Glimpses Of The World As I See It

Guinness World Record Attempt

2009-11-24T23:19:00.004-05:00

Earlier this month, students and Gainesville residents made a valiant effort to break a Guinness World Record for the world’s longest massage chain of people. Alas, even though they just missed the 430-mark, the huge crowd at University House - 13th Street apartments had a blast as they dodged raindrops. Participants got free t-shirts, free refreshments, free massages from Florida School of Massage employees, and prizes for correctly answering movie trivia questions. Gainesville Rock Gym was there too with a rock wall that participants could climb, and Kiss 105.3 was also at the event playing live music with DJ Brett Douglas. Here are some photos from the attempt:

A Costume Ball

2009-11-24T23:08:00.006-05:00

Following the performance of Dracula! (previous post), there was a costume ball on stage, which was a lot of fun to shoot. See for yourself:

Dracula! (The Ballet)

2009-11-24T22:53:00.003-05:00

A few days before the Ten Tenors performance, I attended Dracula! the ballet, a two-hour performance put on by the Dance Alive National Ballet. I had never seen Dracula before so I wasn't sure what to expect but since I'm not a huge vampire fan, I wasn't really expecting to enjoy it. I was wrong. The ballet was beautiful, and all the dancers were great and really drew me into the story line as they danced and leaped across the stage. They took me by surprise with how good they were, and in retrospect, I'm glad I got to be there.

The Ten Tenors

2009-11-24T22:42:00.005-05:00

Early this month, I had the privilege of getting to see Australian singing sensation The Ten Tenors perform live here as part of their Nostalgica World Tour 2009. They were amazing. Here are some shots from the performance, and I also wrote a brief article about the event that can be found here: http://blog.insitemagazine.com/public_html/blog/2009/11/ten-tenors-at-phillips-center.html.

The Great Pumpkin Drop

2009-11-24T19:02:00.003-05:00

At the end of last month, the day before Halloween, I got to cover a unique event: the first Great Pumpkin Drop, in which 14 people dressed in costume got to chuck pumpkins off the roof of the Hippodrome Theatre downtown. It was the first time anyone had even been allowed on the roof before, let alone throw pumpkins off of it, aiming at a giant painted target down below (pictured above). It was fun admiring the costumes and watching people throw the pumpkins off the roof, especially the woman dressed as Kate Goslin, the famous mom of 8 from the TLC show "Jon & Kate Plus 8", who wrote "Jon" on the side of her pumpkin in Sharpie before throwing it off the roof and shattering it to pieces.

Modern Skirts

2009-11-24T17:18:00.003-05:00

Another music event I photographed recently was the Modern Skirts concert at the bar 1982 here in town:

Silversun Pickups

2009-11-24T17:09:00.006-05:00

These are a few of the photos I took the Silversun Pickups concert the beginning of last month:

Gator Charity Challenge

2009-11-23T22:36:00.006-05:00

Continuing with my posts of events I've had the privilege of covering over the last couple months, I got to shoot the second annual Gator Charity Challenge with the Gator football team, including David Nelson and the great Tim Tebow :) Here are just a few shots I took at the event:

Fashion By The Pool

2009-11-23T22:28:00.003-05:00

Another event I forgot to post pre-Gainesville Fashion Week -- here is the layout of some photos I shot at an end-of-the-summer fashion show at Gateway at Gainesville, the first fashion show I've ever seen by a pool:

Fashion's Night Out

2009-11-23T22:15:00.004-05:00

Here are some shots from Fashion's Night Out, one night during our local Fashion Week in which a number of stores here, like American Apparel and Persona, had sales for just that one night, participating in the international shopping extravaganza:

The Almost

2009-11-23T21:54:00.010-05:00

Let me preface this post by saying I love shooting concerts. I have shot several in my brief photography career and each time, I approach one as if I'm shooting a concert for the first time to give myself a challenge. I try to find new angles and unexpected compositions to produce shots that both me and my editor can be happy about. So, continuing my series of posts of events I've shot in the last couple months, here are some shots I took at The Almost concert back in September at the Venue:

