I’m jumping on beds again! This time at the Valley View Motel in Mill Creek, West Virginia. I was up there for an Education Week assignment last week.

Wait? What? You don’t remember the first time? 

And believe it or not, there’s some relatively advanced technical know how used to make these photos. No no no. I’m not talking about my swan like form. I mean I used my camera and strobe’s ‘s high-speed sync function. …some of you might know it as “FP,” or “focal plane” mode. If I relied on my camera’s normal 1/250th sync speed, I’d be blurring rather than levitating. So, to fix I used my D700′s & SB-900′s  high speed capabilities and bounced the flash off the mirror.

What in the world is FP mode? Check out this really good & easy to understand tutorial put together by the good folks over at Pocket Wizard (which, for some reason, I did not use for these photos).

Here’s my exposure info:

Lens: 28mm at f/3.2

Shutter: 1/4000th

Strobe: Nikon Sb-900, on camera, head tilted backwards, zoomed out to somewhere between 50mm & 200mm (I forgot), and max 1/1 power.

Molly Palmer and Lee Cowan married each other at St. Alban’s Parish in Washington D.C. Saturday, April 14, 2012. Passing cars honk and congratulate the couple while posing for portraits in front of their wedding car, a classic Bentley from the 1960's. Molly Palmer, 29, and Lee Cowan, 46, were colleagues at NBC News, but it wasn't until The Balloon Boy story coverage in 2009 that their romance sparked.

This wedding I shot for The New York Times Vows section was a pretty cool. It was filled to the brim with media people. Being a journalist, I found this paragraph from WILL STOREY’s story particularly interesting:

“Among the things that initially propelled Ms. Palmer’s and Mr. Cowan’s relationship was that ‘we both get this crazy job that we do,’ Mr. Cowan said. ‘It’s hard, I think, for some people who don’t do this job, when you say you’re going to be home at 5 o’clock at night for dinner, and then not only are you not home at 5, but you’re actually on a plane and you might not be home for four days.’”

It reminds me of something my former coworker Sherri DiBarri used to said once, “You know? One of the great things about being married to another photographer is that I can tell him I’ll be home in about 20 minutes, and he knows I’m probably lying.”

For Even more photos, check out my photoshelter archive gallery and/or slideshow.

Mother of the bride Nancy Palmer, left, helps flower girl sisters Jayden Nassar, 6, middle, and Parker Nassar, 4, right, with their flowers moments before Molly Spencer Palmer, background right, marries Lee Cowan at St. Alban’s Parish in Washington D.C. Saturday, April 14, 2012. The Rev. Margot D. Critchfield, an Episcopal priest, performed the ceremony.

Lee kissed the bride.

The two watch as ceremony attendees leave for the reception so they can have their wedding portraits made.

The couple walk in the neighboring National Cathedral's Bishop's Garden to have their portraits made in-between ceremony and reception.

Lead wedding photographer Geoff Chesman, middle right, plans the family portrait session with groom Lee Cowan, middle left, at the reception held at the Chevy Chase Club in Washington D.C. Saturday, April 14, 2012. Bride Molly Spencer Palmer, left, talks with her sister Hope Palmer. Lee's father, Dr. Leland Cowan, far right, stands with his wife Constance Cowan (obscured, in wheelchair), while secondary wedding photographer Kristian Thacker carries a chair for Constance to sit in.

Molly Palmer and Lee Cowan, middle, have a moment, in between family portraits

Molly Spencer Palmer and Lee Cowan laugh during a humorous speech told by one of Lee's best men Mark Hudspeth retells the couple's romantic origins sparked during the Balloon Boy coverage in 2009.

Molly Palmer and Lee Cowan's first dance.

Molly dancing with her dad, John Palmer, was a White House correspondent for NBC News and a news anchor for “Today.”

Celebrities in attendance! Former Federal Reserve Chair Alan Greenspan and his wife NBC News Chief Foreign Affairs Correspondent Andrea Mitchell talk with groom Lee Cowan.

Lee Cowan and Molly Palmer kiss after cutting their cake.

Sparklers light the exit.

Just a funny moment at the Bentley.

Baseball Factory Yankee Spring Training Experience Camp at Turley Athletic Complex at Eckerd College in St. Petersburg, Florida Saturday, February 11, 2012.

I came down to Florida this year to shoot baseball! …and baseball I’ve shot!

These are some of the marketing photos I made for Baseball Factory’s 11-13 year old camps.

