Annalog

I made two pumpkin pies today in celebration of Thanksgiving. The aroma filled my apartment, and though it grew hot, I kept my windows closed to keep the scent of the holidays inside.

This evening, a panel of reporters for the Associated Press came to the Graduate School of Journalism to talk. It was part of an event called “The American President,” a series of photos being showcased in the halls of North Gate. The images were taken by AP photographers who have covered American presidents, dating back as far as Abraham Lincoln.

Before the panel started, AP showed short video that included a number of images, including one of Truman holding up a copy of the Chicago Daily Tribune the day he won the seat of president that reads “Dewey Defeats Truman” and other images that show a human, vulnerable quality in our presidents—current and past. (more…)

It’s real summer here in D.C.—crickets chirping, juicy watermelons, and humidity. I arrived in the U.S. yesterday morning. Before I knew it, I was out of the plane and waiting on the curb outside the airport. Hard to believe that less than 24 hours earlier I was in Cape Town. The night I got back to D.C., we drove around the city, into Dupont Circle and past most of the monuments. (more…)

A few weeks back there were torrential rains in Cape Town. Townships and rural areas flooded, sink holes formed in the middle of streets, and I bought Wellington boots. The boots have unfortunately proved to be pretty much useless. The skies have cleared for the most part, and it only ever rains in the mornings or at night. When I was covering the Berg River Canoe Marathon, I saw a couple patches of lily plants growing, thriving, on the edge of the water in a now flooded vineyard. The petals and leaves were touched with raindrops. Despite the days of rain, the flowers looked perfect and unscathed.

Several weeks ago, the cable cars that carry passengers to and from the top of Table Mountain were taken down for maintenance. In the meantime, a number of my friends, eager to climb the mountain, have been deterred by the ominous task of having to climb up and then walk all the way back down. A couple have left Cape Town never having climbed Table Mountain. But now, the wait is over. Today, the second cable car is being reattached. (more…)

Ashwald and his two-year-old son Breyton stand on the front porch of the house in which they were both born and raised. In their hands is a photograph of Ashwald taken when he was two years old in the house he still lives in. The story is about people who were being evicted from a housing complex in which their families have lived for generations. They showed us their homes and where they played as children, old photographs of them in the houses they now occupy with their own offspring, and eviction notices. (more…)

I woke up later this morning, around 9:30. Anna and I were supposed to get our hair cut, but she wasn’t feeling too well, so I postponed the appointment. I slowly got dressed, wondering what I was going to do today, and so enjoying the feeling of freedom. I took the elevator downstairs to Mugged to work on the redesign for my web page.

It feels good to just get out of the flat. I gave myself the mission of learning how to install a script on my website that will allow me to assemble photo galleries. I found a script I like, but I have spent the last few hours trying to figure out how to properly configure it for my website (i.e. learning how to use scripts). (more…)

The last few days have been slow—one assignment, if any. Today I drove to the Royal Cape Yacht Club with Jeffery to make a photograph about two new engines that had just been donated to a sea rescue organization. When we had finished, we lingered for a bit and looked at the waterfront, as the mid-afternoon sun hit the water that was covered with white and blue yachts. It reminded me so vividly of Southern California, Newport Beach specifically.

In that instant, I missed rowing. I could imagine stepping into a shell with my oar secured in the oar lock and shoving off the dock. Warming up by pairs, adding in the feather after the first few weeks of practice, the last few weeks on the water when the arm finally turns warm. (more…)

So early in the afternoon and yet, so little to do. Sometimes I welcome slow afternoons. Once I’m out in the car though, I feel totally different. Every car trip becomes an adventure, something to reflect on later in the day, and time to think about potential images.

After the past few days, I look forward to going home and reading, sitting in Mugged and getting a cup of lemon ginger tea, and going through some of my photographs from this summer. I think I need some time to reflect on the work I have done and how to make it better. (more…)

I am sitting in my flat, listening to music on my headphones, getting a bite to eat before tonight. Above the sound of the music I hear, all of a sudden, what I think is an F16 fighter jet. It strikes me: When was the last time I heard the sound of a plane engine or saw the familiar trail of exhaust across the sky? I draw a blank. (more…)