A View to An Uzz

SPF: A Lyric In a Song

Yeah...I love music...actually the world love is underselling my feelings for it, but for the purposes of this exercise, I will say love. This week, the lovely Kristine over at Random & Odd has brought us...A Lyric in a Song...basically find a lyric in a song that describes a photo. Now I could do this all day, but I only pulled a few out of my archives...remember...click on the pic for a larger size.

"The spin of the earth impaled a silhouette of the sun on the steeple."
- Elliott Smith - "Everything Reminds Me of Her"

" Isnt that a pretty sun
Setting in a pretty sky?
Will we stay and watch it darken?
Will we stay and watch it darken?

Her church not made with hands"
- The Waterboys - "Her Church Not Made With Hands"

 ... just as an aside...I love this song mostly due to the fact the opening lines are loosely taken from the final page of C.S. Lewis' series "The Chronicles of Narnia", where Aslan states, "the term is over: the holidays have begun. The dream is ended: this is the morning."

"And when that queen’s daughter came of age,
I think she’d be lovely and stubborn and brave,
and suitors would journey from kingdoms away
just to make themselves known."
                          - Okkervil River - "A Stone"

this is my ex's (Army of Mom)daughter and  I promise you that Army of Mom/Dad will have their hands full years from now:-)

"And it's me who's too weak
And it's me who's too shy
To ask for the thing I love"
-Paula Cole - "Me"

Don't think I have to add anything else. (yes...its a rare self portrait)

SPF: Songs (A Little Late...but Fun)

Yeah...its Saturday, but after the horrible week I have been having, I must say that I worked or slept most of Friday...therefore...I am posting this a little late! The lovely Kristine at Random and Odd has requested songs...so being the music nerd I am, I had to play:-) Yes...I shot all of these and culled them from my archive:-)

Remember...click on pic to see it larger

Born in the U.S.A. - Yep...I will lead it off with the mighty Mini-Uzz who was indeed...born in the USA...specifically, West Texas. The building behind him is the new Omni Hotel that is being built in downtown Fort Worth and yes...he is holding a camera...he actually has a pretty nice eye:-)

The Black Crowes - Yeah...its NOT an actual song, but he is actually singing a song! That would be Chris Robinson of the Crowes, who I shot at a concert festival I did work for last year. While I am not a huge fan of theirs, this did turn out to be a pretty cool shot to show off:-)

One - Yes...the U2 song...not really anything that has to do with the tune, but I love the way the shadow plays on the field:-)

Dancing Queen - I shot this during the Fort Worth Stock Show and Rodeo this past January. Ballet Folklorico is a wonderful group of dancers in the area and I love shooting them...the colors, the motion and pageantry tend to lend itself to great photos!

Hold You In My Arms - Ray LaMontagne

When you kissed my lips with my mouth so full of questions
My worried mind that you quiet
Place your hands on my face
Close my eyes and say
That love is a poor man's food
Don't prophesize
I could hold you in my arms
I could hold you forever

Hurt - This is a photo of a mother and child who were refugees from the New Orleans hurricane. I shot this when buses were brought into Fort Worth. It was one of the few times that I had been moved to tears while covering a story, but the power of the overwhelming human tragedy was pretty strong. Despite the sadness of the situation, I thought this was a beautiful portrait of two people who still have each other to hold onto.

World Waits For You - While the song from Son Volt does not have much to do with weddings, the title does convey the enormity of how her life will change once she walks through that door. The song does have a beautiful message:

"Find strength from the words
Of those that went before
Take what you need
But leave even more"
Where Do the Children Play - Cat Stevens - This is a shot I took while covering a block party in the north side of Fort Worth. It was just one of those shots that you turn and see the colors and see the action and fire with nothing but instinct. What I love about this pic, is the tilt, the perspective, the drenched colors and the candid nature of a moment in time.

Well...that is it...did you play?? Let me know!!! And I always love to hear from others:-)

Ouch!

I strained my lower back muscles at IKEA the other day and I have spent the rest of my time alternating between work and laying on my back!! The pain is pretty bad, but I am trying Aleve and a heating pad to get me back up and on my feet without feeling 102 years old. Any ideas out there?? Home remedies?? I am up for just about anything!!!

SPF: Hero

Yeah...I am back...I need some other ideas to blog about:-) Thankfully, the great Kristine at Random and Odd has a new SPF...Hero...so here we go...(remember...click on image for a larger file)

First off...its obvious...my son...the great Mini-Uzz who is requesting a new name since he is no longer mini! He inspires me every day to keep moving on and all he has to do is exist. He is smart, funny, goofy, nerdy and he has pure heart...despite the fact he can be a little sneaky. I have said it before and will always say it...I thank God for allowing me the privilege of helping raise him:-)
I have plenty of heroes, but two stand out in my life that a lot of you may not know about. They are two of the best friends that I have ever known and my love and caring for them knows no end. R & M were there for me in my blackest moment and have never allowed me to go back to that hell. R (picture by M.) is probably the smartest person I have ever known, but its his gift of clear thoughtful answers and honest caring about my well-being that make him a hero to me...and M. (who is also brilliant) is possibly the sweetest and most genuine person you could ever have the pleasure to meet. As a mother, she is one of the best...as a person, she is even better:-)

They helped me through my divorce, my depression, my anxiety and did it in the best way possible...by not letting me wallow for long. They always let me know when they are proud of me and when I need a moral boost...their opinion means everything to me. Their children are like my own and I rest assured that they will always be there for me...plus their guest bed is like a linen version of Tylenol PM. They are my family and I thank God for having them in my corner!!!

