Code Nineteen

Sadness

2009-08-31T21:48:00.004-04:00

Unspeakable tragedy has struck again in Blacksburg. Two students, a young couple in their prime, have been brutally murdered at a campground tucked away in the beautiful hills of the Jefferson National Forest 15 miles from Virginia Tech. Though I have never met these kids I am struck deeply by these murders. I will never understand our inhumanity towards other people. One word rolls in my head day and night: Why?

more here and here

Police work the scene of a double murder at Caldwell Fields in the Jefferson National Forest in Montgomery County where Virginia Tech sophomores David Metzler, 19, and Heidi Childs, 18, were shot to death.

Glass from the drivers' side window litters the grass at Caldwell Fields in the Jefferson National Forest where Virginia Tech sophomores David Metzler and Heidi Childs were shot to death.

Recruits from the New River Criminal Justice Training Academy search for more clues at Caldwell Fields in the Jefferson National Forest where Virginia Tech sophomores David Metzler and Heidi Childs were shot to death.

Investigators search for more clues near flowers placed as a memorial at Caldwell Fields in the Jefferson National Forest where Virginia Tech sophomores David Metzler and Heidi Childs were shot to death.

Car Crash

2009-08-29T21:23:00.001-04:00

Shot this video... great subject...good times but I wished the mic worked better!

NEW DIGS

2009-08-29T21:20:00.000-04:00

Launched a new website at the old address :)

Skid

2009-07-15T17:56:00.003-04:00

BLACKSBURG, VA - Hayden Mashburn, 9, (left CQ) relaxes in the shade of the elevator of a plane that crashed at Virginia Tech's Airport. His grandmother, Lynn, (RIGHT) was piloting the plane and claimed that a malfunction with the front wheel made her lose control just as she was taking off. "These things happen, and any time you walk away, it's a good landing," she said. JUSTIN COOK / THE ROANOKE TIMES

-----

This assignment could have been horrific but instead it turned out to be lighthearted. The Virginia State Troopers are always a hoot to work with given their sense of humor and the family was quite nice. Hayden seemed like he wasn't fazed at all by the ordeal. It was a pleasure meeting them of the circumstance.

Teach

2009-06-02T20:43:00.002-04:00

Finished this slideshow about a teacher in Narrows that has been teaching in Giles County for almost 50 years.

Shards

2009-05-03T19:56:00.006-04:00

These stories always break my heart and they happen so often. Life is so short and uncertain. Makes me re-evaluate how i spend time with and love the the people i care about most. You have no idea if they will be around tomorrow!

-----

Chrissy Stump, 17, is reflected in the mirror in her room in Newport. Behind her is a banner made by classmates at Giles County High School after her best friend Brianna Colle was killed in a car crash March 31, and Stump was severely injured.

A Giles County High School student hands out buttons with Brianna and Chrissy's photo. Brianna Colle died March 31 in a car crash and was not wearing her seatbelt. Chrissy Stump, her passenger and best friend survived the crash. The buttons are part of a campaign to encourage students to buckle their seat bealts. Prom is tomorrow and many high school students will be driving the mountain roads at night.

Emily Ellis, a Giles County High junior, pins a button on 8th grader Garrett Lee, 13.

Brianna Colle wrote this poem about her friend Chrissy Stump before Colle was killed in a car crash in March comparing her to a "crazy hyena."

Townhall

2009-04-01T10:15:00.005-04:00

Students at Radford University are upset about majors such as Anthropology and Appalachian Studies being cut from the curriculum and miscommunication about budget issues. They feel that the university's liberal arts focus is being threatened. Radford held two forums in five days to address the issues independently first with a budget meeting and later with one about program reviews. Articles can be found here and here.

Thursday March 26, 2009:

Radford University student Matt Prater of Students Advocating Liberal Arts (SALA) listens on during an open budget forum at Bondurant Auditorium in Preston Hall Radford University in Radford, Va. SALA members say they oppose university's curriculum cuts and perceived shift away from a liberal arts focus.

Dr. Stephen Lerch holds up a stack of audience questions during an open budget forum at Bondurant Auditorium in Preston Hall Radford University in Radford, Va. Many students walked out when they realized they were not allowed to speak freely from the floor.

left to right: Rick Slavings screens audience questions as Executive Assistant to the Provost Vickie Taylor hands him a stack of new ones and Stephen Lerch (right) prepares to read one to the audience during open budget forum at Bondurant Auditorium in Preston Hall Radford University in Radford, Va. Students were upset and walked out because the university screened questions and they were not allowed to speak from the floor.

Radford University President Penelope Kyle waits to answer a question during an open budget forum at Bondurant Auditorium in Preston Hall Radford University in Radford, Va.

Tuesday March 31, 2009

Radford University junior Brandi Gross (CQ) waits to ask a question during a second open forum about cuts in the curriculum at the Bondurant Auditorium in Preston hall in Radford, Va. She was allowed to ask her question and it was answer moments later.

Radford University President Penelope Kyle issued an apology for any miscommunication about the relationship between the university budget and cuts in the curriculum at last Thursday's forum during another open forum at the Bondurant Auditorium in Preston hall in Radford, Va. Tuesday. She remained seated in the audience after her apology.
Radford University senior and treasurer of the Students Advocating the Liberal Arts Cynthia Coughlin (right) is frustrated during an open forum about cuts in the curriculum at the Bondurant Auditorium in Preston hall in Radford, Va. Coughlin was once an Anthropology major before it was proposed that the program should be cut. Senior Stephen Schmidt co-founder of the group listens on as questions are answered at left.

Radford Falls to UNC

2009-03-23T22:42:00.003-04:00

Radford lost to UNC in this blowout

Basketball....again

2009-03-08T21:05:00.003-04:00

Shot an epic game the other day... here is a gallery...

Court

2009-02-12T19:57:00.002-05:00

So the other day I'm covering a manslaughter trial and I'm making my way up to the metal detector at the entrance to the courthouse. I strapped down with two camera bodies and a large 300mm lens and some other gear and notice the sheriff deputies acting as bailiffs eyeballing me, both of them smiling. "I imagine I'm gonna set this machine off aren't i fellows?" I tell them. I slide $20,000 of camera gear off my body and set it on the table in front of them and look at each other smirkingly and whisper. I grow uncomfortable. "What are y'all whispering about," I ask them. "Can we borrow these when deer season starts," the skinnier bald one asks with a chuckle. A smile splits my face and i laugh."This one weighs more than my rifle," says the other deputy as he picks up the camera with my long lens. I ask him what kind of rifle he has and he proceeds to tell about his rifle and his last kill....

oh southwest Virginia....

Basketball

2009-02-08T20:17:00.004-05:00

I've been shooting a lot of VT basketball... here are some frames :)

-------

Virginia Tech's J.T. Thompson (33) lands from a monster dunk in the first half of the Hokies 91-87 overtime victory against North Carolina State at Cassel Coliseum in Blacksburg, Va.

left to right: Virginia Tech's J.T. Thompson is elated as he, Jeff Allen (0) Malcolm Delaney (23) and Hank Thorns (10) walk of the court after a 91-87 overtime victory over North Carolina State at Cassel Coliseum in Blacksburg, Va.

Virginia Tech head coach Seth Greenberg does not like a call as the Hokies battle North Carolina State at Cassel Coliseum in Blacksburg, Va.

Boston College's Tyrese Rice (4) looks to a referee as he helps up Virginia Tech's Jeff Allen after fouling him as Malcolm Delaney (23) and Victor Davila (14) look on during the Hokies' 79-71 victory over Boston College at Cassell Coliseum in Blacksburg, Va.

Virginia Tech's Dorenzo Hudson (5) battles for a rebound with Boston College's Joe Trapani (12) during the Hokies' 79-71 victory over Boston College at Cassell Coliseum in Blacksburg, Va.

Virginia Tech's Malcolm Delaney (23) bowls over Boston College's Cortney Dunn (55) in the first half at Cassell Coliseum in Blacksburg, Va. Virginia Tech lead 41-37 at halftime.

Virginia Tech's Malcolm Delaney celebrates a three pointer in the Hokies' 79-71 victory over Boston College at Cassell Coliseum in Blacksburg, Va.

Assort

2009-02-03T19:53:00.003-05:00

Been a busy few weeks... here are some frames :)

Virginia Tech Enlightened Choir practice

"They make a great team," said Gordy Sachs, (left) Brandy's father, as Brandy and her mother Lisa share a moment before a meal at Cracker Barrel in Christiansburg. Gordy's job with FEMA keeps him in Washington D.C. most of the week and as a result Brandy and Lisa have developed a unique bond. Brandy Sachs, 23, recently underwent treatment for reflex sympathetic dystrophy syndrome, a condition that means even the lightest touch can cause the sufferer extreme pain. Sachs is still recovering after receiving coma treatment in October.

