(Note: I photographed this back in May, 2012)

Most of my Education Week work a bit “inside baseball” — which makes it inherently interesting. Education Week is the newspaper of record for public schools, grade K-12 in the United States. Their audience is smart and specific. Stories about policy and programs are the norms. Common Core is a big topic these days, as I’m sure No Child Left Behind was back in the day. But this Education Week story about Introverts transcends policy and programs. It’s about learning styles. And all of us who have gone through school understands there’s a ton of shortcomings and compromises involved in getting an education.

I think this quote sums up the “big picture issue” when trying to teach introverted students…

“I actually think our [science, technology, engineering and mathematics] shortages are a cultural problem as much as a pedagogical problem; the type of kid who likes to sit by himself and do math problems or science problems is not supported,” Ms. Cain argued. “Most science operations are done as teams, but scientists still have quite a bit of privacy and autonomy to their workday,” she said, noting that such environments are also hard to replicate in classrooms.

Now, I’m an introvert, but I would have LOVED to have attended a school like City Neighbors School in Hamilton. It’s not a school for introverts. The charter schools in Baltimore City are kinda like petri dishes. There’s so so much diversity in teaching. It’s really fascinating. The cool thing is, a lot of them are finding success. This place allows students to work by themselves and, even nap, as long as they’ve shown their teacher they’ve worked hard and got everything done.

If you’d like to see more photos from this shoot, check out the archive page.

This kid’s clearly not an introvert. But I couldn’t leave this gem out of the edit.

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Jonathan Brice, officer of school support networks, Baltimore Public Schools, is instrumental in moving away from the Baltimore City Public School System’s zero-tolerance policies. He developed new conduct codes, and created the Success Academy, a suspension school/alternative learning environment, which is in the basement of the district’s headquarters in the Dr. Alice G. Pinderhughes Administration Building, where I made these portraits.

The image above I absolutely love, but I figured it’d never see the light of day in print — for appropriate reasons. It’s really dark and super moody, and it really doesn’t do a good job showing his face. But I still think it’s a gorgeous image.

This portrait is for a story in Education Week’s Leaders to Learn From report.

If you’d like to see the whole thing laid out, here’s a link to the digital Nxtbook. A lot of really talented photographers lent their talent to this report, too: Lisa Krantz, Rick Lohore, Josh Bickel, Heather Ainsworth, Matt Eich, Nathan W. Armes, Charlie Mahoney, Christopher Capozziello, Sara Davis, Swikar Patel, Ryan Henriksen, Stephen Voss, Brian Widdis, Jenn Ackerman.

For more images, check out my photoshelter archive site.

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Goucher College junior dance and peace studies major Kaitlin McFarlane, from Ellicott City, Md., studies on her iPad in the Athenaeum

I got to hang out at a library all day, AND IT WAS AWESOME!!! The Goucher College Athenaeum is more than just a library, it’s designed to be a social hub for the students at the small liberal arts college nestled right off I-695 in Towson, Maryland. First of all, this place is gorgeous! …a friggin’ visual playground. I had a blast, just walking around, playing with light, symmetry, layers, and moments.

My assignment was to make photos of people socializing for the Chronicle of Higher Education, but I had a hard time not making pictures of solitary people, or really cool scenes void of life. So, I made them anyway. Regardless of my assignment, if I see something cool, I need to make that picture. Otherwise, I worry I worry I’ll just become a disillusioned button pusher. Lets be honest, the world’s way too cool to carry around that kinda attitude, am I right?

Wanna see more photos? Here’s my archive gallery!

and here’s the Chronicle of Higher Education’s tumblr post. The work on there’s pretty good too. …definitely worth following. http://chronicleofhighered.tumblr.com. …and if you have a subscription, you can check out the article here.

Goucher College junior dance and peace studies major Kaitlin McFarlane, from Ellicott City, Md., left, studies on her iPad in the Athenaeum.

Helen Lee, from Torrance, CA, studies in the Athenaeum at Goucher College. The Athenaeum houses the college’s library, but doubles as a campus social hub.

Custodial worker Earl Mines buffs the Athenaeum’s atrium floor.

A person sleeps on a wall in front of Goucher College’s Athenaeum building.