Oh man! This assignment had me swimming in nostalgia! When I was a kid, I used to go to baseball camps whenever my mom could afford them. As some of you know, baseball is my favorite sport. It was all I could do to sheath my cameras and put a glove on. I wanted to play catch the whole time I was there.

This camp was pretty cool. It’s the Yankee Training Experience Camp. The “Experience” is something the Yankees offer, separate from Baseball Factory. Unfortunately, I couldn’t get credentials or a ticket to shoot that. It sounds pretty cool. Breakfast. Autographs. Batting practice Premium seats.

Now, I have to be clear. Some of these photos are obvious marketing caliber photos, but others, I think, exemplify what I remember what it’s like to be a kid on a ball field.

There are way more photos on my Photoshelter gallery, too.

City Springs Elementary School first grader Jahmal Harrison, and his mother Tameka Harrison, wait inside the school before their 40 minute bus ride to their shelter in North Baltimore Wednesday, February 29, 2012. Tameka, who can’t work due to a facial injury, volunteers at her son’s school, where poverty is the norm. Ninety-six percent of the approximately 650 student body qualifies for free lunches. Tameka and Jahmal, who suffers from lead poisoning, used to live in one of the close-by housing projects, but have been homeless for the last two months. They’re currently staying at Sarah’s Hope Shelter in West Baltimore. Tameka thought she was going to be moving into an apartment Friday, under the auspices that both the security deposit and the first month’s rent would be waived, but the latter was not. So, they’re staying in the shelter a little while longer.

Two Fridays ago I got a call from Charlie Borst at Education Week. He asked me to help illustrate a story about the effects of poverty on students’ educational success.  A tough task, for sure, but I was up for it.

For those of you who don’t know, Education Week is the paper of record for U.S. public schools, grades k-12. Their audience is smart and small — educators, public school administrators, education policy makers. So, the written stories can be pretty data and research heavy. The photo department, headed by Charlie and Nicole Fruge understand that photography can humanize an information rich story.

So, being tasked with finding a student who was not only poor, but willing to be photographed and who’s parents were willing for them to be photographed as well, in less than a week was a bit daunting for sure.

Going through this experience made me ask for help. I got some amazing advice from talented documentary photographers Kathleen Flynn about contacting non-profits, and Monica Lopossay, too. Both helped me think about how I should approach subjects, too. But I also really learned the benefit of culling contacts from past assignments. The principal at City Springs Elementary School, Rhonda Richetta, was a wonderful host the last time I shot there (for another Education Week story). I just dropped in, unexpected, and asked for her help finding a subject. And

Miss Richetta knew the perfect parent and student — Tameka and Jahmal Harrison.

Willing and open subjects are gifts from the photo gods! She didn’t put a hand up to me to stop shooting when she disciplined her son for hitting (back) another student and she was willing to let me photograph her and Jahmal at their shelter. Unfortunately, the management at Sarah’s Hope wouldn’t give me access.

I also learned that when a willing subject is presented to you, it’s up to you to maintain that trust.

Sometimes you just have to listen to your subject’s story with an open mind. Let them rationalize their past and present, and try to understand and empathize where they’re coming from. After all, we’ve all made mistakes. and we’ve all been in a position to learn from them. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not trying to simplify the complexities of why people — families — become homeless.

All I’m saying is, if a subjects wants to open up and tell you their story, let them, and know when to put the camera down. Who knows? They might tell you more, and you might be privy to the intimate realities of their world. It’s an amazing thing to be trusted and let in.

Keep Scrolling for a view of how the photos played (beautifully!) in the Education Week layout, and for some outtakes.

City Springs Elementary/Middle School first graders in Ms. Peacock's class (L-R) Durius Walker, Kayshawn Roundheart, Caleb Washington, Jahmal Harrison, and Lance Shields line up during lunch Wednesday, February 29, 2012. Poverty is the norm at the Baltimore City school. Ninety-six percent of student body qualify for free lunches.

Students pass by an empty bullet casing found on City Springs School's playground Wednesday, February 29, 2012.

Jahmal Harrison, and his mother Tameka Harrison, both currently homeless, wait across the street from City Springs School for a bus to take them to their shelter Wednesday, February 29, 2012. Fans of wrestling, they play around during their wait.

Jahmal Harrison defends his actions while being scolded by his mother Tameka Harrison, after she found out he was in a fight with another student after school.

Jahmal Harrison, gets a hug from his mother Tameka Harrison, outside his classroom.

