A View to An Uzz

Where Have You Been?

Well, that's a question that has hardly been asked, but if you want to know, I felt like I had run out of steam. Sure, I discovered Facebook, and I love it, but I felt flat emotionally. Not that things are that much better, but I sort of miss writing a little bit and you don't really have a forum to expand your thoughts on a larger scale, so I think its time to get back to blogging. I am still making a living as a photographer, but the economy has taken its toll and I have downsized a little bit. Hopefully we will see an uptick and I can feel a little better about things. I have plenty of photos to post and plenty to talk about in the world of music and film and I hope to start talking about all of it quite soon!

He ventured forth to bring light to the world

Whatever side of the spectrum you come from, this is a pretty funny and well-written piece:-)

He ventured forth to bring light to the world | Gerard Baker - Times Online.

I Love Me Some Flight of the Conchords!!!

I have become obsessed with the HBO series "Flight of the Conchords"!!! There was a point that I thought that there may not be a funnier show on television, but with a combination of comedy and "indie" music, I am POSITIVE that there is nothing funnier:-) This is one of my favorite tunes from the show...do yourself a favor and get Season 1 of Flight of the Conchords!!!!!!

A Meme for U

Stole this from Army of Mom:-)

Use the 1st letter of your LAST NAME to answer each of the following... *they have to be real places, names, things...nothing made up! Try to use different answers if the person in front of you had the same 1st initial

1. What is your last name?....................... Uzz (using the shortened version)

2. 4 letter word............................................ Unix

3. Vehicle: .................................................... There is not one...though Ultra would be good

4. City or State ............................................. Uvalde

5. Boy Name: .............................................. Uriah (God is my Light)

6. Girl Name: ............................................... Uri (My Light, Flame, Fire)

7. Occupation: ............................................. Umpire

8. Something you wear:............................. Uniform (we all have one...mine includes Chucks)

9. Food: ....................................................... ugli fruit

10. Found in a bathroom:......................... Urine...obvious...gross, but obvious

11. Reason for Being Late........................ unreliable

12. Something you shout.........................  Unreal!!!

13. Animal:................................................... Uromastyx (its a lizard)

14. Body part:............................................. Ulna (as in elbow)

15. Describes yourself.................. underrated, understanding, unique, unwavering

That was fun! Anybody else want to also avoid work and play?

One-Word Meme

One-Word Meme

(stolen from AoM)                              

Only ONE word can be used in your answer and it can NOT be used twice.

1. Where is your cell phone? desk
2. Your significant other? who?
3. Your hair? hair?
4. Your mother? Saint
5. Your father? Hero
6. Your favorite time of day? evening
7. Your dream last night? dreamy
8. Your favorite drink? Mojito
9. Your dream goal? Love
10. The room you’re in? Livingdiningden
11. Your ex? stressed
12. Your fear? loneliness
13. Where do you want to be in 6 years? loved
14. What you are not? average
15. Your Favorite meal? Pizza
16. One of your wish list items? Wii
17. The last thing you did? typed
18. Where you grew up? Waco
19. What are you wearing? Chucks
20. Your TV is? off
21. Your pets? neurotic
22. Your computer? tired
23. Your life? blessed
24. Your mood? tipsy
25. Missing someone? yes
26. Your car? junky
27. Something you’re not wearing? coat
28. Favorite store? Starbucks
29. Your summer? HOT!!!
30. Your favorite colour? Green
31. When is the last time you laughed? today
32. When is the last time you cried? Sunday
33. Your health? exhausted
34. Your children? artistic
35. Your future? bright
36. Your beliefs? Profound
37. Young or old? Young
38. Your image? eclectic
39. Your appearance? cool
40. Would you live your life over again knowing what you know? Yep

SPF: Tribute Time!!

Yep...I am playing a day late...maybe even two days late:-) In the last few days I have shot stories on chefs, restored passenger trains (which I got to ride), doctor awards, a retirement and I even squeezed in a wedding...which I rarely do. SOOOOOOOOOOO...I have been a little busy, but I wanted to play!
This week, Ms. Kristine over a Random & Odd gave us another music assignment...a tribute...and who would I want to pay tribute to??? Why yes...my cool son...the former Mini-Uzz!!!

Remember...click on pic for a larger view! The lyrics are from a beautiful song by Ben Folds called "Still Fighting It"...these lines always stick in my head:-)

good morning son
twenty years from now
maybe we'll both sit down
and have a few beers
and i can tell
you about today
and how i picked you up
and everything changed

That is a pic of Mini Uzz that I shot MANY years ago on a suspension bridge in Waco...in the fog:-) He loved that Reptar car!!! This is one of my favorite shots of him ever...yes...its shot with a 35mm.

I took this pic of him tonight and it just amazes me how much he has grown:-) My life got better the minute I met him and we have been inseparable ever since!! You can ask Army of Mom about how I used to carry him EVERYWHERE!!! I look back on those days and I desperately want them back, but of course now that he is over five feet tall, I guess those days are over:-) Luckily, I have friends and family with carry-size kids, so I get to carry them around!

Did you play??? Let me know and I'll stop by!!!!!

SPF: Me in Music

OK...a disclaimer...what you are about to see is truly rare...old Uzz pics!!! The them of this week's Stuff Portrait Friday is "Me In Music" and you are about to see me humiliate myself. Thanks to the lovely and talented Kristine over at Random & Odd, you are about to see what an Uzz used to look like and what the years have done to him...SO MAKE SURE TO LEAVE A COMMENT:-)

Remember...click on the pic to make it larger...

Yeah...that is a early 20s Uzz on his wedding day...Army of Mom never told me leading up to that day, but I think she wanted me to cut my hair. Trust me...it got longer. Why is this "Me In Music"??? Because, at the time, I was a manager with a record store and spent a LOT of time with musicians and going to a LARGE number of concerts and meeting some pretty cool people.
Now...fast forward...MUCH LESS hair, but probably more cool and definitely a better person! I shot this today, just for this...another rare self portrait. Honestly, I feel better today than I did then. When I was young, I constantly worried about stupid things and only saw the small picture, but thanks to friends and my ex and especially my son, I learned that life is pretty cool when you just let it flow. Today I am an up and coming photog in the metroplex and I am surrounded by friends that truly care about me and a son that thinks I am some kind of rock star. Its pretty zen folks.

Oh yeah...I play a little guitar and I write on top of my photography...my advice...do what makes you happy and somehow you'll make a living at it:-) And yes...I am a better photog than the guy who shot my wedding.

Let me know if you played!

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."