Photocan

Update..

2012-01-13T15:20:00.000-08:00

Here are some pictures from the last month.....

Another to add to my collection of weird animal photos. The photos was taken for Las Posada, a latino tradition of a procession following Mary and Joseph on a donkey trying to find a place to birth Jesus. Nothing gives me more joy then seeing someone ride a live donkey in downtown SLC. So great.

Lego competition. My favorite part of this photo is the kid in the corner praying.

Candlelight vigil for Ryan and Kelly Pack who are still recovering the hospital after a Christmas Eve accident that killed their 18-month-old, Colum Pack. (left) Finn Pack, the three year old son of Ryan and Kelly, who survived the crash, stands with his cousin Ashli Davis during a vigil outside of Ryan and Kelly Pack's home. Davis' parents are currently taking care of Finn Pack until his parents are out of the hospital.

Pictures from a studio shoot I did for my favorite column "Sexy In SLC".

Little did I know that shooting pictures in a jail during visiting hours would be easier then shooting a school.

Some Sports Pics

2011-12-19T16:57:00.000-08:00

With all the basketball games I've shot you would think I could be a coach.

First month or so feature photos.

2011-12-15T17:12:00.000-08:00

From Veterans Day

For a story on an 18-year-old boy, Kunal, who runs his families hotel by himself after both of his parents were deported to India.

On the red carpet with some stars from Twilight.

First Week

2011-11-09T15:53:00.000-08:00

Holy Moly! It's been a wild ride and it's only been a week. Shooting Judas Priest, Volleyball finals, and a Real Salt Lake Championship in three days. Here a couple from this week that I liked. More to come...when I have a free moment.

A Happy Pup!

2011-09-25T10:15:00.000-07:00

This is Bug. In case you didn't know he is the best dog in the whole world. In this picture he is giving you the tired dog happy face. The culprit is the Kong laying to his left...they are his crack.

First Down

2011-09-21T12:15:00.000-07:00

Virginia University of Lynchburg hasn’t had a football team in 57 years. We decided at the paper it would make a great story to follow these guys as they begin their first season. I was amazed at the access we were allowed and tried to take advantage of the opportunity and make intimate pictures of the players you would rarely see even from a high school football team.

Click here to watch an audio slideshow of the teams first few weeks.

Portrait

2011-09-21T12:09:00.000-07:00

W.E. Clark is one of about 20,000 "Montford Point Marines"- a group of African American Marines who trained at Monford Point between 1942-1949.

A Fun Frame

2011-09-19T14:41:00.000-07:00

Another photograph to add to my weird animal collection. muhahahaha!

First Day of Football

2011-08-18T15:30:00.000-07:00

I shot this a couple of weeks back but have been waiting for it to run....it's that time of year...football time!

Recent

2011-08-08T13:43:00.001-07:00

Vigil

2011-07-11T13:53:00.000-07:00

Very sad story about two teens killed in a drunk driving accident during the 4th of July holiday weekend. Their deaths hit the small town of Altavista hard. Hundreds of people gathered in the town's park for a vigil. The man in the center is a family friend that knew one of the teens since he was a baby.

For more photos...click here

Recent

2011-07-08T13:34:00.000-07:00

A New Meaning

2011-06-07T13:41:00.000-07:00

In our coverage area we have the D-Day Memorial. We are up there so much that we jokingly refer to it as our Bedford Bureau. With that said D-Day had kind of become this stale event. When I thought of D-Day all I could think about was one ceremony after the next...so similar you have a hard time remembering whether you had photographed a Memorial Day ceremony or a Veteran's Day ceremony. Sure I had seen Saving Private Ryan but I didn't know anyone in D-Day. It just didn't feel real to me.

In anticipation of the Memorial's 10th anniversary and the fact that people who were there are getting older and older, the paper decided to do an oral history project with some of the folks who were either in D-Day or lost someone in D-Day. I begrudgingly agreed to do the project, thinking it too would have little meaning to me. I couldn't have been more wrong. These stories were so fascinating and the people who were sharing them with us really brought me there with their interviews. I couldn't stop thinking about them, they were so personal and honest.

A week before the project was published on our website I had to go to the memorial to photograph something that was going to go with our package and for the first time that place felt special to me. I walked around and the memorial was coming alive. I realized then how important it is to record these stories. The history is dying (literally) and I'm honored to be able to document it before it is too late. Click here to link to the page with their stories. Listen to all of them. Trust me. They are good.

Random Recent

2011-06-07T13:11:00.000-07:00

Sporty Portraits

2011-06-07T13:09:00.001-07:00

Here are some recent sport portraits

Outtake

2011-05-12T12:13:00.000-07:00

Meet Ginger who is being featured in our upcoming Pet of the Week. Honestly this was the cutest/ugliest dog I have ever meet. She was a peach in the studio and made it really easy for us to make a flattering picture of her for our paper. Here is an outtake that produced quite a few laughs in the newsroom.