Virginia Tech's Nikki Davis is smothered by Duke's defense during the Hokies' 57-52 loss at Cassell Coliseum in Blacksburg, Va.

Chancellor Sims, 5, hides from his brother, Sterling, 9, under his father Guy's jacket during a viewing party for Barack Obama's inauguration at Squires Student Center at Virginia Tech in Blacksburg , Va.. Assistant Vice President of Student Affairs Guy Sims said he was excited for Obama to be president, particularly for the sake of his children. "When they flip through the history books, there is a President that looks like them," he said.

Buteo

2009-01-28T20:15:00.003-05:00

This juvenile Red-Tailed Hawk attacked me near the Duck Pond at Virginia Tech the other day. Then he struck a pose :)

I heart preps

2009-01-14T12:07:00.002-05:00

Justin Cook | The Roanoke Times
January 7, 2009

Radford High's Allen Dickerson (12) flies over Eastern Montgomery's defense for a layup.

Afterbirth

2009-01-02T21:15:00.008-05:00

From Jared Soares' Blog Click image for a larger version

Some one didn't like our selections for Photos of the Year in the Roanoke Times and wrote a letter to the editor today! It is awesome that my work is affecting people :)

BLACKSBURG, VA. - "He should come [out] easy," said Chad Joines as he and Christie McAvoy (both CQ) "pull" a calf at the Virginia Tech Beef Cattle Center off Plantation Road in Blacksburg, Tuesday February 5, 2008. The female Charolais calf is one of about 160 calves born each year at the farm according to McAvoy, manager of the Beef Center and Joines assistant manager of Animal and Poultry Science at Virginia Tech.

Break

2008-12-29T20:19:00.003-05:00

The Harmans had a baby boy! See the story here and my video here! :)

Brian Harman spends a moment with his one month-old son, Chaycen, as his wife Desirae looks on after he coached the Floyd County Buffaloes Mens Basketball team to a 75-34 victory over Craig County.

Destiny, 3, Brian and Desirae Harman set up a Christmas tree at their son Chance's grave at the Topeco Church of the Brethren in Floyd. Chance died of a brain tumor in July of 2007.

Chaycen Harman, one month, clings to the hand of his mother Desirae.

Brian Harman sleeps next to his daughter Destiny, 3, in her room at their home in Floyd. Since the death of his son Chance in 2007 Brian and Destiny have become much closer and even more so since the birth of his new son Chaycen.

Also went home for Christmas and saw the fam and Joslin. :)

Joslin and Toni her granddaughter, daughter of her murdered son, Ray. Durham, NC.
The American Tobacco Campus, Durham, NC

Hotlanta

2008-12-10T20:00:00.006-05:00

Me looking at Flint Journal intern and fellow Tar Heel John Adkisson's work. Johnny boy cleaned up in the student porfolio category with first place!! Photo courtesy of Marc Kawanishi :)

Jared slept in the car at Stone Mountain... what a punk... :)

This random dude was playing the guitar and singing "Brown Eyed Girl" on his way up the mountain. I on the other hand was huffing and puffing on my way down... haha

People from all ages and time periods carved on the mountain.. including someone from 1879 :)

Went to the Atlanta Photojournalism Seminar recently... also hiked (read: struggled) to the top of Stone Mountain while i was there.... :) When I was a kid and living in Marietta I went with my family to the park on the fourth of July and watched a laser light show. On the side of the mountain is a carving of the three Confederate leaders of the Civil War and during the laser show they came "riding" off the mountain! Will post more photos from my epic airsoft gun battle in the hotel with the kids from Western Kentucky University once Jared sends them to me :)

High

2008-12-01T23:26:00.002-05:00

Floyd County head coach Winfred Beale celebrates with Bret Holman (4) after the Buffaloes defeated the Lebanon Pioneers 14-13 during the last two minutes of the game in the Division II Region C state semifinal playoff game at Floyd County High School

Advice

2008-11-24T16:29:00.001-05:00

Saw this at a local high school. Loved the quote on the right especially :)

Miami

2008-11-18T18:29:00.002-05:00

Miami's Dedrick Epps (18 CQ left) and Courtney Harris (49 second from left) celebrate as Virginia Tech's Sean Glennon walks off the field after the Hokies 14-16 loss to the Hurricanes at Dolphin Stadium in Miami, Florida.

Gator bait in the Everglades

Ferrari, South Beach

Yoga, South Beach

Gulls

Shot a VT game in Miami last week. Played in the Everglades and saw an old friend. All in all a good week :)

Dawgs

2008-11-09T21:17:00.002-05:00

Brandon Neice plays with Mitzy (left) as Heathwood investigates at NRV Varmints doggy daycare in Blacksburg.

Virginia Tech Police officer Larry Wooddell searches a bathroom at Lane Stadium with his bomb sniffing dog Boomer before Virginia Tech takes on Western Kentucky in Blacksburg, Va.

Virginia Tech Police officer Larry Wooddell and his bomb sniffing dog Boomer walk through the smoke of turkey legs being cooked before Virginia Tech takes on Western Kentucky at Lane Stadium in Blacksburg, Va.

Boats

2008-10-22T23:41:00.001-04:00

USS North Carolina - Wilmington, NC

Buddy

2008-10-11T18:47:00.006-04:00

Rest in peace Buddy. Todd and my friend Price found Buddy the Jack Russell Terrier about two weeks ago on the highway near Wilson, NC. He was limping from a pellet wound to his leg, flea bitten and stricken with jaundice from liver failure. He was abandoned, but most of all he was friendly and sweet. I came to visit Todd in Greenville, NC and Todd told me that the doctors' diagnosis for the pooch was grim. Heartworms were destroying his body and his organs were failing. He was going to have him put to sleep in the morning. So last night we threw Buddy a party complete with toys, a bling necklace, an American Flag Pinwheel and a 1ST PRIZE ribbon. We smoked cigars and recounted our favorite Buddy moments, even though I had only known him for a few hours. None of us imagined he would make it through the night. Well he did, but around 9 oclock this morning we had to put him down. Todd and I drove out to the beautiful eastern NC country side and found a spot for him were he could have his peace. After trudging through a soybean field we laid him to rest under some towering southern oak trees.

People can be so terrible. My aunt Molly knows this great quote that I think rings so true in this situation.

"The greatness of a nation and its moral progress can be judged by the way its animals are treated." - Mahatma Gandhi

Rin Tin Tin

2008-10-07T23:04:00.002-04:00

Police Attack Dog training, Blacksburg, Va.

DUMPTRUCKS

2008-10-02T17:11:00.004-04:00

Kindergartner Joey Eanes (5, CQ) reacts as workers for VDOT show off some of their trucks at Falling Branch Elementary.

Kindergartner Cyrill Rooker (5, CQ) reacts as teachers try to calm him and his classmates down. Workers from VDOT showed off some of their trucks to excited children at Falling Branch Elementary.

------
VDOT drove some of their big trucks (backhoes, graders, snowplows and dumptrucks) to a local elementary school. When I was 5 i wanted to be a professional dumptruck driver or a school bus driver. Needless to say my reaction was the same as these kids' the other day....

Friday Night Lights

2008-09-26T23:48:00.003-04:00

Christiansburg High cheerleaders Sara Thompson and Kelly Nickell are held by their boyfriends Seth Fowlkes and Andrew Tawney during the cold and rainy homecoming game against Patrick Henry. Christiansburg defeated Patrick Henry 37-6.

--------

I'd rather shoot the culture of high school football than the game itself :)

purpose

2008-09-21T23:10:00.002-04:00

I visited Joslin the other day in Durham after photographing the big game and after chitchatting a while and goofing off I told her that I was making a presentation to some kids at VT about photojournalism soon and asked her what I should tell them.

Her words make me smile:

"Tell them to make pictures of people but to remember that it is all about those people, not them."

Preach it girl.

Clash

2008-09-21T18:33:00.005-04:00

This weekend I shot Virginia Tech football at Chapel Hill. Here my blue-blooded alma would meet the team that I had been covering for a few games at my new home in Virginia. I eagerly anticipated the magic, the electricity I would feel upon returning to Kenan Stadium, to Chapel Hill, to Franklin Street. I hoped I would feel like I was in college again. Tar Heel born. Tar Heel bread.

But the magic wasn't there.