Did you play???

SPF: Numbers

Well...I just found out that Kristine at Random and Odd has brought back Stuff Portrait Friday!! I was pretty pumped since it pretty much forced me to post more often:-) This week the topic is Numbers...so here is my little entry: (remember...click on image to see a larger version)

I was tasked the shoot TCU's football Pro Day a couple of weeks ago and this is from that series...where are the numbers?? There are two pretty obvious places where numbers are represented and I will let you guess! I thought this was a pretty funny pic:-)

Did you play??? Leave a message and let me know! Have a great weekend!!!!

Happy Easter To All!!!

First of all...Happy Easter to all of you who venture over here once in awhile! This morning saw a groggy Mini-Uzz and his brother and sister attack the Easter Egg Hunt tradition with wild abandonment!

Mini-Uzz (aka Pickle to many Army of Mom readers) and I made the early morning trek to Army of Mom's house for the hunt armed with our egg creations from the night before. My son...ever the artist...and I created some themed eggs, including some Sonic the Hedgehog creations, Baylor Bears, Daft Punk, Gorillaz and my very own "Uzz Egg"!!!
Army of Mom's middle child, Hot Rod, used his speed and agility to his advantage during the crisp morning event. His dexterity proved fruitful as he was clearly the winner of the prestigious "most eggs found" award:-) One thing is for sure...he will have plenty of candy to fuel those athletic endeavors of his!!

In the category of "Most Sugary Cuteness During and Easter Egg Hunt", the returning champ, "Little Bit" laid claim to the title once again...I smell a dynasty!!!

At the end of the hunt, it was time to move in and check the rewards that were held within the eggs! Here is a great shot I got of "Little Bit" lost in all her sugary glory!!! All-in-all, it was another successful Easter Egg Hunt!! May God continue to bless all of you and have a wonderful conclusion to this wonderful holiday weekend!!

New Design Change...

I have been a horrible blogger the past six months...just horrible! Its not that I don't have much to say...its more of just having a lot of work to do. I'm hoping the design change sparks some interest in my own brain, so that I might start posting pics again!

Patrick Swayze has pancreatic cancer

Sad:-(

Patrick Swayze has pancreatic cancer From MSNBC

"Patrick Swayze, who rose to fame in the movies “Dirty Dancing” and “Ghost,” has been diagnosed with pancreatic cancer.

A press release issued by the actor's spokesperson Wednesday said: “Patrick Swayze has been diagnosed with pancreatic cancer and is currently undergoing treatment. Patrick’s physician Dr. George Fisher states, ‘Patrick has a very limited amount of disease and he appears to be responding well to treatment thus far. All of the reports stating the timeframe of his prognosis and his physical side effects are absolutely untrue. We are considerably more optimistic.’ Patrick is continuing his normal schedule during this time, which includes working on upcoming projects. The outpouring of support and concern he has already received from the public is deeply appreciated by Patrick and his family.”

However, the National Enquirer and the New York Post reported that the actor was not responding well to treatment and has only a few weeks left to live."

Best Moment at the Oscars!!!

I was pretty happy with most of the winners during th Oscars, but my favorite moment came when Glen Hansard and Marketa Irglova won for their beautiful song "Falling Slowly". She had her speech cut off, but Jon Stewart brought her back after the break and she treated us to one of the genuine moments of the night. Here is the story...her remarks are toward the end.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/entertainment/7262285.stm

Here is a clip from the movie with the song...its films like this that make me think I can do the same thing:-)

Happy V-Day...I Guess

Lately, I tend to wear all black on Valentines Day, but I am taking a different approach this year...and trying to be a little more upbeat for all of my fellow humans that celebrate this day. Strangely, most of single friends this year are truly single this year, so I feel like I have to be more upbeat for them...and I don't feel bitter about it!!! So to all of you who may still stop by my blog from time-to-time, have a great Valentines Day and try to be inventive this year...I heard it pays off!

Great Song...