Thoughts on a Civil War reenactment....

2011-04-11T16:21:00.000-07:00

Ok so first off I'm just tickled that I got to meet one of my historical character heros....none other than the reenacting version of....MATTHEW BRADY!! Ok so I love a reenactment, I find them to be such an interesting sector of southern culture. So this reenactment not only had the basic stuff (blah blah soldiers and a cannon and stuff like that) but also Matthew Brady...who for those who don't know him was one of the first well know photographers and could be called one of the first photojournalists...come on folks he took that really famous photo of ol' Abe Lincoln. So I took a little time to talk to Matthew and found out that this gentlemen is from what he knows the ONLY reenacting Matthew Brady..and he had the whole get up too. This was no second rate Brady.

The rest of the reenactment was very similer in feeling to some other reenactments I've photographed. They again picked a battle where the north loses and then when the yankee's ran with there tails between there legs a spectator leans over to me and said, "Looks like we're winning." To which I kind of looked at him a little confused and shrugged. He later commented, "Don't you wish all wars could be faught this way," to which I again game him a confused glance, trying my best to hide my star of david and distinctive yankee accent. I also thought it was a little strange that they asked the children who were watching the "battle" to help and remove the dead bodies from the battle field after the reenactment had ended. All in all I felt as though I had been transported to some alternate universe.

Locks of Love is for wusses

2011-04-11T14:14:00.000-07:00

So if you are a community journalist for more then a few years, chances are you will photograph Locks of Love, that's the really popular event where girls who have been growing their hair out for years cut it off to give to charity to make wigs for cancer patient. Well the folks at the St. Baldrick's Foundation make the Locks of Love girls look like a bunch of ingrates with their cute bobs. This event was that ladies completely shave their heads, as a way to make a statement about cancer research (I think?). Well I thought that this event was a hoot to shoot so here are some pics from the event. Enjoy...

Recent Random

2011-04-11T14:13:00.000-07:00

A New Start

2011-02-25T09:07:00.001-08:00

So at the beginning of the year I decided that I was going to start working on my video skills. Last year I was pretty busy working on some bigger projects so I didn't get to focus too much of my energy on video work. The goal of this year is to make one video that I'm truly happy with. So far I have had two attempts and while I'm pretty satisfied with the results I still have some areas I need to improve on.

Synchronized Skating
Since skating is such a moment driven activity I decided that I would make this my first attempt. This was one of the first times that I went to a shoot ONLY shooting video. It was a real struggle for me but I was very please with the results from the shoot. We are also working on trying to export to the best settings for the player on our website...a little frustrating but I'm sure we will work out the kinks in no time.

click here to see the video

Pigeon Man
I met Bill Larson at the post office mainly because he had a big box he was mailing with the words live birds written on it. Larson raises Indian Fantail Pigeons. They are a unique breed of pigeon he shows in competitions across the US. I decided to do the video because I always love stories on characters. Larson is one of those great characters. This video was shot and photographed in the same visit. If I had it to do over again I would have tried to go back with just the video camera.

click here to watch video

Random Pics

2011-02-25T09:01:00.000-08:00

Ok so the combination of contests and freelance work has kept from posting. Here are some pictures I like from the last two months. It was a pretty mild winter, which is a great treat as far as I'm concerned. It's not even March yet and we've had some really warm 70 degree days. Spring is coming. Hooray!

First 70 degree day of the spring. I've been trying to shoot this feature for a while and got luck.

This is from a release of a golden eagle. What an amazing bird.

Can't leave out some bball.

On the Outside

2010-12-27T16:44:00.001-08:00

I spent four months following Kevin and Marcus as they situated themselves back into society after spending years in prison. We were following them because they were part of a reentry program that was really helping people get back onto their feet. When we started the project this program was supposed to be expanding. About three months into our story we found out that they planned to actually cut the program. After spending time with these guys the news of cutting the program was devastating. Carrie (the reporter) and I really saw how much this program was helping these guys and couldn't believe the poor decision making that was going on in Richmond.

I have to say that I really learned a lot from these guys. Marcus and Kevin a proof that the stereotype of an ex felon is unfair and inaccurate. While there are people who get out of prison and keep going back to their life of crime, these guys were putting every once of time and energy into getting back to a normal lawful life.
Please check out the slideshow and read the stories by clicking here.

Mistletoe Marksman

2010-12-27T16:34:00.000-08:00

Do you know where mistletoe comes from? I just assumed that it was some kind of bush you could just easily walk up to and cut a few pieces from. Not so! Mistletoe actually grows high up in dying oak trees and can be collected in either two ways....

