Houston Texans fans for ESPN the Magazine

In December 2014, Case Keenum led the Houston Texans to victory over the Baltimore Ravens at NRG Stadium four days before Christmas. I was in attendance, but not to watch athletics. ESPN the Magazine sent me on assignment to photograph the Santa-clad, reindeer headband wearing, Christmas themed fans attending the game. I walked up and down the aisles of The Blue Lot (apparently the most lit), making portraits of the most festive fans at the tailgate. When the game started, I moved my party to the various concourses of the stadium. Interestingly enough, I went to an NFL football game and did not watch one second of NFL action. ESPN the Magazine finally ran a few of my portraits in the recent issue with Ronda Rousey on the cover. Big shout to Bob McNair who was unknowingly part of a pretty cool picture I made in the bowels of the stadium.

Houston Arts Alliance for the Houston Press

I recently worked on a cover story with Houston Press about the Houston Arts Alliance's funding and how it frequently goes to the same people every year. I photographed sculptor Ed Wilson, Janette Cosley of the Ensemble Theatre and Jason Nodler of the Catastrophic Theatre. Wilson, who won, lost and won again a commission to create something for the newly remodeled lobby of the George R. Brown Convention Center was the cover guy. To read more about HAA and it's funding, take a look at Steve Jansen's story.

Eli for Point 3 Basketball

I recently worked with the apparel company Point 3 Basketball on a social media campaign for the brand. Using the hashtag #OnlyBallersKnow we illustrated scenarios that you'd only know if you hooped on the regular. Here are a few of my favorites. Shout out to the Point 3 team! Looking forward to doing it again!

The Place Upstairs for Houstonia Magazine

The PLACE Upstairs is an interesting little shop on the second floor of a building in Midtown. There are a bunch of vintage and quirky goods for sale including skulls, a casket, an incubator and early 20th century dolls. Even the shoot at The Place was interesting. I took this particular photo at 11:33p on a Wednesday night after talking with Laura and Mike (the owners pictured) and perusing the store while sipping a 16oz can of PBR. I took this photo just a couple hours prior. All in all, a good night for me with the camera. BIG SHOUT to Laura and Mike who opened their store on an off night and chopped it up with me for a few hours. You should ALL go check it out. You'll have a good time. Check out the write-up in Houstonia here.

Brennan Williams and Booker T for Houston Press

If the NFL doesn't work out for me, maybe I can get into professional wrestling. That's a sentence that you'll never hear me say but it is a plan for Brennan Williams. Williams, former UNC Tar Heel and former Houston Texan offensive lineman is trying his hand at professional wrestling under the tutelage of WCW and WWE great, Booker T. Sean Pendergast does a great job of telling the story, so I'll let him do it. But I did get the chance to hit Wrestling Xercise Fitness, watch a workout and take a quick portrait. Big shout to Brennan and Booker T for the time and Sean Pendergast whom I've known of since about 1997 when I was heavy into Jim Rome!

Check out the article HERE!

Alan Javillonar of The Class Room

This Chronicle assignment sent me to a men's fashion store in Houston called The Class Room. I'd heard a thing or two about the shop via social media before I made the move back to Houston but had never actually visited the store. The story profiled one of the owners, Alan Javillonar. I met him at the store one morning before it opened. We kicked it, collaborated on a bunch of pictures and overall had a pretty dope experience. If you're ever down near the Rice Village, you should definitely check it out. Big shout to The Class Room fam!

Janavi Folmsbee for the Houston Chronicle

Artists' studios/offices/workspaces are always so cool, creative and inspirational. Not mine, but definitely most other artists. Janavi's space was no different in that it was full of things she'd finished, started but not finished and things she'd experimented with. There was a palette covered with many different, bright oil based paints. A board that tested the effects of paints on a variety of canvases. And a white couch which doubled as a napkin with casual finger shaped streaks of paint all over it. It was awesome. Well, I didn't just look around when I showed up...I also took a few pictures. Shout out to Janavi for the time and Joy Sewing for writing the profile. You can check it out here!

Alan and Cynthia Craft for the Houston Chronicle

I met and photographed the Crafts in early September for a story for the Houston Chronicle on their philanthropy. They've decided to leave a total of $20 million to two Houston based organizations: The Houston Food Bank and The Institute for Spirituality and Health - Texas Medical Center. Read more about it here. These very nice people even let me leave the double front doors of their well air conditioned home wide open for the sake of good light. Shout out to the Crafts!

Happy Birthday, Dad!

November 16th, 19?? - Happy Birthday, old-ish man!

Pastor S. Lachlin Verrett of Houston's Franklin Avenue Baptist Church

Pastor Verrett and his family came to Houston in the wake of Hurricane Katrina in 2005. He now leads a congregation of more than 100 New Orleans transplants at Houston's Franklin Avenue Baptist Church. The church is actually on Irvington Blvd. but gets it's name from its original New Orleans home, where many of the new Houstonians used to attend services.

  

Hoops Sagrado: Basketball in Guatemala

Back in August, I got the opportunity to travel to Guatemala to photograph the goings on of a basketball program called Hoops Sagrado. Every summer, a group of teenagers from Washington DC head to Guatemala for a month to play hoops, run basketball camps, learn Spanish and experience the culture. Naturally, I had a blast because anything related to the game is near the top of the list of my favorite things to do. Big shout to Bryan Weaver, Mindy Moretti and the homey Phelps for getting me to Xela.

CLICK HERE TO SEE MORE IMAGES!

Rice Owls vs. Wagner College Football

The Rice Owls kicked off their football season with a 56-16 win against the Wagner Seahawks from New York last week in Houston. 18,296 fans were witness to the Owls first victory this season in Rice Stadium, the home of Super Bowl VIII. But as the heat sweltered and the gap between the teams' scores widened, Owl fandom became less visible. This Saturday, Rice takes on the once mighty Texans Longhorns in a game that they actually might win.