Volunteers for Delaware Senate Republican primary candidate Christine O’Donnell meet during a rally at Brecknock Park in Camden, DE Sunday, September 5, 2010.

Over the weekend I photographed what’s becoming an important Republican Senate primary race in Delaware for The New York Times. On the one hand we have a career politician, Congressman Mike Castle, a moderate Republican who is a textbook bipartisan. On the other side is Christine O’Donnell. She recently received $250,000 from the Tea Party Express — the same organization that dropped $600,000 in Joe Miller’s pocket up in Alaska, effectively ousting GOP establishment favorite Senator Lisa Murkowski. Politics aside, this race is symbolic.

Republican Congressman Mike Castle takes a break from campaigning for the Senate seat to eat a black raspberry ice cream cone a the annual Arden Fair, in Arden, Delaware Saturday, September 4, 2010.

When I first shot this, I thought nothing of it. But the more I learned the more I realized this photo has some symbolic weight. Castle, publicly, seems to have a somewhat flippant attitude towards O’Donnell.

Dover resident Steve Bentz, 39, project manager for an office furniture company, left, offers up his services to help Conservative Delaware Senate Republican primary candidate Christine O’Donnell with her campaign before she speaks during a meet and great at the Dover Masonic Lodge in Dover, DE Sunday, September 5, 2010.

O’Donnell’s most powerful weapon is an enthusiastic base. Coupled with what will most likely be a low voter turnout year, she might have a fighting chance.

Longtime Delaware resident and recent Elkton Maryland transplant Ingo Zeise, left, and his wife Phyllis Zeise, bend the ear of Republican Congressman Mike Castle, middle, at the annual Arden Fair, in Arden, Delaware, Saturday, September 4, 2010. Castle takes advantage of the dense Labor Day weekend crowd attending the fair to campaign for his party’s Senate seat. The Zeises say they wish they could vote for him again.

This picture is what somewhat out of context. Castle actually ended up talking to this couple for a good minute. This moment is of him wrapping up the conversation, NOT ignoring these people. I only put this in because I think this how it seems O’Donnell’s supporters are painting him. From my experience, both candidates were very nice. …to me. …someone representing the New York Times.

Pat Beams, 70, from Townsend, DE, receives a hug from conservative Delaware Senate Republican primary candidate Christine O’Donnell, during a volunteer rally at Brecknock Park in Camden, DE Sunday, September 5, 2010.

Conservative Delaware Senate Republican primary candidate Christine O’Donnell, who is backed by the Tea Party Express, is filmed by John Hawley, a tracker from the Delaware Republican State Committee, while the GOP outsider makes an appearance at her campaign’s volunteer rally at Brecknock Park in Camden, DE Sunday, September 5, 2010.

According to Kit Seelye, the NYT’s writer I worked with, tracking (videotaping) a political adversary’s public appearances is a pretty common thing. But in interviews, O’Donnell has taken on a conspiratorial tone saying that members of Castle’s camp are following her and “hiding in her bushes.”

Registered Republican Tom Newby, 53, from Wilmington, DE, accompanied by his fifteen-year-old son, Teddy, listens to Conservative Delaware Senate Republican primary candidate Christine O’Donnell speaks during a meet and great at the Dover Masonic Lodge in Dover, DE Sunday, September 5, 2010. Newby left the event still undecided wether he was going to spend his vote on O’Donnell or Mike Castle, but he said, “I liked what she had to say.”

Lyn and Bob Benton came in matching “Team Christine” t-shirts to see Conservative Delaware Senate Republican primary candidate Christine O’Donnell, who is backed by the Tea Party Express, speak during a meet and great at the Dover Masonic Lodge in Dover, DE Sunday, September 5, 2010.

Buck Jabaily, director of the Greater Baltimore Cultural Alliance stands outside the Single Carrot Theater, which he helped co-found 10 years ago. The small performing arts theater is located in Baltimore’s first arts district, Station North, which was also set up ten years ago.

I worked on a story for the New York Times a few months ago about a proposed third Arts District in Baltimore. They put up a pretty nice little slideshow, too.

Below are a few more from the story, sprinkled with some out takes. I did, however, break a classic rule of shooting architecture… I used a lens way too wide for its own good — a 12-24 f/4. But, as always, it’s not the lens/gear that makes the images interesting, it’s the way their composed.

Enjoy!

The alley behind the Single Carrot Theater is probably the only sanctioned area in Baltimore where graffiti artistry is sanctioned.

But this is part of Station North — an already established Arts District. Below are images from the, otherwise half-nice/half-not-so-nice stretch of road.

The Bromo Seltzer Building, a famous adornment to the Baltimore skyline, houses artists lofts and looms close to the Historic Lexington Market area where the city’s proposed third arts district might exist. The area is anchored by two popular theaters, the Hippodrome and the Everyman theaters. In addition, there several parking garages, and easy access to public transit.

The Abell Building, located on Eutaw street, showcases some of the classic architecture Baltimore is known for.

Milk crates lie on the roof of the Lexington Market MTA train stop exit.