1. Climb the tree and cut out the mistletoe. Which kind of makes sense and helps to keep the mistletoe intact.

or....the more exciting way...

2. Shoot the mistletoe out of the tree with a .22 rifle or a shotgun??!!!

WTF!!! Right I know it sounds so crazy that it can't be true but I promise you that yes it is true and also pretty fun to watch. Believe it or not, yours truly Kim Raff actually shot a piece out of the tree with a .22. That will go in my lock box of awesome stories on the job.

Check out the slideshow of my time with James Henderson....Click here

3 generations wreath makers..

2010-12-27T16:29:00.001-08:00

I stumbled onto this story after pursuing the mistletoe story above. These women really took my by surprised and I was enchanted with their wreath workshop that was in a a hundred year old barn, complete with walls that shake with the wind, no heat, and no installed lights. Prettiest wreaths I've ever seen in my life (although I'm a Jew and not an expert on wreaths). Coolest thing is that the wreaths were made almost entirely of greenery and filler from their families property.

Anita gathering more supplies..

UPDATE random pics!!!

2010-12-27T16:26:00.001-08:00

Now that I have a minute to post, here is a collection of pictures I like from the last month.

This one is for you mom.

For the fun of it...

Faith Series: Part 5

2010-11-22T13:26:00.000-08:00

Here is my third part and the fifth installment of "I Believe", the faith series we are doing at the News & Advance. We kind of threw a little twist in the project and followed secular humanists. Luckily for me, David and Carol where not only great the work with and to be around but also the perfect people to follow for this segment. They are very committed to helping the environment and active in the local atheist community. Living in Lynchburg you are so inundated with religion all the time, it was a breath of fresh air to hang out with a couple non-believers.

Click here to watch the slideshow and the rest of the "I Believe" series

Recent

2010-11-22T13:23:00.000-08:00

Play

the great levitatng pumpkin

Big Mac....a great character

Fall

2010-10-21T14:04:00.001-07:00

Always so beautiful and bittersweet....

Recent

2010-10-21T13:59:00.000-07:00

It's been busy around here lately so haven't had much time to post. There are some good things in the works so check back in the next couple of weeks for some new work.

Recent

2010-09-20T15:06:00.001-07:00

75th Anniversary of the parkway

2010-09-20T15:02:00.000-07:00

Here are some pics from the big spread with did. I'm most proud of the the panoramic considering it was my first panoramic made from multiple photos. Thanks for teaching me Parker!!!!

Homecoming

2010-08-18T09:51:00.001-07:00

There is something truly iconic and timeless about photographing a homecoming. It is always extremely emotionally intense and I caught myself welling up when the man below hugged his son for the first time since January. My heart always aches for the men and women that serve but also for the families that live on without them in their lives. I wish we could live in a world where this was not necessary...ok I'll stop being naive.

Ohh Bless Your Heart...

2010-08-17T15:12:00.001-07:00

This past weekend I got to photograph the second annual Heritage Fest in Campbell County, Virginia. As far as country festivals go, this is definitely one of the best that I've been too. I not only had the best BBQ I've ever tasted but also had plenty of colorful tractors and a praying mule set in the backdrop of William Campbell High School with non stop live bluegrass music. What fun on a Saturday afternoon in beautiful light. I only had a few hours to play but feel really good with what I came away with...plus I had a heck of a time. Enjoy!!!

PRAYING MULE!!! AMAZING!

before he prayed he dunked a plush basketball....love it.

Like father like son...

An Experiment

2010-07-21T12:41:00.000-07:00

Every season we do a portrait series for our athletes of the year. We do it so often that we are constantly trying to come up with new ways to shoot the athletes. I came up the idea of shooting them all on the ground overhead with a ladder so it would give a flat floating effect. I'm still not convinced I really nailed it but I was still glad I tried something a little different. There were mixed reactions in the community. Some people loved it and other people hated it. It was the first time in a while that I got hate mail. One woman actually asked Jill, "Why are they on the ground...are they lazy?"

More Recent

2010-07-15T16:29:00.000-07:00

The Concord Volunteer Fire Dept. Auxiliary 4th of July Parade = Awesome

House fire

On the river.....

2010-07-02T13:55:00.000-07:00

Last week I had the once in a lifetime opportunity to ride on a batteau down the James River during the James River Batteau Festival (read previous post that explains what this is). It truly was one of the most memorable assignments I have ever had. Not to be too cheesy but I feel one with the river people. I was really taken how much everyone took care for one another. There was a level of camaraderie I have rarely witness. I'd be lying if I said I wasn't already making plans for next year.

