USS Inaugural wreck on the Mississippi

I know its not part of my usual portfolio of work, but with the Mississippi river at record lows levels these days, all sorts of things are popping up along the river banks. This old WWII minesweeper was sunk in the flood of 1993 and now sits a mile or so down stream from the Arch. Its a very cool, big thing. Its every boys dream to drain the ocean and walk on ship wrecks.

Working the "book farm" at my Tyson studio

"Planted" some new books for the winter season. I have had to cover the books with wire mesh and brinks to keep the deer from turning them over and eating them.

With the limited rain we've had the books are not rotting and decaying as fast as
I'd like, I think I may need to start going out there and watering them from time to time.

Banned on Instagram!

I got an email from the folks at Instagram which informed me that my account is now inactive and suspended for posting images that violated their community standards. This image seems to be the offending work that triggered this notice. I guess there are worse things than being banned from yet another social network that sucks up your time and energy. For all you Instagramers out there, beware of the nudity! I would be interested in knowing just where the line in with nudity, cleavage? nipslips? topless males? Beachware? It's a slippery slope.

or was it this one:

Shower series

My good friend who is a painter asked me to make some reference photos of her in the shower so that she can use them in some new paintings. Some of them turned out well enough for me to think this might be an interesting series for my own work. I think I need to find a bigger shower room, perhaps one of those walk in showers with abstracted glass doors.

Judy Hopen

Today, one of my long time model and collaborator passed to her reward after a long fight with cancer. I first photographed Judy in 1999 when she was a WU art department model and I used her in one of my elective classes. This started a longer professional relationship that this spring turned into a collaboration while she confronted her illness. Though out it all, she was amazingly positive and upbeat, using art as a way to understand and make sense of this terrible situation she found herself in. I shall remember her not as the woman who's body in the end was ravaged by both the illness and the brutal medical treatments she endured, but as the beautiful person I found her to be both in body and spirit.

Fair winds and clear sailing Judy, you'll live on in work we did together.

Aimee Mann

I don't usually do a lot of concert photography, but I was hired last week by Ivan Edwards, the drummer for Aimee Mann who was performing this past week in STL. I was great show and gave me the chance to dust off my 70-200. It was a great concert and everyone was great backstage.

Grand Isle, Louisiana