Shutterspeeding

Demolition Derby Video

2009-11-14T08:54:00.000-08:00

When my friend Ryan Horn asked me if I wanted to come watch him compete in a demolition derby I knew it was a great opportunity to do an interesting video. Horn has been doing derbys for years and is actually in the demolition derby video game Test Drive: Eve of Destruction. I followed him as he fixed up his car and later as he competed in the Arizona State Fair. If you ever get a chance to see a derby live, go. It's a blast.

Pat Shannahan

Hockey Fisticuffs

2009-11-13T07:13:00.000-08:00

They never fight when I cover hockey. Last night was a nice exception. I ran down to the press room to transmit my images after the first period. My deadline was 8:30. After I got my initial images in I went out to see what more I could come up with before deadline. Shortly after I got back to my shooting position Phoenix Coyote Paul Bissonnette and Montreal Canadian Jay Leach decided to duke it out. I rattled off a few frames and headed back down to the press room to send them to the photo desk. I got the photo in with a few minutes to spare.

Click here to read the story about last night's game.

Pat Shannahan

www.patshannahan.com

@pshannahan on Twitter

Swimming

2009-11-13T07:03:00.000-08:00

Shooting swimming can really be a challenge, especially if you are shooting the freestyle events. The nature of the stroke makes it hard to see the swimmers face. I made this image while covering the local high school state championship swim meet last weekend. It was made just as he was coming to the surface after diving in at the start. He ended up winning his race.

Pat Shannahan

www.patshannahan.com

@pshannahan on Twitter

5 Reasons to Hire a Photojournalist

2009-10-26T15:56:00.000-07:00

I just read a really well written blog post by Andrea James about why it's a good idea to hire a photojournalist for a photo job. You can read her article here. The point I most agree with concerns a photojournalist's ability to capture moments. Being consistent in photography is like being consistent at playing a musical instrument. It requires daily practice. Newspaper photojournalist get daily practice at capturing moments. Who better to hire for a job when getting "the" moment is the main requirement.

Pat Shannahan
www.patshannahan.com
@pshannahan

Shots of shots

2009-10-25T09:29:00.000-07:00

On Saturday I photographed people getting their seasonal flu and H1N1 flu shots. This family of five got everyone vaccinated. What drew me to them was their son sleeping in the cart next to them. He was knocked out till it was his turn to get vaccinated. I was surprised to see that it was a three hour wait to get a shot.

Pat Shannahan
@pshannahan

New 360-degree Interactive Panoramic Photos

2009-10-23T12:40:00.000-07:00

What I love about 360-degree VR photography is that it lets you put people in places they might not otherwise experience. This week I did a panoramic photo of firefighters practicing taking a whole side of a car off with the Jaws of Life. They gave me a set of turnouts and a helmet to keep the shattered glass on the seat from cutting me. I wanted to shoot it from inside of the car because of the interesting point of view it provided. This was a really hard pano to stitch because I had to shoot it using a monopod rather than I tripod. Keeping the camera in one place was hard wit them pulling and moving the car. Also, this was shot while they were doing their drill. They are not posing.

Click here to see the interactive version.

This is the second time I have made a pano at night at a fair. This time I wanted the pano to start out looking up at lights. This pano is made up of seven frames. Each exposure was around six seconds. The long exposures pick up the movements of the rides and capture the mood of the fair at night.

Click here to see the interactive version.

Pat Shannahan

www.patshannahan.com

www.stepintoaz.com

@pshannahan

Photographing the San Diego Coast

2009-10-19T10:59:00.000-07:00

San Diego Coast - Images by Pat Shannahan
I have always wanted to try making some long exposures at the ocean. On a recent trip to La Jolla and Coronado I had time to give it a try. The first frame is a 4 minute exposure made in La Jolla, CA, shortly after the sun went behind the horizon. The long exposure allows the waves to turn to a surreal myst. The second frame was made on Coronado Island. It's is a 2 minute exposure made shortly before the sun came up. All of the black and white photographs were shot using a Mamiya C330 medium format camera. The color image was shot on a Holga.

