8to8: Harry Thomas, Jr. -- Ward 5 Council Member

I've been kicking around this idea for a documentary project called "Eight to Eight" for about the last six months and have finally got around to actually shooting it. The idea behind "Eight to Eight" is to follow a person for a 12 hour stretch and document their day as it unfolds.

My first subject was Washington DC Ward 5 City Council Member Harry Thomas, Jr. This project, I think, is a complete crap shoot with the potential to be either very interesting or completely boring. And with Council Member Thomas being somewhat of a public figure, I believe it boosts the interesting factor a little higher. I had no idea what to expect from the day or what kind of pictures I was going to get but I just stuck it out and kept shooting what turned out to be an 11 instead of 12 hour time period. It ended up being a pretty cool experience although being a public figure, I'm pretty sure that day was carefully planned for this "freelance photographer guy" following the council member all day. Many thanks to Council Member Thomas and his staff for agreeing to this totally unsolicited request.

To my many readers, please link, tweet, share, forward, facebook, text, telegram or pass this along to friends, family, coworkers, colleagues, connections or anyone that you may know who would be willing to participate in this project. You can contact me at starghill [at] gmail.com and any ideas are welcome.

P.S. this blog post includes an embedded slideshow so it might not be viewable in your feed reader. You might just have to head to the site Untitled, Michael Starghill.

Hoop Dreams

Every Saturday a group of friends get together to play pickup basketball at St. Albans, American University, Georgetown or where ever else we can get in. Since I was nursing a sprained and slightly swollen ankle I decided to sit this one out and turn the camera on these future hall of famers (I'm already in). Dark gyms suck but dark gyms with a little daylight suck a little less. Shout out to ankle injuries.

Capital Sprints 2009

Row row row your boat. Although I fancy myself a sports photographer, rowing is on the pretty long list of sports I have not yet photographed. That changed when I went down to the Anacostia River to shoot the annual rowing competition, Capital Sprints X.

I'm a little salty that I didn't get to spend nearly as much time as I wanted to work the situation as I got called for a last minute shoot. But the highlight of the day was getting stopped by a cop on the South Capitol St. bridge in response to a call of suspicious behavior. I guess that guy on the bridge with the camera looked like he was planning an attack. Shout out to Melba Black for the rowing introduction and getting me on that chase boat.

Serena!

I bet you didn't know that there was a professional team tennis league. Tuesday, I photographed the Washington DC and Newport Beach versions of said professional team tennis league (World Team Tennis) and this time the Washington Kastles were accompanied by special guest player Serena Williams, fresh off of a win at Wimbledon and a White House visit. The place was packed and Serena Mania was in full tilt. The Washington Kastles defeated the Newport Beach Breakers 22-12. Shout out to Billie Jean King for whoopin' up on Bobby Riggs, founding WTT and inspiring MJ (just kiddin').

Ocean Grove on the 4th of July

Another July trip to the O.G. abundant in sun and blue sky. I caught glimpses of the hometown parade and the shoreline architecture but most of my time was actually spent out on the beach...I would have proof except for the fear of getting sand in my camera. Maybe next time.