Maybe I have been in Blacksburg too long, maybe I have things have changed in Chapel Hill. Maybe I was just blind to it before. But it wasn't the same. UNC blew a decent lead and lost 20-17 to the Hokies. UNC was slated to win and It made for a visually interesting game. The whole time I was distracted by how rudely the UNC fans were acting. It began well before the game. As i hustled into the stadium loaded down with gear i noticed how inconsiderate people were. I struggled to get by people and when I bumped into them they were nasty and made no effort to let me by. There was this ere, this ere of superiority or entitlement.

It continued during the game.

At one point fans began throwing things on the field as Tech pulled ahead. And after the game the VT chaplain and other players extended their hands to the UNC team for prayer on the field and they all walked off. I suddenly felt awkward. This is the school I went to for 3 years after transferring. I had built so many memories here and made so many lasting friendships at the Journalism school. Suddenly I felt sort of ashamed to call myself a Tar Heel. I had never experienced this sort of behavior covering sports at Virginia Tech.

Disappointed, embarrassed and confused sums up my feelings right now. But to be perfectly honest I am glad that UNC lost this game to Virginia Tech. I am not saying that Chapel Hill is a bad place, but if it wants to be the University of the People, maybe UNC fans should learn a little humility. They do after all represent the school and Chapel Hill as well on the field and in the stands.

In the meantime Hark the sound of Tar Heel voices, but also LET'S GO HOKIES *jingles his keys*

Virgina Tech's Macho Harris leaves the field after the Hokies defeated the Tar Heels 20-17 at Kenan Stadium in Chapel Hill, N.C.

MSNBC Pictures of the Week

2008-09-12T10:36:00.003-04:00

I have a photo in MSNB PICTURES OF THE WEEK!

Wish you were here...

2008-09-03T21:04:00.010-04:00

William Best, circa 2004 and 1944

William Best, circa Sept. 2008
-----------

Paw Paw,
I remember the US Army pin that you gave me from your uniform when I was a kid in high school. Those were the years we became so close, when you'd cook for me on my lunch break from working at the Winn Dixie around the corner. I found this pin the other day when I was cleaning out my closet and wanted you to have it.

I wish you were here. Mom and Dad are losing their minds. I need you in my life more than ever right now.

Love,
Justiny

Chicken Salad

2008-08-28T22:05:00.003-04:00

trying to make something interesting out of a sign photo at Virginia Tech.

La Liga

2008-08-19T19:42:00.001-04:00

Hispanic soccer league, final game, Roanoke Va.

Boat

2008-08-16T14:35:00.002-04:00

The smell of honeysuckle, an approaching storm and the New River....

Miss

2008-07-31T20:07:00.001-04:00

Michael Moyers of Stanardsville is dejected after missing his final putt by inches during the final round of the boys state Junior Amateur Tournament at Blacksburg Country Club July 31, 2008. Moyers could have tied the course record of 61 but instead got a 62. He tied for third with Evan Beck of Virginia Beach with a final score of 206.

assort

2008-07-30T21:12:00.003-04:00

left to right: Joan Sills jokingly scolds Zoe Zimmerman, 3, for throwing playdough at her as Ashley Heffron looks on in Wallace Hall at Virgina Tech. Neighbors Growing Together is a program that allows children from Tech's daycare to interact with seniors from its adult care program.

Joan Sills holds the hand of Zoe Zimmerman, 3, during a closing song.

Amy and Smithers the snake on the New River, Narrows, Giles County, Va.

Wait

2008-07-16T21:53:00.004-04:00

Tashia Nunn, her dogs Rebel and Bubba, her father Jimmy Bowman and sister Ashley, 7, wait in the cool shade as renovations are performed on the bridge leading to their property in Pulaski County, Va. "Every one was scared to come across [the bridge]. Even the rescue squad wouldn't come over," said Jimmy Bowman.

Not very storytelling but I liked this frame :)

Haiku

2008-07-14T22:52:00.003-04:00

My friends Nate and Rebecca Clendenin are moving to Africa soon to learn and do some documentary work.

Most of the time when I go visit Durham they put me up for the night and we have a great time. Nate makes some awesome smoothies most mornings and the environment is totally chill. His cat hates me though.

this is for you guys:

Pippy hates my guts
lets drink some smoothies as we
pee in the backyard

*bows*

Have a great time over there :)

Wish you were here

2008-07-07T18:03:00.006-04:00

Hendersonville, NC May 24, 2008

A year ago today I was interning at the Flint Journal in Michigan and trying to photograph this poor family that lived next door to me. Flint is a rough place, and I guess I was too trusting. Long story short things got ugly and I ended up getting jumped by people from this family. I had to fight them off and luckily wasn't hurt too bad. I was angry for a while but soon after Katie Rausch and Jeana-Dee Allen began interning at the paper and they taught me to trust and to love more completely than I had before.

Since May 22, these fine ladies have been on an adventure down here in Virginia. The left again for the giant mitten (Michigan) a few days ago and I wish they would come back.

I miss you Katie and Jeana-Dee. Thanks for everything you've done for me :)

The whopper

2008-07-02T21:23:00.004-04:00

"Hey now, that's no way to fish! You gotta get in the water!" yelled the fat kid as he strolled down the riverbank. He must have been ten years old.

I looked up at him from the river's edge and smirked sheepishly. "I left my hip waders at home," I retorted.

A few minutes passed. I looked down at my hands covered in earthworm guts holding my bright red Firebird open-faced rod and reel and suddenly felt like i wasn't making the most of my afternoon. I had experienced a few nibbles, a tug at the line here, caught a few tree limbs there but no fish.

The fat kid was right.

About ten yards out the water was cool and muddy as it lapped at my calves and rolled up jeans. I felt complete, my feet one with the river muck. I glanced over my shoulder back toward the bank where I had left my cherry limeade. My mind drifted but as i turned around I couldn't find my bobber. I jerked the rod hard and started to reel it in. The sun was going down and I finally had something. Dancing at the end of my line was a sunfish with demon-red eyes. I admired him for a few minutes, made a few photos and let him on his way.

Something immediately grabbed the bait on my next cast and I fought with it until it stripped my hook from my line. I scoffed for a moment then walked back to the bank, sat down and chuckled as I re-hooked my line. I caught one more fish before I packed up my gear and headed for the car.

Barefoot, jeans rolled up and smelling like the river I remembered an old saying on the drive home: "The science to fishing isn't how you fish but how well you lie when you get home."

It doesn't hurt to listen to the fat kid either.

Recently

2008-06-26T11:20:00.004-04:00

here are a few recent photos. I've been trying to work the edges of assignments more and still focus on storytelling moments. I have a project on the side that is keeping me stimulated, more on that as it develops :)

John Bolin, 10, tests his verticle leap with his friends during the Seth Greenberg Hokie Hoops Offensive Skills Camp at Cassell Coliseum

Drayton Mabry (CQ) pauses in his store as he recollects his 61 years of ownership during an interview. Mabry's Grocery in Floyd County, which is most likely closing Friday, June 6, 2008.

Tolerance

2008-05-24T08:45:00.003-04:00

I really dislike the word tolerance. I was at a middle school the other day on assignment and saw this banner in one of the classrooms, one of those ones that was meant to inspire tolerance in the young kids. But what does that really mean? To me, to tolerate is to simply put up with something, perhaps something outside our comfort zone, an opinion, a lifestyle. Inevitably there are somethings that cannot be tolerated, but many things I would rather understand, appreciate, experience, or embrace something new or different rather than to just tolerate it.

I would rather love.

The overpass

2008-05-21T22:08:00.003-04:00

Christiansburg police standby as a man, who calls him self Juan, prays to himself under the US 460 overpass in Christiansburg. "Juan" had hitch-hiked all the way from. Mt. Airy, NC and said he was on his way to Philadelphia to deliver a doomsday message to a pastor there.
-------

I met Juan during a ride along with the Christiansburg Police. The responded to a "welfare of an individual check" after a gas station attendant noticed him talking to himself. I could tell right away that he was a man in desperate need of medication. Truth be told he thought he was the Angel Gabriel, that he was surrounded by other angels. The police later found out that he had been off his medication for ten months because he no longer had insurance. It was sad to see a man in this state, without medical help and without a friend. It amazes me how people slip through the cracks in a country of such immense opportunity as ours. I wanted to be his friend for the brief time we had to interact. I struck up a conversation with Juan found that despite his mental state he radiated happiness, his face beamed and scrunched up with dimples when I spoke with him. He wore a Transformers t-shirt and was a big fan of the from the 1980s. He claimed that Optimus Prime was a hero of his and agreed with me that the good-natured robot was a lot like Jesus in that he was out to save the world, and that the evil Megatron was more like Satan. At one point he told me that I was surrounded by angels, he reached out and cupped my face with his hands and stared deeply into my eyes for what seemed like an eternity. "You are a good good man," he exclaimed. "You are going to heaven." I asked him how he knew that and he said the angels around me told him. I was curious to know when I would be going to heaven and his answer sent chills down my spine: "Very soon."

mother's day

2008-05-11T18:57:00.003-04:00

This Mother's Day I am reminded of the project my professor Pat Davison did about his mother. If you have 20 minutes please watch the slideshow in its entirety. The word mother is supposed to be one of the most expressive words in the English language. And no doubt, a mother's love truly is an undying love.

