Merry Christmas from Jefferson City

Multiple Flash: After Hours Boxing

We only had 4 minutes to shoot... this is what I got:



Bill Rastorfer, right moves in to take a swing at John Howard, left. Rastorfer, who won the 1991 World Heavyweight Shootboxing Championship, owns the boxing studio, which is located inside Christina's Hair Salon. Howard is a MU student who has been boxing for about three years. They spar every Wednesday.

Lighting Diagram:

Painting with Light: Dancers in the Dark

Leisha Ritter and Shelly Englehart have been dancing together for seven years. They’ve competed in all kinds of dance– ballet, hip-hop, jazz and modern. The grew up in St. Louis, where they attended the same high school and participated in the dance team. Here at the University of Missouri, the girls have worked together on dances for competitions on campus such as Rockin’ Against Multiple Sclerosis for two years.


Lighting Diagram:

Fill / Balance: Murals, Guitars, and Beef

Fill. Ended up choosing this shot as opposed to some of the ones where their faces are completely lighted up, because they looked artificial.



Harrison Mahnken, left, grabs some beef patties to grill as Nicholas Duvall, right, helps separate them at the MU Farmer's Market on the Lowry Mall. Mahnken's family owns the Sullivan, Mo. based Missouri Legacy Beef, and this is the last time they will come to MU to grill this year. "We'll be back next May," Mahnken said.

Lighting Diagram:



Outtake: I also liked this shot, but I don't think the lighting looked as natural. The flash was reflecting off her shoulder and I didn't like the weird arm shadow. Should have bounced more.




Amanda Rolwes works on a mural outside of Shakespeare's Pizza in downtown Columbia. The first two panels were completed 10 years ago, but this last panel was never finished and had been covered with graffiti prior to this week. "I wish it weren't so hot outside," Rolwes said. "The paint dries faster and the flies won't leave me alone."

Color Correction: Tungsten is hard to find!

Color Correction... this was difficult.



Megan Tilk, right, and Derek Garrett, left, check inventory and close up shop at the Jock Nitch, the latest Tiger apparel store in Downtown Columbia. The store is only in its 6th day of existence. "We didn't really do any advertising before the store opened," Tilk said. "But people have been coming."




Jodie Kovar applies an acrylic overlay to the fingernails of Jacklyn Kahl at Varsity Nails in downtown Columbia. Kahl comes here every two weeks to have her nails done.

Kovar mentioned that they will be replacing their tungsten lights with LED lights next month.

Lighting Diagram

Single Flash: Drunken Goggles, Cellars of Root Cellars

Single flash. I wish my pictures were a bit lighter!

Direct Flash:

Morgan Lugh, right, and Moses Williams, left, break out in giggles after failing multiple high-fives while wearing drunk-goggles at the Alcohol Awareness Fair in the Memorial Union. The goggles simulate being under twice the legal amount of blood-alcohol percentage.


Bounce Flash:


Jake, co-owner of the Root Cellar, unpacks groceries in preparation their big Thursday pick-up. He is excited about the upcoming addition of a cafe / bar area in the organic grocery store.

Metal Assignment: Pain Relief

It is hard to relieve pain, especially when it comes from multiple sources. One can pluck the blades out with tweezers, but that only solves the problem superficially. We should also question: “Why is a grapefruit being stabbed in the first place?”

***

Alternative healing methods such as Chinese medicine and acupuncture have been gaining
popularity around the world. While Western medicine looks at the direct sources of pain, Chinese medicine looks at the body as a whole, and aims to find a long-term solution through balance and harmony.

Lighting Diagram:

Classmate Portrait

Qi An is an aspiring photojournalist from China. She may initially appear quiet and reserved, but she will show more a playful and outgoing side when you start interacting with her. When she is not taking photographs, she likes to play the guitar.

Portrait Inspiration

Rosa, last of the Yaghan Indians, by Sam Abell

I've always been drawn to this portrait. Dignified, stern, yet fading and bleak at the same time, it is a fitting portrayal of someone who is the last of their kind. The use of one window for lighting gives Rosa a somber yet proud look. She still has dignity in the way she holds her cigarette, and her expression is strong minded.

However, her surroundings signal the beginning of the end. The colorful weaving on the chair offers a hint of the halcyon days of Yaghan culture, but the way it is lighted makes it seem that it is way past its time. The smoke produces a mystic, surreal atmosphere and also shrouds Rosa's face, perhaps soon engulfing her into the past. The back wall is completely unadorned concrete, which alludes to the bleakness of what's left of her culture and people.


Dewey Williams, shape-note singer of Sacred Harp, by David Alan Harvey

It seems like I'm drawn to these dramatically lighted, serious portraits. I really like the composition of this portrait, the position of the subject in the far right makes him appear to be sitting in the front of the room. The background is all blurred but clearly reveals the settings. Again, the way this is lighted give the subject a dignified and proud look. The cropping off the hand to make it seem to appear out of the dark adds to the dramatic feel of the portrait. The touch of red completes the picture.