ASU Graduation
Posted on December 18, 2014
I got to shoot ASU graduation by tagging along with ASU marketing photographer Andy Delisle so I could shoot for fun. It was overwhelming with so many people, so much movement but fun to just wander and shoot for myself which I enjoyed. Oh and they release balloons, something about hundreds of giant balloons (as big as a small child) which is just so fun . . .
I love mortar boards, personal expression that now inhibits students from throwing them up in the air (my thoughts at least). Though most were personal messages or thank you’s to family members the student below had a political message, the first I’ve ever seen at least.
A trip to the Navajo Reservation at Monument Valley
Posted on May 11, 2014
We got the chance to travel with Humphrey Fellows from Arizona State University to visit the Navajo reservation in northern Arizona/Utah. During the trip we were given a tour of monument valley, including different rock formations and mountains before dinner and some traditional dancing and ending the night in a traditional hogan. I was able to shoot some photographs of the fellows enjoying their trip and tour, I wish I had more images, but there are too many to share. I shot some night images before the moon rose and some of the cloud streaks are jet streams that continued throughout the night. We finished up the visit with a group portrait which turned out okay given the ridiculous nature of the Arizona sun.
Arizona Literature
Posted on April 24, 2014
I am considering myself lucky this week. Yesterday I attended a talk/reading held by Alberto Rios, Arizona’s first poet laureate, at the Phoenix Public Library. Rios joins the “Peacemaker,” palo verde and the bolo-tie as things so purely Arizonan they are actually recognized as unique representations of the Arizona experience. Some examples of Rio’s work can be found here. He spoke to the role in language and the relativity of experience growing up in a mixed culture.
And today I drove down to Tucson to see Junot Diaz speak, a MacArthur Genius grant recipient, who is a writer that speaks to the immigrant experience (though that is a very quick and superficial description of his work). His social thought and perception of larger issues of masculinity, relationships and love in our larger American (immigrant) culture are prominent in his writing but weaves itself fluidly into his writing.
I read his books while living in my village in Samuteba, Zambia during my Peace Corps service. I found myself consuming, figuratively but borderline literally, a book a day. I stumbled on The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao which spoke to me differently than Crime and Punishment, Lolita or the multitude of other books.
I managed to find Drown and bought This is How You Lose Her in Nairobi and spent $25 on the book, an 1/8 of my monthly stipend. I could continue writing about what a great author he is, but reading the book is best.
Tuesday
Posted on July 29, 2009
So I busted out an old Fuji a few days ago and threw in a roll of Ilford 50, it has been a while, I shot at 400 ISO and these scans are low quality, but it was just fun to shoot film again, it’s honestly been a couple of years . . .
Monday
Posted on July 28, 2009
Image of the Virgin of Guadalupe with prayer card, this project is nearly wrapped up.
Final Days of News21
Posted on July 25, 2009
So the days are winding down . . . videos being exported, writing being edited, codes being written and while I was nervous the whole summer that the work we did wouldn’t be what we expected, today I think it is even better. It’s a good start and I can say that everyone’s work, I mean everyone’s work is amazing and exceptional. It’s one thing to be given the financial opportunity to do work like this, but it is something else to see every single one of the journalists I worked with create pieces of work that make me alternately proud of our program and jealous because I wish I had thought of it. Below are some of the portraits we took to do our intro video and Christopher Cameron, a master of Motion put together an amazing video . . . bet you can’t wait to see it . . . just a few more days . . .
Chris Cameron, above, and Chrystall Kanyuck, below, worked on a project about Latinos in the military. You wouldn’t think it, but Latinos make up a large force in our country’s all-volunteer military and yet they receive little coverage.
Below are reporters Travis Grabow and Emily Graham that worked on stories relating to religion and Latinos in the United States. Many Latinos today in the United States find themselves raised as Catholics and living secular lives. Some find their way to the Mormon faith, to Protestant faiths, and some to Judaism.
In the area of education Jeremy Pennycook and Elizabeth Shell did a series of videos focusing on early elementary education, high school, and higher education. Their videos use a function that allows links and extra information run alongside the video.
Christine Rogel focused on e-verify, the controversy surrounding the program and the rewards and costs of utilizing the system in Arizona. Can’t wait to see what her stand up looks like on this one . . .
Evan Wyloge is doing a study of the 1986 Amnesty program and a theoretical look into what amnesty would mean today. Some of my family got their citizenship through the amnesty program in 1986, can’t wait to see his work on it.
Another interesting story comes in the form of Dave Kempa’s look into the personal side of immigration. Kempa went down south, I mean all the way to Campeche, Mexico, so you’ll have to look at his work when it’s all wrapped up.
As for my story it ended up being an amalgam of the Virgin of Guadalupe and examples of cultural spread through out the United States and some parts of the world. I can’t wait to show you more of it, I can’t believe we’re almost done.
Catching up
Posted on June 8, 2009
A picture of a high school journalism bootcamp. It was fun watching these kids as they talked about story ideas and media platforms. They have so much interest and passion, more than I think I may have ever had as a 15-16 year old, it’s good stuff to see.
I haven’t posted in a while because I have been on the move between the border and Phoenix, but I’m spending today and tomorrow catching up on work.
I’m officially done!
Posted on May 16, 2009
Graduation Finally! It was held at Frank Lloyd Wright’s Gammage auditorium. Awesome building if you’ve never been there. Here are some of the pics
Dean Callahan rounds us all up
A couple from home:
Moremoremore mortar boards
Posted on May 16, 2009
More personalized mortar boards . . . I love this stuff, here are some from commencement on Wednesday. These are all my fellow Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication, it’s been an amazing few years, amazing people and good memories.
The walk up and big man on campus
Posted on May 15, 2009
Obama’s speech was moving and I can’t express how wonderful it was. Many have spoken about his emphasis on what we still have to do, to accomplish and I can’t agree with it more. I’m leaving my college unsure of my future and my career path and how I will even financially support myself, but I can take Obama’s words to heart:
“That is the great American story: young people just like you, following their passions, determined to meet the times on their own terms. They weren’t doing it for the money. Their titles weren’t fancy – ex-slave, minister, student, citizen. But they changed the course of history – and so can you.” – Barack Obama
I may be cheesy right now, but it really was an inspirational and moving speech.
Deanna Dent 