Here is another short but great story about motherhood by Lane DeGregory at the St. Petersburg Times. Kudos to Melissa Lyttle for posting about it :)

I love you mom.

-j

Revival

2008-05-11T00:21:00.000-04:00

"If God don't bring you to tears, then you never believed in Him," said Lessa Rattcliffe (RIGHT) who prays after a revival at Jubilee Baptist Church, Wytheville, Va.

Thankful

2008-05-04T16:37:00.004-04:00

I am thankful for where I've been
What I've seen
Who I've known
No good thing comes without struggle, effort
Good things are worth fighting for
Patience is a virtue
Love and kindness above all

Thanks for everything, Nate and Rebecca :)

hoping, praying

2008-04-30T23:40:00.003-04:00

Joslin, I keep praying for you and your family. I hope your mother doesn't have cancer, I hope Sean can find some refuge from the kids that keep jumping him. I pray that you can find some peace as the anniversary of Rays murder draws near. I pray I can bring you all some happiness, a smile. You may never read this but I think about you all the time...

People can be so terrible

2008-04-28T19:49:00.004-04:00

This was published the other day in the Durham Herald Sun:

On April 12, First Presbyterian Church members lost a valuable friend to a random act of violence. William Davis, who greeted us daily as we came off N.C. 147 at Exit 12 and turned uphill on Roxboro Road, died as a result of a stabbing, and we are heartsick. William was a daily fixture on "his corner," standing with one leg and a crutch to smile, wave, and greet each person who passed his way. Many of our children learned urban ministry by putting a name and a face to a homeless person, and by returning his greeting with gifts of food, clothing and offers of assistance.

We were so encouraged when William finally received Social Security disability, found a place to live, and even began selling newspapers on his corner. His success in overcoming homelessness makes his untimely, tragic death even harder to bear.

Now all that marks his corner is a spray of flowers and one empty shoe. We are grieved to have lost William, and hope that the City of Durham will get a handle on this wave of violence that is robbing us all of precious people.

Marilyn Hedgpeth
Durham
April 27, 2008
The writer is an associate pastor at First Presbyterian Church.

------

I've cried on and off for the past day and a half after hearing this. I used to see this man almost every day when I was leaving the gym or just driving through Durham and I'd speak to him when I got the chance. It kills me that it took a letter to the paper for this to death to be acknowledged.
------

I hate to think that you died alone
and that hardly anyone noticed
I wish I wasn't in such damn hurry
every day
I'd stop at the light and see you smile
you never asked for anything
as you hunched over your crutches
I'd roll down window
no money to spare
only conversation
until the light turned green
I wish, just once,
I got out of the car, and sat with you
it's pouring in Durham
I dreamt I saw you
standing under the rumbling freeway
but all that's left
are scattered flowers,
an empty shoe

Green Pastures

2008-04-22T11:33:00.002-04:00

Searching

4.16.08

2008-04-18T20:56:00.004-04:00

Pastor Tommy McDearis spends a moment with Joseph Kirby, 11, after he agreed to devote his life to Jesus Christ and be baptised at Blacksburg Baptist Church in Blacksburg, Va. McDearis is a chaplain with the Blacksburg Police department and was in Norris Hall on April 16, 2007 shortly after 33 people were shot to death on Virginia Tech's campus.

"I told all the [victims] to call their moms, those that were well enough. I have kids and I know what it is like to worry," said Holly Wheeling an ER doctor at Montgomery Regional Hospital who spends a moment with her 20-month old son Nick at a park behind the Blacksburg Parks and Recreation building. Wheeling has healed by spending time with her family during the year after the shootings at Virginia Tech.

Veronica Lippuner nuzzles her son Dominic Whyte, 11, as Derek O'Dell teaches him new chess strategies at the Johnston Student Center at Virginia Tech. O'Dell, the Virginia Tech Chess Club president, tutors children in chess at Harding Avenue Elementary School where Whyte attends. O'Dell, who was shot in Norris Hall on April 16, 2007, claims that the strategy of staying one step ahead of his opponent help him survive in Norris Hall the day of the shootings and helps him heal today.

Virginia Tech Cadet Corps members change the guard at the Drill Field at sunrise on the year anniversary of the worst school shooting in US history. The candle behind them burned for 24 hours.

Reverend Haeshin Yoo (CQ) of the Healing Peace organization in Charlottesville weeps and prays at the memorial on the Drill Field for 32 students that were shot to death last year at Virginia Tech on the morning of the one year anniversary in Blacksburg, Va. Yoo believes that their memory can live on through expressions of love and service.

---

The month before the anniversary of the Virginia Tech shootings was a long one. I was teamed up with Evelio Contrares a talented videographer/reporter and amazing human being to produce a series of video portraits that explored a cross section of people that were involved that day. The premise was simple, based on the portraits captured by Richard Avedon. We simply wanted each person to talk until they said something unexpected. The results are interesting. Above are some of the documentary images I captured with each subject based on the guideword "healing" and some images from my coverage of the anniversary itself.

Adrift

2008-04-15T17:41:00.006-04:00

A shiny John Deere tractor sits for sale on the side of Route 8 on the way to floyd. I wonder who owns it as I zip by in my big damn hurry back to Christiansburg. I bet they were proud of it, maybe it was their biggest investment. It's beautiful to think that, and even more so to realize that someone probably loved that tractor, and it was a tool and maybe a livelihood. I wonder how fast it can go down a field. I bet it can do 20 mph and that is enough for it to make a "impression". I wonder why I'm doing 60 all the time. The past two days I feel like I've drifted off course, but this short trip to Floyd to visit Brian Harman has put me back on track.

I missed my grandfather a lot last night and it is still hard even three months after his death. I remembered though that he would not want me crying over him, more so he would want me channeling his love bottomless love and energy. He would tell me the time I spend grieving could be more productive. I really like to think that the glass is half full, but maybe that is not enough.

I will work even harder to feed the relationships that I hold dear. I realized that I need to take care of myself more and let these others take care of me too. We waste so much energy on frivolous things. Thoreau once said that we should simplify, simplify simplify and keep our affairs on a thumbnail. I'll think of that tractor next time I get stressed out. It was enough for someone, all they needed to get the job done. I think my coworker Matt Gentry said it best, that when you drive out of town you see what really matters.

Simplicity, service, kindness, going hungry for others. Life is so perfectly simple if we let it be. The glass is full.

Recently

2008-04-14T12:32:00.004-04:00

Wedding, Greensboro, NC

Radford High School Soccer

hmm.

2008-04-12T09:28:00.003-04:00

I sure hope my attitude is right. I hope my approach is right, and I'm seeing things the right way. I hope I have the right influence on people...

Freedom

2008-04-10T19:46:00.002-04:00

is a winding country road, windows down. Life is a strange journey. I hope my foot is always hanging out the window.

Sgt. Abner Lester Jr.

2008-04-09T23:27:00.004-04:00

FLOYD, Va.
--------------

Sgt. Abner Lester, Jr
what did you eat for breakfast
the day you met your maker?

Army regulation, one size fit all
on that fateful day in 1862
I hope, I pray you didn't boil
and eat the leather from your boots

Was it salted ham
grits, eggs or whey?
maybe pickled pig feet
obviously it wasn't Wheaties
or you'd have survived the day

The day the South rises again
perhaps your specter will too
I'll invite you to a breakfast
free of shoe leather and glue

Paw Paw

2008-04-03T22:35:00.002-04:00

When I was a young boy
I thought God lived at your house
He looked just like you
but wore a silly straw hat

In the Spring He showered me
in a dogwood-petal-rain
and peaches to last through fall

In the Summer He stood tall
amid the sunflowers, the tomato patch
told me stories of the coast
of thunder, of lightning and rain

Everyday he knew all about "going without"
He constantly counted blessings
embodied kindness, exuded love
and gave it all away

His voice was a gentle tremble
telling tales of battle, fierce
humbled, hunched -- not too mighty
to lean on his cane

Paw Paw I wanna be like you
every day, battle hardened
but softened by the salt of the Earth
closer to God Himself

Debts

2008-03-31T20:42:00.003-04:00

People speak of debts as they speak of chains, fetters to something malignant. I felt another type of debt come to mind as I sst here in Durham, NC this past weekend

Debts of friendship, loyalty and time, the best kind of debt. A debt that needs to be filled but also reopened before time and distance erodes it. This weekend I tried to do that with some old friends of mine.