Gainesville Fashion Week

2009-11-23T19:46:00.014-05:00

Back in September, I got to cover Gainesville Fashion Week for the second time this year and had a lot of fun doing it! Given my slight obsession with New York City, I had been looking forward to this week-long series of events that is probably the closest to New York City that Gainesville will ever come. The events, which included three full fashion shows, focused on fashion and art and featured both national and local designers like Natalie Kim and Bobby K and boutiques like Wolfgang and Calzatura. Here are a few photos from the three different fashion shows I covered during that week:

Food Reviews

2009-11-11T23:15:00.006-05:00

So photographing food is not something I've had much practice with over the last couple years I have been shooting, but I have done a few restaurant reviews recently that required me to shoot food, so here are just a few of them. It's cool because not only do I get to shoot the food, but I get to eat it afterwards. :)

It's About Time...

2009-11-11T23:05:00.004-05:00

So it's been a long time - too long - since I've updated my blog, and it's about time I caught up. I have decided to start anew, so the next several posts will be catching up on some of the many events I've covered over the last few months. Then I plan to start from there and regularly update this blog at least once a week.

Slideshows

2008-10-27T16:08:00.014-04:00

Here are two slideshows I made this past weekend. The water balloon fight was one of the craziest, awesomest (if that's a word) things I've ever seen.

Homecoming Parade

http://alligator.org/articles/2008/10/27/multimedia/slideshows/081026_homecoming.txt

Record-Breaking Water Balloon Fight Attempt

http://alligator.org/articles/2008/10/27/multimedia/slideshows/081026_waterballoon.txt

Breaking News

2008-10-23T22:20:00.004-04:00

Monday, Oct. 20

On my way home from class, I saw the road blocked off in front of Lyons Apartments complex (right next to the apt. complex where I live), grabbed my camera and went to see what was going on. I was told that an unknown source had made a telephone wire fall into the street, causing a small fire (which had been put out by the time I got there) and a power outage in the surrounding area.

3rd Annual ButterflyFest

2008-10-23T22:02:00.005-04:00

Sunday, Oct. 19

To see more photos from this event, visit: http://alligator.org/shared-content/gallery/?galleryid=7&gallery_page=0&album_page=0&albumid=42&mediaid=686

Monstr-"awe"-sity

2008-10-23T21:33:00.004-04:00

Saturday, Oct. 18

Monster X Games Tour 2008 @ Gainesville Raceway

Happy HOWL-o-ween!

2008-10-23T21:07:00.003-04:00

Saturday, Oct. 18

I attended the 6th annual HOWL-O-Ween Dog Costume Contest at the College of Veterinary Medicine.

You can see more photos here: http://alligator.org/shared-content/gallery/?galleryid=7&gallery_page=0&album_page=0&albumid=43&mediaid=711

Linedance Fundraiser

2008-10-23T20:43:00.004-04:00

Thursday, Oct. 16

I went to the UF sorority Zeta Tau Alpha's Linedance fundraiser at The Venue in downtown Gainesville. The event was held to raise money for breast cancer research. Here are a some photos from the event.

The J-Spot

2008-10-23T20:36:00.003-04:00

Tuesday, Oct. 14

Sex educator Jay Friedman speaks to students about the differences between men and women and the politics of sex education in the United States during his speech, "The J-Spot: A Sex Educator Tells All," in the Reitz Union Auditorium.

UF Soccer vs. Mississippi State

2008-10-13T17:18:00.011-04:00

Sunday, Oct. 12

My first time shooting a soccer game! Gators won 3-0 over the Bulldogs.

SG Elections Night

2008-10-13T16:49:00.007-04:00

Wednesday/Thursday, Oct. 9/10

My first time covering an election. Pretty exciting. The Gator Party vs. the Orange&Blue Party. Turned out to be an all-night affair of taking photos, people dancing and singing, lots of waiting around, and then joy and excitement when the results were finally announced after re-counts at approx. 3:15am.

Tree Climber

2008-10-13T16:09:00.007-04:00

Tuesday, Oct. 7

I was walking on the Plaza of the Americas this afternoon when I saw this guy (Gainesville Rock Gym employee Austin Cooner) rope-climbing a tree. He told me he was up there showing his friend, Christopher Harabaglia, how to rappel down a tree, how to tie good rope knots, how to anchor the clips for the ropes, etc. So, I took some shots as this is not something I see every day.

