Photos: Run For Your Lives Zombie 5k Boston.
I shot my second Run For Your Lives Zombie 5k Race last weekend. Now that I’m in Boston, I was able to shoot the New England installment of the race, which was at Amesbury Sports Park in Amesbury, Massachusetts.
I didn’t think it was possible, but the scene at this race was even more absurd and absolutely ridiculous than it was at the Baltimore race. You can see some of my shots from that race here.
I’m amazed at how much people love to take on the zombie persona, and at how well some of them do it. I don’t think I’d ever volunteer to get covered in fake blood and sit in the woods screaming at people for the entire day, but clearly there’s some appeal there that I’m missing out on.
Nevertheless, I was highly entertained all day, and hundreds of zombies and 10,000 racers make for some good photography. Take a look at this photo gallery on the Run For Your Lives Facebook page to see my whole take from the day. It’s got over 1,000 “likes” and hundreds of comments from zombies and runners alike.
Here were some that I enjoyed. As always, click to enlarge for the full effect. I’m still thinking about it, but the first photo here might have quickly become one of my all-time favorites.
*Some of my photographs from the race were published in the Capital Business section of The Washington Post on Monday, May 14, 2012. Click the link here to view the article and photographs!”
Photos: Goucher Opera Workshop performs ‘The Mikado.’
I shot the Goucher College Opera Workshop’s performance of “The Mikado” or “The Town Of Titipu” last night. Throughout my years at Goucher, I photographed plenty of these performances, but this was the first that I’ve shot since graduating.
It was nice to be back, and as I watched and made pictures, I kept thinking about those four years. Had I been shooting this last year, I would have gone straight to the library or the newspaper office after it was over for a late night/early morning full of work. It’s quite a difference a year makes.
This production was full of opportunities for great pictures. I haven’t shot anything that was this visually exciting in awhile, so this was a nice jolt of energy that my shooting has needed of late.
For current Goucher Students in the thick of the end of semester work, I strongly suggest you take a two hour study break tonight and go watch ‘The Mikado.’ I trust you’ll leave feeling refreshed and energized.
Photo: Oren, Adelson family attends Birthright Israel event at Washington’s Newseum.
Any time I get to cover an event related to Birthright Israel, I’m overjoyed. My experience in Israel was like none other in my life, so I jump at any opportunity that I know will bring me back to that trip.
This was the latest of that type, a fundraising event at the Newseum in Washington, DC. (The Newseum, home to an exhibit full of Pulitzer Prize winning photographs, is of course, my favorite museum out there).
This was a wonderful event, and, as a Birthright alum who had an incredible ten days in Israel at zero cost, it was interesting to witness what actually goes into making that gift possible for myself and thousands of others around the world.
I was in great company, as well. Here’s a photo of the Dr. Miriam and Sheldon G. Adelson, who have donated over $100 million to Birthright Israel since 2007, posing with Michael Oren, the Israeli Ambassador to the United States.
It will certainly be a nice addition to the Philanthropy and Foreign Policy portfolios.
From the archives.
Here’s one of my all-time favorites! I just came across this one as I was searching through my archives.
A nice, exciting, colorful jolt of energy to contrast the dreary weather we’ve had all week.
Ugly Basketball.
I love shooting sports, but basketball is among my least favorites. There’s something about dark, yellowy lit gymnasiums that just doesn’t do it for me.
At its roots, it’s not as pure of a game as other sports are. Often the only thing you see through your lens are clusters of bodies falling on top of one another, or, if you’re shooting from the baseline, bodies falling on top of you. Visually, I prefer sports with simple, clean lines and great light. You’ll get a sense of what I mean if you click here or here.
For me, those are refreshing to look at after the types of events I’ve been covering lately.
Regardless, I shoot basketball when I need to, and I can make some good images when I do. I covered the opening round of the annual Pride of Maryland tournament at Goucher last Tuesday, and I liked these two as a pair. They show the uglier side of basketball.
Networking.
This is about as exciting a photograph one can make at a networking event. I thoroughly enjoyed listening to the discussions held and the questions raised while I was shooting, but visually, it was as ordinary looking as it gets.
Sometimes that’s just how it is, and it’s important for me to keep in mind that I’m not going to make amazing pictures at every assignment I shoot. As long as I get quality images of what’s needed, then I’ve done my job. Such was the case from this event.
If anything, it’s a good piece of PR for Goucher.
Magazine Cover Photo: Nick Markakis
Here’s my first formal magazine cover!
While I was working as a photographer for the Baltimore Orioles this summer, editors of the “Echoes” alumni magazine at Young Harris College in northern Georgia contacted me requesting photos of Orioles right fielder, Nick Markakis, for a cover story they planned to run about him. If you weren’t aware, Markakis played his college ball at Young Harris.
Click here to see the rest of the magazine, as well as the article itself, which includes more photos.
This is a low resolution version of the cover, so I’ll be sure to post a better image once I get a hard copy of the magazine. Regardless, this is a great addition to my portfolio!
Hopefully this will be the first of many covers to come.
During lockout, NBA players kick off Under Armour tour in Baltimore.
I shot the kick off event for Under Armour‘s “Are You From Here?” tour yesterday at the St. Frances Academy school in downtown Baltimore. The tour is designed to promote NBA players’ engagement with the community while the lockout prevents them from playing.
On the tour are Brandon Jennings of the Milwaukee Bucks, Derrick Williams, the #2 overall NBA Draft pick of the Minnesota Timberwolves, Kemba Walker, the #9 overall 2011 NBA Draft pick of the Charlotte Bobcats, and Grievis Vasquez, former University of Maryland star and current Memphis Grizzlies point guard.
I’ve shot basketball before, but I’ve never seen guys move like these NBA players can. Their movements are ridiculously quick, even in a pick-up exhibition game like this one. Their athleticism is freaky.
This was a fun event which I enjoyed shooting, despite the horrible lighting in the school’s gym. It made shooting action really tough, so I focused more on the candid moments like this one.
Wedding.
Despite the temptation to take a true break for a few days, I decided to try to be a bit productive over the past weekend, which my family and I spent in West Palm Beach, Florida. I did so by shooting some wedding pictures, adding to a part of my portfolio which is significantly smaller than most others.
For the amount I shot (which wasn’t many), I was mildly happy with what I came away with. Weddings are fun to be at, especially when they are like Greg and Meredith’s here, but I don’t find them so fun to shoot. I know, though, that that’s simply because I haven’t shot enough of them. Like anything else I shoot, I’m sure I’d look at this type of photography differently if I shot more of it.