I only hope my debt grows with my friends in Durham.

I wonder how I can increase it.

Durham Police promotion ceremony

The Selective Enforcement Team raids a liquor house.

Promise

2008-03-27T21:22:00.008-04:00

A rosary hangs from a tree on the Drill Field at Virgina Tech In Blacksburg, Va. where an original student memorial once stood the day after 33 people were shot to death on April 16, 2007.

All week I've heard voices
a spectrum of the brave
tell me of Norris Hall
and that horrific April day

A professor heard a jackhammer
in his brain and bones
furniture scraping across the floor
sounded like startled elephants
as students barricade classroom doors

A police chaplain sighed
decided he couldn't have wanted
to be anywhere else that day
other than Norris Hall
when he threw his bloody shoes away

An ER doctor, a mother of four
saw her children's faces
in the faces of the wounded
and heard selfless students cry
"Help him first, please!"
"I've only been shot in the chest"

A wounded girl was lost in her mind
as a boy poured his rage
into the room, through the halls
this April she wants a warm Spring
and flip-flops on her feet
not death's icy breeze

Patched walls hide the bullets' scars
deadbolts hold doors back
but not the ghosts, not the whispers
a lone rosary dangles
from a sad tree on the Drill Field
in the new season, in an old breeze
a sense of faith, but
a reminder of great waste

I want this April to be
the grass tickling under bare feet
for everyone, I want this April
to be a stolen kiss,
a promise, the newest Spring

To a stranger I've yet to meet

2008-03-24T11:02:00.001-04:00

At church in Floyd County
-------------------------------

All I've ever wanted
for anybody, everybody
and especially for you
reoccurred today
greeting neighbors in the pews

"Child come closer,
you are so warm," she softly spoke
Her wrinkled words,
they split my face
An exchange of hope
a traded grace
Her elder palm, cupped in my hand
"You hold on, Ma'am," I replied
"As long as you want,
as long as you can."

Playing possum

2008-03-20T22:30:00.005-04:00

Auburn High's softball team has its own good luck charm :)

and it made me smile...

swinging in the rain

2008-03-19T23:25:00.004-04:00

On a lame day like today I try extra hard to turn things around. It was the only day I had today, and even though the sun hid from me, I tried to use what was available to have some fun. A swing set and puddles did the trick.

Sunshine, you didn't come through today
left me to make my own bright rays
out of clouds, of mud and puddles
a day so perfect
for swinging in the rain

With each pendulum pass
and puddle-skimming splash
where soles wore down ragged grass
my shirt clings, a soggy hold
and troubles trickle down my back
away from heart,
far from mind, from soul

Momentum builds a rusty squeak
on a leaky, drippy, shaky frame
at my peak I breath at ease
letting go, upon release
of life, of worry and slippery chains
leaping into you, the pouring rain

Sunshine, you didn't come through today
but the heavens opened up above
now i wring out a soggy shirt
soaked with rain, spritzed in dirt
my body showered with flecks of mud,
a soul caked with simple love

Giles

2008-03-17T01:05:00.004-04:00

Lately i realize that when i write i come closer to understanding how things feel, which is something i am working to convey more in my photos too. a few nights ago i had such a blast with some awesome people. I tried to capture that here by forgetting my camera and just remembering, recalling the senses.

this probably wont make sense to many but hopefully it'll make sense to ya'll two :)

tin roof and raindrops' patter
our twilight lullaby,
percussion and giggles shattered.
here lies the "Giles County delight"
no doubts, no fear, no price
in these bursts, this mud, this cacophony
Narrows glows in the night
where pasta is a vegetable
and I need a little gunpowder
with my macaroni

Warm

2008-03-16T21:46:00.003-04:00

Yeah it's just another photo through a windshield but really, the light in southwestern Virgina is wild.

You can feel it.

Daily

2008-03-16T21:42:00.004-04:00

An interesting variety lately....

Spencer Duncan (CQ) is questioned by the Virginia State Police as his crashed motorcycle is secured on a tow truck (left). Duncan led police on a high-speed motorcycle chase on US. 460 that began in Salem, passed through Shawsville and doubled back through Elliston where he crashed at 145 mph. Duncan received only minor injuries but a heap of charges including felony eluding and multiple counts of reckless driving in Salem, Roanoke and Montgomery Counties. Duncan was also cited for 151 mph in a 55 mph zone.

LEFT TO RIGHT: Emily Wesley hugs Jeff Wallace as the St. Joseph's University students help others unload furniture at The BLDG Phase II, a mission center that opened recently in Pulaski. The group took their spring break to travel from Pennsylvania to help set up a thrift store and living space in the building.

I hate my bathroom

2008-03-11T23:21:00.004-04:00

Well, I don't really hate it, but I come home and sometimes my bathroom randomly stinks like cigarette smoke. I'm not sure why, but I can wager a guess: It's haunted. Or at least that would be an entertaining explanation.

-----

Stop haunting my bathroom

My bathroom smells like cigarette smoke
a lavatory haunted
by a puffing, stinky ghost

I pause and puzzle
what does he smoke?
perhaps he rolls his own
chews on a cigar
or is it a pipe he tokes?

The toilet always runs
a babbling brook in my dreams
teases me on the edge
of waking and slumber, light
I stir and wonder why?
why, are you abusing
my damn commode tonight?

Dishes piled in my sink
begging to be cleaned
you could be a useful,
benevolent roommate
instead, a worrisome specter
who smokes in my latrine

Kindness, cowness

2008-03-10T20:46:00.006-04:00

I felt funky today.

A project dealing with some heavy subject matter has my mind in an uproar.

Worse, I couldn't take my mind off what happened to Eve Carson. I can't say i knew her too well but we met once. Regardless, I was touched by her death. I guess nowhere, no one is safe these days and i think her death has instilled a sense of fear in some.

I know it has done the opposite to me. Why live in fear? I don't know how long i have here, so I refuse to be afraid.

I will be kind.

Kindness and love are vessels that can take you places you never thought of, into hearts you never imagined. When you get mad, be kind. When you get frustrated, be kind. When you get annoyed, be kind.

Be still. Listen. Then be a burst of joy to someone.

I sound like a broken record. I've been harping on this a lot lately.

And i cant believe its been two months since my grandfather died. You who taught me everything about kindness....

------

I struck out of the office, down my favorite back road towards Radford in search for something, anything--I didn't know what. A gap in a fence afforded me a way down into this pasture where i found a group of cows. One had wandered off on its own and I was immediately drawn to it. It seemed to have a different personality and it glowed like a hot iron, backlit by the sun.

I'm a total dork for poetry by Billy Collins and this scene reminded me of one of my favorite lines from all his poem. I don't know if I captured unadulterated cowness with my photo, or if I will ever be as clever as Billy Collins, but for a few moments while I ran around with these cows i felt really really happy, as warm as the sunshine.

Afternoon with Irish Cows:

There were a few dozen who occupied the field

across the road from where we lived,

stepping all day from tuft to tuft,

their big heads down in the soft grass,

though I would sometimes pass a window

and look out to see the field suddenly empty

as if they had taken wing, flown off to another country.

Then later, I would open the blue front door,

and again the field would be full of their munching

or they would be lying down

on the black-and-white maps of their sides,

facing in all directions, waiting for rain.

How mysterious, how patient and dumbfounded

they appear in the long quiet of the afternoon.

But every once in a while, one of them

would let out a sound so phenomenal

that I would put down the paper

or the knife I was cutting an apple with

and walk across the road to the stone wall

to see which one of them was being torched

or pierced through the side with a long spear.

Yes, it sounded like pain until I could see

the noisy one, anchored there on all fours,

her neck outstretched, her bellowing head

laboring upward as she gave voice

to the rising, full-bodied cry

that began in the darkness of her belly

and echoed up through her bowed ribs into her gaping mouth.

Then I knew that she was only announcing

the large, unadulterated cowness of herself,

pouring out the ancient apologia of her kind

to all the green fields and the gray clouds,

to the limestone hills and the inlet of the blue bay,

while she regarded my head and shoulders

above the wall with one wild, shocking eye.

Michigan Love

2008-03-03T22:35:00.005-05:00

The final stop in my vacation...Michigan. My photos will never do the Michigan Press Photographers Association contest weekend justice. It kills me that I can't see these people every day. Our time together was filled with PBR, chocolate bunnies, hot tubs, cigars, bowling and other shenanigans. I even go to see Cara who I went to school with at UNC who now goes to grad school at Michigan State. I hadnt seen her since last summer when I interned in Flint. I am spent as a write this

Congrats to you Jeana-Dee, big winner, two time MPPA college photographer of the year. Congrats to you too Katie for being amazing.

