Ups and Downs

Philadelphia 44, Dallas 6

Happy Festivus

Home for the Holidays

JaDon

Candlelight vigil for JaDon Jenkins, four-year-old boy struck and killed crossing Route 130 in Burlington City.

Boo Bird and Happy Bird

Happy Holidays, or Not

Pemberton Township Winter Parade

The Road

Philadelphia Marathon, Kelly Drive

Almost

Group 2 state championship, Hillsborough High School

"A good day"

As a photographer, it’s always interesting to see how people react to a camera. Some see you coming and practically beg to have their picture taken, while others can’t run away fast enough.

With that thought in mind and a lump in my throat, I was certain to have difficulty at my first assignment this morning: photographing people turning themselves in to the Fugitive Safe Surrender program in Camden, which allows persons wanted for non-violent felonies and misdemeanors to voluntarily surrender to law enforcement officials in a safe setting and often have their cases adjudicated on the spot. Nobody here was going to want their picture in the paper, right? I couldn’t have been more wrong.

I snapped a few pictures as inconspicuously as I could, and timidly approached Umar Shariff(pictured at left) to tell him I’d taken his picture for the newspaper and ask if I could have his name. “Oh yeah make sure you get my name,” he replied without hesitation. “This is a good thing. Today is a good thing. I’m finally getting things straightened out.” Behind him, John Clemons(pictured at right) smiled and said, “Get my name too.”

And so it went. As with any assignment, there were certainly people who wanted nothing to do with me and my camera. But overall, the hundred or so people winding through a slow-moving line on a frigid day couldn’t have been happier about sharing their chance to clear up the past and move on with their lives, and I couldn’t help but agree, “Today is a good day.”

Wonton

Into the Blue

Autumn Run

Yes We Did

Ups and Downs on Election Night

Barack, Melissa and John

Victory

My friend Seven

When I was first getting into photography, I went to a show by the Inquirer's David Swanson. After watching his presentation full of amazing images, I nervously raised my hand and said, "Those images were beautiful. What kind of camera do you use?"

He graciously answered me, but pretty much everyone in the room looked at me and laughed. At the time I didn't understand why, but now,of course, I understand. There aren't many better ways to insult a photographer than to suggest that it's the camera, rather than the person, taking great pictures.

So why am I thinking about a humiliating moment from five years ago? I just bought a new camera, a little Canon G7 point and shoot. It's several years old and I bought it used, but I absolutely love it. Since becoming a photographer I haven't touched a point and shoot, other than occasionally being handed one and asked to take somebody's picture.

When I got into photography, I felt like you need a serious camera to take meaningful pictures. Lately, that feeling has morphed into the idea that you need substantial events to make images that are worthwhile. I've steadily drifted further and further from the feelings that pushed me into photography in the first place. My new used little camera is changing all that. In the three days I've had it it's barely left my hands.

I take it everywhere and I'm finally remembering what is so remarkable about photography. It's about how you see the world, because nobody else sees it quite the same way.

Crantastic

I'm not sure there's anywhere more beautiful than a cranberry harvest in the Fall.

Traffic Jam

Mourning

Not Like the Others...

Get out of the way green shirt guy!

Airwalks

So Long Summer

First Day of School

Homes for Troops

One of the coolest things I've gotten to do in a while is watch more than 100 volunteers, most New York City firemen, come together to build a home for a wounded Marine and his wife over three 90-degree days.

Click here to watch the slideshow.

Cyclorama

Pet Foreclosure

Little Man

Walking Riders

Inside the Box

Cloudy Future

Embracing the Tubby Namesake

These Boots are Made for Walkin'

Mr. Rogers' Neighborhood

Probably my favorite thing about this job is getting to learn a little bit about a lot of things. It's like being on an episode of Mr. Rogers' Neighborhood every day. I'm pretty sure Mr. Rogers never took us on a brewery tour, but it was still cool to go to Flying Fish today and see the brewmasters at work.