Here are a few scenes from the day. Read Liz's story here about our adventure for the day.

River Rat

2010-06-17T08:35:00.000-07:00

Roy Bernard, a.k.a. "River Rat" has floated in every Batteau Festival since it was founded 25 years ago. In 25 years, he only missed one day. This year I get to go out with the group for one day. I'm super excited to do this as it has been a goal of mine since moving to Lynchburg. Batteax are boats used to transport tobacco during the 1800s and they historically made a route that started in Lynchburg and ended in Richmond. It's become a Lynchburg tradition for people to float down the river on Batteau and trace the path these boats once made.

More Graduation

2010-06-14T07:38:00.000-07:00

Here are a couple more from graduations...Its always a challenge to shoot them in a new way...

From the weekend...

2010-06-07T12:06:00.000-07:00

D-Day Memorial ceremony.

5 graduations in 4 days.....Until next year.

New Project: I Believe

2010-05-24T07:45:00.000-07:00

After taking a year off after working on Rites of Life, I'm back and working on a new project for this year. The project is called "I Believe: Personal Portraits of Faith" and it focuses on the average Joe and how faith relates to their life. This is mainly a photo driven project and almost all of the text (and audio in the case of multimedia) is "in their own words". For my last project I was the only photographer and worked with the very talented writer Liz Barry. This project is a collaborative effort by Jill Nance and myself and it's been great to work along side such an excellent photographer, inspiration, and friend. Jill tackled part one and I had part two. For my story I followed Mormon missionaries. I thought they might make a nice addition to the project since they eat, sleep, and dream their religion. This also brought back some nice memories for me since I interned out in Salt Lake City before coming to work here. So far we have two down will have one every month for the rest of the year.

Click here to link to the project.

Random

2010-05-24T07:40:00.000-07:00

Catch up!!

How to make a grown man cry

2010-04-19T14:41:00.000-07:00

Step 1: Live below the Mason-Dixon line.

Step 2: Become a Confederate soldier re-enactor

Step 3: Attend the Appomattox Courthouse National Parks re-enactment of the south surrendering to the north thus ending the Civil War.

So again I was reminded what a yankee I am by yet another Civil War re-enactment. I was a little taken a back by seeing grown men cry because they have to surrender to people playing Union solders during a re-enactment at the Appomattox Courthouse. But what was even more surprising was seeing people in the crowd start crying. Ok I kinda understand the soldiers getting into their parts and what not but last time I checked the treaty between the north and the south was a good thing. If anything people should have started cheering. Regaurdless re-enactments are eye candy and a hoot to shoot. Here are a few frams from this weekend.

Tea Time...ehhhh

2010-04-16T15:19:00.000-07:00

More recent

2010-04-16T15:10:00.000-07:00

Sorry I've been such a slacker lately but we really haven't had too much down time...here are a few from the last couple of weeks.

Alex was such a character...according to him the blues are "junk" music...when I asked him what kind of music he played he said, "beautiful music".

Daffodil show
we kind of missed out on all of the good pictures this year of the participants getting the flowers ready but next year we will be there.

HILLCATS!!!!! I JUST LOVE THESE GUYS.

O yes another sunrise service...third year in a row.

Random catch up

2010-04-01T14:02:00.000-07:00

Hey sorry for waiting so long to post something...but its been a hustle here the last few week.

Controlled burn

Kid on leashes always funny!!

A Wrestler's World

2010-03-15T13:45:00.000-07:00

Like the turkey story, I've been trying to do a story about what it takes to be a wrestler, for a couple of years now. I'd heard that wrestlers' lifestyles are unique and really wanted to focus my energy on the life off the mat instead of focusing on the action. I really have to give it up to Liberty for letting me have pretty much full access to their wrestlers and a special thanks to Coach Castro for letting me get in to photograph a weigh in.

Check out the audio slideshow that went along with the story here.

KIMRAFF.COM its finaly here!!!!!!

2010-03-01T06:10:00.000-08:00

It's been a long time coming but I finaly got www.kimraff.com up and running. Check it out and let me know what you think.

Recent Random

2010-02-25T07:50:00.000-08:00

Someone had called into the paper saying that there was a man who looked strange riding his horse down a busy road carrying an American flag. The reporter and I raced out of the office and tried to find this man but it seemed as though he had disappeared into thin air. The next day I was driving back to the office after an assignment and there he was sure enough riding that horse down the road. The man it turns out is named, Matthew McDaniel, and he and his horse, Hampton, were riding from Oregon to Washington DC to bring awareness in the United States about Akha human rights issues in Thailand, Laos, Myanmar, China and Vietnam. This is a common occurance in Lynchburg. People seem to always come through town on the way to promoting their various causes in DC. Since I have been here we have had a cross country moped man, monks, various runners and bike riders, and apparently a unicyclist.