We were all winners this weekend :)

I saw the two ends of Interstate 75 and two seasons, all in one week

Paul plays Creed songs on his guitar.. much to everyone's dismay :)

Katie in the snow

Urban camping in the hotel in Lansing. I miss you two every day and it kind of makes me insane. Its true that not seeing ya every day makes reuniting that much sweeter :)

Cara took me to see the birds of prey at the Michigan State University Vet School

I got really close to Strider, the red-tailed hawk

Tampa-tacular

2008-03-03T22:26:00.003-05:00

Tampa from Ballast Point Park

Jace and Susan happened to be in town on leave from Walter Reed

debris in my passenger floorboard after 20+ hours of driving

Titanic

2008-02-27T20:11:00.002-05:00

Ben T. Davis beach, Tampa, Fla. before the big storm. St. Pete Times Photo | Chris Zuppa

It's the same one I hope you are looking at.

2008-02-24T23:51:00.010-05:00

"It's Sunday, this is my church. God is in the details," said Becky Rowland who admires the moon and its reflection off the Atlantic Ocean at Fernandina Beach on Amelia Island, Fla. Sunday night February 24, 2008.

---

I was making photos of the moon's reflection on the beach when Becky appeared. I watched her watching the moon for about 5 minutes. Simply saying hello to her as she wandered back up the beach led to a wonderful conversation, a wonderful statement of truth.

Becky reaffirmed to me something that I have been thinking about constantly, that it's the small things in life that God manifests himself so magnificently through. Timing is everything and I am humbled by the serendipity that I am afforded. :)

I don't need a map...

2008-02-24T21:07:00.001-05:00

I just need a corndog! :)

somewhere in Georgia...

Vacation alllll i ever wannntted... Vacation all i ever neeeededd!!

2008-02-23T16:53:00.002-05:00

About to go on my first real vacation. Expect a fun update soon :)

Floyd

2008-02-22T16:54:00.002-05:00

"Some schools have a gym, we use the cafeteria... because we're poor" joked senior Josh Penn 17 who unrolls a wrestling mat in the cafeteria of Floyd County High School before practice.

I was driving through Floyd a week or so ago. It had been a few weeks since we had ice or snow but somehow this patch had yet to melt. I felt like it was really wierd. I pulled over and tried to figure out how this could be and then made a photograph. I wonder if it was the last bit of snow and ice in Floyd County. Maybe it was the last in Virginia?

Some how I felt lucky to have found it...

haha.

2008-02-22T11:58:00.001-05:00

I'm really happy.

Just sharing.

One Chance

2008-02-21T22:27:00.007-05:00

During the Three Rivers Men's High School basketball semi finals Giles County High remembered Chance Harman, 4, who died of a brain tumor in July 2007. His father, Brian Harman, Coach of Floyd County High's basketball team is good friends with the coach of Giles County High.

Giles County's Cody Griffith (CQ LEFT 45) and Mario Jones (CQ RIGHT 24) pressure Auburn's Brandon Musick (CQ 23) at Christiansburg High School during the Three Rivers Men's High School basketball semi finals

Get to know a few

2008-02-20T23:41:00.011-05:00

My grandfather grew up in Stumpy Point, NC a shack town on the outer banks of NC. The major industry there was fishing, and the favorite pasttime was alcoholism. After WWII he used the GI bill to go to college at East Carolina Teachers College in Greenville, NC, which is now East Carolina University. When i graduated high school in 2001 I went of to ECU as well. All my friends went to NC State and UNC. While I had the grades for these schools, I wanted to do something different.

Part of me wanted to trace my grandfather's footsteps, to live in those footprints.

------

Paw Paw, tonight I was rummaging through a box i keep full of things I treasure and I found this letter you wrote me when I started college at East Carolina. I had forgotten about it.

------

Thursday P.M. 8/16/01

Dear Justin

By the time you get this note you will feel like a veteran. You have gotten the room like you want it, been to all your classes, have all your textbooks.

So what else could you want? (joke joke)

The sure don't teach here like they did at Northwest [Guilford High School]. The college prof. likes to keep you guessing and they know every book in the library.

After saying all of this it will take you a while to get the hang of it.

I want you to be happy, and with each passing day it will become easier.

I'll bet it isn't cold in Greenville. I know it hasn't changed. Summer time was hot, at least at Stumpy Point we had a breeze.

Now Justin I want you to know if you don't realize it yet, you are in Eastern NC. You are at the crossroads of high-tiders and lowlanders. If you haven't yet you soon will.

Some of the people speak the strangest language that is hard to understand. Remember that there are folk from all the small communities of Eastern NC [at ECU]. They are good folk--get to know a few. There will be folk who claim Greenville is the farthest from home they have ever been. When you tell them you are from Greensboro they will think you are from the mountains!

I have missed you very much, but I am glad you are on your own and on your way to a bright and happy future.

Love,

Paw Paw.

-----

He wasn't kidding about the people of eastern NC. I remember one afternoon when I was on my way home to Greenbsoro. I pull over because i thought i left something at friends house. In the process i got my car stuck in the ditch. I got out, cursed the situation and reached for my cell phone. Before i could call AAA two trucks pulled up. The man from one stood watch and alerted passing cars to my predicament. Two kind men from the other vehicle pulled my car out of the ditch with a chain attached to their truck, but in the process a tire blew out. I went to my trunk to get the spare and as I did they whisked it out of my hands and began changing the tire for me. They barely said a word. As they finished the tire, "Lets get out of here before the law shows up," one of them said. I didn't know what to think. When they were through i thanked them profusely and offered to buy them lunch or a beer. "We don't drink," one of them said softly and they walked away to their truck. Just as soon as they appeared they were gone.

I was left standing on the roadside to ponder what had just happened.

-----

Paw Paw I hope it is warm as Greenville where you are, and breezy like Stumpy Point.

It sure is cold in Blacksburg tonight.

Joey

2008-02-20T21:38:00.005-05:00

"God gave [seizures] to me for a reason...to help people," said Joey Walters, 16, (CQ) who is comforted by his mother Revonda after having a seizure at their Elliston, Va. home. Joey typically has around five significant seizures a week according to his mother. An active young man, Revonda wants her son to be able to live a normal life and be treated equally. Joey attends East Montgomery High where he wants to play baseball, but some oppose having him on the team. Revonda feels that officials can be trained to recognize when he might have a seizure and attend to him during and afterwards.
---------

It's amazing how things play out.

A ripple in a pond effects the flow downstream.

Earlier in the day I was supposed to make a simple portrait of Revonda and her son at his high school. I grumbled at that, and wanted something more to better illustrate this story.

I wanted a real picture.

For some reason the school shut us out and I agreed to meet them at their home when Joey got home from school. What timing. I'd call it serendipity but it might be something more.

I walked in the door at their home in a "holler" outside Christiansburg and almost immediately Joey had a seizure. I made some photos but refused to shoot during the worst of it. It took some convincing Revonda to allow this photo to run. She and her husband didn't want their son to look pitiful in the paper. We agreed that it was important that Joey have dignity and a sense of grace. I felt like this photo capture her devotion to her son and explained to her how important that role is and thanked her for letting me capture it, thanked her for having experienced Joey's plight first had, for having been educated. I told her I trusted her and asked if she trusted me. She said yes. I hoped that she would see that documentary photography had merit and power. I was grateful but upset by what I saw. Grateful to be educated, grateful to have heard Joey's heartfelt and beautiful words.

Upset that we had to meet this way.

Intense and intimate situations such as this, or death typically bring out some of the most sincere and ultimate expressions of love that people can share with each other. I cant describe how it feels to serve people with my camera in these situations and to be reminded how important my job is.

A friend of mine in Tampa called me that evening. He wondered how I kept randomly coming across situations of this intensity. I didnt have an answer and still dont. He laughed and compared it to a curse.

I feel like it is a blessing.

I got a wake up call this morning at 8am. Revonda was on the other end. "Good job," she said, after seeing the paper.

Tora Bora

2008-02-19T13:46:00.005-05:00

Just for you Agent Eclipse...

Dump Trucks

2008-02-18T22:28:00.003-05:00

did a quick story on a developer trying to revitalize a rundown part of town near Christiansburg. Man he was REALLY proud of his dump trucks!

hehe.

Happy Valentine's Day

2008-02-14T23:16:00.004-05:00

"Useless are flowers that you give / After the soul is gone" sang Smiling Jack over my CD player as a drove down the black highway, the only light ahead my headlights, my console glowed in the night, illuminating the inside of my car.

So did my soul, my heart. My bones felt as though they might leap from my skin.

