…even in the parking lot while walking to your car.
Monthly Archives: December 2008
My Favorite Links Of 2008
For your holiday enjoyment, my favorite events, links, websites from the photojournalism world in 2008 are collected in a short article at SportsShooter.Com.
Enjoy your holidays!
Posted in I Love It
Drowning in Photographs
I photographed a woman making tamales. Put down a banana leaf. Slap on some corn dough. Add some sauce and rice, chicken, potatoes and beans. Wrap it up. Done.
Repeat. Repeat. Repeat. Repeat. Tamale. Tamale. Tamale. Tamale.
Sounds a lot like my photo workflow. Same thing over and over.
But lately I’m taking and processing way too much corn and dough. I should be spending time creating better recipes and tastier dishes.
Tag. Caption. Keyword, Rate. Copy. Upload. Burn.
My workflow is getting in the way of my creative side.
I’m spending so much time key-wording and archiving my photographs that I don’t have time to show them off properly.
Must find balance.
Anyone can make a tamale. I want lobster, truffles, and carne asada. At least when it comes to photographs.
YFZ Revisited – April 18, 2008 – The End
More photos of reaction to Judge Barbara Walther’s decision to keep over 400 FLDS children in CPS custody. It was a somber parade. I will let the photos speak for themselves.
This is the end of my YFZ Revisited series. Thank you for following it through. I will likely post more photos from Texas and the events of late April, May, June, July, etc. But it won’t be every day.
Tagged with: cps, flds, Polygamy, raid, san angelo, texas, yearning for zion, yfz
Posted in Photojournalism, Polygamy
Posted in Photojournalism, Polygamy
YFZ Revisited – April 18, 2008 – The Decision
At the end of the second day, Judge Barbara Walther made her decision. Over 400 FLDS children would remain in CPS custody. The FLDS began to come out of the Tom Green County Courthouse, and I was looking for reaction. Since they weren’t talking, I was looking for body language to show their emotions. We’ll go in chronological order.
These three ladies were next to come out.
I stayed focused on them as they slowly walked down the steps.
They walked right past me.
And then they were caught in the media pack.
I followed from behind.
For just a little while and then ran back to look for other people.
Tagged with: annette jeffs, cps, flds, Polygamy, raid, san angelo, texas, yearning for zion, yfz
Posted in Photojournalism, Polygamy
Posted in Photojournalism, Polygamy
YFZ Revisited – April 18, 2008 – Wading In
Only just now did I find this frame and it’s now one of my favorites. Symbolically, I think of someone wading into the surf at oceanside. (The media is the surf.) And thanks to college photographer of the year Tim Hussin for adding so much drama as he runs toward the shot with his camera swinging wide. The more I look at it the more I look at it. Here’s the entire sequence.
So I’m guessing that the woman at right is a CPS escort, accompanying these two women to the courthouse and then back to the shelter where their children are being held.
After my favorite shot up top, this is where we pick up.
The FLDS woman wades into the surf…
The cameras part…
Everyone looking for a comment of any kind…
I don’t think there was one…
Tagged with: cps, flds, Polygamy, raid, san angelo, texas, tim hussin, yearning for zion, yfz
Posted in Polygamy
Posted in Polygamy
YFZ Revisited – April 18, 2008 – Walking In
I worked this angle a lot, trying to get people and the columns of the Tom Green County Courthouse but I never got a shot as nice as some of the other photographers. The lighting at this moment was too harsh. There were some great photographers covering the hearing who produced amazing, artistic work. I think I left the artistic style behind and went more with a straight documentary approach, looking for content and moments. It’s a constant struggle for me, deciding between the two approaches.
Judge Barbara Walther arrived under heavy security, entering through the back door of the building.
Sam Brower, Brent Jeffs.
This was an interesting moment.
And when these ladies walked up, it seemed like more of the same. Until I looked closer:
Some kind of tag on their arm. These women must have been staying with their children in state custody and had been given the wristband as some kind of ID.
Tagged with: barbara walther, cps, flds, judge barbara walther, judge walther, Polygamy, raid, san angelo, texas, yearning for zion, yfz
Posted in Photojournalism, Polygamy
Posted in Photojournalism, Polygamy
YFZ Revisited – April 18, 2008 – Day Two Starts
Another early start, I arrive early at court to photograph people as they arrive.
I photograph the group from a distance. Marie is there on the phone. She moves out of sight behind a column.
Waiting for the doors to open.
Tagged with: annette jeffs, cps, flds, Marie Musser, Polygamy, raid, san angelo, texas, yearning for zion, yfz
Posted in Photojournalism, Polygamy
Posted in Photojournalism, Polygamy
YFZ Revisited – April 17, 2008 – Lunch Break and Beyond
At one point this group exited the courthouse and headed toward City Hall, where a simulcast of the hearing was being broadcast.
They were quickly swarmed by cameras. It’s amazing how interesting people walking down the sidewalk can be at a big news story.
They came to the end of the block and waited at the crosswalk for the light to change.
Notice the smart tactic of the two women standing behind the group. Looking through the photos now, I’m noticing that those two would often walk in the “second row,” behind other FLDS women. Because of this, most of the TV cameras seemed to miss them.
I’m sure reporters were asking questions during all this, but no one said anything.
I circled around.
More questions being asked…
…Still no answers.
I went into City Hall for a while and listened to what was going on. With over four hundred attorneys, it was a complete circus (and I’m not talking about any decisions being made, it was a circus procedurally). Every minute seemed to being a new objection from one lawyer or another. I could tell we were going to be here for quite a while.
I took this photograph back at the courthouse, when I realized that it was dark and I’d been outside the courthouse for twelve straight hours. The attorneys in the courtroom were taking a break, and shortly after this shot they recessed for the night. The hearing would continue bright and early the next day.
Tagged with: cps, flds, media, Polygamy, raid, san angelo, texas, yearning for zion, yfz
Posted in Photojournalism, Polygamy
Posted in Photojournalism, Polygamy
YFZ Revisited – April 17, 2008 – Hearing Begins
Officers outside the Tom Green County Courthouse to provide security for the mandatory 14-day custody hearing for over 400 children removed from the FLDS Church’s YFZ Ranch.
People began arriving pretty early. I had met this woman the day before when we poked our heads into her SUV. She stood outside the courthouse for a brief moment while the man she walked in with (her attorney?) talked with some reporters.
Two very different emotions in the photo above and the one below, considering that she would either have her kids returned or kept in custody in the hearing to follow.
In walk the attorneys for the FLDS: Rod Parker, “spokesman” Willie Jessop, Richard Wright, Bruce Griffen (he’s back there somewhere).
I love the look on her face after wading through the media, who gathered in a pack at this entryway. Doesn’t she look calm in contrast to their frenzy?
Out of the 400+ attorneys who came to the hearing to represent all sides, Susan Hays was the only one who stopped to talk. She became a regular fixture in news reports on the case. If she was a cartoon character, her catchphrase would be, “I won’t talk about my client.”
The line began to form outside the courthouse, and pretty soon it stretched halfway across the block.
Tagged with: annette jeffs, cps, flds, media, Polygamy, raid, rod parker, san angelo, texas, willie jessop, yearning for zion, yfz
Posted in Photojournalism, Polygamy
Posted in Photojournalism, Polygamy