Chess Club

2008-10-03T14:47:00.004-04:00

Thursday, Oct. 2

Gator Chess Club members Eunice Rodriguez, arm shown on left, and Britt Ryerson, left center, play games of chess with students on the Reitz Union Colonnade this afternoon. The club was trying to raise money to send the Gator Chess Team to the 2008 Pan American Intercollegiate Chess Championships.

Sorority Dance-Off

2008-10-03T14:22:00.004-04:00

Wednesday, Oct. 1

Members of various sororities dance at The Venue on Wednesday night for the 2008 Sigma Phi Epsilon Surf Frenzy. About 1,500 people attended the fundraiser event that was held to raise money for the Florida Diabetes Camp, a nonprofit organization that provides support for children and families affected by Type I diabetes, and Susan G. Komen for the Cure, a foundation for breast cancer research.

Here are some photos I took at the event:

To see more photos from this event, visit: http://alligator.org/shared-content/gallery/?galleryid=7&gallery_page=0&album_page=0&albumid=36&mediaid=549

Free Popcorn, Free Flick

2008-10-03T14:14:00.002-04:00

Tuesday, Sept. 30

Alex Casola and Edwin Correa of the Reitz Union Board pass out free popcorn to students before the advance screening of the movie "The Express: The Ernie Davis Story" in the Reitz Union Tuesday night.

Picnic in the Park

2008-10-03T13:05:00.004-04:00

Saturday, Sept. 27

My first encounter with the steampunk culture, which was very interesting. The group of role players, dressed in Victorian-era clothing with science fiction elements, came from around Gainesville and some from Green Cove Springs to eat and drink, and play croquet together. I seriously felt like I was walking on to a movie set when I got here, like I was somehow transported back in time, which was a very cool feeling. :) Here are some photos from their picnic at Kanapaha Park:

To see more photos, visit: http://alligator.org/shared-content/gallery/?galleryid=7&gallery_page=0&album_page=0&albumid=34&mediaid=519

Concert Craziness

2008-09-16T13:03:00.009-04:00

Sunday, Sept. 14

I went to this event for an assignment for my Advanced Photo I class.

Rapper Yung Joc performs Sunday evening for a crowd of around 1,500 cheering fans, including UF student Charlotte Yilk (below) on Flavet Field as part of the Crocs Next Step Campus Tour. MC Lars and Cartel also performed at the free concert that was sponsored by Crocs Inc., the shoe company, and Xbox 360 Live.

Remembering 9/11

2008-09-16T12:41:00.003-04:00

Thursday, Sept. 11

A memorial of mini American flags set up outside of Library West on the Plaza of the Americas in rememberance of 9/11. The UF College Republicans sponsored the memorial.

Talk To Me

2008-09-16T12:35:00.002-04:00

Tuesday, Sept. 9

Karine Ladouceur, left, and Michelle Holder teach sign language to UF student Pierre-Denis Jean-Louis on the Reitz Union Colonnade Tuesday afternoon as part of the Talk To Me Language Cafe, a group of tables with volunteers teaching words and phrases in seven different languages to students for free, along with free cookies and coffee. The event was sponsored by the UF Center for European Studies and the Asian Studies Program, and was part of the Weeks of Welcome.

Duck Pond

2008-09-15T22:13:00.003-04:00

Monday, Sept. 8

Randomness

2008-09-15T22:03:00.004-04:00

Tuesday, Sept. 3

Two random scenes I came across today and took photos of. Just because.

UF student Lindsey Anderson holds a sign reading "Got Sex? We've Got Both" in Turlington Plaza Wednesday afternoon in an effort to recruit students to join the co-ed honors fraternity Phi Sigma Pi.

A student enjoys the sunny weather Wednesday afternoon by eating her lunch outside of Weimer Hall.

Gallery Gazing

2008-09-15T21:57:00.005-04:00

Tuesday, Sept. 2

A visitor walks by artist Ron Janowich's oil canvas paintings Tuesday afternoon in a display in the University Gallery Tuesday morning. "Cara #1", left, and the other paintings were part of the 44th annual School of Art and Art History Studio Faculty Exhibition, which opened to the public Tuesday and will remain there through Sept. 26.