Moments earlier I sat in Anna's, a down-home restaurant in Narrows, Va. listening to Jack strum his worn-out guitar, a 1950's vintage, loved until the finish came off. He must have been in his 70's or 80's. His hair was as white as a southern pine caked with snow, his eyes pierced the small crowd like the fiercest of owls and his foot kept the pace. A dozen other men and women sat in a circle plucking, picking, strumming and fiddling. Children ran around playing with their ugly plastic dinosaurs, a baby flailed and bounced on her mother's lap while an old man shuffled his feet in the corner. I chewed on my "Giles County Delight"--country fried steak covered in mashed potatoes and gravy, with a side of macaroni and cheese chosen from the "vegetable menu."

Outside, the restaurant glowed with a burning incandescence. The old time music flooded the hall with warmth, with a glow, a love, that spilled into the street, brighter than any of the street lights draped with american flags. The night was ignited like a flammable vapor against the dark mountain backdrop.

Besides me sat a woman, Louise, who liked to be called Virginia. She was Jack's wife and we chatted about the music and agreed that the friendship and fellowship it provided made tonight special. "Do you dance," she asked me. "You mean to bluegrass? Yes I have before but I am really bad," I laughed. She told me she didn't see the problem in that as long as you had a good time. Amen, I thought. "I don't dance great. Maybe you can show me one day," she said. "Virginia, that would be like the blind leading the blind, but sure.'' I said. We talked on and she told me of a place called White Top or White Rock, where she and her husband went every weekend. She described it only as beautiful and insisted that I come with them there soon. "Why not," I said. She gave me a CD of her husband's old-time gospel music and their phone number.

Time passed and i realized that I myself had become the audience. The music died down and started abruptly again when Jack broke out with his own raucous version of "Pistol Packing Mama." I wasn't familiar with many of the songs of the night, but I was immediately taken back to my youth. Suddenly was in the car with my grandmother making our way up the serpentine mountain roads in North Carolina. "Lay that pistol down babe, lay that pistol down. Pistol packin' mama, lay that pistol down," I'd sing along with her and my brother.

But tonight I sang it along with 12 perfect strangers. Fortunately "stranger" is only a temporary term, fading if you have a certain attitude. Things became rowdier as Jack played a bright blue kazoo, held to his wrinkled lips by his wife. Eventually the the music died for the last time and Virginia made me promise I would come visit and dance with her.

How can I not go if I plan to live these words:

Let us not wait to do good deeds
Till they have passed away
Now is the time to sow good seeds
While here on earth we stay
Give me the roses while I live
Trying to cheer me on
Useless are flowers that you give
After the soul is gone

----

I'm alone in my room now, standing on my air mattress singing this song to myself and dancing with the air. I must have hit repeat a dozen times.

Love is everywhere. If only you will look.

An open letter

2008-02-12T21:26:00.000-05:00

An open letter:

"I hate that it took Ray dying for you to be in our lives, but you have brought so much joy to this family. You are family."

Joslin Simms' 70-something year-old mother told me this Sunday. It made my brain stop and my heart about burst with love. This was her consolation after an incredible tragedy.

You can't buy words like that in a store.

Many have told me through the years that I behave like I have never met a stranger. Recently though some people close to me have been critical of this. "You're too trusting, you're too nice, you're too friendly. It's going to get you in trouble."

I love trouble.

I also just love.

I've been thinking a lot lately about how different my life would be if I hadn't taken chances, if I hadn't been kind to strangers, if I hadn't experienced life outside of my own. My camera is a blessing in that it takes me places most don't get to go. It connects me with people I'd otherwise would never have met. But it can only take you so far.

A smile can take you further. Enthusiasm, deeper.

I've been thinking about my grandfather constantly and his unbridled kindness. I am damn proud to share his blood. After visiting the Harmans in Floyd, Va today I decided to put this out there. This is an open letter to these people who have let me in. I want to thank you for being a part of my life.

Whether it's inner-city Durham, NC or rural Floyd County, Va I will talk to strangers, I will smile, I will be kind to people I don't know for no reason at all. I hope it brings me trouble.

Life is short. Living authentically is paramount.
Every mistake will be a blessing. I will be my brother's keeper.

I am excited. My enthusiasm will be my wings, and its free for you to share.

the family

2008-02-11T19:22:00.000-05:00

I hung out with Joslin this weekend and worked on my project.

I am so lucky to know you, Joslin. The love in your family floors me.

Ballin

2008-02-09T01:27:00.000-05:00

Justin Cook | The Roanoke Times
February 6, 2008

Radford High's Jon Thompson (50) bowls over Giles' Jarrod Alls (14) as he goes for two as Cody Griffith (45) , Wes Conley (42) and Zach Atkins (32) look on.

Haha...

2008-02-07T20:18:00.001-05:00

Oh the small things in life....

Blacksburg, Va.

Calf

2008-02-05T18:57:00.000-05:00

Justin Cook | The Roanoke Times
February, 5 2008

"He should come [out] easy," said Chad Joines as he and Christie McAvoy (both CQ) "pull" a calf at the Virginia Tech Beef Cattle Center off Plantation Road in Blacksburg, Tuesday February 5, 2008. The female Charolais calf is one of about 160 calfs born each year at the farm according to McAvoy, manager of the Beef Center and Joines assistant manager of Animal and Poultry Science at Virginia Tech.

----

There are certain events that remind me that I have the best job in the world. Witnessing something take its first breath is among those, and perhaps the most treasured.

For a short moment today I was left practically speechless...

Hodgepodgery

2008-02-02T22:10:00.001-05:00

Ice collected on the fence near the Virginia Tech Alphin-Stuart Livestock Teaching Arena off Plantation Road in Blacksburg early Friday morning after the ice storm during the night.

The Eno, Durham, NC

Gutting Pat's new house, Chapel Hill NC. :)

Photo by Pat Davison

a monkey sighting at the Eno :)

Me time

2008-01-26T19:04:00.002-05:00

A new town, a new friend, a new adventure. I heart Narrows, Va

DOOK

2008-01-25T20:08:00.001-05:00

somebody pull my finger!

more photos from the game here

Oh no! These photos are moving....What's going on?!

2008-01-24T14:35:00.000-05:00

Did some video. Neither are perfect.

One is on two brothers in a local band
I shot video and helped the reporter, Lindsay Key shoot as well and worked with Jim Ellison on editing

The other is about a tattoo artist in Roanoke who is quite the character
a Justin Cook production from start to finish. Not sure what happened to the audio at the end...

Hormones

2008-01-23T22:39:00.001-05:00

Salem vs Blacksburg Hoops

Be Rainbow in Someone Else's Cloud

2008-01-23T00:03:00.001-05:00

Justin Cook | The Roanoke Times
January 21, 2008

In the Burruss Hall lobby a TV projects Maya Angelou as she speaks to a sold out crowd of 3,000 for Martin Luther King week at Virginia Tech.

rocks for jocks

2008-01-20T17:21:00.000-05:00

situation: Justin is filing photos from Cassell Coliseum at Virginia Tech. All the sports info guys are watching NFL football on TV

Sports Information guy #1: TACKLE HIM !@#!@#!
Sports Info guy #2: (recognizes that sports info guy #1 went to NC State) don't pull that wolfpack crybaby crap

sports info guys #1 and 2 argue

me: *singing* HARK THE SOUND OF TARHEEL VOICES RINGING CLEAR AND TRUE

*silence* *blank stares*

sports info lady: oh come on, we all know that CRYING is a major at UNC, didnt you see the fans crying when Maryland beat you the other night?

me: haha. whatever. that is irrelevant. we all know that the highest paid major at UNC is Geography

sports lady: uh duh cuz that is what Jordan majored in.
me: you mean His Honorable Airness?
sports info guy #3, Virginia Tech Grad: duh ha. geography is rocks for jocks.

me and the other sports info people: silence. blank stare
me: um. actually thats GEOLOGY. HAHAHA. You must have gone to Va Tech, buddy.

hahhahaha

Happiness only real when shared.

2008-01-16T17:43:00.000-05:00

What a weekend... and Monday

There was a UNC School of Journalism and Mass Communication photojournalism reunion this weekend in Chapel Hill. I've never been a fan of wine and cheese but this was different.

This was beautiful.

Many of us drove/flew in from out of state, taking time off from our exciting new jobs in all different corners. Some of us had work in the Picturing the World: Carolina's Celebrated Photojournalists exhibit. We came to look, to admire but more importantly to keep what we do alive.

Being celebrated is fine but unnecessary. The human experience is paramount. Stoking our friendships and bonds forged doing what we love, having the best job in the world, is what mattered. We are all witnesses but above that we are all normal people with an extraordinary passion for life.

