la luz

179 miles away. Champaign (named like a bubbly drink but not spelled the same) delighted me with light. Beautiful light hitting faces in subtle and moody ways. Thank you, Boltini.

take me far away

youthbuild

A story I worked on a couple weeks ago ran in today's paper. I loved working on the online component with reporter David Hunn. I'm also glad that he has a good voice.

just playing

federal boredom

If you sit outside the Thomas F. Eagleton Courthouse long enough, you'll start taking photos of things that don't matter. And you may like them better than the photos you came to take that do matter.

picnic anyone?

The water came in fast, crested and disappeared more quickly than it came. Water. It's beautiful. It quenches our thirst. We recreate in it, on it, near it. We love the way it looks, the way it sounds, the way it moves. It keeps us alive. Occasionally, it also takes lives.

tea time

Pinkies up!

let there be light

Sip tea. Sip tea and think about your neighbor who went without electricity for two weeks. Think about your freezer, which was full of the food he purchased with food stamps. No electricity, no fridge. No fridge means spoiled food, unless your neighbor will keep it cool for you. No light either, just cheap plastic battery operated lights to get you by. Tonight I'm thankful for my cool fridge, lights and electricity. He's one of many without the amenity, but as his wife said, "We're making do, We're making do."

authentic coat tree

wanted

My wallet and its many contents. Find it, and I'll love you forever.

spa double trouble

I had the opportunity to work on a neat spa shoot for Lifestyle a couple weeks ago. I lined up the shoots, the models, you name it. And everything went exactly opposite of the original plan. One person I was supposed to meet at a spa even got in a car wreck on the way to our appointment. It was that bad. Despite it all, I liked these images best. I tried to have fun with the treatments and represent them with the model's moods. For instance, the facial pictured here is called a fire and ice facial - paprika is put on your face. Inside, one might actually feel the way model Grace is expressing. Lesson learned: Be flexible instead of freaking out. I did a little bit of both. :-)

farewell to the fishbowl

There is a place on the fifth floor where we used to meet. Stories for the next day were decided. Ideas exchanged. Critiques given. Sunday night marked the last meeting in the space, known as the "fishbowl" because of its glass walls. Today, construction began and the fishbowl will be dismantled. Meetings will be held around the newsroom in a less central location. I was pinch hitting for an editor Sunday night and got to be at the historic meeting. Farewell, fishbowl.

parlez vous français?

Well, the dog does! François (AKA Frankie) speaks French. He also refuses to sit on the ground - only chairs for this pooch.