halloween.

don't OD on candy.

more to come later.

it's time for diwali.

one of the best assignments i've gotten in a long time. i got to photograph the annual diwali show in stockton, and it was incredible. i was bummed that the only assignment for the holiday was a performance, but it turned out pretty sweet. every year, about 90 kids in the indian community get together with friends and family to learn traditional (and sometimes not-so-traditional) dances and musical instruments, and around the time of diwali, they perform what they've learned about their culture in front of an audience of friends, family, and community members.

i got there about an hour before the show started, and spent most of the time shooting backstage. you couldn't ask for a more visual assignment! everyone was in costume, backstage rehearsing, running around... it was madness, but a calculated madness.

and i can't believe that it's all kid-driven.
makes me think this could be a pretty sweet little photo story for next year if i can find a group of kids rehearsing through the year, and follow them through until next diwali show... but we'll see.

roll bounce.

this former councilman in the south side of town built an addition to his house. doesn't sound too crazy, but as it turns out, the "addition" is actually a full-size roller rink.

so, in true form, he threw a party to mark the grand opening of the first roller rink in stockton since hammer skate closed down over a year ago.
now, let me just say, it's a lot harder to skate and shoot simultaneously than i thought. especially when there are 200 people on the floor all rexing and jam-skating their hearts out. and the derby instincts don't help... it's not polite to knock people over when you're working for the newspaper.

oh well.

quince.

here are far too many photos of the quinceanera i shot with barker. props to jeff for putting me in touch with kareli, a girl he worked with at MVP in sacramento. he would have photographed this for her, but since he's in denmark, he was awesome enough to send her my way.

i've never been to a quince before, so i did a little studying up beforehand. even so, it was everything i would never have expected. it was beautiful and meager at the same time, and kareli carried herself in such a way that if i hadn't known she was 15, i would have guessed her to be much older.

enough of my rambling. this one goes out to jeff. your little girl's all grown up. and i'm glad to have been there to share in the experience.

mom tying up the dress:the kids hanging out on the porch as last details are arranged:sustenance:dance rehearsal outside the hall:the cake:la muneca:grandpa:a dance with mama after cutting the cake:
i've never felt so much a part of a family in such a short amount of time. it's days like these that remind me why i am a photographer.

catch-up.

some photos from the last month or so at the paper. some ran, others didn't.

a lot to update with, but for now i need to clear my mind and my archives.

tap dancers at the opening for a new theater and cultural arts center:

an overexposed shot of a woman getting a tour of a county jail hoping to raise funds to expand:

wine tasting class:

a pregnant teen living in a transitional home. we weren't allowed to identify minors, but she turns 18 next month, so hopefully i can get back there and hang out for a while:

and, of course, football season again. the first month of the season is great for that golden sunset during the first quarter of every game. that won't last long:

still trying to adjust back to daily life after the missouri photo workshop.

more posts once i sort through missouri photos and quincenera photos. should make for some good times.