UF Student Senate

2008-09-15T21:21:00.005-04:00

Tuesday, Sept. 2

UF vs. Hawaii Football

2008-09-15T20:37:00.012-04:00

Wow, things have been more busy than I expected since school started at the end of August. So, here is the start of another series of catch-up posts from things I've shot over the last few weeks that I've not had time to upload until now...

...starting with the UF-Hawaii football game - Saturday, Aug. 30

To see more photos and full captions, visit: http://alligator.org/shared-content/gallery/?galleryid=8&gallery_page=0&album_page=0&albumid=24&mediaid=337

SW Rec Center

2008-08-27T00:03:00.002-04:00

Wednesday, July 30

Two students walk out of the Southwest Recreation Center on Wednesday evening. Electronic hand scanners will soon be added to (the University of Florida) campus fitness centers to allow students to gain access without their Gator 1 Cards.

Reptile-O-Rama

2008-08-26T23:49:00.004-04:00

Saturday, July 26

Alexis Somwaru, center, and other children reach out to touch Chomper, a baby alligator held by Scott Rainbow, during the Reptile-O-Rama part of an educational presentation on reptiles and the Florida panther for children of all ages at the Millhopper Branch Library Saturday afternoon. The demonstration was part of the library's once-a-year summer reading program and was hosted by the Panther Outreach Program in order to raise awareness of and educate listeners on the plight of the Florida panther and its endangerment.

Panther Palooza

2008-08-26T23:38:00.005-04:00

Saturday, July 26

Live Florida panther Venus watches as her "mom" Bonnie Rainbow, who raised her from a cub, talks about Florida panthers to a group of children at the Millhopper Branch Library Saturday afternoon during an educational presentation. The demonstration was part of the library's once-a-year summer reading program and was hosted by the Panther Outreach Program in order to raise awareness of and educate listeners on the plight of the Florida panther and its endangerment.

"As God Is My Witness"

2008-08-26T23:21:00.004-04:00

Saturday & Sunday, July 26 & 27

I attended the fourth annual Jehovah's Witnesses' 2008 "Guided by God's Spirit" District Convention, held at the Stephen C. O'Connell Center. The event was free and open to the public, and the following four photos are from it. Around 7,000 members of various Jehovah's Witness congragations from all over Florida and some from Georgia and elsewhere met at this convention (first photo). Members sing a song out of the Jehovah's Witnesses' songbook "Sing Praises to Jehovah" (second and third photos). Finally, John Koopman and Gary Iwanowski act out a scene from a full-costume drama titled "Do Not Leave the Love You Had at First" Sunday afternoon at the 2008 Jehovah's Witnesses regional convention in the O'Connell Center (last photo).

Black In America

2008-08-26T23:16:00.004-04:00

Wednesday, July 23

UF sophomore Claire Fluker, right, listens as Anthony Crenshaw, director of the UF Institute of Black Culture, talks to a small crowd of students in the Orange and Brew during a pre-discussion to a public viewing of the CNN documentary "Black in America." Crenshaw spoke of the challenges facing the black community, both nationally and at UF.

What Is Haiti?

2008-08-26T23:13:00.001-04:00

Wednesday, July 23

Justin Ackley, right, raises his hand to answer a question for Haitian Jeopardy in the Computer Sciences Engineering building Wednesday evening. Four teams of five people competed in a Jeopardy-style game that quizzed contestants on trivia about Haiti. Club Creole hosted the event as part of Club Creole Summer Week to educate students and Gainesville residents about Haitian culture.

"A Helmet Saved My Life"

2008-08-26T22:32:00.005-04:00

Sorry for the delay in uploading photos to my site. These past two months have been crazy! So, I am now uploading all the photos I didn't get a chance to upload till now, of things I've shot since my last post...

Wednesday, July 16

UF Ph.D. student and bicycle accident survivor Casey Schmidt speaks to a small crowd in the Reitz Union's Rion Ballroom Wednesday evening about the importance of wearing a helmet when riding a bicycle. Schmidt said that wearing a helmet saved his life when a semitrailer ran him over while he was riding his bicycle earlier this year.