Thanks for looking,

Pat Shannahan

www.patshannahan.com

www.stepintoaz.com

My Holga on a Lonesome Highway in the White Mountains

2009-10-19T10:31:00.000-07:00

There is just something about a camera with a plastic lens. These images were made with my plastic Holga camera and some Kodak 160 VC film. I really love the dreamy feeling a Holga can give an image. It makes photos that look like memories, a little fuzzy around the edges. These images were made up in the Arizona White Mountains. My Holga and my Mamiya C330 are becoming my favorite cameras for landscape photography. I really like the medium format negative the produce, and sometimes it just nice to use a fixed lens on a film camera. Having to wait to see the results is added fun.

Pat Shannahan

www.patshannahan.com

www.stepintoaz.com

@pshannahan Twitter

2009-09-11T09:55:00.000-07:00

For a while I have wanted to make a portrait of my wife's grandfather. Over the weekend I was able to the make this portrait of him with my Mamiya C330. I could tell he wasn't too sure about having his picture made. After four frames he was done. He's really in interesting man. Throughout his life he's worked in the boiler room of an aircraft carrier, raised bees, been a truck driver, and organized unions. I always find his stories interesting because each time he tells one, he adds new layers of detail.

Pat Shannahan

www.patshannahan.com

www.stepintoaz.com

@pshannahan

Photographing Arizona's Wine Country

2009-09-04T16:44:00.001-07:00

AZ Wine Country - Images by Pat Shannahan

These are my favorite pictures I made for a recent story about Arizona's wine country. We went to vineyards in Arizona's Verde Valley as well as vineyards in Sonoita to the south. For me, the most interesting part of working on this story was meeting the wine makers and seeing the work that goes into making wine. In Sonoita, we walked through Todd Bostock's vineyards at sunset sipping Dos Cabezas wine made from the grapes that surrounded us. In the morning we photographed Dick Erath walking though his vineyard outside Wilcox as workers harvested grapes. He started the wine industry in Oregon and is bypassing retirement to experiment with making wine in Arizona. In Jerome we hung out with musician Maynard James Keenan of Tool in his Caduceus Cellar. He is teaming up with Erik Glomski of Page Springs Vineyards to make Arizona Stonghold wine. These photos will be part of a AZ Mag edition dedicated to Arizona's WIne Country. We are also planning on creating a wine page for the travel section of AZCentral.com.

Pat Shannahan
@pshannahan
www.patshannahan.com

Taking the Canon G10 Underwater

2009-08-25T12:31:00.000-07:00

Swimming - Images by Pat Shannahan

In an effort to try something new, I borrowed a coworkers Canon G10 and underwater housing to shoot photos for a story about the Chaparall High School girls swim team. In the past, I have shot underwater photos with a Nikonos underwater film camera where you have to focus using the distance scale. The underwater housing allowed me to compose the picture and follow focus using the screen on the back of the camera. The buttons on the housing allowed me to easily turn the flash on and off when I needed it. The waterproof houseing I used was the Canon WP-DC28. I went into the assignment planning on shooting everything RAW. I figured out after the fact that the camera was set to Large JPG. I was surprised at the quality. Not bad for 400 ISO on a point and shoot.

Pat Shannahan
@pshannahan

Ramadan Class

2009-08-25T12:18:00.000-07:00

I made this picture while photographing a class at the Phoenix Metro Islamic School, in Tempe, Ariz. The kids were learning about the Muslim holy month of Ramadan. The boy in the picture kept teasing and playing around with the girl sitting behind him. She on the other hand, was not pleased with his silliness. I thought it was a fun, playful moment.\

Pat Shannahan

Longevity

2009-08-25T12:00:00.000-07:00

Doctors at the Sun Health Research institute are finishing up a study looking at longevity and what things people who live long healthy lives have in common. Recently I had the chance to photograph several patients participating in the study. I photographed 92-year-old Doug Morrill as he did his daily weight lifting exercises and 106-year-old Catherine Mehan. The common factors the study found that led to healthy lives are: good diet and exercise, active social networks, ability to overcome hardships, and religious beliefs.

Click here to read the story in The Arizona Republic.

Pat Shannahan
@pshannahan

Havasupai Waterfalls, a Year After the Flash Flood of 2008.

2009-08-07T07:50:00.000-07:00

Havasupai Falls - Images by Pat Shannahan

They almost don't look real. The shades of aqua blue and green look like they belong more in a swanky resort pool than in the Grand Canyon. One resident of the Supai village told the reporter I was with, that tourists have asked about what time of day they turn off the waterfalls. You can hardly blame them, but this is all Mother Nature. Disney couldn't do a better job.

