March13th
Robbie Brown and Kim Severson had an interesting story in the New York Times on ways states are dealing with budget shortfalls, and I had the opportunity to photograph a manifestation of that. This was a fun shoot for me because I am always interested in agricultural issues and I happen to be a big fan of the University of Florida (my alma mater), which got this program up and running at their West Florida Research and Education Facility in Jay, Fla.
March9th
Jeff was in Montgomery for the 150th anniversary of the Inauguration of Jefferson Davis, which Campbell Robertson wrote about for the New York Times.
March2nd
Jeff was in Montgomery for work a couple of weeks ago and made a side-trip to Auburn to photograph the oaks while they are still alive. Very beautiful and very sad.
February15th
It is old news to most of us in lower Alabama, and certainly City of Prichard retirees who have been denied their benefits have been dealing with the problem for over a year, but New York Times reporter Michael Cooper came to town in December to report on the financial problems in Prichard, which, it turns out is the only city in the U.S. to stop paying its retirees. His story explains it better than I can and is well worth a read if you haven’t seen it already. I had the opportunity to meet some of the people who have been most affected by the failed system while working on the story.
February12th
If you know Jeff at all, you probably know how passionate he is about the outdoors. One of the many great things about living in Mobile is our easy access to the Mobile-Tensaw Delta, an area of diverse wetlands just north of Mobile Bay, which also happens to be the second largest river delta in the United States. In lieu of the mountains that Jeff loved when he lived in Colorado, we have both really embraced the wonderful kayaking opportunities this area affords.
But for awhile now, Jeff has had his eye on the Wilderness Waterway in Everglades National Park. It is a 99-mile through trail that spans the entire North-South length of the National Park from Everglades City to Flamingo, Fla., and over Christmas and New Year’s, we spent a week paddling the distance between.
Needless to say, it was a phenomenal experience. I kind of wish I was there right now. No computer, no cell phone, no gps, very little human interaction, very little walking (which probably didn’t help Jeff when he ran the First Light Marathon two weeks later), and lots and lots of paddling. The trip was amazing, and it rekindled our excitement to explore our Delta and the Bartram Canoe Trail, which is right in our backyard.
In that spirit, we are throwing our support behind the Alabama Hiking Trail Society, which is working to make a 550-mile through-hike across the state, starting at the beaches of Baldwin County. The Gulf Coast Chapter of Alabama Hiking Trail Society is looking for volunteers to help build the Alabama Trail. The more people who get involved, the sooner we’ll have nearby access to world-class hiking. Get in touch if you’d like to help!
December23rd
Nestled inside the live oaks of Biloxi, Miss., are the buildings at the Ohr-O’Keefe Museum of Art, which was designed by architect Frank Gehry. Jeff photographed the museum’s opening for the New York Times last month, five years after the project was setback by Hurricane Katrina.
December9th
Earlier this Fall, the New York Times sent me to Hattiesburg to photograph the exoneration of Phillip Bivens, who was released from prison after thirty years when lawyers for the Innocence Project New Orleans got he and Bobby Ray Dixon exonerated based on DNA evidence that Bivens, Dixon, and Larry Ruffin, who died in prison in 2002, were innocent of the 1979 rape and murder of Eva Gail Patterson.
Campbell Robertson’s story says it better than I could, so I’ll leave the words to him.
It was extremely touching to see Mr. Bivens walk out of the courthouse freely for the first time in thirty years. What a way to spend your life.
I received an email from the Innocence Project last month letting me know that Bobby Ray Dixon, one of the two who were exonerated that day, died at his home with his family. The lead photo on the story the New York Times ran, was a photo of him.
December4th
If you haven’t checked out Atchison Imports sometime in the last 25 years, you’re in luck. It looks like they’ll be around for a good long time.
November20th
27-Mile Bluff is the original site of Mobile, Ala., founded by Jean-Baptiste Le Moyne de Bienville, in 1702 as Fort Louis de la Mobile. The settlement was moved in 1711 after flooding, and the site is marked today by two monuments and ongoing excavations by researchers at the University of South Alabama.
Jeff and I headed out there before dawn to photograph the area for Mobile Bay Monthly. Thanks to Lynn McCain at Dupont, who also had to head out there before dawn to meet us.
November13th
It has been a year since we received a call from National Parks Magazine. They were interested in featuring some of the lesser-known parts of the National Park Service, particularly the Civil Rights Monuments here in the South. Jeff and I were so pleased to get the opportunity to show the vitality of some of these historic sites that meant so much not only to our region, but to the entire nation. We don’t have Yellowstone or Rocky Mountain National Park, but we are big believers in making the best of what you do have. And down here, we have the opportunity to learn about our history. We (mostly Jeff) worked on this project off and on for six months or so and it is finally in print now. I know we’ve said it before, but this is why we love our jobs.