Time To Tango

2008-07-07T23:19:00.009-04:00

Saturday, July 5

Ken Grauer and Cathy Duncan, right, practice dancing the tango during a special workshop Saturday afternoon at Tango y Té. Visiting guest Mimi Santapa, a professional tango dancer and teacher from Buenos Aires, Argentina, taught the class, demonstrating techniques for dancing the Argentine Tango. Santapa is the go-to person for Buenos Aires’ show dancers and travels part-time to teach devoted students all over the world.

Fireworks Spectacular!

2008-07-06T22:07:00.004-04:00

Friday, July 4th

There couldn't have been a better end to the all-day holiday celebration :)

4th of July Celebration

2008-07-06T21:03:00.006-04:00

Friday, July 4th

I traveled to the nearby small city of Alachua for the ninth annual July 4th Celebration featuring the "largest small town fireworks display in America." Somewhere around 15,000 or so people flocked to this special event, which also featured several vendors, a bunch of fun activities for kids, a BBQ rib eating contest and live musical entertainment. Here are some photos from the pre-fireworks show celebration. (I'll do a separate post with just fireworks shots.)

Water Polo Tournament

2008-07-05T00:19:00.005-04:00

Sunday, June 29

This was my first time covering water polo, which was exciting :) The Gators Water Polo team played the Patriots from Longwood in the final day of the water polo tournament, hosted by the inaugural Central Florida Water Polo League. They were two of several water polo teams from around Central Florida that came to compete for the title of Champion of Central Florida 2008.

HAMming It Up

2008-07-05T00:06:00.005-04:00

Saturday, June 29

Members of the Gainesville Amateur Radio Society answered HAM radio calls 2pm Saturday through 2pm Sunday during Field Day, a national emergency communications competition held to see which team could make the most contact with other operators across the United States and around the world in a 24-hour period. The competition was also a test to simulate what would happen in an emergency situation.

Hot Pepper Festival

2008-07-04T23:46:00.004-04:00

Saturday, June 21

This was a hot pepper festival that among other things featured hot peppers and sauces from around the world and an exotic hot pepper plant sale.

Bubbles & Birthdays

2008-06-20T14:04:00.005-04:00

Ashley, an adorable little girl from my church, is pictured here playing with bubbles the day before her 9th bithday. You can tell she was elated, and she was just so cute I couldn't resist taking some photos. ^_^

Boot Camp

2008-06-18T23:32:00.006-04:00

Last week I went to this boot camp session at the Gainesville Health & Fitness Center to take some photos for a photo story. It was tough for them, but fun for me :p

Gainesville Raceway

2008-06-17T11:46:00.004-04:00

Last week I went to the Gainesville Raceway to photograph a Top Alcohol drag racing class for a magazine article. I only got to see the car race on the track for about 10 seconds, but it was still cool and a lot louder than I expected. Made me want to try it. :) One of these days...

Frank Hawley, the instructor

Candlelight Demonstration

2008-06-12T22:11:00.006-04:00

Tuesday, June 10

South Korean community members hold candles at the Reitz Union in support of demonstrations in South Korea against the country's president, Lee Myung-bak.

Row, Row, Row Your Boat

2008-06-11T13:33:00.007-04:00

Saturday, June 7

So today was National Learn-To-Row Day. Who knew? Anyway, to celebrate, the Gainesville Area Rowing (GAR) facility held two free sessions this afternoon to teach people how to row these 60-foot long rowboats. Though it was incredibly hot, it was pretty cool.

Yulee Railroad Days Celebration

2008-06-11T13:16:00.006-04:00

Saturday, June 7

Marianne, my editor, and I went to Archer this morning to take photos at the 14th annual Yulee Railroad Days Celebration. It was a lot of fun and we got to eat sno cones. :) Here is the slideshow we created from the event:

http://www.alligator.org/articles/2008/06/10/multimedia/slideshows/080610_yuleeslide.txt

(By the way, you have to listen for the scream near the middle right after the cannon fires. It sounds like a dying scream, and on top of that it's delayed. I can't help but laugh every time I hear it. Hehe.)

Women Veterans Honored

2008-06-11T12:53:00.002-04:00

Wednesday, June 4

Today, there was a women veterans celebration at the VA Hospital. They had several women veterans give their testimony of what it was like to serve in WWI, WWII and the Korean War. It was pretty cool. Here are some photos I took of the event.