I backpacked into Havasupai with Arizona Republic reporter Dennis Wagner to work on a story about the condition of the area a year after a major flash flood in August 2008 forced more than 400 people to evacuate. The tribe closed the area until June 2009 to repair the damage to the trails, bridges, cemetery and campground. The flood rerouted Havasu Creek away from Navajo Falls, leaving it dry. It made Fifty-Foot Falls bigger and created a new waterfall that is temporarily called Rock Falls. Water now only flows from one of the channels in Havasu Falls. Mooney Falls, which is taller than Niagra Falls, now has a larger swimming area.

In addition to still images, I also shot some 360-degree interactive panoramic images that you can see on AZCentral.com.

So you can get an idea of the power of one of these flash floods, I included a video I found on YouTube of Havasu Fall shot during the flash flood by AOA Adventure Tour Company guide Jon Opem.

Pat Shannahan
www.patshannahan.com

www.patshannahan.com/panoramics

www.stepintoaz.com
@pshannahan

Earp/Holliday Mustache and Beard Contest

2009-07-26T13:53:00.001-07:00

Earp and Holliday Mustache and Beard Contest - Images by Pat Shannahan

It was a proud day for facial hair. Men young and old came from all over The Valley to show off their chops, soup strainers, and Wyatt Earps in the Earp-Holliday Mustache Contest at the Goldfield Ghost Town in Apache Junction. The contest was part of AJ's celebration for National Day of the Cowboy. What a collection of characters. I set up a white background and lights and tried to make portraits of all the contestants. Everyone had their own style. Some were dressed in costumes, others came as themselves. This was so much fun to shoot. I tried to capture a bit of their personality, as well as the detail and texture in their faces and mustaches. Who would you have picked as the winner?

Pat Shannahan
@pshannahan
www.patshannahan.com

Saying Goodbye--- Troop Deployment

2009-07-26T13:25:00.000-07:00

Troop Deployment - Images by Pat Shannahan

On Thursday I photographed the Phoenix-based 3666th Support Maintenance Company as they deployed to Iraq. I grew up an Army kid. While my dad never had to deploy to war, I do remember what it was like for him to leave for weeks at a time to go on maneuvers. On this assignment I tried to concentrate on capturing moments of families saying goodbye.

Pat Shannahan
@pshannahan
www.patshannahan.com

360 Degree Interactive Kayaking Photos

2009-07-26T12:17:00.000-07:00

CLICK HERE TO SEE A SET OF 360 DEGREE INTERACTIVE PHOTOS FROM GLEN CANYON

The Colorado Rive is well known for it's white water rapids and rafting trips that can take several weeks to finish. Most people don't know that there is a place near the Grand Canyon where the Colorado River runs smooth and calm through towering canyons, and you don't need a permit to enjoy it. Just north of Lees Ferry, where the Colorado River rafting trips through the Grand Canyon start, is Glen Canyon. For $40, Colorado River Discoveries will take you and your kayak up-river from Lees Ferry to the Glen Canyon Dam. From the dam it's a 14-mile trip back to Lees Ferry. The trip can be done as a day trip or as an over night camping trip. My friend Chris and I decided to take our time and camp at one of the six camping spots. Each campsite has a bathroom and fire ring. We stayed at a spot that was on the south side of Horseshoe Bend, which we had seen the previous day from the top of the cliffs. In the morning, the calm water reflected the cliff walls making it feel as if I was gliding on top of a mirror. It was several hours before we encountered any other people. One of the thing I like about this trip was that we had the place pretty much to ourselves. Other than the occasional tour or fishing boat we didn't run across many other people. The roughest water we experienced was the wake from passing boats.

For more information about activities at Glen Canyon click here.

Step Inside the Tovrea Castle

2009-07-10T13:01:00.001-07:00

On Wednesday I had the pleasure of photographing and exploring one of Phoenix's most interesting and mysterious buildings, the Tovrea Castle. Most people from The Valley know it as the house shaped like a wedding cake near the 202. The castle has recently be renovated by the City of Phoenix, part of their plan to open it up to the public. Over the past several months I have been playing with taking 360 degree photos. I decided that this would be a great opportunity to take people inside, before it is open to the public, and allow them to look around. The link below will take you to 5 interactive panoramic images. The tour starts outside the house and then take you from the basement up. The highlights are the basement and the top floor. The basement features tunnels that lead off to the surrounding garden, a textured ceiling, and a walk-in vault. The top floor is surrounded by windows and has a great view of the Phoenix Valley.

