A few weeks ago, I had the pleasure of photographing and listening to Bill Moyers at the Library of Congress. The Library has announced that it will make available Moyers’s public television shows to stream on the internet. (Press release here.) I have known Bill for many years and this is a wonderful accomplishment for him to be showcased at the Library. I am honored to call him my friend. 
In the spirit of Henri Cartier Bresson’s “decisive moment” or Robert Frank’s The Americans, I love shooting street photography. The masters make it look easy; it is not. One cannot be shy and do street photography; you must be able to get in and get close. Shooting stealthily is neither fun nor fair, the person being photographed should be able to speak up if they so choose. Of course, they may not notice you, but not because you were hiding in the bushes. I also believe that while opportunities abound in many cities, making photos of homeless people is almost always picking the low-hanging fruit. The exception would be if the photographer were to engage the homeless person, ask them if they minded having their photo made, and perhaps help them out a bit. Alas, many photographers are afraid and therefore do not follow these simple guidelines.
The photographer must be in tune with his surroundings when making street photographs – paying attention, anticipating the subject’s next move, willing to wait for the right moment. Patience is almost always a virtue and tends to pay off in spades. Situational awareness is key. When will the subject make that hand gesture again? When will they be in that exact spot I need them to be? When will that couple kiss again?
Lastly, the resulting photograph must be interesting. This sounds obvious, but many, many well-timed photographs, while technically good, are just not that remarkable.
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Meet Winston, our newest team member! Winston comes from Georgia via a rescue group in Maryland, Saving Grace. Winston’s DNA shows that he is comprised of 18 different breeds, so he is uniquely cute! We were sure he’d have Border Collie and maybe cow, but his DNA shows neither. His is, however, 100% love bug! He is looking forward to his debut on this year’s holiday card.
I have been revisiting some of my old photos lately, for inspiration, and maybe a little nostalgia. Here are some of my favorite black-and-white images from the past. Sometimes it’s refreshing to see where we came from to help see where we’re going.
Travel
Last month I was fortunate to take my niece and nephew to Iceland. This adventure was an eye-opening experience and a great trip for all. Iceland is a beautiful, rugged land with incredible scenery and friendly people. The unique Icelandic horses made us especially happy. Here are a few of my favorite photos from the trip.
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I have been slowly adding to my stock collection for sale at Alamy.com. Here are some of my latest additions.
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It is imperative that We the People of the United States and people around the world support the Ukrainians in their effort to thwart Russian troops. By doing so, we will ensure democracies all over will not be bullied by autocrats. This situation is extremely upsetting to me, as it should be to everyone. I am considering a trip to Ukraine in the near future to help capture the atrocities that are occurring there and will keep you all posted.
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At long last, I have acquired my FAA License to fly drones. For you, this means we can work together to capture some amazing aerial imagery!
Steam Train, Pennsylvania
American Legion after tornado, Mayfield, KY
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For several years now, I have been working with the Weather Channel’s web site. This is the latest post of many – some of the others are listed on the individual page on my web site. Please enjoy the slide show and information.
https://weather.com/safety/tornado/news/2022-03-18-kentucky-tornado-damage-recovery-pictures
I’ve been sent to Kentucky to cover the devastating December tornadoes. As always, to relieve the stress I try to do something different and local in my free time. It is a reflection point for me to be sent to somewhere else for some amount of time, to live and work there. Just the musings of a disaster photographer —- I spend a lot of time alone and have lots of time to think, and shoot!
Of course, I think about the people affected by the disaster. It’s heartbreaking work. But then I think about the people who live here, and why – and what do they do? It seems that rural life is something I could never become accustomed to, simply because I’ve always lived in or near a large city. The folks that live out here, in Kentucky, many live a hardscrabble life and live far from services – hospitals, fire department, police…. they must be self-sufficient in a way I don’t think I could ever get used to. That doesn’t mean I don’t have respect for them – in fact, I have more respect for them for all of those reasons. I would not want to live here, but I sure enjoy being here and meeting all the folks who make it what it is!
