Hooah!

The men and women of the U.S. Military are used to hardship. They train for it. Long deployments to inhospitable climates in harm's way are the norm. Often overlooked are the hardships endured by their families and loved ones waiting back home. It's especially hard on the kids. That's where Families United for Our Troops and Their Mission comes in. I had the honor of photographing one of their Camp Desert Kids events at Fort Bragg this weekend. Here's a description of the program, borrowed from their website:

The Camp Desert Kids program works to help military children better understand the deployments that shape their lives through a fun and educational event. In addition to allowing children to share similar experiences as their deployed parent, it serves to help American children learn that Iraqi and Afghani children do the same things they do – just differently, and works to cultivate an appreciation of Middle Eastern heritage.

I thoroughly enjoyed working with the volunteers from Families United, the volunteer soldiers, families, and kids. Here are a few images, the full gallery can be viewed HERE

RIP Jim Marshall

I will always remember the iconic images of Jimi and Janis, the shots of the Beatles and Jim Morrison, and many more. I'll also remember when I found out that all these incredible images were made by the same photographer. That was Jim Marshall. "THE rock & roll photographer," acording to Annie Leibovitz. If you get a chance, check out his book, "Jim Marshall: Proof." It shows contact sheets from some of his most famous shoots, complete with his grease pencil notes. It's as much a glimpse into the editing process as it is a look at outtakes from the famous sessions. His work will live forever.

And the winner is...

On Friday evening, February 26th I photographed the AAF-RDU 2010 Addy Awards Gala at Marbles Kids Museum in downtown Raleigh. I had a great time seeing folks I hadn't seen in awhile, meeting some new folks, and checking out all the great work that was on display. Congratulations to all the recipients! The full gallery of images is HERE