We will have a story soon in the paper about when it will be open to the public. When the story is online, I'll update this post with a link.

CLICK HERE TO SEE PANORAMIC IMAGES

Pat Shannahan
www.patshannahan.com
@pshannahan twitter

Tied to a 400-lb. 'heart,' man awaits new wonder

2009-06-28T08:46:00.000-07:00

400-lb Heart - Images by Pat Shannahan

These images are from a photo story I am working on about Charles Okeke. In the fall, doctors removed his ailing heart and replaced it with a Total Artificial Heart. The new heart is powerd by a 400-lb driver that must go everywhere with him. For the past 340+ days he has been trapped in the hospital waiting for a heart transplant or for modern medicine to find an answer. There is hope that the company that makes the heart he currently has will get permission from the FDA to try out a new artificial heart system that weighs 12 lbs. If he is able to get that he will be able to leave the hospital and live at home with his wife and three children.

To read our story in The Arizona Republic click here.

Pat Shannahan
@pshannahantwitter
www.patshannahan.com

Man Sentenced for Crash that Killed Officer

2009-06-27T09:34:00.000-07:00

Yesterday I photographed the the sentencing of Salvador Vivas-Diaz for the manslaughter death of Phoenix Police officer Shane Figueroa. Vivas-Diaz crossed the middle line and crashed into Figueroa as the officer was responding to a call. his blood-alcohol level was 0.24, three times the legal limit in Arizona. The judge sentenced him to 16 year which was the max for this case. Over 40 uniformed police officers filled the courtroom. I made this image of officers reacting as the prosecution showed imags from the crash and from officer Figueroa's life on large monitor in the courtroom.

Shooting in court is always a challenge. Normally you are positioned in the back of the courtroom. Everyone talking is facing away from you. Photographers are also required to put their cameras inside a cloth blimp to dampen the sound of the shutter and to put there camera on a tripod which make it physically awkward to shoot. Courtrooms are always dark which makes it a challenge to make pictures without movement. I like this picture because I think it shows the emotion that the officers had in the courtroom that day.

To read the story on AZCentral click here.

Pat Shannahan
@pshannahan
www.patshannahan.com

Double Parked

2009-06-27T07:42:00.000-07:00

I love it when I stumble upon an unexpected photo. Sometimes photography is like that, you're walking down the street and then you see something that makes you slam your heels into the ground and stop. I was in Tempe on a hot afternoon working on a story about parking. Due to the paper's time scheduling/deadlines they needed me to find something during the brightest, nastiest-light time of day. When I saw this it immediately made me smile.

Pat Shannahan
@pshannahan twiter
www.patshannahan.com

Thanks Reynolds Institute

2009-06-27T07:14:00.000-07:00

I recently had the pleasure of speaking to 35 high school journalism teachers at the ASNE Reynolds High School Journalism Institute held at Arizona State University's Walter Cronkite School. It was so nice to see people excited about journalism and passionate about passing on their excitement to students. I found my love for photography in high school. I was lucky enough to have a great teacher who encouraged me keep taking pictures and helped provide many of the tools to improve my skills. The journalism world is changing so fast. No one is really sure what it's going to look like in 10 years. One thing I am sure about. There are always going to be stories that need to be told. There is always going to be a need for pictures. Photography is one of the ways we figure our world out. A great picture allows us to see through someone else's eyes, revealing a world that may be different than our own. Photography speaks to the heart before it speaks to the mind. There is always going to be a place for that.

I was flattered to see that some of the Reynolds Institute teachers wrote about me in their blog. You can see it here. Thanks Reynolds Institute.

Pat Shannahan
@pshannahan twitter
www.patshannahan.com

A Woman's Work

2009-06-18T08:50:00.000-07:00

A Woman's Work - Images by Pat Shannahan

I recently had the opportunity to photograph Arizona rancher Maryann Pratt working on her ranch in a rural valley near Payson. Maryann ranches her piece of land all by herself. There is no calling in sick, no procrastination, and no one around to pass the buck. If something breaks, she has to fix it. If cattle need to be moved, she has to move them. Like a modern Zane Grey character, she lives off the grid. Solar panels power her home. A generator supplies water from her well. Satellite internet keeps her in touch with the rest of the world. She also grows much of her own food. It's refreshing to know there are still people like Maryann providing for themselves off the land and living the old west lifestyle in the new west.

