Doors of Oakland: Part 6

So I finally found another door! Alaina told me she spotted one on Semple and she was right! It just so happened, the artist who painted this door, Alex, was there renovating the building next to it. It took him 3 days to create this door, which is made of pieces of glass and hand-painted slabs. Absolutely beautiful.

McConnells Mill State Park

"If nature were not beautiful, it would not be worth knowing, and if nature were not worth knowing, life would not be worth living."

I took advantage of the Indian Summer we experienced yesterday and hiked around McConnells Mill State Park. I desperately needed the outdoors to cleanse my mind...of course, that only lasts as long as it lasts then it's back to worry. Nonetheless, I enjoyed walking the trails, being passed by people walking their dogs, families having their Christmas photos taken, and birds...from which I ran away.

Ajay Rock

I went into the studio to photograph Austin, or Ajay Rock, recording some songs. Austin is an R&B singer based in Pittsburgh and I've been working with him since the summer. Here are some shots.

One Nation Working Together

A spur of the moment trip to DC yesterday turned out to be mass chaos. I don't even know how many thousands of people were at the One Nation Working Together rally, but it felt like millions. After waiting in line to take the subway to the National Mall, I roamed around the massive crowds to try to get some photos. I didn't get as many as I normally do at rallies, but that's what happens when 90% of your effort goes into navigating through a sea of people. Getting back to RFK Stadium where our bus was proved to be a task in itself. After two hours of waiting for a subway, then giving up, then trying again, we finally got to our destination. Then, of course, we had to drive 4 1/2 hours to get home.

Naturally, I saw some crazy sights and some crazy people. Unfortunately, I lost my reporter's notebook in the midst of everything, so my memory is all I have. Here are some of the photos I was able to get.Jennifer Bell, from Maryland, attended the rally because she "wants to make a difference." She believes that no one wants to recognize that the "n" word is still being used.



George Ripley was participating in the rally to promote "9/11 truth." He believes the U.S. government was responsible for the attacks and states that the evidence exists to prove it. Ripley, a 10-year resident of Washington, D.C., also wants the U.S. to spend more money on jobs for peace, not war.

Doors of Oakland: Part Five

Okay, so I am now more than halfway through my series. I shot Phil today (that sounds awful) in front of a door on Atwood Street whose subject is August Wilson, apparently one of Phil's favorite playwrights- could not have asked for a better door! So, I had Phil play his banjo while I snapped away and here are some shots I got.

Gold

When I was in Hawaii, I would sit on the rocks by Hilo Bay and meditate and, of course, listen to my iPod. Even when it was on shuffle, the song "Gold" by Interference would come on every time. I hadn't listened to that song much before then, but I fell in love with it more and more each time I listened to it by the water. Everything was perfect while I was there- everything was golden.

I came back and decided I wanted to do a portrait shoot with the theme of "gold." I wanted to use that time of day when the sun just starts to go down and makes everything, well, gold. Here are just a few photos from the shoot.


"And if your life was gold, how long do you think you'd stay living?"

Doors of Oakland: Part Four

Just completed part 4 of my Doors of Oakland portrait series. As soon as I found out Becky had dreadlocks, I knew I wanted to use this door. It's colorful, it's wild, and it looks like a bed of dreads. The sun was mad bright, which causes problems, but I still really like how these turned out.

Doors of Oakland: Part Three

I completed three portraits of my Doors of Oakland series already; two just today. Here is the third- I knew as soon as Kiersten and I came across this door that she was the one to use for it. She has a crazy personality and these out of control, bouncing balls were perfect for her :)

Doors of Oakland: Part Two

Here lies the second installment of my Doors of Oakland portrait series. I had just finished taking photos of Rachel and her fiance, John, when I took these on Oakland Avenue.

Rachel and John

While I was in Hawaii, one of my best friends from high school, Rachel, texted me with the news...she was engaged :) Prior to her having the ring on her finger, however, she mentioned that she wanted photos of her and her now fiance, John, with their matching tattoos. Of course, I said yes, and I took the opportunity to take regular portraits of them as an engaged couple as well. Here are just a few.