More Ugli Stick Photos

Eric "The Birdman" Erdman 
Brandon Whigham 
Tim Stanton 
Dale Drinkard, Jr. 
Ugli 1 
Ugli 2 
Ugli 3 
Ugli 4 

My Job Here is Done

Well, this is my last week of work. Actually, Thursday is my last day because we are off on Christmas Eve. I am so happy about this. For the past year, I've been so unhappy with my job. There's no creativity in it whatsoever. I rarely feel appreciated. And I don't respect most of the people I work with. Being who I am, having the dreams I have, it's all been very disheartening.

But now I'm moving on. I'm following my dream and moving to Memphis to continue my education in photography. I'm excited but also scared to death! Time will tell...

News on Grad School

Well, for all (2) of you that have been awaiting to find out the news on grad school...

It's official, I have been accepted and will start in January '05. As you can imagine, I am ecstatic! Finally I will be moving in the direction of a future in which I will be doing what I love.

Because my undergraduate degree is in communication arts and not photography, I will have to take several pre-requisite classes. But no worries, I'm actually very relieved about that. I don't think I'm skilled enough technically to jump right into the graduate program just yet. So with that and graduate classes, it should take me about 3 years to complete.

I'm taking a trip to Memphis in a couple of weeks to check out apartments. Yay! I'll keep you posted on anything new.

The Ugli Stick

I recently did a photo shoot with my good friends, The Ugli Stick. I've only gotten a few of the color pics back, and this one is my favorite. It'll be another week or so before I get the black and whites back, which I will definitely post.

Not only are these guys incredible musicians, but they are the coolest, sweetest guys I know. They're intelligent and funny...I just can't say enough about them. More to follow.



Brandon, Eric, Tim & Dale 

Memphis

Here are a few pics from my trip to Memphis, when I visited Memphis College of Art. They're not exceptional, but I look at them and remember the soul of that city. The city I hope to call my new home in the near future!

An update on grad school should be coming soon...



Stax Museum 
Dancing in the streets... 
Harmonica Man 
Beale Street 

Plans don't usually go as planned...

Well, pretty much the only thing that happened this weekend as planned was the wedding. I learned a lot (as always during a day with Stephen) and had a good time. It was a very long day though, so I didn't feel like going to see Chris McCarty afterwards. And unfortunately I didn't get to see Dale at all. But Lisa and I had a nice lunch and then went down to the bay and took some pictures. Hopefully they'll turn out well.

Here's a pic of Michael Tolcher and me from a couple weeks ago. Thanks Tangie!


Five Points Grill, Live in the X Lounge

Plans for the Weekend

The only way I can possibly make it through the work week at my incredibly unsatisfying job is to think about the weekend ahead. And this one should be very interesting...

I'm leaving straight from work to drive to Mobile on Friday night. I'm sure I'll be tired so hopefully I'll just get to spend some time chillin with my friend Lisa. Then Saturday, I am assisting Stephen Savage (college photography professor and professional photographer) at a wedding. This will be my first time, so I'm very anxious to see what it's like. The wedding is in the evening and takes place outdoors in Fairhope at the Grand Hotel. It should be very nice.

Wedding photography is not necessarily my photography of choice, but it pays the bills and is good experience. And who doesn't love a beautiful wedding to make you feel depressed about your own love life! Anyway, Stephen is a great photographer and his wedding photography won't be typical I'm sure. He is always able to make his photographs seem very classy.

Check out his portraits: www.savagepictures.com

Saturday night Lisa (and maybe Carly) and I may go see the Chris McCarty Band play at Monsoon's downtown. Should be fun but it might be an early night. I tend to get really annoyed at stupid drunk people very easily these days.

Sunday I hope to have lunch with Dale at Hero's. Then maybe a nice stroll around downtown before I have to head back home to Birmingham. I'll post later to inform if everything goes as planned and on how the wedding turns out...

Hurricane Ivan

After a week's worth of hype, Ivan is upon us. I have several friends living in the Mobile and Pensacola areas, which is where the eye of the hurricane hit land. The worst part is over, and although there is a good bit of damage, I don't think it was as bad as initially expected. Everyone seems to be safe. The good thing about this weather is that I have today and Friday off from work. So I had a little hurricane party with a few of my best friends, Tangie, Jamie and Eric, who evacuated with his mom from Mobile. We stayed up watching the news coverage of the hurricane (which by the way was more hilarious than informative) and played board games.

The effects of Ivan are supposed to hit Birmingham later today. I'll probably be hanging here at Tangie's for the rest of the day. I'm crossing my fingers that the football games are still on for Saturday. I'm pumped for Auburn vs. LSU! Meanwhile, I'm just going to to take advantage of my unexpected long weekend.

Artist's Statement

So, I'm applying for grad school, to attempt an MFA degree in photography. I had to write an artist's statement, basically describing my style and intent, and also what I hope to obtain from my education. Here goes...(and feel free to comment, those few people who actually view my blog).

Artist’s Statement

I became interested in the visual art of photography, ironically, through the non-visual art of music. The music I was interested in at the time came from legendary icons such as John Lennon and The Beatles. Wanting to understand more about the individuals behind the music, I turned to the signature photographic images that were made to portray the musicians’ personalities and ideas. That’s how I was first introduced to American photographer Anne Leibovitz. I was intrigued by her ability to effectively reveal an aspect of each subject’s public persona. And through her portraits, Leibovitz allows the audience to experience a felt connection with the subject.

My friends and family - the people I love - inspire me. I share particular moments, feelings and interests with each of them that I want to bring out in a single image. I am inspired by everyday life and its surroundings; the background that helps to tell a story about an individual person. I make photographs to remember a person or moment in time, or to portray a feeling or idea that otherwise would be difficult to verbally describe. My intent is to show that, although there are both similarities and differences in the way we relate to other humans, nature and God, all of our human experiences are not unconnected. It is the sum of these relationships that define our culture.

In making photographs, I prefer to use a traditional 35mm camera with black and white film. I choose this medium for both its versatility and its timeless effect. I tend to photograph people rather than objects, although on occasion I am moved to shoot a unique landscape or to create a still-life. No matter the subject, I am most comfortable shooting outdoors with a natural background.

I don’t get to spend as much time making photographs as I would like, although I am constantly thinking about different compositions and new subjects with whom I’d like to work. Given the opportunity to concentrate full-time on my photography, I hope to become more at ease with the camera and learn to build more comfortable relationships with my subjects, whether they are friends or strangers. By attending graduate school, I expect to gain more technical knowledge in my field, such as working with medium and large format cameras and experimenting with different printing processes. Through peer critiques, I hope to learn more about what my images convey to others and how my work relates to other artists’ work. While studying art in graduate school, I also look forward to experimenting with other forms, such as painting and paper-making.

Upon completing graduate school, I would like to work alongside a professional photographer as an assistant. There I will be able to gain firsthand experience in the professional world of photography. My long-term goal is to work for a magazine, for which I’d be asked to document, through photographs, the lives and events that are important to history and our culture. I would also like to someday publish a collection of my portraits, following in the footsteps of the artist who first introduced me to photography, Anne Leibovitz.