Dylan McDonough, a sophomore political science and philosophy double major from Cape Ann, Mass., reads for his philosophy class inside Goucher College’s library known as the Athenaeum in Towson, Maryland on Tuesday, January 29, 2013.

The library area of the Athenaeum building is lined with colored bookshelves.

Goucher freshmen Melina Quiroz, top, from Towson, MD, and Helen Lee, bottom, from Torrance, CA, sit on one of the plush couches on the bottom floor of the Athenaeum.

A group of friends read about tarot cards on the fourth floor of Goucher College’s Athenaeum, (L-R) Emily Gill, Keya Williams, and Sarah Goldsmith. With the advent of the internet libraries are increasingly being repurposed as social places on the college campus.

Christie Kliewer recommends the new Teagan & Sara record to her mother

Sunlight hits the fourth story wall at Goucher College’s Athenaeum library.

Students and custodial worker Earl Mines are reflected in windows inside Goucher College’s Athenaeum library.

A woman reads inside the Athenaeum.

Goucher College freshman dormmates Sabrina Sarro, feet on the left, from Queens, N.Y., and Julia Brzozowski, from Madison, N.J., feet on the right, work on their laptops and socialize inside the Athenaeum. On the bottom floor, Staci Tomasetti, left, works on her laptop while her soccer teammate Lexi Rudolph, a freshman, takes a nap.

People sit in plush chairs, and study carrells by the floor-to-ceiling windows in Goucher College’s Athenaeum in Towson, Maryland on Tuesday, January 29, 2013.

Goucher College’s library known as the Athenaeum at dusk.

A man works on his computer in the atrium area of Goucher College’s Athenaeum library.

People socialize and work on computers inside and outside the Athenaeum computer lab at Goucher College.

A hint of night is captured in a window reflection of the fourth floor magazine room at Goucher College’s Athenaeum library.

Goucher students (clockwise from the bottom) Alexa Gaines, Danielle Saad, and Ellie Leitner, study and socialize in the Athenaeum.

People sit in plush chairs, and study carrells by the floor-to-ceiling windows in Goucher College’s Athenaeum library.

My shadow outside Goucher College’s Athenaeum library.

A person reads inside Goucher College’s Athenaeum library

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The Baltimore Ravens won the Super Bowl. …and then Baltimore went friggin’ nuts! A cabby stopped in the middle of the street, blared Gangnam Style and, of course, a dance party broke out in the middle of the street. The city’s patience for things that should piss people off was turned upside down. For example, I couldn’t stop laughing when a drunk woman climbed on top of my hood and wouldn’t get off. You’ll see those photos down the page a bit. Her kids were like,”Mom! Get down from there!” Good times, man! …good times! This city needed this win.

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Michael Rubenstein invokes the power of Ray Lewis. …in a Dunkin Donuts in Carol County, Md., Saturday, October 06, 2012

Go Ravens! …is a phrase I never thought I’d utter when I lived in Atlanta. Not that I’d be yelling Go Falcons, either. I’ve never been a football fan. Baseball all the way, baby!  In fact I really hated football when I was at that young, obtuse, preteen age. But working at Patuxent for 6 years helped — no no no — MADE me understand the game better. But in my first year here, I was already falling in love with the Ravens fans.

I’m a total Ravens fan fan.

You see, Atlanta is notorious for being a “fair weather fan” city — at least when it comes to it’s professional sports teams. ha! I feel like the city forgot about the Hawks for a for a few years. Oh! but there are some college sports fanatics in Georgia. People go NUTS! Go Dawgs! …and I guess some people like the Yellow Jackets, too. (whatever). That rivalry attaches to all the other rivalries in the SEC and the ACC and people become tribal about it. Seth Godin talks about this idea in marketing terms in a pretty cool blog post, “Why Do We Care About Football.”

But up here in Baltimore, there are four, COUNT EM FOUR!, professional sport CITIES (not just teams) in relative close proximity. DC, Philadelphia, Pittsburg, and Baltimore. It’s way easier for people draw lines up here. Think about all the other cities and states with super fans: Chicago, New York, California, Boston… Before the Panthers and the Jaguars showed up, the poor lonely Falcons’ closest team was the Miami Dolphins. And even with the addition of the Panthers, aside from the die hards, the Falcons are still only loved when they’re winning. Even when the Ravens are losing, the city’s still purple. Baltimore loves a heartbreak, too.