Photojournalism 101

2010-02-01T17:03:00.000-08:00

Click here to see slideshow

While at photo school in Rochester you would often hear people saying, "I want to be a photojournalist to make a difference in the world and tell people about stories that get them thinking and make a difference in peoples lives." I even said that kind of stuff myself. I'm sure that I have made some difference since I've been in the business but not what I thinking about when I was a bright eyed 20 year old.

I did get to make a real tangible difference in Robert Blanchard's life. He is an Afghanistan Army Vet with a purple heart and a bad case of PTSD. He was also getting royaly screwed by the VA. After the reporter started looking into his files at the VA the VA magically reversed his benifits compensation and admitted that we had a hand in that. The icing on the cake though was that while researching the story we found a sergions generals investigation of the VA that basically said that the VA was really really messed up and that report was given to the roanoke TV station and made huge waves up there. Please check out my slideshow from the story and read Chris' story. It's one of the best I have ever worked on.

Snow AGAIN!!!

2010-02-01T16:48:00.000-08:00

Lynchburg got hit with a surprise snowstorm this past weekend. It dumped around a foot in the city. Why is Lynchburg starting to resemble Rochester, NY. Lets hope this is the last of it, although I hear that more is one the way.

husband and wife

Revisited

2010-01-11T15:49:00.001-08:00

The News & Advance readers have come to know the Palmers and the Colemans really well. We first visited them in 2006 for a story about a family bible that has been to five wars and was coming home from Iraq with Michael Coleman, a Marine, who served in Iraq.
Next we visited them for The Rites of Life project that was focused on Darlene Palmer saying goodbye to her youngest son as he send him off to bootcamp.
Click here to see the story.

Well with the recent news of the troop deployment to Afganistan we learned that Ethan Coleman, the son Darlene sent off to bootcamp, was being deployed. Luckly we got to see Ethan when he came home for the holidays. This photo was taken during a blessing over lunch and I think really captures the relationship between Darlene and Ethan.

It really has been an amazing exprience getting to know the Palmer/Colemans and is a good reminder of how lucky I am to be a photographer.

Catch Up

2010-01-11T15:44:00.001-08:00

I figured that since it was a new year and all that I should put last years photos to rest. Here are some from last year and a couple from this year.

From the first weekend of working for 2010

Last couple of weeks from 2009

Christmas Parade and lights

2009-12-09T08:16:00.001-08:00

The Mud Fest

2009-12-09T08:00:00.000-08:00

Last Saturday I covered Altavista's football semifinal game at Altavista High School. The weather forcast perdicted snow and freezing rain all night Friday and all day Saturday and that's what it did. Just about everything was canceled in the area except this football game. I knew that Altavista's field would be a mud pit since I was there a couple weeks earlier and it wasn't raining but was still a mud pit. At first I wasn't looking forward to standing in ankle deep mud in the 30s with sleet blowing in my face. Then I started dreaming of the muddy football pictures to be had and lets say my dreams came true. Here are some pictures from the day.

Better Late Then Never

2009-12-02T09:39:00.000-08:00

I was trying to get this out before I left for vacation but my work/packing schedule did not allow for me to post. I've had the idea for shooting at a turkey farm for thanksgiving for many years. I had been looking and looking for a farm and couldn't find any in our coverage area. Then earlier this year I stumbled up Mountain Run Farms while shooting there for a story about a group of painters that paint outside. While there Ben, the owner of Mountain Run Farms, gave me a bunch of materials about his farm. To my delight I saw that they raised free range turkeys for thanksgiving. Then it got better. They butcher the turkey's on site and were more than happy to have me there for the whole process. Then it got better. They started butchering them a week before thanksgiving which allowed me to finish the story for our sunday lifestyle section and still make my plane to Mass. on monday afternoon.
It's really fun to have an idea for a story and then to see it materialize in the paper. Check out the multimedia here to see more photos and hear Ben talk about the farm.

To view slideshow click here.

Ohhhh I remeber the days.....

2009-11-21T12:55:00.001-08:00

of high school.......

The Men of Rivermont Pizza

2009-11-21T12:50:00.000-08:00

There are 11 more photos where these came from. They are a take off on the sexy firemen calenders that are popular except instead of sexy firemen you have dirty kitchen boys and instead of hoses you have pizzas. Enjoy! and if you want to see more go down to Rivermont Pizza and get a whole years worth of scantly clad pizza makers.

Fall Colors

2009-10-20T11:48:00.000-07:00

I really do think that the changing leaves is one of the prettiest times of the year. Winter is coming.