...just chillin' tonight at the house with my son and diggin' on this cool tune from Golden Smog..."That's Until You Came Along"

sometimes you're up, sometimes you're down
don't let your feet ever thouch this ground
comfort me in times of doubt
in deep dispair, lies and cares and a falling out
with my friends I used to follow
nearly everybody's daughter

that's until you came along

in a bar-room patrons singing
but I just sat there drinking

that's until you came along

your star-crossed eyes and your troubled mind
seems you were left just for me to find
sweet lady lay your hands in mine
upon my face laid to waste by years of wine

with my friends I used to follow
nearly everybody's daughter

that's until you came along

in a bar-room patrons singing
but I just sat there drinking

that's until you came along

sweet lady lay your hands in mine
upon my face laid to waste by years of wine
with my friends I used to follow
nearly everybody's daughter

that's until you came along

in a bar-room patrons singing
but I just sat there drinking

that's until you came along

with my friends I used to follow
nearly everybody's daughter

that's until you came along

but the darkness just got darker
this heart of mine got harder

that's until you came along

Photo clues lead to camera's owner - Yahoo! News

Brilliant detective story!

Photo clues lead to camera's owner - Yahoo! News.

R.I.P. Andrew Olmsted

Once in awhile you come across a posting that just rivets you. Soldier and blogger Major Andrew Olmsted wrote a "final post" in case something happened to him over in Iraq. Sadly, that has come to pass and his final post is up...

andrewolmsted.com

Rest in peace and thank you for your service.

Indian Traffic Ballet

You thought traffic was bad where you are??? I found this over at Boing Boing and was blown away by how it almost looks choreographed!! Makes me happy to be in Texas!

Is 8 Enough?

Well its good to see that Fond of Snape is back up and running...and to celebrate, I have stolen one of her posts for my own gain:-) Part of my new outlook for 2008 is to post more and to open the door a little wider to give a peek of what is like to be Uzz. Read, learn, love.

8 Things I'€™m Passionate About

1. My son...aka Mini-Uzz. He really has no idea how much he enriches my soul and how he changed my life for the better...but he does know exactly how much I love him. He gave me a purpose and I never have to question his love for me. As I have said before, I am humbled that God grants me the privilege of being his father.

2. Friends. Some people are blessed with many friends, but I am blessed to have a number of incredible friends who are more like individual soul mates! They know who they are and there is nothing I would not do for them...well maybe a few things.

3. Music. I can track the best and worst moments of my life through the music I have listened to. I cannot even remember a time when music was not important to me. It started with a love for the Beatles years after the broke up and continues with all the incredible independent produced music that is out there waiting for you to discover. Music drives my creative side...I can see the colors and movements in every song I hear and the emotional impact is incalculable.

4. Photography. Mainly its what I do for a living and there are days that I feel nothing creative at all...but when things are going well, its a wonderful organic process that starts over every time to get a new subject. My goal is to learn to light better and create images that I can use in stock photography. I love the fact that photography allows me the chance to not work a 9-5 job!!

5. Coffee...you have no idea how much I love it:-)

6. Film. One of my goals in life is to direct my own film...actually...I would like to direct the screenplay that a buddy and I wrote awhile ago. My brain visualizes things in movement, which is odd for a still photographer, and when a song moves me, I can see how it should look on film. I'm quite the film snob that my buddy is, but I am pretty bad:-)

7. Reading and learning. Whether you realize it or not, we are always learning...then there are people like me who have a natural curiosity about the world around us. Reading is only one mode of learning, but its one that I thoroughly enjoy!

8. God. Last, but not remotely least, my faith in Christ is the cornerstone of my life. He has helped me through some horrible times and He has seen me through the best of times. I don't deserve the Grace that is provided to me, but its something I am quite thankful for.

 

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8 Things I Want To Do Before I Die

1. Find her and love again
2. Travel to the U.K. and Europe
3. Direct a film
4. Write a book
5. Take the perfect photo
6. Learn to play an instrument well
7. Own a house
8. Sing in a band!

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8 Things I Say Often

1. "its phenomenal"
2. "Excellent"
3. "trust me...I'm incredibly uninteresting"...I say that to people when I am trying to shoot a candid shot of them and their tendency is to look at me.
4. "you want to stick with that?"
5. "life's to short for bad music and bad film"
6. "awesome!!"
7. "dude"
8. "I love you" 

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8 Books Ha€™ve Read Recently

1. Currently reading "Blink" by Malcolm Gladwell
2. "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows"
3. "Running with Scissors" by Augusten Burroughs
4. "Assassination Vacation" by Sarah Vowell
5. "A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius" by Dave Eggers
6. "You Shall Know Our Velocity!" by Dave Eggers
7. "The Great Divorce" C.S. Lewis (again)
8. an old Edgar Allan Poe retrospective

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8 Songs I Could Listen to Over and Over

A quick random sampling without a lot of effort
1. "Blood On The Motorway" - DJ Shadow
2. "In My Life" - The Beatles
3. "Don't Bang The Drum" - The Waterboys
4. "She's The One" - World Party
5. "Tomorrow Never Knows" - The Beatles
6. "New Year's Day" - U2
7. "The Bleeding Heart Show" - The New Pornographers
8. "Heroes" - David Bowie

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8 Things That Attract Me To My Best Friends

1. A strong intellect
2. The ability to be goofy and make me laugh
3. People who challenge me to be better
4. Truthful and honesty...no matter if it hurts
5. Their acceptance of my oddness
6. Those who help me try new things
7. a mutual love of music and film
8. Trust