Celebrating Conquering Cancer

2008-06-04T23:40:00.004-04:00

Sunday, June 1 - National Cancer Survivors Day

I took some photos today at the 21st annual celebration in the Health Professions, Nursing & Pharmacy Building on the UF campus. This event is traditionally held on the first Sunday in June in hundreds of communities around the world to celebrate life through the conquering of cancer.

Tribute to Trains

2008-06-04T12:12:00.005-04:00

Saturday, May 31

This afternoon, I went to take some photos at a Yulee Railroad Days train show at the Matheson Museum downtown. The show was part of the Yulee Days celebration, held in Gainesville since 2004, celebrating the contributions of David Levy Yulee and his railroad to Florida's development. (Riley Ray-Chambers is the adorable 4-year-old in the first few photos, Aaron Gitzendanner, 2, is in the second-to-last photo, and Craig Gorme and his son, Nathan, 3, are in the last photo.)

"Operation Respect Yourself" Event

2008-06-04T11:38:00.003-04:00

Saturday, May 31

I went to the "Operation Respect Yourself" event hosted by the Gainesville Police Department at the Northeast Pool in East Gainesville. It featured a conflict resolution presentation, a pool party with free food, and relay races with cash prizes. The goal was to provide a fun-filled summer environment in an effort to curb youth violence and ensure the safety of the community's kids.

National Steel Bridge Building Competition

2008-06-03T16:28:00.004-04:00

Saturday, May 24

UF took second place in this bridge building competition between engineering students from around the country (46 states to be exact). Here are some photos from the event...

UF Softball Advances to Women's College World Series

2008-06-03T15:56:00.005-04:00

Saturday, May 24

So, I went to my second softball game -- UF vs. California -- which they won 4-2. It was a very exciting game, and I later found out that they were making history. This was the first time EVER they had won the NCAA Super Regionals and advanced to the Womens College World Series. And though they lost this past weekend to Texas A&M in the World Series, they still came out winners and set a new NCAA record for most wins in a season -- 70 (and only 5 losses). Crazy, huh? :)

"Celebrate 60"

2008-05-29T12:34:00.002-04:00

Earlier this month, I went to the Florida Museum of Natural History for "Celebrate 60," an event celebrating 60 years of Israel's independence, but I never posted photos from that event, so thought I would now before I forget again. The Jewish Council of North Central Florida hosted the event that kicked off with a special lighting ceremony (the first two photos) honoring the Jewish Community’s achievements in North Central Florida. That was later followed by a concert by the Israeli band, Kolot, which means "voices" in Hebrew (the second two photos). The audience totally got into their performances and joined in dancing and singing and stuff. It was pretty cool, I have to admit.

"Memorial Mile"

2008-05-28T22:39:00.006-04:00

These are some shots I took at "Memorial Mile" on Memorial Day. The display, which stayed up Saturday through Monday, was a mile-long display of 4,581 tombstones that was set up to honor all the soldiers who have died in Iraq and Afganistan since 2001. The adorable girl in the first two photos is 1-year-old Audrey Sterling.

Hurricane Simulation

2008-05-27T14:55:00.006-04:00

Monday, May 19

Today I got to go out to UF's East campus to watch several demonstrations of a hurricane simulation. I wish I had sound to go with the photos, but I do not own a video camera yet. So, the photos will have to do for now. If you would like to see a video of the demonstration, visit: http://www.gainesville.com/article/20080519/VIDEO/805190301.

Lazy Day on the Lake

2008-05-22T20:22:00.007-04:00

Tuesday, May 13

I know the dates are a little out of order on these posts, and I apologize about that, but I'm trying to back-date some of my work until I get fully caught up. Just wanted to share some feature photos I took at Lake Wauberg last week.

Naya Pessoa, Pierre Delinois and Jordan Alva sail on Lake Wauburg Tuesday afternoon. The lake, which is free to UF students with a Gator 1 card, will be celebrating its 90th anniversary this fall.