Halloween is coming

2009-10-20T11:45:00.000-07:00

Candle light tour or Old City Cemetary on of my favorite places in the city.

Friday Football

2009-10-20T11:42:00.000-07:00

The first of much more to come

2009-10-06T11:49:00.000-07:00

I've decided to begin documenting my time at Lynchburg Grows. The Grows (as Aaron likes to refer to it) is a urban farm that mission is to expose people to agriculture who don't have access to farms or fresh fruits and vegitables. A lot of the people they serve are people with special needs (those pictures are coming soon). I stumbled upon The Grows while doing a story for the paper and instantly feel in love with the place. After a year of being a member of their CSA and volunteering a lot I've begun to start taking some photos. Here are the first of many to come.

Micha at Work

Micha at Rest

Derby Debut

2009-10-06T11:41:00.000-07:00

Just Finished a story about Lynchburg's first roller derby team called The Blackwater Rollers. While I don't I could ever hack it as a derby girl I had a blast hanging out with them and will be at their first bout (as long as work allows). I think anyone in the Lynchburg area who is a derby fan or anyone who has never watched derby you should make the trek out to AJ's Skateworld and watch their first bout on Nov. 21st I'll guarantee a great time. Also check out the fabulouse story Liz Barry wrote and watch my first attempt at video here.

Random Pictures

2009-10-06T11:38:00.000-07:00

Feature Hunting

Archery Champion

9/11

2009-09-14T12:18:00.000-07:00

Just messing around

2009-08-17T15:17:00.000-07:00

Here is portrait I took today. The quarterback in the middle is coached by both his father and his brother so here is my illustration for that. Just note that I didn't use this version for my paper...it's a bit over Photoshoped. I'm trying to learn some new Photoshop skills and have been messing with the High Pass filter.

I Can't Put My Fingure On It

2009-08-17T15:15:00.001-07:00

But I just like this photo.

Fall Vita Show Chromat Sneak Peak!!!!! and a shameless plug

2009-08-13T13:10:00.000-07:00

Hey friend. Here are the latest fashion pics I shot for Chromat's Fall Fashion Show. I think this was the best shoot so far and I am really excited for the pictures. For those of you who are going to be in town on Saturday, September 5,at 8:00pm
go to The Glass Building at 901 Jefferson Street for an awesome fashion event. Its gonna be one of those cool things in Lynchburg that doesn't make you feel like you are in Lynchburg. Anyway check it out it will be a blast.

Some sports

2009-08-04T13:55:00.000-07:00

First day of football practice

Swim meet

Snow What?!

2009-08-04T13:16:00.000-07:00

Snowflex....which is artificial turf used in year round ski slopes. The first one to be built in the United States was built at Liberty University. I'm not gonna get into my feelings about the ski slope but let you decide for yourself.

Hiatus: Babies and BFFs

2009-07-31T13:46:00.000-07:00

I'm back now after my four week hiatus. Very sorry for the break but I had some medical issues that left me unable to work for four weeks. It's good to be back working and thanks to everyone that was really there for me in the recent weeks. You are all truly great friends.
Baby

BFFs

A Heads Up

2009-06-18T06:30:00.000-07:00

www.kimraff.com is coming soon....be excited...be very very excited.

Back to Work

2009-06-18T06:28:00.000-07:00

Some pictures taken after my week and a half long vacation. I needed the break.

Some things are better left unexplained

2009-06-18T06:27:00.001-07:00

More Recent

2009-05-27T09:14:00.000-07:00

This is my third reenacting event since I've been at Lynchburg. It's almost like you can spit and hit a Civil War reenactor. Here is a slideshow of more pretty pictures check it out here.

Here is a picture from a memorial day ceremony. I'm going to include the caption from the photograph so you can get the whole story.

David and Vicki Sharrett stand holding a picture of their son David H. Sharrett II during the 2009 Memorial Day Observance at Monument Terrace in Lynchburg, Va on May 25, 2009. Sharrett died on January 16, 2008 during Operation Iraqi Freedom while in Pallouata, Iraq of wounds suffered during United States Army combat operations in Balad, Iraq. "Memorial day has taken on a whole new meaning for all of us. We are honored to be here and that Dave died a hero. We love him and miss him," says Vicki Sharrett.

Something Different

2009-05-27T09:11:00.000-07:00

The Civil War as you have never seen it....

2009-05-12T11:30:00.000-07:00

Its true, photographing a civil war reenactor in VA is like photographing a cowboy out west. Reenactors are a dime a dozen out here and almost every civil war story that could be told is told. Well I thought that even with the overkill of civil war stories and reenactors this was still a good story. Liz and I covered a group call The Reenactors Mission for Jesus Christ. They are essentially a group of reenacting missionaries that evangilize to reenactor and to top it off they were celebrating their 25th anniversary in Appomattox. Here is a photo from the shoot and I highly recomend that you read the story and watch the audio slideshow.

