As I am working on getting new promos done, and making new contacts and rebuilding and starting my photography business again, I find that I don’t have many new photos to post. So I decided that I would start a new feature on the blog, a look at my past lives in the photography world. A blast from the past. This feature will pop up every now and again. I am proud of the work I have done through out my career and am glad to showcase some of the locations and people and events I have been fortunate enough to meet and witness.

These photos are from a trip I made to Somalia in Dec of 1992. I also worked in Somalia in march and April of 1993. In Dec of 1992, I got a call from Dover AFB telling me that there was an extra seat on a plane as part of the Hometown news program the military ran back then. It basically was a program where local media could fly on aircraft that are part of the mission to provide coverage of their local residents who have been deployed. I heard about it and made a call and caught the ear of a sympathetic SGT. Jones who understood my predicament, which was this, I was young, right of of school, trying to make my name in photojournalism circles and had no money and no assignments and no backing. So, of course I was thrilled when he called, but the timing was awful. We lived in Manasquan, NJ then, on the beach and 2 days before we got hit with a Nor’ Easter storm that they still talk about today. We lost all our cars and had had 3-4 feet of water in the house. Crazy. But here was a once in a lifetime opportunity, I couldn’t say no. So off I was on a big C5 heading to Africa 2 days after the US Marines made thier televised beach landing. So I land in Mogidishu and try to figure out what to do next. I have no idea. But I meet some other photogs and tag along on a food run to the town of Xuddur. Once there I meet up and hit it off with a photographer named Manny Garcia ( who has become quite well known in recent months as he is the one who took the photograph of Barrack Obama that was used by Shepard Fairy in the now famous and iconic ‘HOPE’ poster ) Manny said I should come with him and he knew a place I could crash that some bad ass seals used and were out in the field. So i left my group, having read the orders I had, that permitted me to fly on any mission associated aircraft, space permitting. We went to the hotel and I crashed then we had some beer and watched the Indian Ocean, we were in the town of Mombosa, Kenya, at a resort the air force had leased out for the mission. We talked about Xuddur and how it was a great story, a town that was not yet invaded by the Marines, was still seeing trouble with fighting and starvation, and it had more than a few aid groups and NGO’s looking over it. So we decided to go back the next day and see if we could hang out there for a few days. With a quick stop at the PX to secure bribes gifts for the NGO’s of smokes and cokes and our last cold water, we were off. Then we were landed in Xuddur, watching men unload tons of food from the plane. We knew planes came at least once a day so we could get out anytime we needed so off we went searching for a contact of Manny’s named Patrick who worked with CONCERN. while Patrick liked the gifts, he was not happy to have 2 photogs dropped in his lap, he was a busy man getting food and medicine to the sick and needy. He arranged for us to follow him around for the day and a room with a dirt floor that they called the hotel in town that was 4 bux a night. After our day, my first time seeing real poverty and the costs of war, we went to the hotel and were there less than an hour when Patrick came pounding on the door for us to pack up and get out now. Bandits and rebels had heard about us and our gear and were coming to get it. Patrick had gotten the tip from one of his security men. So he took us in at the Concern compound which had high walls and armed guards. The next few days Manny and I roamed the city and the refugee camps, the MSF camp, the outlying villages, etc,etc. It was crazy and exhilarating and scary all at the same time. At night we ate whatever was served and I slept on the porch of the house on a piece of cardboard. On Christmas day we had dinner with the MSF crew and had a little party. We had Dik Dik omelets and what ever other food we could all scrounge up. I got so sick I spent the next day within 1 step of what passes as a bathroom in Somalia. The Marines were due any second and I was so upset that I couldn’t leave when Manny popped over with some pills from MSF that stopped me up for the next 4 days! The Marines arrived, we took some pix. We stayed a day or two longer, then headed back to Mombasa to regroup. I decided to take off and see if I could sell any of my pix. While I didn’t sell any, I did catch the attention of quite a few editors and the AP. It was a trip that I hoped would be the start of a career. I spent the next couple of months looking for work and finding….. none. I then called SGT. Jones again and headed back to Somalia. That time I spent a couple of months in Mogidishu, but that story will have to wait until the next Blast from the Past.

On a technical note, all these images were shot on film and scanned at least 10 years ago. Some of the better ones are due for an updated scan as you can see the lack of sharpness and depth in these scans.

Since leaving the lovely state of Georgia and settling back in Charlotte full time, I have found my self keeping busy with a wide range of tasks from shooting photos to setting up an office to setting up a house, trips to Ikea and then return trips to Ikea. Oh wait we still need to go to Home Depot to get screws. All of it keeping me busy. I am hoping to have everything in place this week or early next and to start promoting nationally again and making calls to local clients. There is also a new computer on the horizon. That will be nice. 

Here are some photos I took for my BIL, Jason. He is a contractor and if you are needing any work done in the Meck./Carbarus/Rowan counties or greater Charlotte area, you should check him out here, www.cqbuilding.com

His work is awesome, top notch quality and he is meticulous in every detail.

