Photo Essays
Ode to Summer
I hung out at a county fair for a couple of days earlier this week for a small project I wanted to shoot. While I was hanging out with these kids, I made this frame, and thought of Amanda Lucier.
The Snowpacolypse
So yeah, it’s snowing (again) in mid-Missouri today. Went out this morning to feature hunt and took a few snaps with my iPhone using the Instagram app.
The Dream Deferred
Earlier this week, I went out with Greg Harmon, a sales associate with ReMax who’s job is to identify and assess foreclosed properties. It was probably the most interesting story I’ve worked on, especially because as we were driving around, he would point to houses, often times right next to each other, and say, “That house is in foreclosure…so’s that one.” Tribune reporter Kris Hilgedick wrote a great piece as well.
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The number of foreclosures in Boone County is on pace to set a new record this year. There were 294 foreclosures in the county in the first 10 months of the year, up from 247 in 2009 and 253 in 2008, according to the Boone County Recorder of Deeds.
County Fair, Redux
Spent the better part of a week at the Boone County Fair. I still smell like dirt, farm animals and fried food, but I guess that’s just one of the perks of the job. Here’s a few selects I thought worked well together.
Boom, then bust
Back in 1957, at the height of the Cold War, a uranium mine was discovered in Wyoming. It brought thousands of people to the area, many looking for high income jobs at the mine.
Jeffrey City started to boom.
Businesses thrived. Residents went to church and sent their kids to school. Workers mined the valuable mineral. Times were so optimistic that a large high school was built, complete with an olympic-size swimming pool. Houses, motels, cafes, garages and a park all lined the streets of the city.
But by the late 1970s, demand for uranium plummeted. The market went bust. In 1982, the mine shut down, along with the only reason for residents to remain. By 1986, 95 percent of the town’s population had left. Jeffrey City was virtually a ghost town.
Today, about 106 people remain, according to the 2000 U.S. Census. Most of the houses and businesses are boarded up. No children play in the park; only a weather-beaten swing set remains. There’s still a small cafe, but the pool tables in the back collect more dust than quarters.
But, there’s still friendly conversation to be had with those who remain…
The State of Things
Missouri Gov. Jay Nixon delivered his second State of the State address last night in Jefferson City, promising more jobs brought to the state and funding for K-12 and higher education, but also called for substantial cuts from the budget, to the tune of $253 million. Republican Lt. Gov. Peter Kinder wasn’t shy in giving Nixon a heavy critique in his party’s response afterwards.
Personally, I like covering politics. I like the challenge of trying to find visually interesting material in an otherwise “talking head” situation. Here’s a look from last night…
Megan, revisited
A little tighter edit of my story about Megan, a St. James high schooler who lost her best friend, Ksenia, in a car accident a couple of weeks ago.
Leaving on a Jet Plane
This is what happens when I have a D3 and two hours to kill on a flight from St. Louis to San Antonio:
Please leave your tray table in the upright, locked position during take-off…
All flights are non-smoking, so don’t do it, even though air travel these days will turn anyone into a chain smoker…
We’ll offer you one beverage of mostly ice free of charge. You’ll finish it in approximately 5 seconds. Additional soda can be purchased for $5…
This flight is booked full, so don’t try to move; it’ll just piss off your neighbor…
The view, however, is free. Take as much as you want.
The Classmate Project
I recently finished an audio slideshow for my Electronic Photojournalism class, which involved some photo elicitation from myself about my classmate project.
Check it out and let me know what you think.
Also, wear some headphones. The audio is a little low. (Grr…)