Click here to read the story and see the audio slideshow.

The art of found art

2009-05-12T08:14:00.000-07:00

Sometimes when there just isn't a lot going on in the way of visual news we are sent out to find a feature, aka wild art. This involves driving around the streets of lynchburg looking for a neat picture. Sometimes it can take two minutes and other times it can take two hours. I always try and find something unique or off beat. Here are two from the last week that I like.

Corey is decorating his front poarch for his daughters first birthday.

This Old Shoe

2009-05-12T08:10:00.000-07:00

The Craddock Terry Shoe Company was one of the biggest businesses in Lynchburg's history. The Shoe Company has closed and now a high priced hotel and restaurant are housed in the old shoe warehouse. This shoe was onced used for the shoe company's billboards and now it hangs on the new hotel. You really can't go wrong with a giant pink heal.

The Last Couple of Weeks

2009-05-12T07:57:00.000-07:00

Hey the last couple of weeks have been super busy so I haven't had much time to post.

Open Air Painters

This was a group of artist who gather to paint landscapes in the Blue Ridge Mountains. Hanging out in the Blue Ridge all morning was a moment where you really appreciate being a photographer.

Mary had a little lamb

No really that's Mary in the second picture. You couldn't write that any better.
I'm a huge fan of 4-H. I've lived many places where 4-H is a huge part of the community. It's not that big in Lynchburg but it was still that same 4-H field.

Fox Puss

A big golf tournament in Lynchburg we cover every year. However this year it was almost entirerly played in the rain.

Opening Day

2009-04-17T11:30:00.000-07:00

Hillcats opening day! Let the summer fun begin.

The Testosterone Day

2009-04-17T11:19:00.000-07:00

After a day shooting rugby and boxing I thought I might grow some chest hair.

Give Blood Play Rugby......
The only thing that I can say about Rugby is that....Rugby players are F***ing crazy. I got to hang out with these guys last Saturday. Although a player broke his nose and another player dislocated his shoulder it was considered a light day for injuries. I know believe that football players are a bunch of wusses......
Check out my slideshow of the days events

http://media.gatewayva.com/lna/specials/rugby/publish_to_web/indexs.htm

Boxing
After spend many hours with the rugby players I had a 30 minute break and then went to shoot boxing. It may have been the blood and gore I saw earlier in the day but shooting boxing made me feel a little queezy. But in the end I ended up with some photographs that I think are pretty good.

Playing Catch Up

2009-03-31T10:56:00.001-07:00

Here are a few recent favorites from the past couple of weeks.

Inmate escape...they haven't caught him yet.

Treeplanters

rain feature

Shedmen.
This is a cool story about these guys that hang out in this shed...but the shed isn't there's. Anyhow you may be seeing more pictures of this in the future.

Meet Dahlia...

2009-03-24T17:59:00.000-07:00

I know I'm not the most maternal person. In fact I have said from time to time that I think puppies are way cuter than babies. And generally I believe that. Although the coolest baby I have met to date is my friend Nichole's child, Dahlia. She is a pretty sweet kid and I look forward to spoiling her rotten and being the coolest auntie.

yup your right that is a blue footed booby...the coolest stuffed animal ever. Just take a guess who got her that.

Yes that is a cat licking a rabbit.

Florals on Florals..just in time for spring

2009-03-18T13:51:00.000-07:00

Here are some on the lastest pictures from my friend Becca's spring line for her clothing company called Cromat. And now for the shameless plug. Chromat will be showing the spring collection at the vita runway show on saturday april 4th. the show starts at 9pm in the glass building at 1009 jefferson st, Lynchburg va.

Snow

2009-03-10T08:22:00.000-07:00

I wanted to post this last week but got interupted while writing it........

Last week it snowed 10 inches in Lynchburg. That was the most snow we have had since 1997. After surviving Rochester, NY for 4 years the chance of snow makes my shoulders tense up and sends a chill down my spine. That said, this snow was about as perfect as it gets. It snowed, the next day it was sunny, and it was in the 80s in the same week. I love Virginia weather. I did have to work that day so I photographed Lynchburg as it played in the snow.

It's Basketball Time

2009-02-20T13:17:00.000-08:00

I do love shooting basketball. Here are two from this season.

Ode to old timeyness

2009-02-20T13:06:00.000-08:00

People who know me well know that I have a soft spot for "old timeyness" in my heart. There is something about intentionally doing something the hard way that I respect. As a photographer one of my favorite running themes is photographing things out of context. So I was pretty excited when I got to photograph Marshall Coffer plowing his fields with draft horses named Bill and Barney.