Instant Classic-- Polaroids

2009-06-02T08:21:00.000-07:00

Polaroids - Images by Pat Shannahan

I was inspired by several recent news stories to put together a collection of my favorite images made with my Polaroid SX-70. The great thing about the SX-70 is that is shoots TIme Zero film. The film's emulsion remains soft for a few minutes after the images is made. You can use a dull tipped object, such as a burnishing tool, to move the emulsion around under the plastic cover. The results can look like an painting. All of these images are just scans of the polaroid. No Photoshop filters. Sadly, Polaroid does not make this film anymore and the art of the SX-70 is slipping away. The NY Times has a gallery of reader images shot with polaroid cameras on their Lens photo blog. It's well worth checking out.

NPR has a nice story, with photos, about an exhibit of polaroids at the New York Photo Festival. It shows the work of 14 European photographers who used polaroid instant films.

From Grunt to Graduate

2009-05-30T07:57:00.001-07:00

From Grunt to Graduate - Images by Pat Shannahan

I spent the week photographing Arizona Project Challenge cadet Michael Jensen during his final days in a 22-week long program from high school drop outs run by the Arizona National Guard. On Friday he became the first Arizona Project Challenge cadet to graduate high school through a new online program through Sequoia Choice Arizona Distance Learning. Only arounf 60 percent of the cadets finish the program.

Click here to see the story in The Arizona Republic.

Catalina Island

2009-05-24T10:06:00.001-07:00

Catalina Holga - Images by Pat Shannahan

I spent last weekend camping with friends at the Little Harbor campground on Catalina Island. It was a perfect weekend in every way. I took my point and shoot to make the necessary happy snaps and my Holga to try something different. The above images were all made with my Holga. My favorite is the first image of the wave breaking against the rock. When I see it, my shoulders relax and I can smell the sea air.

Check out My New Website

2009-04-30T10:43:00.000-07:00

Please take some time to check out my new web site at www.patshannahan.com. My friend Dan Kempton recently built it for me. We're still fine tuning it, so any feedback would be great. If you want to go right to the panoramic VR photography you can go to www.stepintoaz.com. The website hosts my photojournalism portfolio, documentary work along the U.S. /Mexico Border, a galley of interactive panoramic images, videos, and portraits.

Thanks for the feedback.
Pat

Cabeza Preitea

2009-04-23T09:05:00.000-07:00

Cabeza Prieta - Images by Pat Shannahan

I have been meaning to post this for a while. I made these images while backpacking on the Cabeza Prieta National Wildlife Refuge for a travel story. What struck me most about the area is how rugged and dry it is. The conditions pose a challenge even to the most prepared. Evidence of the challenge can be seen among the fallen Saguaro cactus, laying on the ground with outstretched arms like chalkings at a crime scene. This part of the desert really is unforgiving. For an overnight backpacking trip we had to take 2 gallons of water each. During the day the sun washed out all the color but as the sun set, the colors really came alive.

Watching the Game

2009-04-23T09:03:00.001-07:00

I spent the afternoon covering a high school baseball game yesterday. The action got a little slow so I tried shooting something a little different.

2009-04-18T08:40:00.000-07:00

CLICK HERE TO SEE 360-DEGREE INTERACTIVE PHOTO

The world may be ever changing, but the fair stays the same. The animals, rides and fried food bring on a sense of nostalgia. I get sent by The Republic to shoot the county fair each year. This year, I decided to try something different. I prefer to shoot it at night. If you drop the shutter speed down in your camera, you can pick up the twirling and swirling of the rides, and the fair takes on a surreal, dreamy quality. The link above will take you to AZCentral.com - The Arizona Republic's website - where you will see the full interactive photo. The image is made up of 6 photos stitched together. Each photo is taken during a 10 second exposure, which is how I picked up the movement of the rides.

Alien Jellyfish Lands in Phoenix

2009-04-16T21:49:00.000-07:00

Today I photographed the opening of Phoenix's new Downtown Civic Space Park. The main feature of the park is a big sculpture of hanging nets titled "Her Secret is Patience". You are welcome to make your own decisions about the art. This was our first chance to make images of the new artwork with people around it. The first photo shows the sculpture with the Valley Ho in the background. The Ho is a well known old feature in downtown Phoenix that at one time was a hotel that presidents stayed while visiting AZ. The other shows the park with people.