So, to celebrate the Ravens playing in the Super Bowl, I’m posting a few Baltimore Ravens related images. Last November I photographed the Ravens cornhole league for ESPN the Magazine. A few weeks ago, I made photos of Cam Cameron for the New York Times. It was his first interview talking about being fired as the Ravens offensive coordinator in December. And the same day I made a few photos of Chad Unitas, Johnny Unitas’s son for another New York Times story about the old school Baltimore Colts who are still in the Ravens fold. Side note, Chad’s wife didn’t know who his dad was when they first started dating — a quality Chad found endearing. Cute, right?

Enjoy! I’m off to pick up some buffalo chicken cheese fries from Ledo’s pizza before I attend my first ever Raven Super Bowl Party!!!

The Baltimore Ravens’ top cornhole player, punter Sam Koch, left, plays opposite offensive tackle Michael Oher amid pre-game, pack-up pandemonium in the Baltimore Ravens’ Under Armour Performance Center locker room in Owings Mills, Maryland Friday, November 9, 2012. Koch plays with long snapper Morgan Cox, and Oher’s teammate is wide receiver Torrey Smith. The Ravens have started their own league, The Ravens Cornhole Federation.

My ZOOM Layout in ESPN

Baltimore Ravens’ top cornhole player, punter, Sam Koch, left, leans down to grab his bags off the board, whereas spry rookie kicker, Justin Tucker, kicks his bags up during a rousing game of cornhole in the Baltimore Ravens locker room at the Under Armour Performance Center in Owings Mills, Maryland Friday, November 9, 2012.

Cam Cameron, former offensive coordinator of the Baltimore Ravens was fired in December.

Chad Unitas’s father, Johnny Unitas, talked his son out of pursuing football in college. “Do you wanna be able to walk on your own two legs by the time you’re 60?” Chad played golf in college instead.

Ray Lewis Mask at my friend Kristen’s house. She made them for the playoff game.

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As you can see, patriotism is abound in DC during the Inauguration 2013 weekend. …in all kinds of fun ways.

Me? Why am I down here? Just to party? sure. but I’m also working. I totally

scored two Inauguration-related assignments, one for the New York Times and one for the Tampa Bay Times, but I’m not actually shooting (Cough!) …I mean PHOTOGRAPHING the Inauguration.

But to be completely honest, one of the best things about these media circus-type-events is that I get to hang out with some of my photo friends! And sure enough, I ended the evening at Hogo, a Hawaiian-themed rum bar called with Logan Mock-Bunting, Greg Kahn, Lexey Swall, Melissa Golden, Sara Lewkowicz, Edmund Fountain, and Andrew Harnick.

…then we shared this drink called “They’re All Bastards” and everything got kinda weird.

Photo by Logan Mock-Bunting

Heh. I guess he didn’t quit after all. …maybe he only smokes when he drinks these days.

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We all know a hipster when we see one, right? But, unlike “hippies,” or “beatniks,” or “punks,” not too too many people claim the status. It’s kinda like calling someone a “yuppie.” It’s a soft derogatory term.

Well, last week I was asked by the lovely Beth Bristow, NYTs Style section photo editor, to make some photos of the Hipsters in D.C.’s newest and coolest neighborhood, H Street, NE. The article sorta kinda correlates Obama’s administration to why all the young cool, liberal, kids are coming to the nation’s capital and making cool restaurants like Granville Moore’s, Sticky Rice, and H Street Country Club, where you can play friggin’ mini-golf upstairs!!!! It’s a really hard course, too. …not just to play, but to photograph using natural light. Talkin’ 2000 ISO, 1/8th at f/2.8. Sheesh!

Don’t get me wrong, D.C. certainly has an increasing number of stylish young people, and H Street NE, is definitely a hip place to go, but I’m not too too sure, D.C. is rife with “hipsters.” …not like the ones in Baltimore, and definitely not like ones in Brooklyn. But to be fair, Forbes, who named H Street NE #6 on their “Best Hipster Neighborhoods” list, most likely corrects for DC’s relatively conservative hipster look by calling the cool Capital crowd “Politico Hipsters.” (The Baltimore neighborhood Hampden ranked #15. So, that’s pretty cool.)