We are doing a bit of bartering, I am giving him some great photos for his website and he is pouring us a parking pad, so we can stop shuffling cars every time some one needs to go out. Here is a house he built, a bathroom that is part of a remodeling gig he is doing and a boutique where he built all the store displays and fixtures.

So we had what they are calling a winter weather event here in Charlotte. We got about 6 inches of snow! It was big fluffy flakes and it came down for a few hours. It was awesome! 

For those that don’t know, I am back in Charlotte full time. My time in Augusta is over after spending 7 months working there. I was on a project that, while not a secret, I am not allowed to blog about. Either way, I am not driving back to Augusta this week. I am setting up an office and getting ready to go back shooting here full time. Very exciting.

Here are some snow photos.

Sorry it’s been a month or so since I posted but there was a cruise and then a wicked cold involved with the delay. So, a couple of weeks ago my whole family took a cruise. Some great friends came along and there were  22 of us all together! We booked early and we all had cabins that were on the same deck and all with windows and nearby to everyone else.  This was my first cruise and I had never really thought of my self as a ‘cruise’ guy. I still don’t. We went on the Carnival ship , the Fascination. We left from Jacksonville, FL and went to Half Moon Cay, a private island owned by the cruise company, then to Nassau, Bahamas. We had 2 days at seas. It was a good time, being with the family is awesome. We had a good time at Half Moon Cay, taking a kayak tour and a snorkel trip. We had a horseback riding excursion scheduled too, but we cancelled after getting really sick and tossed around during the snorkel trip, the water was way rough. The kayak trip was a blast. A bit tough with the wind until we got to the lee side of the island.  The next day was a full day in Nassau. Lesley and I hoped to do it ‘local’, but we found there really is no local to do. We started the morning doing a ‘Nature’ Segway tour with my parents. We signed up because we thought is was the cheesiest thing to do. (our local tour would have to wait 2 hours) It turned out to be awesome! Cruising around over bumps and trails, we had a blast. It is something I would recommend to anyone. Lesley and I then took off walking, trying to get away from the port area. We walked about 3 miles and didn’t see much at all. The people were all very nice and friendly, but, and I ‘m not sure what we were expecting, but we were very underwhelmed by the neighborhoods and stores, etc. In retrospect I think we should have just gotten on a bus and let the bus drive us around the island. But I don’t think we will be rushing back to Nassau other than to go to Atlantis! We spent the rest of the time on the boat, eating in the dining room every night, only eating at the buffets a couple of times. The food mostly was very good. Awesome fresh fruit plates, a selection of new main appetizers and dinners every night with a couple of ‘Carnival Classics’ like steak available all the time. We played a lot of black jack and had an awesome favorite dealer named ‘Bob’, not his real name, but what we called him for 4 nights! We often had so many of us playing that we took over a whole table. A good time was had by all. There was some pool and hot tub time and some general relaxation. All in all I never felt confined to the ship, there was certainly enough room to move around and things to do. One thing I found weird was that with a full boat, 2200 people, I seemed to run into the same people all the time, some multiple times a day, on various parts of the ship. weird. And, yes, I would go again, in fact we reserved a 7 day trip next jan to Honduras, Mexico and Belize. At least I’ll be able to fish in Belize!!!

And here are the photos……..

Cocktails with umbrellas is always a good way to start anything!

The Promenade deck as we set sail.

The Atrium! Gotta love the 1980’s look, it was everywhere!

Our room.

The view from the window in the room.

A look at Half Moon Cay.

Lesley rocking the kayak!

The water in the bay was so clear.

Fish on the snorkel trip.

More fish on the snorkel trip.

Mom and Lesley on the Segway tour.

Our mandatory touristy horse drawn carriage tour. Yes, we got ripped off.

A view down a pretty street.

A local restaurant we tried. They were so busy during lunch that they ran out of everything, except chicken wings. Yes, we had wings in Nassau. Yes, they tasted the same.

On New Year’s day Lesley and I made an unplanned drive from Charlotte to Miami, spending 4 days with her entire family. It was awesome, such nice people. Everyone went out of their way to make me feel welcomed and comfortable during a tough time. We had a nice sunday dinner at her aunt’s home and almost all of the family was there (some were at the Dolphins game, watching the end of the season). I had brought along my cameras, of course, and the light was right and the setting right, so we decided to take some photos of all the kids who were there. Fun times! We used Stuart’s old ford truck, 1965 custom cab, that had the perfect patina for a quickie shoot like this. Some of the kids warmed up right away, others took some time but in the end everyone was not wanting it to stop. The only reason we did is that we ran out of sunlight! I did get to use the new 5d, so these files are pretty awesome. Thanks to everyone who helped and to all the kids who wouldn’t stop smiling!

Stuart and his truck.

Cousins Hannah and Rachel

cousins Hannah and Rachel

Hannah

Rachel

Rachel

The oh so serious Lindsey!

She can laugh too!

Ryan

Sisters Morgan and Lexi in a natural state

Morgan

Lexi

Evan and his curls

Evan out cruising

Evan loves his mommy