Field View

2009-04-12T10:32:00.000-07:00

CLICK HERE TO VIEW INTERACTIVE 360-PHOTO

I did a pano last night as the Dbacks lost to the Dodgers. I wanted to do a photog's view from the field. I plan on doing more at Chase FIeld. Maybe I'll do one this summer from the pool out in right field.

Happy Easter.
Pat

Story for the Birds

2009-04-09T14:51:00.000-07:00

I spent the morning with two biologists with the Arizona Game and Fish Department as they tagged, weighed and measured two baby bald eagles near the Rio Verde River. It was amazing to see the size of the nest.

Concert Pano

2009-04-04T07:22:00.000-07:00

CLICK HERE TO SEE INTERACTIVE PANO

Last night I tried doing panos from the pit at the Tempe Music Festival. The two main acts were Kid Rock and Roger Clyne and the Peacemakers. It ended up being harder than I thought. Concerts have a lot of changing variables such as lighting and tons of movement. I wasn't abel to get a full 360 degree pano, but I was able to put together about 280 degrees of viewing. These were all shot on a monopod with a 8mm lens.

Pano from Tom's Thumb Trail

2009-04-03T15:16:00.000-07:00

On Tuesday, I was able to hike the new Tom's Thumb Trail in the McDowell Mountains. The trail is part of the McDowell Sonoran Preserve. A team of trail builders spent 6 months working on this trail, camping out at the base of the mountain. It's a good hike. It will get your heart pumping. The first pano is taken from about half way up. The second pano shows the view from next to Tom's Thumb.

Click Here to View 360-degree Interactive Photo

Interactive Views From the Border

2009-03-25T08:27:00.000-07:00

UPDATE----- I just added a new view to the border fence pano project. This one is from Nogales, Sonora.

CLICK HERE to take you to a 360-degree interactive view of several parts of the fence along the Arizona/ Mexico border. I just updated it with full-screen buttons to make it more interesting. These were taken from several spots in the desert around Naco and Douglas, Arizona. There is a lot of talk about the border fence but many people don't know what it actually looks like. Here it is.

Panos
I've really been getting into panorama photography. It's an excellent way of communicating a sense of place. For those interested in learning more about pano vr photography, I have complied a list of my favorite pano links.

VRMag is a collection of free online issues full of wonderful panoramas. This is a great place to get info and inspiration.

The Panoramist is a blog by photojournalist Gary O'Brien of The Charlotte Observer. He has a lot of great links and useful information on equipment and software. Gary was nice enough to spend an evening with a co-worker and I pointing us in the right direction on how to use the software and shooting techniques.

I'm really inspired by the panorama work of Bernd Dohrmann. His Starry Night pano is simply beautiful. It's shot at dawn and he has drawn in all of the constelations. has connected all of the constellations together. His site has a great collection of panos that really put you in the middle of the action. Worth viewing.

Panoguide is a great how-to site. The regulars in their forums are helpful and quick to answer questions.

Photojournalist Zach Wise has an interesting pano shot of the neon boneyard in Las Vegas. He also has a good intro to panoramas and list of links.

2009-03-23T08:49:00.000-07:00

I went out with detectives with the Arizona Department of Public Safety on Wednesday as they served a felony warrant. You can read the related story here.

Bball

2009-03-21T21:28:00.000-07:00

U of A catcher is knocked down by an ASU runner in a home plate collision. ASU scored on the play.

Great Story

2009-03-21T13:10:00.001-07:00

Here is a link to a great story about 19-year-old Jennifer Marlowe, who has cancer. The story is about her passion for photography and the people who are working to make her dream come true. Anyone who loves photography can relate to her quote "When I take pictures," Jennifer said, "I feel like everything around me disappears." This story is well worth reading.

Pat

Protest Panorama

2009-03-20T14:39:00.000-07:00

Last night I was assigned to cover a war protest in Tempe. The protest was held on top of a bridge on ASU's Tempe campus that stretches over University Drive. I haven't done a pano in a while so I figured it might be a good chance to do one with people in it. Click here to check it out.

