KIDS "I Love Them"

During the course of any given week my assignments involve children. They can be in school, playing sports, or in the park. It seemed to be just another typical assignment in a classroom, but as I discoved and keep discovering, there are no typical assignments. Childern are always inspiring.
Late March, I received 19 letters from Mrs. Svab and Ms. Junge's class at RD White Elementary School in Glendale. Being a mother myself you might imagine how excited I was to open the package and see the thoughtful effort and sweetness that went into each and every letter.
I posted these examples because they were colorful, but all of them were worth posting. This was an amazing gift, one of the best I've ever received. THANK YOU CLASS!

PhotoShelter

This is a link to an important article about backing up data. I use PhotoShelter and it's a great service. All photographers should know about storage options and backing up their data. If you're a photographer, work must be backed up at least twice on hard drives. Yes it's costly, but necessary.
Studies have been done on the life span of CD's and they do deteriorate, the effect looks like color bands running through the image. The end result is no matter how good the CD, (gold) they don't last forever, and they can become scratched, rendered unreadable.
I started using hard drives long ago to back up my work instead. One primary back up and a secondary back up.
Digital imaging is a great medium, but nothing keeps like good old fashion film, which many of us no longer use, especially photojournalist who have a deadline everyday.
A few years ago I interned at the Los Angeles County Museum of at in their Photography Department. While there I asked a curator what would be the best format the safest way to store something. Their answer was simple, and from a simpler time.... graphite on paper, it lasts hundreds of years if stored properly. The answer always haunted me, oh the "good old days!"

THE COUNTRY

The most beautiful time of year has arrived up in Springville. My
mother asked me where I took this picture and I told her right in your
backyard. Sometimes when we're so close to beauty, we don't even see
it. Just another small reminder that I have to look around everyday to
find beauty, but I don't have to try very hard... It's all around me. I
have to admit that I miss the country very much, yet the city has it's
advantages and it's own beauty, only different. There are books written
on this subject, how to see light, beauty, etc. But one only has to
open their eyes and be will to look for that interesting building, or
that lovely smile that lights up a face, a sunrise or sunset.

MEMORIAL MEMORIES PAST AND PRESENT

While on assignment Friday, March 9, at the Los Angeles Memorial Sports Arena I hurried in to shoot a robot contest that was in progress. After calming down and finding my subjects, I started to look around, imagining moments that have come and gone over what has been almost 50 years of sporting events, concerts and much more. The floor that I walked on was old and made for the Ice events, this was the home of the Los Angeles Kings. I tried to smell the air, for some sent of ice, but none lingered. I looked up at the scoreboard, imagining all the games that were played by the Los Angeles Lakers from 1960-67 and the Los Angeles Clippers from 1884 -1999.
The long byways and the structure of them made for interesting images, with millions of people who have walked these byways, one can almost feel a faint excitement in the air.
A lonely telephone booth sat off in the corner on the main floor, simple, made of wood. I have no idea how long it has been there but I wondered about the many who must have made phone calls from behind the door, which is now open, the booth vacant. What did we do without cell phones? There was a lot more to tell our friends and family when we got home wasn’t there?










The portrait of Nixon surprised me and looking closer I discovered that The Los Angeles Memorial Sports Arena was dedicated by Vice President Richard M. Nixon July 4, 1959.

The portrait of John F. Kennedy inspired me, “We stand at the edge of a New Frontier, the frontier of unfulfilled hopes and dreams. It will deal with unsolved problems of peace and war, unconquered pockets of ignorance and prejudice, unanswered questions of poverty and surplus."
John F. Kennedy made his acceptance speech in 1960 to the Democratic National Convention at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum in July of 1960 as the Democratic nominee.
Little pieces of history are all around us and sometimes it’s nice just to stop and take a closer look.
The plaque dedicating the Los Angeles Memorial Sports Arena inscribed at the top reads, “In Recognition of all who served their country in all wars and in special tribute to those who gave their lives in service.”
At the bottom reads “When the one great scorer comes to write against your name, he marks not that you won or lost, but how you played the game,” by Grantland Rice.
The arena holds 16,000 fans, but the parking lot only holds 6,500 and anyone who has gone to a recent event there or a USC game knows that is a major downfall of both event sites.

Another interesting fact that I found is that it only cost 7 million dollars to build in 1959, money that was raised from bonds. Knowing this, I would think that someone would build a proper parking structure since both arenas are wonderfully historic and great places to go, but I digress.

IT'S NOT JUST A SONG

On an early winter morning I got up early to go on an assignment that would test my limits and push me to heights that I haven't been to in years.
I would be climbing Mt. Baldy with five members of the Montrose Rescue Team and a few of my co-workers. This was a training exercise. The mountain is about 10,000 feet and while my co-climbers made it all the way around the mountain, I did make it to 9,600 feet, just about 400 feet short of the top. While that doesn't seem much, the last 400 feet were for the most part, straight uphill. Though most of the trail was a narrow rocky climb uphill as well.
This was the first time I had ever attempted to go on such a hike. I grew up in the mountains, but I always had a horse underneath me doing all the work. The serenity of the day and a feeling like I accomplished something was a wonderful feeling. It's nice to know that when in a pinch I don't need a horse to get me there... I can do it myself.
And the top of Mt. Baldy is not covered in sauce, any meatballs or spaghetti; we had to bring our own food and water. It's a shame really; I was looking forward to a good Italian lunch!