Down a Lusaka Alley

Just a quick pic upload that I took with my iPhone today while we were out visiting a community resource center, a school, and the non-profit’s offices. Start shooting full time tomorrow.

Enjoy.

Shot at Family Legacy's offices in Lusaka, Zambia.

19,370 Miles To Go: Or There And Back Again; A Photographer’s Tale

DFW to Heathrow to Lusaka International

Some of you may know that in just under two weeks I’ll be flying from DFW to London and then on to Lusaka, Zambia to work for roughly a month for a non-profit organization.  I’ll be the photographer for Family Legacy; an organization that works with orphaned children that have been abused or are inflicted with the AIDS virus.  This is an opportunity that I have been looking forward to for quite some time now and I am patiently awaiting the challenges that await me on my journey.

My primary responsibilities will be to photograph all the benefits that Family Legacy provides for the orphans of Zambia; benefits including schools, housing, food, and clothing.  At the same time I will also be going into surrounding villages to document living conditions and situations that these children are presented with.  My hope is to both show the importance of the non-profit work that goes on as well as to thoughtfully and carefully convey what these children go through on a day to day basis.  I will be accompanied by a couple of Zambian guides when I go into the villages as some of the areas may not be the safest; and have free reign to shoot all the facilities Family Legacy has to offer.  Regardless of what I am shooting my style will be the same; a fly on the wall approach.  In order to get the most genuine and natural reactions I want to be as non-invasive as possible.

It won’t be all work though; I get to spend some time in London on the way to Zambia and on the way back home.  I also am going on a three day trip to Victoria Falls which are the largest in the world.  Another added bonus is my Mother (Patty) and Sister (Katy) who are also working with Family Legacy will be with me the whole time I’m there.  Seeing as how they have both already been multiple times I consider it a valuable resource and am thankful they will be there to help me along the way.

Internet, texting, and phone communication will all be very minimal but I hope to try and update my blog as much as possible.  This whole trip is essentially what I want to be doing as a photographer and a major reason why I wanted to pursue a career in the field.  Traveling, documenting, and experiencing other cultures is exactly what I want to be doing; I’m hoping this is the first of many and that the standards I hold my work up to are met and exceeded.  I can’t wait to get back, edit, and share a finished product with those who are interested.

Finally a HUGE thank you to all those who donated to help make this trip possible, without you guys I wouldn’t be going so again thank you.

“A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.” – Confucius

Spector 45 @ La Grange in Deep Ellum

I wanted to post a blog of some of the event and concert work I have been doing lately to showcase a different range of photography that I do.  I am starting to really enjoy shooting bands and doing concert work.  It presents a whole new set of challenges and opportunities for me to work on and continue to improve upon.  There is a great deal of concert and event photography done so I relish the chance to put my own spin and vision on that specific area of photography.

Spector 45 is Frankie 45 on Vocals and Guitar, Animal Anthony on Drums/Vocals, and Adam Carter on Bass/Vocals.  This is an artist’s statement from the band in these specific photos:  “Spector 45 is a Dallas based greaser punk band. We aspire to capture the pure energy of 50’s Rock n Roll and original 70’s Punk Rock, and kick it out for today’s audience…”  Having now seen them twice I completely back that statement.  The uncorked raw energy and pace at which they perform is easily unmatched in Dallas.  Guess that’s the reason they have won Best Punk act by the Dallas Observer two years in a row now.

They had their CD release party at La Grange in Deep Ellum and had the crowd thoroughly into it the entire set.  “Break Me” the band’s five song EP was on sale for $5 so I bought a copy and have been listening to it quite a bit lately.  My goal when I shoot a concert or specific venue is to show off not just the show but the little in between moments that go into what makes a show memorable.  The thought being that after seeing my shots you have a sense of the band, show, and venue.

Hope you enjoy the photographs and check out Spector 45’s EP “Break Me” or catch a live show of theirs if you can, you won’t be disappointed…