D.C. in the Dark

I've been to D.C. plenty of times before and never get tired of it. But walking around the National Mall at night, especially during Winter, has a completely different feel to it(yeah I know it's still technically Fall, but when it's 30 degrees, I'm saying Winter). Everything looks much more dramatic, and it feels like you have the place to yourself. It was cold and wet and I loved every second of it.

Different Views of the Same Thing

One of the biggest things I've learned taking pictures for a living is that there are countless ways of seeing the same thing. It's what I like to stress more than anything when I get to speak to photo students: when you get to an assignment, don't get tunnel vision. Take a step back, walk around, walk behind, climb up, lay down, you'll be amazed how the view changes. I can't count how many times I've gotten back to my car on an assignment, turned around and said "Oh $h!t, I didn't see it that way before!"
I was reminded of that idea the other day when I finally made it to the Newseum(worth a trip to Washington all by itself if you ask me). The front of the building faces the National Gallery of Art, which I snapped a picture of from the top floor of the Newseum at the start of the tour(above picture). As I walked through the exhibits, my eye kept getting drawn drawn back to the Gallery. I would up taking a slew of pictures and included a couple of my favs.










































My position in relation to the National Gallery never really changed much, but just from moving around inside the Newseum and noticing different foregrounds, I was able to capture some different looks. I'm not sure that's interesting to anybody other than me, but I thought it was pretty cool so I figured I'd share.

It's Raining Tabs, Hallelujah!

1,632 pounds of aluminum can tabs collected over two years by a boy with leukemia to raise money for the Ronald McDonald house. Pretty incredible what some people choose to do when faced with adversity.

Think I'll Go for a Walk Outside Now

Upper Moreland, PA

A Dying Sport

I ran into this guy one day while out looking for feature art, and he said he hunts Rail. I had no idea what he was talking about, so he let me tag along a couple days later. It turned into a fun little story, though I wish I'd been able to spend more than just a few hours with him. It's crazy the stories you can find all around you. This wasn't more than a few minutes outside Philadelphia!

I miss these days...

I preferred jumping in them, but it still looks like fun.

Veterans

Lesson learned on this assignment, when you have a picture you like but a cluttered highway for a background, wait for a big red box truck to drive by to clean it up.

They'll be back

From eating Cosmi's hoagies outside Citizens Bank Park this summer to being there to photograph the team clinch the NL Pennant, and finally watching the final outs of 2009 surrounded by anguished friends at the South Philly Bar & Grill, it's been an incredible season. Thanks Phillies. The best is yet to come.

If God Be With Us, Who Could Be Against Us?

Down but Not Out

Fall Classic

Citizens Bank Park, World Series Game Four, Nov. 1, 2009

Rally Time

Man Down

Unfortunately, A-Rod was only stretching.

To the Victors...

Phillies clinch the National League Pennant, October 21, 2009

Werth Rising

Phillies v Dodgers, NLCS Game Five, October 21, 2009

Not in Mannywood Anymore

Phillies v Dodgers, NLCS Game Five, October 21, 2009

The Most Wonderful Time of the Year

Swarthmore, PA, October 25, 2009

Four More Please

Philadelphia Phillies v Los Angeles Dodgers, NLCS Game Five

Sportraits

Another installment in my ongoing quest to take better portraits.

Dirty Jobs

If you were stuck in traffic on Route 1 in Langhorne Monday, here's why. Amazingly, nobody was seriously hurt.

Cityview

Looking south on the Delaware River at the Philadelphia skyline from Neshaminy State Park in Bensalem.

On Top of the World

Some days it just all comes together: a beautiful day, a good assignment, the time to do it right, and a PR person whose only instructions are, "Do whatever you want." Those things don't all come together very often, but when they do, I feel like a kid on Christmas morning. So here are a few of my fav's from the XBox360 Tour's stop at Bucks County Technical High School.

Before it Gets Sunny in Philadelphia

A 5:30 a.m. Back on My Feet team meeting was a great excuse to take a walk around my South Philly neighborhood with my camera early this morning.












Italian Market


















Tenth and Washington














Peters Street

Assateague

Spent a great weekend camping with some friends in Assateague. A very cool place, especially for someone who is a sucker for a nice blue sky backdrop and has a new G10 to play with.

Rainy Grange Fair

Kids and umbrellas usually equal a good photo.

School's out Forever

While schools all over are springing back to life this week, the halls and classrooms of Saint Ann school in Bristol remain empty. The school where Sister Mary Donald spent much of her career as a teacher and principal was forced to close due to declining enrollment.

Exorcising the Demons

Since getting in to photography, the one word I've dreaded more than any other is "portrait." As soon as I read that on an assignment sheet, my hands would get clammy and the cold sweats would start. I dreaded the control of choosing the location, directing the subject, and don't even get me started on flash, which might as well have been a chunk of kryptonite in my camera bag(sound about right John Secoges?). I've worked hard to improve over the last few years, and I'm finally starting to be happy with the results. Suddenly, all the things I dreaded about portraits are now the things I love. I still have a ways to go with getting more creative, but it's exciting to feel like I'm making progress. With that, here are a couple of recent portraits that I liked.



























High school soccer goalie who got a full scholarship to play at Stanford.













This couple started their own business repairing and restoring vintage pinball machines. How cool is that?










This one was tough, shooting the owner of an auto repair shop with the waste oil furnace he runs using recycled oil.