Ice Ice Baby

2009-02-12T07:39:00.000-08:00

First off, sorry for the horrible 80s music reference. A couple of weeks ago Lynchburg got hit with freezing rain. Here are some photographs from the day.

Obama Revisited......

2009-01-26T10:47:00.001-08:00

I followed a group of people from Lynchburg on a bus trip to the Inauguration in Washington. I was very honored to be able to be a part of such a historic event. Here are some of the photos from that day.

I wrote a story

2009-01-23T13:19:00.001-08:00

about a guy who is riding cross country on a moped to raise money for a charity. check it out here.

Inauguration pictures coming soon.

More random pictures

2009-01-23T13:06:00.000-08:00

here is a slideshow of a cobbler shop that I hung out in for a day...it was pretty cool place.

Click here to see slideshow

The Rites of Life Finale

2009-01-05T12:49:00.001-08:00

Click here to go to Rites of Life website

Here is the final Rites of Life site. It has all ten parts so you can see the last one and then go back a view the rest of them. In case you missed any along the way. All in all it was a great project. Liz and I worked together beautifully and we were extremely happy with the end result. I also could thank all of the people enough who let us into their lives to see such important moments.

Hello 2009!!!!

2009-01-05T12:35:00.001-08:00

Click here to view my photos of year for 2008.

Here is the last look back to 2008.....

This is a group photo taken before we ventured out for new years. The night was fun although I learned a very painful lesson that night. Never take your shoes off at a bar. It doesn't matter how soar your feet are...leaving your shoes on is way better than stepping on glass.

Making up for lost time

2008-12-30T08:06:00.000-08:00

Here are a bunch of pictures from the month. I haven't been too good about posting so I hope this makes up for it. Check back in a couple of days for the links to Photos of the Year and the finale of Rites of Life.
Enjoy!

Apparently guns sales have gotten out of control since Obama has been elected. I found this story to be particularly interesting. According to the gun store operator at L. Oppleman's pawn shop they can't even keep standard revolvers on the shelf. Gun enthusiast seem to think gun laws will change in the coming years.

No this college student is not smoking pot but it sure looks like it doesn't it. This is at our local Hookah bar (yes, Lynchburg has a hookah bar)and it's 100% legal. But all I keep hearing in my head when I see this picture is "Whoa Man! This is some good stuff." It takes me back.....

I just think this picture is strange...

Season of Sacrifice

2008-12-08T15:31:00.000-08:00

Click here to watch Season of Sacrifice

This is a link to the project Season of Sacrifice that I worked on for the last 8 months. This is a story about seasonal workers who come to Lynchburg, Va. for eight months out of the year to work legally and send money back to their families in Mexico. They then go home for four months out of the year. The owner of the company that brings these men to the United States wanted to build the men townhouses to live in while they were here. He wanted to build on his property that happen to be across the street from a school in Forest. When word of this hit the public people reacted with a surprising amount of hatred toward the mexican workers. They called the townhomes dorms and the school principle wrote a letter to the board of supervisors saying that is would be dangerouse for students. In the end the board voted to reject the request. While there is no solid proof that this is why the board voted against the request it is pretty much acknowledged that it was a completely racist vote.

Working with these men was a great expierence for me. Their lives are hard and is something that I don't know if I could endore. I have profound respect for their determination to take care of their families and with the modesty in which they do it. To them this is how life is and so they accept it. I will never forget these men and can't wait to see them again in March. Click on the link above to see the slideshow that sums up the story.

Rites of Life Part 9: Generation Gap

2008-12-05T13:54:00.000-08:00

Click here to go to Rites of Life Blog

Here is part nine from the Rites of Life series. It's a kind of abstract rite not centered around an event but more about a transition. It's about finding yourself behind the times. In this case we choose to focus on older adults trying to learn computer. I thought this senario would be exactly what we were looking for and it was. It made me realize just how much I take my technology knowledge for granted.

On another note the Rites of Life is coming to an end. We only have one last installment that is set to come out on December 21st. I can't even believe that it is almost done, boy has this year gone fast.

Smile....Gas

2008-11-24T12:50:00.001-08:00

Cheap Gas....wahooo

Truck Driving Harmonica Playing......

2008-11-24T12:46:00.000-08:00

Dennis Johnson is the lead singer of the Deanie Blues Band. He plays the harmonica and also is a truck driver.

Obama!!!

2008-11-14T11:46:00.000-08:00

Sorry this took me so long to post but I've been pretty busy
Had a fairly good night shooting but really privileged to be documenting such an important moment in history.

Yeah kid its real funny.....

2008-10-31T13:27:00.000-07:00

to throw leaves at the photographer....