Americans to visit Cuba during the Castro regime. How's that for pretty damned cool?

I'm not really sure if anything will change, though. Maybe it will, maybe not. We'll just have to wait and see ...?

Wow

I'm impressed. I didn't realize that politicians would even do such a thing as this, but Mike Huckabee did. As I said, impressive.

And weird.