Hoggetowne Medieval Faire
A vendor works on shaping glass at the Hoggetowne Medieval Faire in Gainesville, Fla., on Feb. 4, 2012.
I took a few photos on a visit to the Hoggetowne Medieval Faire in Gainesville on Saturday. The artisan above is one of my favorites to watch, mostly because he has a torch shaped like a dragon.
A hawk takes off from a fence during a birds of prey demonstration at the Hoggetowne Medieval Faire.
A feathered plume sticks out from a woman’s hat at the Hoggetowne Medieval Faire.
Holes in my camera’s heart
The truck belonging to Jim Wilson, a supporter of Mitt Romney who has been traveling around the country ahead of campaign events, outside the Astrotech building in Cape Canaveral, Fla.
There are some negatives to shooting with a nearly 100-year-old Kodak Junior. The light leak that I hoped to ignore last year is now kind of a giant hole. Still, it was a nice challenge to shoot with an antique, one I will look to approach again.
Jim Wilson, a supporter of Mitt Romney who has been traveling around the country ahead of campaign events, outside the Astrotech building in Cape Canaveral, Fla.Paynes Prairie Brush Fire
A Florida Forest Service firefighter refills a water tank on a truck as others spray down a hotspot where a brush fire had burned on Paynes Prairie near U.S. 441 in Gainesville, Fla., on Jan. 30, 2012.
Firefighters are still mopping up the fire on Paynes Prairie that led to the multiple crashes on Interstate 75 Sunday morning.
Gingrich campaigns in Tampa
A team from NBC sets up before the arrival of former House Speaker Newt Gingrich, a candidate for the Republican presidential nomination, at Idlewild Bapist Church in Lutz, Fla., on Jan. 29, 2012.
With Gingrich’s stop in Lutz, I had the rare chance to cover a presidential candidate speaking less than 5 miles from my parent’s home in Tampa. The Idlewild church is one of the largest in the Bay area. Throughout my youth, I watched it grow and move to its current location just outside of Tampa. A snaking road leads to the church, set far enough off North Dale Mabry Highway as to hide just how large it is from the passerby. A spokesman for the church said they have never allowed a news photographer in during a service, even for events important to the greater community. So shooters covering Gingrich’s visit were left outside after he entered. The scale of the venue can be seen in the trams and parking attendants who guide parishioners into the building before services. When Gingrich arrived, he hustled amongst a scrum of reporters and security staff to the building where a large choir could be heard singing shortly later.
An attendant keeps watch over the handicapped parking area outside Idlewild Baptist Church in Lutz, Fla.
A tram carries parishioners to the front door of Idlewild Baptist Church in Lutz, Fla.
A television journalist reads a newspaper while waiting for Newt Gingrich to arrive at Idlewild Baptist Church in Lutz, Fla.
A security guard finishes radioing the plan to move Newt Gingrich into Idlewild Baptist Church in Lutz, Fla.
Newt Gingrich walks arrives at Idlewild Baptist Church in Lutz, Fla.
Callista Gingrich, wife of presidential hopeful Newt Gingrich, leans in to kiss a supporter after arriving at Idlewild Baptist Church in Lutz, Fla.
Parishioners watch from a second-story window as Newt Gingrich arrives at Idlewild Baptist Church in Lutz, Fla.
A scrum of media move with Newt Gingrich as he walks from his campaign bus at Idlewild Baptist Church in Lutz, Fla.
Don’t touch his Jacket
A visitor’s leather jacket at the Kumquat Festival in Dade City, Fla., on Jan. 28, 2012.
Mitt Romney hits the Space Coast
Jim Wilson, who has been driving in a Ford truck around the country ahead of Romney campaign stops, reinforces his flagpoles in high winds outside Astrotech in Cape Canaveral, Fla., on Jan. 27, 2012.
I shot former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney’s evening event at Astrotech in Cape Canaveral on Friday, a nice refresher. With time to kill before the candidate arrived, I spoke to Jim Wilson, who has been traveling ahead of Romney’s campaign stops. Wilson, with his pipe clenched between teeth, is one of those characters who have been interviewed and photographed endlessly during the campaign.
Police officers arrive to provide added security for Mitt Romney’s visit after a briefing at a station neighboring Astrotech.
An lectern awaits Mitt Romney inside Astrotech.
A woman reads a newspaper while awaiting the arrival of Mitt Romney at Astrotech.
Former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney speaks at Astrotech in Cape Canaveral, Fla.
Children wave flags made out of campaign stickers as the lectern casts a shadow before the arrival of Mitt Romney at Astrotech.
A member of the audience photographs Mitt Romney with his phone at Astrotech.
Mitt Romney greets the crowd after speaking at Astrotech.
Cleaning up the Farm
When my grandfather headed out West to get married, he left behind a country home to my family. We spent the other weekend cleaning it up and removing furniture that didn’t make the cut for the move.
My Year in Phone Photography
The debate between groups of photojournalists over apps in cell phone photography was one of the bigger discussions of early 2011. Damon Winter’s photos from Afghanistan sparked much of the fight. At this point, the apps have definitely found their place in the journalism world. While I haven’t shot any editorial images with my phone this year, these are some of my favorites I made this year.
Lost in a Corn Maze
Even though Halloween has passed, the Rogers Farm corn maze was still open for one more weekend. A full moon illuminated the paths through the maze, while brisk 37-degree weather pushed us to keep moving. That, and the guy in a mask with a chain saw chasing us down the paths.
