Clear Night Sky

Totally worth shooting in -3 degree weather and not being able to feel my fingers or toes. Also, my tripod froze. 

A Few Portraits

This week I proved to myself that when drowned with a cold that made my head feel like one big ball of badness ready to explode, several quizzes to study for (or not study for), more photo assignments than I could keep track of, and an unsuspected depletion of bananas (calling for a trip to Kroger's), I can and will survive.

Here are some portraits that I somehow managed to pull together for class. We were instructed to find two artists, and I wanted to photograph something other than the usual painter or drawer. I am fairly pleased with what I came up with.

Kerstin, a four-year-old living in Athens, Ohio, plays with finger-paints on January 19, 2011. Kerstin often enjoys doing arts and crafts while her older sister, Heidi (6), is at school.

Jill Pancake, an Athens, Ohio local, stares out the window of Decorative Injections on Court Street on January 19, 2011. Jill has worked there as a piercer and tattoo artist for two years. "I have 11 piercings, and am planning to double that number within the next year," she said. 

Winter in Athens

It's snowing in Athens, and I'm stoked.

Here are some shots from the quarter thus far.

Ohio Hockey vs. Penn State

Tough Losses

Despite some great efforts, Ohio Basketball has experienced some tough losses to start off the Mid-American Conference. The men first lost in triple overtime to arch-rival Miami, 92-88, followed by another tough loss to Kent, 69-66, just six days later. Many are losing hope for a repeat of their amazing season last year, with a huge upset over Georgetown in the first round of the NCAA tournament.

The women especially are having a hard time this season, recently losing their fifth consecutive game to Buffalo, 65-51. The Lady Bobcats are now 5-13 overall, and 1-4 in the MAC.

We've still got tons of season left to go, so hopefully both teams will start to play to their full potential. Here are some photos from the last few weeks. Just a side note- thanks to Joel Hawksley, I got to use strobes for the first time last week at a women's game. I am officially hooked.

Snow Dog

I made a new friend today.

SEORJ

I have always had a passion for criminology (mainly prisons), and I haven't really found the right explanation as to why yet. Once I figure that out I'll be sure to let you all know so you don't think I'm absolutely insane. Lockup San Quentin on MSNBC has always been part of my Sunday night routine, and I used to want to be a prison guard. After chatting with my Sociology 101 teacher for a bit, I decided I am even going to try to minor in criminology. My goal is to figure out a way to combine my passions for photography and prisons in some way. When a photo assignment for The Post (our school newspaper) came up that had to do with the shortage of beds for women at the Southeastern Ohio Regional Jail, I knew I had to take it.

After a bus ride and a bit of a sketchy taxi ride, I arrived at the jail. They were surprisingly super relaxed about me being there with a gigantic camera, and let me walk right on back. I was only allowed to shoot for ten minutes or so, but I got what I needed and left thoroughly eager to go back. The Warden said he would be willing to help me with any future projects, and I am definitely going to take him up on that offer.

Kelci Leasure, an inmate at the Southeastern Ohio Regional Jail, watches television from her bunk on January 7, 2011. The jail has an insufficient number of beds for the women incarcerated there, forcing them to find bedding alternatives such as placing bunks in the dining hall area.