Speeches

Hmmm...how to make an assignment about a pyschiatrist speaking to local parents go above and beyond the standard talking head photo? Race backstage and get shots of the speaker getting her notes ready of course! I'm trying to really push myself on otherwise boring assignments, sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn't. I think it is helping me start to develop my style and become more confident with my work. I thought these turned out okay.

Futbol

You know, lately I have developed a real love for this job. Every day is something new, a chance to meet new people and hear their stories, a chance to get a peek into some previously unfamiliar territory. On Tuesday, this is how my day went:
Assignment #1 was spent wandering around a native plant garden, feeling the sun warm my face, hearing the bees buzz around me, smelling the wonderful scents of the sage plants. Not the most thrilling of assignments, sure, but not a bad way to spend half an hour in the day.
Assignment #2 was spent photographing an after school soccer club created to provide "at risk" kids with an alternative, all including, less expensive, and definetely less snobby then AYSO, chance to play soccer. Sure I got hit in the head, hard, with the soccer ball. And sure I almost got kicked 10 times and narrowly escaped being pushed down with the camera smashed to my face...but hey, I got to spend an hour and a half, in a park, hanging out with funny kids who say things like...."Oh, he's got skittles (instead of skills)". Pretty cool.

Moodiness

I was feeling pretty moody last week, so I decided to try shooting some more abstract-y shots. I'm a sucker for dramatic lighting and silouhettes, so whenever I find a situation that gives way to them, I jump on it. Both of these were shot while working on an assignment about the new local theatre troupe. While I was waiting around for rehearsal to begin, I played around and this is was I got. To me, they suggest something sort of sinister and dark. What do you think? -leave me a comment.

Random shots

This was shot for the new monthly section being featured in our paper concerning stories centered solely on the environment and "being green". This woman (on the left) is completely rebuilding her house with all green features and recycled items. The wood from the old house was salvaged. The windows, cabinets, and bathtub will be reused in the new house. The house was built around existing trees. There will be solar panels. The furnace is 98% efficient. The wood is FSC certified (comes from managed forests, not rainforests) Even the countertops will be made of recycled glass.



This was shot to illustrate a story about "Nature Deficit Disorder" and why some kids of the current generation aren't getting outside in the woods anymore. I shot these kids playing in the creek which runs right behind their home.


Spanish Day. Remember those styrofoam Mission projects you had to do in fourth grade? Well this was that taken one step further. In an effort to get the kids excited about their projects, the local elementary school had them dress up either as Native Americans, Spaniard Settlers/Priests, or "Explorers" and present their projects to fellow students and their parents. I'm still wondering why I saw a bunch of cowboys and pirates though. Maybe they should read up on their history a little more :)

Under The Skin

This was shot a few weekends ago in Palo Alto but I neglected to post it on here until just now. Sometimes I have those assignments which make me think to myself, "damn, am I lucky or what to be getting paid to do this" -this was one such assignment. A group of local dancers from Stanford were rehearsing for their upcoming modern dance piece entitled "Under The Skin". Mainly it's a piece about women dealing with breast cancer through modern dance. But there's so much to it...the piece integrates the sounds of MRI machines and various hospital sounds, there's dialogue spoken by women who had or have cancer about their feelings, their scars, their fears, and how their lives have changed. The piece integrates older women who are breast cancer survivors. It's one of the most moving pieces of dance I've ever had the fortune to see.

Daffodils

For a little while I got to get out of the office and just enjoy being outside, taking the time to stop and smell the roses, er daffodils. We needed a spring feature, so it was suggested I go out to Woodside Road where local people have planted 14,000 daffodils. I'm not quite sure if that number is accurate but the flowers were lovely and it was nice to soak up some sun photographing a different subject matter.

Life on the train tracks

Last week I got to work on a really cool story about the men and women behind the ropes of Caltrain. I have dealt with Caltrain in the past. Usually they have been very uptight and controlling over what photos I can take. This is because they figure photos of train tracks will inspire people to end their lives by throwing themself in front of a train. However, this turn around I was fortunate enough to get paired up with the main foreman, Rob, who gave me more access than I could have dreamed of. I got to see all facets: from the conductors yelling at the slow pokes to make sure the train's schedule stays on time, to the petite engineer sitting in a tiny little room manning this extremely powerful machine, to the guys in the control booth dealing with the days stresses of a freight train derailment and suicide, to the mechanics who wander around the engine and in between the wheels checking for the slightest amount of wear. I got to sit in the locomotive as the train sped by the local towns, I got to see upclose what the inner workings of a train engine looks like (it's so hot in there!) I even got to wander underneath the train and see up close what the underbelly of Caltrain looks like. These are amazing people whose work we often taken for granted or just plain ignore. It's incredible the amount of dedication and pride for the job that they have, all to make our commutes run smooth and keep things safe. They truly are some of the most amazing people I've met while working here. And dad, if you are reading this, this whole assignment I thought of you and wish you could have been up here to experience it all with me. I think because of this I have a new respect and love for your passion of trains.Inside the locomotive as the train was getting placed onto different tracks

Next to the engine, this is the generator

The maintenance yard

On a platform underneath the tracks, inspecting the wheels and brakes

What the engineer sees as the train is moving

Getting ready for the next ride up from San Jose To San Francisco