What I have been doing...

The storm of the century some people called it. Feb.1st it first hit Toledo, OH it was over by early Feb.2nd dumping what some would consider a normal amount of snow that brought panic to the area. Level 3 emergencies were issued, people rushed out to stock up on food and supplies. The following day this is what I discovered. An average snow fall, police out stopping people and blocking snow mounds made by bulldozers, picketers at the court hose supporting legalizing Marijuana, mounds of snow as high as street light and signs piled up every other block. Surprisingly a lot of traffic as well. That was all that made it hard to get around. After seeing the city I went out of town, I was amazed to find better road conditioning immediately after leaving Toledo. The country roads were all fairly clear some areas were bare road. I noticed some kids had build a mound of snow almost 12ft high to sled down and make an igloo. All around it was a beautiful snow and in my opinion was and is lots of fun.

Don't look to the News

If I'd written all the truth I knew for the past ten years, about 600 people - including me - would be rotting in prison cells from Rio to Seattle today. Absolute truth is a very rare and dangerous commodity in the context of professional journalism.
Hunter S. Thompson 

From darkness comes light

This is a small portion of self portraits I did in dealing with the darkness that had overcome my life in the past few months. While not intending to shoot disturbed and dark images I could only see myself in this light, so I went with it. While shooting the images I felt a lift in spirit and self worth bringing me back into a brighter outlook on what I need to do with myself and my business to achieve my goals. With each day better things are becoming a reality. Finally, I look forward to tomorrow to see what splendors life has in store for me.

This is a series of images shot to show the effects of alcohol and drugs on one mans life. This man at 58 years old, suffers from congestive heart failure, stroke, weak bones, and various other sever ailments associated with alcohol and drug abuse. His name and location has been kept anonymous, while he used to own his own home he later had to rent it due to not paying the mortgage, he was later evicted by his roommate from his own home and forced to rent in another area. Social Security pays him cash and medical, he draws food stamps from the state as well. Selling his food helps feed his habits, neighbors and family also give him money to further support his self-destruction. Today, I spent the day sitting with him and photographing various shots around his home both of him and the conditions in which he lives.

National anthem suffers violation of the first amendment by federal law...



http://recollectionbooks.com/bleed/images/postersMisc/nevermind.jpg

 http://toddstarnes.com/2010/08/national-anthem-banned-at-lincoln-memorial/

Censorship is un-constitutional, but yet totally acceptable by most.

Frame and shoot, it's your right!

   A man on the street, a kid in the front yard, and a woman bleeding out from a car accident all can be legally photographed, but using a telephoto lens to zoom into a window is not only unethical, but it is also illegal. If you can see it with your naked eye, photograph it!

   While people in general have ethics, so do most work establishments and clubs. The ethics explained in the course textbook (Photojournalism: the professionals' approach, by Kenneth Kobre') and online photojournalism resources all seem to be based on keeping things truthful, raw and considerate while photographing sensitive subjects. Be sure to separate your own feelings from your work. Document the information the public needs to know. When looking for a shot, portray the moment for what it is and not how you feel about it.

   While I am sure most photojournalists fall into the Utilitarian style of ethics, most of the codes of ethics from the NPPA, SPJ, and the JEA all seem to mix in Absolutist style shooting. I am more of a Utilitarian; If it's news - report it.

The Tinker court case

Tinker vs. Des Moines Independent Community School District is an interesting case. We all have the responsibility to protest anything we feel is unjust. Wearing armbands to show their position on the war should have never have been an issue. In my opinion, it comes back to the instruction of conformity and discouragement of free thinking taught by the schools then and today. It’s kind of sad that the U.S. District Court saw the actions of the school as not to be in violation of freedom of speech/protest, and had to be pushed to the U.S. Supreme Court, with the help of the Iowa Civil Liberties Union and the ACLU. If it wasn’t for the rights organizations, the attack on the First Amendment would have gone undisputed.

http://www.bc.edu/bc_org/avp/cas/comm/free_speech/tinker.html

http://johnnyocoileain.com/blog1/author/rcmorin/
Designed by Robbie Morin

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