In case I couldn’t find a willing subject, I made photos of the area surrounding City Springs Middle/Elementary School. This was obviously “plan B” but I think it helped give context to where the students lived.

A student walks past a dilapidated building on Caroline Street in Baltimore, MD, Wednesday, February 29, 2012. The neighborhood, which has three government housing complexes, has two schools, the Baltimore Freedom Academy and City Springs Elementary/Middle School. While both are charter schools, the latter serves mostly neighborhood students. Ninety-six percent of City Springs' student body receives free lunches.

I love this photo.

The water at City Springs School in Baltimore, MD, is not safe to drink. This is a common problem in many Baltimore City Public Schools.

This guy’s just adorable, isn’t he?

Principal Rhonda Richetta.

Jahmal Harrison

A few weeks ago I licensed a photo I made of David Donaldson to the New York Review of Books — a small, niche, yet prestigious and super smart publication.

I recommend the article if you’re into education reform.

I originally shot these photos of David Donaldson for the New York Times back in 2009.

As I’m sure some of you regular readers are aware, I’m still in the blooming stages of my freelance career. I haven’t relicensed too many photos, yet. I hope this’ll become old hat one of these days. But for now, it’s still pretty cool!

…now if I can just land a syndication deal. Who wants me? Anyone Anyone?

Nick DiFabbio (formerly Borkowicz) aka Ghostfreehood brought over some props to Elizabeth Cline’s photoshoot a few weeks ago. …you know, the usual stuff, swords and masks. He got super giddy when I told him I wanted to make a scary portrait of him in the same fashion of this self portrait.  I’m super- stoked it turned out as scary as it did.

My initial idea was to light up his glasses, in a sinister film noir comic book kinda way, but they have the anti-glare coating on them. I still wanna make that image, though.

We definitely didn’t stop with the scary pic, though. Below you’ll see how we utilized a sword and the mask. I’m really stoked about these photos! Anyone else want a scary portrait? Gimme a call. seriously. 

For more of Nick, check out my photoshelter gallery.

There are some beautiful, wacky, and …uh, heroic? photos of Elizabeth Cline’s shoot here.

And I’d be a jerk if I didn’t point you in the direction of Elizabeth in a mask murdering Nick with a sword, right? Blam!

Brooklyn-based Author Elizabeth Cline is writing a socio-economic book about fashion, Overdressed: The Shockingly High Price of Cheap Fashion. From what she tells me, it’s kinda like Fast Food Nation, but for H&M, Target, & Old Navy.

She was a great subject. We even played with swords. My friend Nick came over with some swords and a mask & we had a pretty rockin’ good time. See, Elizabeth isn’t just a beautiful and talented writer. She’s also the guitar player & singer in Mortals, an all female metal band.

So… the rest of these photos kinda make sense. 

For more photos of Elizabeth, check out this Photoshelter gallery.

For more photos of Elizabeth and Nick in a fight to the death, go to this gallery.

And if you wanna see some dark photos of Nick, BLAM!

These are from a longer term project I’m working on.

All these photos were made from the backseat of my mom & Rick’s Lexus SUV, or from a tourist trolly showing us downtown Tampa while we were on vacation last December in Treasure Island, Florida.

Brooklyn Photographer Joe Buglewicz released HOTLOADING a quirky memoir/promo book chronicling nearly a year driving a bus in Alaska. The 60 page "book" is printed on full color newsprint and the images were made with a Contax film point & shoot.

My buddy Joe Buglewicz — that’s him, a cigarette, & his “taco meat” up top —  just released a rad new promo book, “Hotloading.” Well, it’s actually a newspaper. Check his tumblr here! or, maybe you prefer just the straight up images on his website?

He used Newspaper Club to print this 60 page, full color, book. I TOTALLY wanna use this company for promo books in the future.

So, what’s “Hotloading” about? It’s a photographic memoir of nearly a year driving a tourist bus in Alaska. It’s really good & it’s super quirky. All the photos in the newspaper were made with a film point & shoot (It’s either a Contax T2, or T3, for all you film gear nerds. Joe? help me out here).

Over the holidays, I went on a road trip with Mom, her husband, Rick, and Grandmommy from Atlanta down to — get this — Treasure Island, Florida! Yup. Such a place exists. And no. it’s not an amusement park. ha! Can you imagine Grandmommy at an amusement park? hahaha! …we did get her on a Segway, though. But that’s for a later post.

The photos on this post are a bit quieter. Aside from Treasure Island, we went to DeSoto, Anna Maria Island, Bradenton, St. Petersburg, and a few other places.