I hadn’t covered a single basketball game all year long. In fact, I don’t think I have shot a basketball game since the Trib closed. But when the Gallup Independent called, I was happy to help out. It wasn’t much of a game, Navajo Pine fell behind to Hagerman early, and it was pretty much over by half-time. But it was fun for me being back on the floor.
I didn’t enter any pictures this year, but I’m still fascinated by judging currently going on in Missouri at Pictures of the Year International. If you don’t really love photojournalism, it’s probably like watching paint day. But I do love it, and painful as it is to see some of my friends great work pass by on the way to the “outs” pile, it is an incredible education opportunity for young photographers. I was lucky enough to win a second place in the feature sports (above) category a few years ago, and it is both humbling and inspiring to see all the other great photography. I really need to start entering contests again, not to win, but for the great opportunity they afford to reflect on my own work.
When photographing boring ceremonial check passings, the kind without any big checks, cute kids in cowboy hats can really save you. He’s looking at a model of the future hospital in Santa Rosa New Mexico.
2009 was an amazing year of transition for me. This time last year, I was just moving back to New Mexico after my time in Guatemala and Central America. Over the past year, I purchased and moved into my condo, gained a sister and got my favorite photo editor back in Albuquerque. I also co-founded Tortuga Photo Workshops, thus I think the ground work has been laid for an even better 2010. It’s not easy to pick a few images to represent an entire year, but these are the photographs pulled from larger bodies of work that defined the year for me personally.
Protesting against war on Central Ave. in Albuquerque.
Wearing our Sunday best for the inauguration in Washington D.C. which was the coldest day of my life.
George Bush leaving office! I didn’t think we’d live long enough to see it.
Mark Holm re-united with his family after the Rocky Mountain News shut down. Maybe my favorite picture from the entire year.
President Obama in Rio Rancho. Not really a great picture, but after missing all the campaigning, I was really happy to get up close to the President.
My new sister-in-law on her wedding day.
An MS-13 gang member being sweet with his girl before the start of Zozobra in Santa Fe NM.
My favorite “peak action” sports photo of the year, from the Balloon Fiesta in Albuquerque.
Drinking Tequila with the Mariachi in El Paso Texas for the WSJ. Taking pictures in the bar was far more dangerous than the work I did in Juarez earlier that day.
Día de los Muertos in Albuquerque.
Man, over a month and no posts… maybe posting more often should be my New Years resolution that I fail at this year. It probably was last year too. Anyway, here is a snow feature from my final editorial assignment of the year. I’ll try to do better next time.
Stacia Spragg-Braude's book To Walk in Beauty: A Navajo Family's Journey Home.
“Looking through Stacia’s initial submission and then later through a larger selection of her photographs, I remember being struck by the beauty, power, mystery and intimacy of the black and white images of a landscape, culture and people I was unfamiliar with. I recall feeling that she’s not only a fiercely dedicated and determined photojournalist, but must have an intense personal connection and relationship with this family to spend roughly a decade making these photographs and telling this family’s story.”
There is a wonderful interview with my dear friend and former colleague at The Albuquerque Tribune Stacia Spragg-Braude that I found via the APAD blog at photographer Matthew Ratajczak’s blog Eat the Darkness. Buy the book now.
Stacia Spragg-Braude presenting her book "To walk in beauty" at the Old San Ysidro Church in Corrales.
Dia de muertos – Albuquerque – Images by Steven St. John
The Marigold Parade is without question one of my favorite things to photograph on the Albuquerque calendar each year. The fun challenge is trying to find a picture you haven’t made already in previous years.
I’m very pleased to announce the launch of a new company called Tortuga Photo Workshops. Together with Albuquerque Journal staff photographer Roberto Rosales, we created a company offering photo adventure workshops in Latin America. Our first workshop is scheduled for the remote island of Meanguera off the coast of El Salvador in mid March 2010. Please have a look at our new website for more information. Also please follow us via our Facebook page.
I also want to take a second to send huge thanks to Ezra at Electrophonic Design, who put this new site together and designed all my web pages. I hope to get back to posting more on Vamos A Ver, now that Tortuga is off and running.
Here is a link to a slideshow of photos I made for in El Paso Texas and Juárez Mexico for The Wall Street Journal. I want to thank journalists Adriana Gomez Licon and Monica Ortiz Uribe for helping me with the challenging logistics of photographing numerous locations on both sides of the border in a very short window of time.
Screen image from WSJ.com
Last week I got a chance to photograph Zozobra for The Wall Street Journal, the first of three assignments. Hit the link to see more photos. Viva la fiesta!