As if you couldn’t tell, I made a promo card. Now, If you want to see The Collective, perform… YOU’RE IN LUCK!

They’ll be performing at The Creative Alliance this Friday, August 20th.

This is my girlfriend, Jess’s company. …or it’s the company she belongs to/co-directs.

Below is the second promo card design, and a buncha cool outtakes. Enjoy and I hope to see you there!

…oh, and if you want to buy any of the images, click on the image, then click “add to cart,” then figure which size print you want. enjoy!

and in case your forgot… Here’s the second flier to remind you when, and where.

For last year’s Manchester Valley football preview photo illustration the football player scheduled to ride the horse in full football regalia wasn’t too used to horse riding. So… he had a stunt double fill in. I was sworn to secrecy. I wasn’t allowed to tell who the actual rider is. So… let your imaginations go wild I guess. …but not too wild. This is a family friendly establishment, after all.

So, what in the world is a “Sports Up?”

Here’s the thing… It’s good to know your strengths and it’s good to know your weaknesses. I shoot a lot of sports at the Patuxent Publishin Co. — a lot of high school sports. While I’ve gotten a lot better at peak action photos I’m still no Sports Illustrated long glass sniper. While I can hold my own on any sports field, I’m probably not the best guy you send out to get the peak-action-game-defining-image. I’m the guy who you send to get the “other” image.

So, what’s the other image? It shows off the personality to the sports and players. It’s all the interesting minutia on the sidelines or during practice, the nervous moment before shooting a free throw, the “good-gaming” in great light, or cheerleaders braiding a basketball player’s hair before the game, for example. It’s the imagery that doesn’t typically have a place in the sports pages, yet has all the accoutrements of sports. The arena has life beyond the field and in many ways its richer.

Enjoy!

Jim McCleary, head coach of the Kangaroo Kids jump roap team, is being inducted into the Community Sports Hall of Fame. He is photographed with some of his jumpers at the Glenwood Community Center Wednesday, August 26, 2009, where the Kangaroo Kids practice.

I double-tapped the shutter, which decreased my Alien Bee’s output a ton, but gave me this nice subtle, yet contrasty light. Truthfully, I like this photo way more than the one that actually ran, but this photo would’ve suffered in newsprint.

This was at the end of a scrimmage game Bryn Mawr won 0-6 against host Glenelg Country School Wednesday September, 2 2009.

Catonsville goal keeper Kelli Beard prevents a Hereford goal attempt at Comet Stadium Tuesday, September 15, 2009.

Mount Hebron’s Jamie Schwartz readies for a foul shot during the Vikings game against North Carroll during the Big Doug Classic JV girls basketball tournament held at Glenelg High School Wednesday, December 30, 2009. Mount Hebron lost to North Carroll 29-44.

Owings Mills fans celebrate after Keylin Ortiz made a free throw shot in the fourth quarter, holding their lead over Snow Hill. Owings Mills defeated Snow Hill 44-42 at the University of Maryland Comcast Center Friday, March 12, 2010. The win will pit the Eagles against Dunbar for the Class 1A state title tomorrow.

Glenelg junior Jordan Maisel was undefeated throughout the year, clenching the county and Region V  championship titles. She suffered her first loss of the year at the state championship match. She is photographed at Glenelg High School Sunday, June 13, 2010.

Left-handed lead off hitter for Lansdowne High School Kelli Pease maintained a .500 batting average during the season. The two-sport junior also played volleyball for the Vikings in the winter. She is photographed at her school’s softball field Friday, June 11, 2010.

A little about how this photos was made, for all you nerdy types. All the Howard County Athletes of the Year photos ran together. …well, they ran in two installments. So, they needed to have a consistent look.

Kelli’s photo is for the Arbutus Times. It’s a totally different paper, run by a totally different sports staff, for a totally different community. So, I decided to give my back a break and bust out the small lights. …er, light.

Yup. I made this with one Nikon SB-800, zoomed to 105mm, shot through a white Lastolite TriFlip, and Craig Clary. Craig’s the writer. He held the Lastolite and strobe.

I used the focal plan (FP) high speed sync mode on my D700 and the super inexpensive Nikkor 35mm f/1.8 DX lens — which, by the way, I love. As you can see, it has a really creamy bokeh and, because its made for DX cropped sensors, it has a nice, uh, I guess you could call it “natural” vignetting to it. The FP mode allows me to jack up my shutter speed to 1/8000th, so I can expose for the ambient light while not adhering to the limitations of a traditional sync speed like 1/200th and the subsequent stopped down aperture.

Atholton junior shortstop Kory Britton is the baseball player of the year. He is photographed at Atholton High School Saturday, June 5, 2010.

River Hill senior Jim Marlatt led the Hawks with more than 70 goals and well over 100 points. He will play lacrosse for Notre Dame next year. He is photographed at River Hill High School Friday, June 4, 2010.

McDonogh senior Joe Meurer is the Towson Times boys lacrosse player of the year. He is photographed at Boys’ Latin School Thursday, June 3, 2010.