But I seriously thanked my lucky stars when I got in with Andrew Wigin’s pink-laden birthday pub crawl party, (photo above). I’m not sure if it was all the shots talking, but they totally wanted to “adopt” me that night. ha! Enjoy the show!

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Click here to check out a larger edit. c’mon. you know you want to!

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Lets be honest, The Republican National Convention is an example of political theater at its finest. — which I think is hilarious! Not because it’s politics or Republicans, or the fact that all the delegates from Texas dressed in matching cowboy hats and shirts. I think it’s hilarious because it’s sooooo grandiose! The gigantic monitors, for example, were the opposite of practical. Ohhhh! and people were drowning in balloons when the RNC concluded. A PHOTOGRAPHER’S DREAM!!! I’m surprised nobody broke a hip wading through all red white and balloons.

ehhh? ehhh? see what I did there? Don’t roll your eyes at me!

When I was running around looking for “important people” I’d come across these humorous scenes of quiet awkwardness in the concourse hallway. I think I enjoy watching the Political Theater audience a little bit more than the Political theater.

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M&T Bank Stadium erupts after Baltimore Ravens safety Ed Reed intercepts a Cincinnati Bengals for a touchdown. Lone Bengals fan Jason Ricart, from Columbus Ohio, has trouble feeling as festive. Baltimore beat Cincinnati 44-13 September 10, 2012. Ravens won 44-13.

Last night I covered my first football game in a long time. HOORAAYYY!!! The Baltimore Ravens vs. The Cincinnati Bengals! — Thanks to Kevin Dietsch from UPI for the assignment.

Admittedly, I’m a little rusty. My sports action photos are …fine. My favorite photos, like the one above, are from off the field.

Members of the Maryland Air National Guard fly overhead at the end of The Star Spangled Banner during the Baltimore Ravens, Cincinnati Bengals Monday Night Football game at M&T Bank Stadium in Baltimore, Maryland on September 10, 2012.

After the coin toss Baltimore Ravens linebacker Ray Lewis gives U.S. Olympic Swimmer and Baltimore native Michael Phelps a hug. Phelps is on the field as an honorary captain during the home opener against Cincinnati Bengals during the first quarter at M&T Bank Stadium in Baltimore, Maryland on September 10, 2012. The Ravens defeated the Bengals 44-13.

A masked Ravens fan walks with a little girl outside at M&T Bank Stadium before the Baltimore Ravens hosted the Monday Night football game against the Cincinnati Bengals in Baltimore, Maryland on September 10, 2012.

Baltimore Ravens running back Ray Rice scores a touchdown against the Cincinnati Bengals during the first quarter at M&T Bank Stadium in Baltimore, Maryland on September 10, 2012.

Baltimore Raven mascot Rise, is walked around the M&T Bank Stadium sidelines during Baltimore’s home opener against the Cincinnati Bengals in Baltimore, Maryland on September 10, 2012. Rise is one of two West African ravens (the other’s name is Conquer) who were purchased by the team as part of a partnership with the Maryland Zoo in Baltimore

Under the pressure of Baltimore Ravens tight end Dennis Pitta Cincinnati Bengals safety Reggie Nelson fails to make a completion during the Bengals 44-13 loss to the Ravens at host Ravens’ M&T Bank Stadium in Baltimore, Maryland on September 10, 2012.

Freshly engaged Baltimore photographer Patrick Smith is oblivious to all the hotness going on behind him during the Baltimore Ravens vs. Cincinnati Bengals game at M&T Bank Stadium in Baltimore, Maryland Monday September 10, 2012.

Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Armon Binns falls head first after being tackled by Baltimore Ravens defensive back Lardarius Webb during the first quarter at M&T Bank Stadium in Baltimore, Maryland on September 10, 2012. At half time the Ravens are leading 17-10. UPI/Matt Roth

Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Brandon Tate is double teamed by Baltimore Ravens running back Anthony Allen, bottom, and line backer Albert McClellan during a fourth quarter punt return at M&T Bank Stadium in Baltimore, Maryland on September 10, 2012. Baltimore beat Cincinnati 44-13.

A Baltimore Ravens fan dressed like a yeti celebrates in the stands of M&T Bank Stadium in Baltimore, Maryland on September 10, 2012 after Baltimore defeated Cincinnati 44-13.

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