This is my final edit from a week-long workshop in NYC with photographer Matt Black of Magnum photos. My focus was people in public places finding some space within the city and attempting to show their found space through the images I shot. It rained every day I was there so I spent the majority of my time photographing indoors rather than on the street, mostly in the subways and bigger buildings throughout the city. 

These are my ‘best’ images, selected by Magnum photographer Richard Kalvar, from a week-long photography workshop I attended this past week in NYC. Each day of the workshop was spent walking the streets capturing the world around us and presenting our images the following morning for critique. We kept the same routine every day - gathering more and more images while working on our stories, techniques, compositions and subject matter - dedicating ourselves to implementing the ideas and suggestions discussed during the morning critique. On the last day of the workshop Mr. Kalvar selected our strongest images. These are the images he selected of mine.

I was driving up Central Avenue when I saw these two lying on the curb and reading to each other at the bus stop. It was such an incredible moment, such a powerful image, that I immediately pulled over, found a parking spot, and started walking toward them. As I approached, they both looked up, smiled, and said hello. I responded with my own hello and then casually asked if I could take their picture. They looked at each other for permission and both responded, “Sure!” I proceeded to sit down on the sidewalk as they turned slightly toward me and posed. Normally, I don’t go for the posed shot, but this time it seemed perfect. I made a few exposures and chatted with them briefly. Soon, the bus was pulling up, and it was time to move on. I quickly asked them their names, told them mine, and we simply waved goodbye.

This is my completed assignment for a street photography workshop I took through Art Intersection in Gilbert, AZ. The workshop instructor was Neil A. Miller and he really put us to the test. It was a great experience to work with Neil and the assignments were very challenging and fun. I was happy with the results. 

I came by these two gentlemen this morning while I was downtown. They actually called out to me and waved me over because they wanted to know what I was up to. I told them I was a photographer and that I was walking around taking photos. They told me they were just hanging out on the corner enjoying the morning and hoping to get some food. The man in the wheelchair was the obvious leader of the two and was quite talkative and very charismatic. I asked him if I could take his photo and he said, “Sure, man, you can take my photo - and while you do, let me tell you my story.” So, I proceeded to sit down right there in front of him and listened while he told me his life story. While I was randomly snapping photos he told me about growing up in Memphis, Tennessee and that his mom was murdered when he was fifteen. He said he had 6 brothers and sisters and tried to raise them all until he lost the house they lived in. He told me about several different times he ended up in prison and talked about some of the famous people he served time with while at Leavenworth Penitentiary. He told me about being homeless for a long time before turning his life around. He said he was doing much better since moving to Phoenix four years ago and that he and his buddy had just moved into an apartment down the street. He talked for a good ten to fifteen minutes or so and I just listened while taking a photo here and there. When I got up to leave I told him thank you for the story and the photos and asked him what his name was. Unfortunately, I didn’t quite hear what he said but I think he said Kenny or Carl or Kevin - I’m not quite sure - but then he said, “Everyone calls me Country… so call me Country.”

I took an early morning drive down to Picacho Peak State Park. I grabbed this shot from the road that leads to the park. That’s the I-10 overpass in the foreground and Picacho Peak in the distance.

President Trump held a rally in downtown Phoenix last Tuesday, August 22, at the Phoenix Convention Center. I decided to drive by on my way home to see what was going on. My plan was to simply drive past, check out the craziness and then head home. As I approached the convention center I could see long lines of people on the sidewalks waiting to get in. The streets around the center were crowded with both protestors and supporters and traffic was moving very slowly. As luck would have it, I was waiting at a stoplight, looked to my left and saw an empty parking spot right across the street. I couldn’t believe it! I quickly pulled in and parked my car. Like I said, my plan was to drive by, check it out and head straight home, but since this spot was only one block from the action, what could I do? I grabbed my camera and headed down the street. It was almost dark, just about 7:00 pm, so I quickly walked into the madness to see if I could get some shots. I stayed for about thirty minutes, weaving in and out of people, snapping photos and taking it all in.