I am so lucky to have this extended family. My dear friend Ashley Pitt and I talked about this over beer. We looked around at everyone buzzing about the bar, dozens of conversations sprinkled with laughter all at once. I crashed at my friend Nate's house that night and he, his wife Rebecca and I talked about how things have changed, how important change is, but how great it still is to be able to return from where you came.

I didn't realize how lucky I was when I was in school because I took being surrounded by this for granted. But now I know. I am lucky.

And you are all just a phone call or road trip away.

Sunday was my grandfather's funeral. It was hard but beyond that it was beautiful. The mood was somber but I was myself. Wisecracks. Tears of joy. I know thats how he would have wanted it.

I've known Kelly for years. Since we were 16 or 17 I think. My grandfather always adored her and asked about her when I spent time with him. She and I both know how lucky he was and is now. She made an appearance at his service and even came back to Virginia with me for a while.

We also know how lucky we are. Youth, minimal responsibility, great health.

Living deeply and cheaply.

People come and go but the ones that really matter never fade. I promise I wont take you all for granted in the future.

Time and distance is only a state of mind. Some call me crazy for thinking this way. I want to be crazy. I want to be everything beautiful about insanity.

I want people to share in my joy. I want to give it all away.

The gang of idiots :)

Some of the best...

Laura and Ash Pitt

Nate and Rebecca

Nate, Hyde and I

The brother

Kelly and I. A caption escapes me.

Couch diving

Pop

My first snow in Blacksburg is happiness shared.

Ashes to Ashes

2008-01-10T19:06:00.000-05:00

“You are the sweetest man. Everything I know about being kind I learned from you. I promise to carry on your kindness everyday so it isn’t forgotten. I love you.”

These were the last words—a promise—that I spoke to my grandfather, William Best.

I’ll never know if he heard them.

A few days later he was pulled off life support. He passed away this morning at about 5:25 a.m., about the time he would normally be getting up “with the chickens.”

Peace, finally, after years of family turmoil.

------

On my drive home the other day from the hospital in Greensboro, I reflected back to a different time. In high school I worked as a stocker at Winn Dixie down the block from my grandfathers home. On lunch break I’d drop and he’d cook for me.

Paw Paw was a World War II Army Vet. He had stories, so he talked.

I had an interest, so I listened.

Summers came and went and I learned things about the old man that he had never told his own wife or kids. He opened up to me and I opened up to him. We had fond goodbyes at the end of the driveway, and one afternoon he paused. He looked at me and expressed his delight at how we had evolved past being grandfather and grandson. “We’ve become good friends,” he beamed. He’d wave as I slowly pulled away in my car and I’d always watched him in the rearview mirror as he struggled up the driveway.

His leg was hurt years ago in Europe.

I wanted to be certain he made it back into the house ok.

I asked him to write about his memories of Europe whenever he could. Once every so often I’d open the mailbox and there would be a letter addressed to me with a simple return address of “Paw Paw.” When I had time I would type up his letters to preserve his stories.

------

Tonight I’m reading his old letters. Not the ones I typed, but the originals.

Beautiful cursive born from a shaky hand flows across the small pages, harkening an era when things were slower and pride was taken in one’s handwriting. I can hear his soft voice, his silly eastern North Carolina colloquialisms in each word.

I can feel his kindness again as I read of his gentle friendship with total strangers some 60 years ago.

-----

“The war in Europe was winding down and there were some signs that the German soldiers were not only giving up but were returning to their small villages. I was stationed in one such village, a farm village. There was an old woman and man that lived three houses from where we were staying and each time I went to the milk house, we spoke. One day the man offered me some vegetables…I thanked him but he needed it worse than I did. A few days later we talked again and the woman spoke good English with a British accent. I told them that I needed a mattress. They told me their sons had been killed in the war. Late that evening the couple came down the cobble-stone road with a mattress on a cart for me. I thanked them and took it to my room—it was a great mattress.
Now it was my turn. Many [fraternization] restrictions were lifted and the village was declared safe so I went to the see the old couple. I told them I would be bringing them some things and I needed a place to drop them off so they could pick them up later in case I didn’t see them. An old milk box [near their house] was the place. I knew that [our unit] would be moving on soon, so instead of throwing some of the supplies away or storing them, I would share. I remember the first things I took and put in the old milk crate—some coffee, sugar and tea. Nearly every day I took something [to them]. I knew they had received it because they would wave (that was our signal). One day I was talking to the old woman and asked if she smoked. “Yes,” she said “But we can’t get things like that.”

The old milk crate contained Chesterfield cigarettes the next day.

When I knew that we were about ready to move on, I went by their house. We said goodbye and they thanked me many times for what I had done for them. I knew what I had given them did not deny my men. Their mattress was worth it to me.”

------

He was just a boy, the son of a poor fisherman, far from home. A salt-of-the-earth soul in a ravaged landscape that he didn’t understand.

But he understood what it meant to do without.

Even in my grandfather’s mild dementia he was beautiful and spoke simple beauty. One night he was stirred from a restless dream and told the nurses that he needed to “go down to the field.” Chauncey, his wife was there, "collecting seashells." He needed to "relieve her. "

Chauncey was upstairs in another ward of the hospital, recovering from a broken neck. Someone had pushed her down the stairs. We suspect it was her son’s drug dealer, who had come to collect his debts.

Debts that two elderly people could not pay.

During one of my final visits to see my grandfather he had been hospitalized with a stomach bug. His body and mind were worn, but his spirit was not.

I grabbed his wrinkled hand and he looked up at me with a confused look. “It’s me, it’s Justin, I drove in from Durham to see you,” I said.

His face lit up briefly.

“Oh. Good. You’re the one I like,” he replied.

-------

Paw Paw, you won’t have to struggle up the driveway this time

Todd and I are going to help carry you home on Sunday.

Pulaski, Va.

2008-01-09T15:44:00.000-05:00

meatloaf and bro-kra

strange light

The Pulaski Furniture factory reflected in a window on Main Street, Pulaski, Va.

Rooftop

2008-01-08T09:41:00.000-05:00

Downtown Pearisburg, Giles county, Va.

The End

2008-01-06T09:24:00.000-05:00

"Why would you ever come to Flint?"

Steve Jessmore, director of photography at the Flint Journal, knows 170 beautiful reasons. Those reasons are just the beginning.

Jessmore ended his Sense of Community photo column today, a project that captured the essence of ordinary people in the Vehicle City who in their own, simple way were driven to make Flint a better place to live. Their tasks were simple, such as Clifford Smith who walked down Saginaw Street everyday waving to people, but they encapsulated a rare breed of sincerity and beauty that is often overlooked and unappreciated. Sense of Community challenges you to appreciate these ordinary people and the extraordinary things they do.

Jessmore is a Saginaw, Michigan native but came to Flint in 1999. Recently he accepted a position at a paper in Myrtle Beach, S.C. He is talented, raw, compassionate and impassioned. The damage that "Flint's native son" Michael Moore did to the city's persona in his "documentaries" has fueled its negative public perception. But Flint's true native son created a body of work that will forever speak to the kindness of strangers, neighbors and a community that is losing one of its greatest friends.

The truth and beauty that Jessmore captured exists in every community if you just slow down and pay attention.

Good luck in South Carolina Steve, I won't forget what you taught me. You exemplify the exact spirit of the people you photographed.

You are loved.

You are Flint.

see more of his project here

Melissa Lyttle

2008-01-05T19:32:00.000-05:00

Melissa Lyttle, my buddy and former coworker from the St. Petersburg Times was interviewed on the radio in Tampa. (fast forward to 35 minutes) She's right on her blog. We are so lucky to be doing what we are doing and to have the friends that we have.

Friends... I love you :)

Jubilee

2008-01-01T22:49:00.000-05:00

Shot Jubilee Day but challenged myself to not shoot the "prayer" photo.

Justin Cook | The Roanoke Times
January 1, 2008

Jaleyn Word, 11, (CQ) stares into the heavens as he waits his for his cue during a sermon during Jubilee Day at Hill Street Baptist church celebrating the emancipation of slaves on January 1, 1863. Local members of the NAACP came to spread a message of hope, how far African Americans have come and how congregants can improve the sense of community locally.

Redbuds

2008-01-01T10:01:00.000-05:00

Today I saw the sunrise over the Blue Ridge and met a sweet woman on Mill Mountain that reminded me how much more important the journey is than the destination. She loved the view, the redbuds and the peace she was provided. It was perfect.

The truth was perfect.

Wooden Teeth

2007-12-30T20:12:00.001-05:00

I shot an assignment at a thrift store operated by the local rescue mission. I thought these photos on the wall were an interesting clash of pop-culture and... well.... a dead president. haha