Journal /

When looking for a place to start getting poverty shots I ended up in Downtown. Downtown Orlando is a buzzing place at 11:00 at night. Music blasting, clubs packed, bars full, and streets filled with people in there early to late 20′s. But as I was looking for a place to park I saw a huge sign saying “REPENT” and “JESUS IS COMING” and street evangelist with shirts saying; “TRUST JESUS”.

When I finally parked and began to walk the rain came down very heavily. So I tucked my camera in my bag brought it behind my coat and walked in the direction of the big sign. When I finaly reached there it was by a building, with a roof to protect from the rain. Under there was poor men and women on the floor, torn jackets, no food and depressed. The people going to clubs actually passed underneath to keep from the rain, so it was busy under there as well. But one thing that struck me was this man. Andrew Mckenzie, who is 49. As I spoke with him he told me he has been on the streets for some time. He got in trouble and decided to turn his life over to the Lord; and would come to this location to hear the street preachers. Before I left he asked me to pray with him. So I did.

I held his hand and called over the street preachers and began to pray. As I began praying I noticed he started saying words very softly, I brought my ear closer to him and realized that he was repeating the words of the prayer. That touched me. It almost seemed as if he desired to pray, but felt the need of someone elses prayer, and he would repeat it as if he himself was speaking to the Lord. This man really warmed my heart, and just loved getting pictures taken of him. Very funny too.

Latter on he shared his testimony and told some things of how he made some wrong decisions, and his desire to live for the Lord. He actually kept asking me to buy him a hot dog too, hehe. So I gave him a new bottle of water. I saw him pop the top, when I turned and looked again it was gone, empty. I know God will bless Andrew Mckenzie. I showed him the picture on my camera and he was real happy. When I first offered to take his picture he said he’ll brake dance and I’d have to pay him. But I didn’t have any money, so he said to pray for him, smiles.

I grew up drawing action figures. Stuff like Spider Man, Batman, Dare Devil. I was hooked on Marvel Comics. As I got older I stared drawing more mature things like settings or environments. Children, people helping people, things like that. I guess being in photography helped with that, since photos tell stories, then drawings should to, instead of action figures hoping off buildings, or holding on for dear life to a spider web.

This photo is a care giver, possibly could be a nursing home shot. I actually pretty much grew up around a lot of nursing homes, it was kind of my daycare when I would get off from school since my mother worked as a social worker for nursing homes, hospitals. I really love old people. I think I got the inspiration for this photo from iStock, just browsing around. I think I’ll try and draw settings of people in different arenas, like work, home, stuff like that. It’s really fun though!

This photo means a lot to me. There was something about these roots when I first saw them at Lotus Park. As I hiked down the trail with my camera I noticed a something special. On my left and my right were roots, not ordinary roots, but coming up out of the ground, actually in this photo these are much lower; but the others on the left appeared as a power plant, these roots were from anywhere between 3-4 inches round.

What inspired me the most was how it was all laid out. So intrecately as if it was laboriously placed one on top of the other. As the dark shadows showed from above it almost gave it a fairy tell enviornment. This photo was taken by getting on my knees, with the camera nearly touching the ground.

It just amazes me how God develops the seed from death to life to mature growth as this tree. It started at some point in time as a plant no larger than a blade of grass, to a tree so vast that the roots are protruding from the ground 4 inches thick. Amazing. And even so with the Bible, as you become more and more aquainted with the Bible, we shall be rooted and grounded as this tree.

Now I know this photo is a bit abstract, but it really said something to me as I saw all the different shapes, curves, and perpendicular lines. It almost expresses a bit of confusion. All twisted up, crossed up, and edgy as the vine.

It almost has a bit of a Italian feel, you might see something like this at an entrance to an Italian pizza restaurant. A tad of elegance you might say? I guess it all depends on who is vewing it. But I do love the serenity of this enviornment.

Now this photo is exciting! It’s a rainbow! I know it’s hard to tell but this is the same area were I took the night shot a few nights before, it’s a whole different story in the day time. Especially with the context of the rainbow.

Now I know you probally noticed it already, but the compositon is so that the city is not the focus all the way at the bottom, but because it’s sticking it’s little head out it gives a feeling of power. Like “here I am!” even though it’s peeking in, it allows the imagination to run wild imagining how big the city is, while revealing the curviture of the rainbow and the big storm clouds in the background.

This is my first. Time a taking a rainbow in black and white, it almost seems surreal knowing that a rainbow is vibrantly colored; but in black and white it’s just a curvy line. It removes the distraction from the photo allowing for much more appreaciation of that which is beautiful by coloring the black and white photo with our minds.

This photo seems very asymmetrical, but what gives it character and contrast is this big tree branch swooping over it. As I was walking on the pathway I had to stop. I said to myself; “this is wired” but very cool!

It also gives an enviornment of serinity. It’s very calm and to itself. You walk under the branch, and it will be there next week. It dosent change. When I look at it now I feel like I’m there and just wanting to walk under that branch. I don’t know if branches make choices on a daily basis or if the pruners made it grow this way, but God chose the right distance to be away from the ground really wrapping things up in this photo. Very cool Mr. Branch.