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Gay American Heroes, the traveling monument that memorializes gay men and women who have been killed due to homophobic violence, is scheduled to be displayed in the Florida Capitol Rotunda April 28.

According to organizers, the exhibit marks the first time a gay-friendly display will be exhibited inside the hall that overlooks the entrance to the chambers of the Florida House of Representatives and Senate. The date of the exhibit, April 28, also marks the birthday of Ryan Skipper, a gay college student who was murdered last year in Polk County, Fla., in what police described as an anti-gay hate crime. Skipper would have turned 28 on the date of the exhibit.

Malls to Churches?

With 5000 One-Year leather Bibles in hand, forty-three members of First Baptist Church @ The Mall
in Lakeland, Florida were on mission, this time to the staff members of the United States House of
Representatives. In 2002 we handed out study Bibles to the members of the U.S. House, Supreme
Court Justices, Cabinet, Vice-President, and President. In 2005 we delivered One-Year Bibles to the
members of the United States House of Representatives and the U.S. Senate. This time, however, a
growing burden for the staff members of the representatives compelled us to return on February 28,
2007. There are 435 offices in three separate buildings. Our mission, named Project Light was to
visit each one of them in one day.

Teachers Trapped in Trailers...

THE PROBLEM
Florida’s education system is not producing the quality and quantity of graduates required
to ensure that it has the high quality leadership, workforce, and citizenry needed to sustain a
vibrant economy and society.
• Three out of ten ninth graders drop out and do not attain a high school diploma.
• Of the seven ninth graders who will later graduate from high school, only four will enter a
college or university degree program. Forty percent of those students will require
remediation.
• Over 13,000 high school seniors did not have the skills and knowledge to attain a passing
score on the FCAT in 2003.
• High quality career education opportunities are limited for those six out of ten high school
students who do not graduate from high school or attend postsecondary education.

The Polk

In 1914, the county issued a $1.5 million bond to pave a number of roads. That bond issue was considerable for those days, and allowed for 9-foot (2.7 m)-wide roads to start from Bartow to Mulberry, Lake Wales, Fort Meade, Winter Haven, Lakeland and Auburndale. According to historical reports, then-county commission clerk W.S. Wev had the idea of erecting an arch over every paved road at its entrance to Polk County, proclaiming that the motorist was about to enter "Imperial Polk County." The name has since remained.

Flyer Thoughts...

With most couples, the problem is not too little but too much communication; They get caught in vicious cycles of complaining and criticizing, discussing the same issues over and over.

Speaking of inner peace...

Sit

Rest

Work.

Alone with yourself,

Never weary.

On the edge of the forest

Live joyfully,

Without desire.

-The Buddha

Thai Food Anyone?

If you are looking for a good "Sunday Vibe" and you like Thai food I highly recommend checking out the Wat Mongkolratanaram Buddhist Temple in Tampa, FL. Sundays between the hours of ten in the morning and one in the afternoon they create a market environment where you can get a variety of authentic Thai cuisine for a very modest price. Besides the wonderful food the temple grounds are relaxing and feature picnic tables by the Palm River, a meditation garden, and even a playground for the kids. If you want to take it a step further they offer a prayer and meditation service open to everyone from one to two in the temple. Don't forget to take your shoes off if you go...

Holga Bliss

One the most challenging aspects of photography is constantly staying inspired by your craft. I think anyone creative will tell you that it's a landscape full of peaks and valleys. One of the greatest inspirations for me lately is watching a huge number of young european photographers embracing old film techniques and cameras as if to reject or even update modern digital trends. This work has been so inspiring to me that lately I've been shooting, dare I say the dirty word "film" with a Holga Camera. Anyone who knows me knows that I'm obsessed with creating photography that can't be replicated- thank you Jackson Pollock. This is easy with a Holga Camera and to me puts an exclamation point behind all editorial photography. I have to say thanks to my friends Steve Beaudet for loaning me his modified Holga and to Mel who tolerates me like an annoying paparazzi...

Where I get my happy thoughts...

