The Haunted South

The South is totally haunted.
Earlier this week I had to go out to an old abandoned hospital where they have recently been doing paranormal investigations. The city shut the place down two weeks ago right before a ghost hunt (that I was supposed to attend and shoot) was to take place.
Anyway the caretaker of the place (who lives in a trailer out back with his donkey and pit bull) showed us around and told us all of the ghost stories and about how he has seen the ghosts. It was pretty cool and pretty scary. Like really scary. I didn’t see any ghosts though, just the videographer popping up unexpectedly making my life shorter each time.

This is the caretaker pushing the videographer down the hallway in a wheelchair. Its like a Hollywood dolly, he calls it the “handicam”. Get it? Anyway, I thought it was creepy.




This is a quick portrait of the caretaker I took while Bill interviewed him. I think that his story is more interesting than that of the building. The dude chooses to live and work on a haunted hospital. He is apparently part of “S.P.I.R.I.T.” which is the Scientific Paranormal Investigative Research Institute of Texas.




Here is the video. I helped a little. Mostly I just got in the way. I’m good at that.

Helicopters and Productivity

Today was my day off so I decided that I should spend some of it being productive and working on my portfolio.

So of course I came across photos that I meant to blog a long time ago. And now I am no longer being productive.

Some of this may stem from the fact that I have to figure out what I am going to do with my life...and fast. Stupid deadlines.

Anyway. When I was in Illinois I got to ride in a helicopter for the first time. I didn't take any good pictures while I was up there but it was still pretty awesome. Maybe I'll change career goals and be a person who gets to ride in one of the newscopters. Do they still have those?

The helicopter:



Myspace shot. Oh yeah...I'm professional.

Um... So this is where I work.

The investigator is my editor and the guy who plays Aprill's boss is the multimedia editor. The poster for this is hanging in the stairwell to the office. I think I love it here.

For Costello

Today I shot a 4-H fundraiser.
This photo is strange to me.
I blame Canon.
I'm not sure why, but i do.
I miss my bunny.

Texas

Two things I have learned about Texas in the past week.
1. It is hot.
2. It rains a lot. (I'm like 30 miles from the coast)
As an additional note to number 1. usually it is even hot when it is raining.

On a less negative note (Texas and I aren't the best of friends today, I am expecting us to reconcile in the next week or so) it is pretty interesting out here. Victoria is full of old southern houses and Mexican restaurants and there are palm trees just scattered about, completely normal. So strange. I will hopefully have photos up soon but I haven't yet due to the hot and the rain and the mosquitoes (they are huge and vicious!) which are multiplying like crazy due to the hot and the rain.

Last night I shot my first high school football game. I'm pretty sure that I have figured out the three things that Texans love the most, in order:

1. Jesus (I mean, can you blame them?)
2. Texas (You don't mess with Texas)
3. High School Football

Funny story:
I'm gonna let you guess what happened at the game on Friday night. (Here's a hint: it was hot and it rained) Anyway I went into the press box at half-time which was packed due to the rain and I was looking for a place to sit so I could submit my deadline photos and this woman stopped me to inform me that I had mascara running all down my face. She was so concerned that she suggested that I stop what I was doing and pointed me to the bathroom so that I could fix it. She quickly learned that I ain't no southern belle. However, on a trying to fit in note, I have successfully used the word "y'all" seamlessly in a sentence on more than one occasion.

Today I saw that in the mitten y'all were complaining about the rain so I leave you with a shot from my first shoot under the Friday Night Lights:

What you have isn't rain...this is rain:

Funny Bracelets

So there are these new things that are really popular amongst the kids here in Kankakee. Rubber bands shaped like various things that you can wear as bracelets (when you take them off they go back to their cool shape.) and trade them with your friends. Or, in my case, make them make noises after a few beers. Anyway, I now own several rubber band bracelets shaped like dinosaurs, a shoe, a train and an elephant. The irony here is that I had intended to post this picture before my acquisition of said rubber bands.





This is three-year-old Holly Melant. Her mother, Andrea Melant, left, suffered an aneurysm and brain hemorrhage following routine oral surgery. She was declared a vegetable and given little hope to live. After a year in a nursing home her mother insisted that she take her home. Now she talks, eats, moves her limbs and can almost walk again. The guy on the right is one of Andrea's best friends and one of Holly's new guardians. I have more photos (obviously) that ran as a story. Maybe I'll post them. Anyway, I thought it was important that you know about the bracelet trend.

Whitney's Wedding

Alright, I meant to do this post about a month ago. When everything was fresh in people's minds and it would have really been appreciated. I, however, do not work that way. I am much more of a better late than never type of gal. Therefore I am going to justify this as people being able to look back and appreciate what was, for me, the best part of the summer.

I pulled out a few (ok, more than a few) photos that I really liked. However, in my infinite nerdy-ness everything is in the slideshow that I did make in a much more timely manner.

CLICK HERE!!

The Reason for the Celebration:


Couples coupling... My date wouldn't even let me sleep in the same tent. Haha






Hannah keeping it classy.



Jason taking over...If only you knew what the rest of this scene was...




Sunsets and golf courses.



Heels and Camera Gear



Lovely ladies in the parking lot.


That's our girl.



Texan Breffast.




I'm going to a wedding in August. I don't expect to have even half as good of a time. <3