A moment at the Arizona Renaissance Festival & Artisan Market…

I’ve been spending a great deal of time lately truly examining what it means to define yourself as a “photographer” to produce “great work.”

Does your equipment define you? The expensive tools that accompany that title? Or is the access into unique situations that few are privy to (war zones, sports arenas, political events) that define your career? Or can a great moment be found elsewhere, in every day life, photographed with a camera app on an iPhone?

& do we really need all the 5Ds, 1Ds, D3s, D4s, etc. to capture those moments? Do these things become exaggerated necessities, rather than simple tools?

At the very core of it, what defines great photography? Killer moments, killer light, killer action, or the fact that your mother hung it on her wall at home?

“If it makes you laugh, if it makes you cry, if it rips out your heart, that’s a good picture.” -Eddie Adams

“Iʼve described a good photo as one that crawls down your throat, reaches your heart, and gives it a tug.” -Jim Colton

Do they say that work can’t be great too? & more importantly, who the hell are they?

These photos certainly won’t change the world, but I’ve enjoy the challenge of my little camera… I was hesitant to embrace the instagram/hipstamatic trend initially, but I’ve found myself working harder to compose images now that I’m, quite literally, confined to a small square and limited editing software.

It’s just a fun series of images I made photographing my best friend with her daughter, Winter, today in Las Vegas.

& some other favorites…

Elida senior Trent Long (33) and Aric Thompson (25) battle for the ball against Archbold senior Devin Shannon (42) at the Elida FIeldhouse in Lima. The Elida Bulldogs fell to the Archbold Blue Streaks, 68-70.

United States Navy veteran Ira “Virgil” Fazel pauses, while reminiscing about the violence he experience serving in the United States Navy during World War II at the Veterans of Foreign Wars Ohio Post 1275 on Saturday, January 5 2013 in Lima, Ohio.

Got lucky tonight finding the son of 26-year-old Tarika Wilson, during her candlelight vigil marking the five year anniversary of her death by the Lima Police Department, during a drug raid at home…
“Sincere Wilson, 6, looks on during a candlelight vigil for his mother, Tarika Wilson, remembering the fifth anniversary of her death at 218 E. Third Street on Friday, January 4 2013 in Lima, Ohio. 26-year-old Wilson was killed during by Lima police during a drug raid that went wrong.”

A frame from my experimental session with my homemade underwater housing, the murky water of the Senior Services Center made it a bit tough, but I’m looking forward to trying this out again soon