I know that getting up early is a result of getting older - but for us photographers there is a reason...

2009 Creed

Saw this scenic world

Thought about you

Got a little concerned

Did you hear the bells of absolution

Did you own any atonement

Or did you just build a fire in a baptist rage

Please give if you can

If not for me

For the jubilee fund

Trust in me to distribute the karma coin

You have in the past

While you are waiting over there

Try not to rub out

All the enjoyment

Of that flower and all it's simplicity

That pesky round of kindness

Seems to stalk me like a lost drive by

But I've seen you drink doubt like it's happy hour

Did you notice I wasn't there

Not anymore - I'm making dinner

And wondering if you will join us

I don't even remember the name of that town

Nor do I care

I'm hoping you know what day it is

And Curious

Why aren't you here

And better yet can you forgive me...

The great state of friendship in Alabama...

Recently I went and visited an old friend in Prattsville, Alabama. He took me to see the home of a man named William Carlton Rice. This gentleman spent many years prior to his death adorning his yard and home with art in honor of his faith. Everyone in town thought he was crazy I was told...

Where I hang my hat...

Yesterday was just one of those perfect days. I remember the first time I visited Winter Haven with my brother. He and I were looking for vintage road signs and I kept thinking " what a cool town ". I never dreamed it would become my home. Then when I see skies like this and all the beauty that surrounds us here it all makes sense. 

Happy Sounds...

The best thing a client can say to a photographer- " Just do your thing "...

Just me...

I went on line and read a blog from a great photographer and former school mate. I just can't do that shit -I love her to death but for REAL...

Here's some more work...

Everything I do is a work in progress!

Please let me change

Here's another from the Series from Paine's Prairie...

Home for the Holidays

During the holidays I caught up with one of my oldest friends Jeani and she and I decided to spend some time at Payne's Prairie just south of my hometown, Gainesville, FL.  I recently had been watching a lot of young european photographers bring back the old process of diptychs and thought it would be fun to explore the use of this old technique. So here now is what I'm now referring to as "Emotive Editorial Diptych Portraiture" ... Once I started doing it - I had a hard time stopping. 

Angel Heart

It takes good friends and a lot of trust to do what I do. I was recently reminded of that trust when my friend "Monica" came to Winter Haven for a visit. Let me premise this by saying that in terms of good kind people "Monica"  is at the top of my list. Her kindness and compassion for the world continue to inspire me on a regular basis. By working with Monica I learned a very important lesson about photographing people. It's great to have a model that is beautiful on the outside- but it's amazing to have a model that is beautiful on the inside. 

So I met Monica in a college photography course that we were both in over a summer many years ago. I was taking a break from film school at the time and as I look back now I had no idea the ramifications this class would have on my life, as you can guess I didn't finish film school. Anyways Monica was struggling with the course and asked for my help in order to preserve her grade point average so I agreed and a friendship ensued. I too needed a favor so I asked her if she'd mind modeling for an art project. I had recently seen Alan Parker's Angel Heart and decided that I'd like to do a variation on a scene that included Lisa Bonet doing voodoo. Monica must have thought I was a little crazy as I described this to her -I mean what smart girl is going to go in the woods with some guy she hardly knows to dance around a fire? Yet there she was waiting for me one early saturday morning and into the woods we went. 

This was the first of many times she signed up for one of my crazy photo shoots and still to this day she follows me into the forest with no trepidation what so ever. Thanks for believing in me Monica your faith in me is one of the reasons I keep trying. 

The two images I've attached show the first time we worked together and the last time. There are so many cool images from  all the times we've collaborated together that I just can't show them all. Don't worry I'm sure more will continue to pop up...

Please join me...

First let me give you an open invitation to my journey. Life is beautiful and I have the images to prove it. I had a hard time getting my head around why I'd want to start a blog, but then it came to me. As an artist/photographer I realized that I can't do what I do without you. So what I hope to accomplish by sharing my thoughts and images is to inspire you with the art of collaboration.

Yes it's you that I want to work with...