Rugby: HURT vs. Woodlands Rugby Club

My second ever rugby game went a little bit better last weekend mostly because I could feel my fingers this time around. HURT went up against the Woodlands Rugby Club and came away with a 28-21 victory. I know if one team has more points than the other, that's usually a good thing. But much like my lacrosse shooting days in the Mid-Atlantic, I have no idea what's going on in the field of play. To my very untrained and butt naked eye, the teams looked pretty evenly matched. What do I know? Check out some more images from the game HERE!

Carson George for the Houston Chronicle

I met Carson at his home last month to photograph him for a Chronicle story. He had written a book called Forever 22 about his son, a marine who had died in combat while fighting in Afghanistan. I spoke to him on the phone shortly before arriving at his home. Before we hung up he said, "come around back, I'm in the cave." So I did. And there he sat, in the cave, watching YouTube tutorials about photoshop techniques on wedding photos.

That day, I learned Carson was a photographer, a writer, a Vietnam War Veteran, a Kentuckian, a consumer of moonshine and a caretaker of a travelling memorial honoring fallen Texan soldiers. He sells walking sticks like the one you see in the photos to fund the upkeep and maintenance of the memorial and he's got bad knees like my dad. I usually try not to spend more time talking than shooting because a) I don't talk all that much and b) I like to respect the time that people have given me to photograph them. But sometimes, it just kind of goes and you spend a lot more time with the subject than you planned.

Houston United Rugby Team aka HURT

I've photographed a lot of sports over the years but that long list didn't include rugby. Well it does now. I linked up with the Houston United Rugby Team (HURT) to shoot a little action during their 2015 Red River Rugby Conference season. So far, it's off to a cold and rainy start. More to come...if the weather gets better.

Half The Talent: Beer League Softball

Half The Talent is the name of a softball team I joined upon my arrival in Houston in July 2013. Through connections with my brother-in-law I was introduced to the team via a couple of 10-day contracts during visits to Houston prior to my permanent move back. Now that I'm back in H-Town for good, I've signed a long term deal for an undisclosed amount of money, years and beers.

The league operates year round, beginning a new season every six weeks. After our most recent season, which ended shortly before Christmas, we were crowned champions and I received my first ever Houston Sportsplex Championship T-Shirt. Size: large. This is also the first season I brought my camera to a few games. Coincidence? I think not. Here's to collecting many more cheap white t-shirts in the new year. Shout out to the squad!

Out With The Old: My Favorites of 2014

I'd say the year 2014 was a good one. It was my first full calendar year of living/working/being back in H-Town. I collaborated with some wonderful new clients and crossed paths with a lot of cool and interesting people. I also got to make some pretty cool pictures along the way. Shout out to 2015 and all of the goodness that I hope it brings.