Crazy Saturday Part III

2008-05-22T00:56:00.005-04:00

Saturday, May 17 - Part III

Lastly, I had to go cover the second UF softball game of the NCAA Division I Regional Softball Championships. It was my first time covering sports (exciting!) and I learned a lot about softball too, as I knew very little going into the game. So, it was a learning experience all around. Oh, and I got my first official press pass for the game, which was awesome. :)

Crazy Saturday Part II

2008-05-21T01:58:00.007-04:00

Saturday, May 17 - Part II

So following the "Amazing Race" auditions, it was then off to the 63rd annual Watermelon Festival in Newberry, which was fun too. Literally several thousand people were there. If I didn't have to cover softball, I would've stayed longer, cause apparently I missed some really great contests. I did get to watch the watermelon rolling contest and part of the hog calling contest (yeah, that was interesting) though, so at least I got a feel for what the event was like. I would totally go again next year.

Ready, Set, Roll!

Crazy Saturday Part I

2008-05-21T00:52:00.006-04:00

Saturday, May 17 - Part I

Well, today was a busy day! First, I went to an open casting call for "The Amazing Race" TV show at the local CBS-4 station this morning. Stayed there for about an hour and a half and was kept entertained by each team's 2-minute audition. Some of them were really creative. Here are a few photos I took:

Shands @ UF Nurses (wrote a song they sang and danced to during their audition)
Husband & Wife (newly married couple looking for adventure and fun)
White & Black (said they wanted to be the first multiracial team to win)
Father & Son (said not many people would do this on national TV in front of thousands of people they don't know)

New Wal-Mart Supercenter

2008-05-20T00:10:00.002-04:00

Saturday, May 10

Here is a photo I took at the new Wal-Mart Supercenter that opened on Waldo Road earlier this week, the first ever to open in Gainesville. It was huge! The 207,000-square-foot store includes a grocery space, a garden center, a drive-through pharmacy, a McDonald's, a Southern Commerce Bank and other specialty stores inside the store. In other words, about 3.6 football fields could fit inside the store. Crazy huh?

Strong As Steel

2008-05-19T23:48:00.000-04:00

Saturday, May 10

So today I went to the Strongest Man in the Swamp competition where 10 contestants competed in five events to see who was the strongest. I only got to stay for the first two events, but it was still pretty cool - the first time I've ever been to an event like this.

Jazzy Jamming

2008-05-19T17:44:00.001-04:00

Friday, May 9

Tonight I went to the Downtown Community Plaze to hear the 6th Street Rhythm and Blues Review perform jazz and old-style R&B music in a concert for the second part of the 2008 Let's Go Downtown "Free Fridays" Plaza Series. I usually don't like jazz music, but I did enjoy the music they performed.

Robot Demonstration Day!

2008-05-19T17:00:00.001-04:00

Tuesday, April 22

Today, in UF's New Engineering Building, 29 UF engineering students put on a demonstration of robots they both designed and built for Dr. Eric Scwartz'e Intelligent Machine Design Laboratory (IMDL). It was pretty sweet, I have to say. Here are some photos from the event:

CRAB, or Catch and Return Autonomous Bot, designed by Steven Buss, uses a holonomic drive train to see moving objects and chase after them. If it gets too close to any object, it will back up to ensure its safety.

MILyBots, designed by Luis Vega and Camilo Buscaron, dance salsa in unison. The idea behind the SwarmBots, robots that will show "swarm intelligence," is that they work in a group to accomplish a difficult task.

Spectators watch two MILyBots play tag with each other. One is controlled by a computer and the other is controlled by a human with an Xbox 360 controller, play tag with each other.

Auto Treasure Finder 5000, designed by Philip Sherwood, uses a metal detector to find buried metal, dig it up and use its robot arms to retrieve lost items.

SkyRiser, designed by Jeffery Lettman, drills a nail into a wooden wall during a demonstration. SkyRiser is an autonomous platform that was created to assist in on-site building construction.

First Post

2008-05-19T16:49:00.000-04:00

Soooo...I have been meaning to start and keep up a photo blog for months now, but it just hasn't happened. Since I am now a staff photographer at The Independent Florida Alligator newspaper, I decided to stop procrastinating and start afresh with a new photo blog. I will try to update as often as I can, and just FYI, the first several posts will be work that I have done over the last couple of weeks to catch you up on what I've been shooting recently. Other than that, hope you enjoy looking at my photos :)