Happy St. Patrick's Day

2009-03-17T07:38:00.000-07:00

Happy St. Patrick's Day. Here is a slideshow of images I made in Ireland while traveling through Cashel, County Kerry, the Dingle Peninsula, and County Clare along Ireland's west coast. The trip was everything I hoped it would be and more. We only spent a day in Dublin, opting instead to spend our time exploring the windy country roads and hiking along the coast. It wasn't too hard to leave the tourists behind and fell like you were having a real experience. I'd go back in a heartbeat.

All of the photos in this slideshow were taken with a plastic Holga camera. A Holga is made up almost entirely of plastic. It has two shutter speeds, one F stop, and leaks light like a sieve. Why would anyone want to use this camera? The Holga takes photographs that look like memories-- something in focus but a little fuzzy around the edges. When you are using a Holga, you're letting go of almost all control and opening up your photography to chance. You can never be quite sure what light is going to be recorded on the film. Each roll has a few surprises on it. It's great for landscape photography as well a photographing people.

I bought mine here from the International Center of Photography. I like the one that allows you to shoot at 1/125 of a sec and also has a bulb setting for long exposures. More to come on the Holga.

Pat

MSNBC

2009-03-16T09:22:00.000-07:00

I have a photo and video on the cover of MSNBC today. The story follows the experiences of a woman living in an apartment complex that was owned by a company that defaulted on it's loans. It's interesting that even people who don't own homes are experiencing the effects of foreclosures.

Great Links

2009-03-09T08:38:00.000-07:00

Photo District News recently came out with their "30 Photographers to Watch" list. PDN has a slideshow here of some of the photog's work. There are some really interesting images. It's worth checking out.

One of photogs selected is California's Lisa Wiseman. She has an interesting project on her web site called "The New Polaroid". Her idea is that the iPhone is becoming the new Polaroid. I really like her abstracts. What a great way to keep looking for interesting images and beauty in everyday life. Nice work Lisa.

Education Rally

2009-03-05T07:43:00.000-08:00

Around 2,500 people attended a rally at the state capitol Wednesday in support of education. The rally started as Gov. Jan Brewer gave a speech to the legislature where she described her budget plan.

Click here to see a slideshow from the rally. Click here to read the story.

Tonto National Monument Pano

2009-02-27T16:48:00.000-08:00

The link here will take you to an interactive panoramic photo I shot today of cliff dwellings at Tonto National Monument. The park is located about 110 miles east of Phoenix. It's a pretty easy hike to get up to the cliff dwellings. There are other cliff dwelling that you can visit, but you have to make tour reservations in advance. Off in the distance is Roosevelt Lake.

Floor Scramble

2009-02-26T07:56:00.000-08:00

Arizona's high school basketball championships are in full swing. I made this last night during a semi-final game as Cortez played Greenway. I love floor scrambles.

Viola's Dance

2009-02-24T19:36:00.000-08:00

This was from a real sweet story I worked on last week. Viola Fallon, 92, loves to dance. For years she was involved in organizing dances as well as teaching others to dance. Last week her hospice nurses arranged for her to be able to dance with a man one more time at an Arthur Murray Dance Studio. Her feet didn't miss a beat. It was inspiring to see. You can read the story here.

All-Star Game at 1/15th of a Second

2009-02-20T13:29:00.000-08:00

The NBA All-Star game was in town recently. We covered the game with five shooters and an on-site editor. There were a ton of photographer shooting the game. There were two rows of photogs on the base boards and remotes hung from every available spot. My job was to shoot from the concourse and seating levels with a long lens. After I had taken a bunch of action photos I decided that I'd try and make something different so I slowed the shutter down to 1/15th of a second and panned along with the players. It's nice when things work out.

Sedona Gigapan

2009-02-20T08:47:00.000-08:00

This is a example of something new I am playing with called a Gigapan. I shot this in Sedona, Ariz. The image is shot using a camera mounted to a robotic head. This image is made up of 36 individual photos. The photos were stitched together using Gigapan stitching software. All together it's 213 megapixels. What I like about the Gigapans, is that because of the detail you can really zoom in close and explore a picture. See if you can find the chapel build on the mountain.

You can go to http://share.gigapan.org to explore more examples. The Gigapan site has a really cool application where you can take snapshots within the Gigapans and share them with other users. There is a whole art to finding the picture within the picture.