Dreams for Kids - Washington Capitals

I spent last Friday afternoon at the Kettler Capitals Iceplex photographing Dreams for Kids Extreme Recess hockey clinic. Extreme Recess is a program that gives children with physical and developmental challenges the opportunity to participate in sports. This event involved ice, hockey, tons of volunteers and a few Washington Capitals. It was awesome to see the smiling kids enjoying themselves, playing hockey and generally having a good time.

After I put the camera down, I put on some skates because I'm pretty athletic and it can't be that hard, right? Wrong. I only fell once but the moral of the story is you should at least know how to ice skate before trying to play a sport while doing so.

Colin Powell at Georgetown Prep

I got the opportunity to photograph Colin Powell during a speech he gave at Georgetown Prep recently. I'm always fascinated by great speakers because um, like, well, I'm not one of them. He spoke for about 40 minutes straight. Every word was interesting and every thought moved seamlessly to the next. He talked mostly about the Civil Rights movement and being deployed in Vietnam while it was taking place but he also answered questions about Wikileaks and the art of diplomacy. Very interesting stuff. But when Powell first came on stage all I think about was Nas telling him to move over.

Way Back Wednesdays: Sons of Ballers

In this edition of Way Back Wednesdays, we're going to go back to 1994. My Houston Rockets played the New York Knicks in the NBA Finals and we got absolutely no respect. Sports Illustrated had the 1994 World Champion New York Knicks commemorative magazines already printed going into game 7. I hated the mid-90s Knicks and Anthony Mason's stupid hair cuts and I loved Hakeem the Dream for making Patrick Ewing look like a chump.

In 2008, I shot a lot of Georgetown basketball. And some of those games included a couple of mid-90s Knick kids, Patrick Ewing, Jr. (Georgetown) and Anthony Mason, Jr. (St. John's). At that point, I was far enough in front of 1994 to repress my vitriol for those two names but then I had a totally different thought. I must be getting old.

The Ides of February: Panthro Edition

Last month was portrait of a toy from a movie from my childhood. This month, a little of the same. Next month, I promise I'll switch it up. I promise.

If there was a cartoon draft, ThunderCats would go first pick, first round every time. Followed by TMNT and Recess of course. But my favorite character on my favorite cartoon show was Panthro. I can't recall exactly why but maybe it was because his voice was that of a Black actor (Russell Huxtable) or maybe it was because he had a bald head like my dad. Whatever it was, Panthro also happened to be the last remaining relic of my late 80s ThunderCat paraphernalia.
Shout out to the gray panther with the spiked suspenders and the pawed, two-toned nunchucks.

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All in the Family

I'm an uncle and I've been in the game since '92. Jaz was first, followed by twin girls then a baby boy and every time I make it back to Texas for the holidays, they look like they've aged a few years each. Now they're all almost teenagers, with cell phones and opinions. Besides our baby turtle, it's the closest I've come to watching kids grow up...pretty cool.

Elijah

Keita and Elijah (milk mustache game is crazy!)

Jaz

Jaz, Keisha, Keita

Senior Night and Gonzaga's John Jones

Tuesday night marked the last home game of the 2010-2011 basketball season for the Gonzaga Purple Eagles. In most sports, the last home game for colleges and high schools also includes the recognition of the teams' seniors. This was also the case with the Purple Eagles, but with a twist. While Gonzaga head coach Steve Turner recognized seniors Oliver Ellison, Ben Dickinson, Cahli Thomas and Malek Williams, he also honored aspiring high school hoopster and four-year manager John Jones.

Instead of sitting on the bench in khakis and a polo, recording stats and handing out water, Jones suited up, started and played several minutes throughout the game for Gonzaga's varsity basketball team. The fans chanted "We want J!" when he wasn't in the game and his teammates screamed for him to shoot when he was. Gonzaga beat Good Counsel 74-50 and while Jones went 0-2 with 0 points, it was certainly a night for him to remember.

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Way Back Wednesdays: Rosecroft Raceway

Very early into my photography career, I was really into shooting boxing. I think it can all be traced back to this poster that hung in my room all of sophomore year at the alma mater. Thanks to Boxing Along the Beltway, I was able to keep up with all things boxing in and around the District to find my next shoot.

On August 3, 2007, I shot an event at the now closed Rosecroft Raceway. It was extremely dark, and the little bit of light creeping in from a setting sun never touched the ring. Also throw in the fact that no matter how big or small the event, there is always someone telling you where you can and can't shoot. I made it do what it do with my trusty, but now broken, 50mm f/1.8. Fast moving limbs and cave-like lighting is never a good situation for freezing the action. In this shot, Kendrick "Holy Hands" Walker takes a swipe at Norman

Allen. Shout out to professional boxers...they hustle hard.

Tardy for the Party

I showed up early, but was mad late. My arrival at Coolidge's gym was at 7p, an hour before the game started. I strolled in like I had time to kill, glanced at the clock and noticed 6 minutes left in the 4th quarter of this JV game. But as I soon discovered, the JV team didn't play that night.

What I did see of the game was pretty good. Coolidge was down 4 in the middle of the 4th but ended up winning by 8 with a flurry of steals, defensive stops and easy lay-ups. Shout out to my man Derek who was injured but still cheering from the end of the bench.

Way Back Wednesdays: Club Envy

The night of March 31, 2007, I was kicking it at Club Envy in Washington DC if anyone ever asks you. The rapper you all know and love who calls himself Broadway Miller opened for a Miami-reppin' hip-hopper by the name of Rick Ross. I tried to photograph Broadway from the side of the stage but was quickly shooed into the crowd by Ross' goons in preparation for the main event. I haven't been a fan of Ricky's rap career and our brief encounter at the club might subconsciously be the reason. But for the last few months, I've been unable to stop myself from listening to Teflon Don and Deeper Than Rap...go figure.

Oh, and I took this picture of the DJ that night.