I'm not 35, I am Twenty-fifteen

Saturday May 31, 2008

Mystic - Ah the digital journalist, workin like a dog on his birthday. It seems that I almost always work on my birthday. For those who don't do this for a living, this is the modern photo-lab. Laptop computer (literally) in the front seat looking at photos. Yea, I know, where did I learn to focus a camera. It must be my eyes going in my old age...

So what else is new???

Thursday May 29, 2008

This is a May update of sorts. Kind of getting caught back up with stuff that I wanted to post. (Above) School kiddos check out dinner in Groton.

Norwich - National Nursing Home Week reacting to a locally produced Dancing With the Stars.

Mashantucket - Native American girl at the opening to the new MGM Grand at Foxwoods.

New London - Pro-administration supporters outside the Coast Guard Academy while VP Dick Cheney speaks inside.

Groton - The VP was nice enough to depart over some wonderful clouds on his way back to DC.

New London - Return of the JIBBOOM CLUB!

Mystic - Mmmmmmmmmmm...ice cream...

Gales Ferry - Farm hands with thunderheads in the background.

Children of Iraq

Saturday May 24, 2008

Well, this is my final post from my Iraq stuff. I left this one until last because these were the photos and experiences that meant the most too me while I was in Iraq. The children that I met lived in such poverty, yet their personalities were that of any other child that you would meet. I only wish that I had had more time to spend with them. Oh well, back to America now.

Around Bucca

Sunday May 18, 2008

Camp Bucca, Iraq - Here are some general favorite photos that I took from around the forward operating base. Most of these are just general everyday scenes which is a lot of what I saw while I was there. For those of you who saw these on theday.com, sorry for the repeat.

This is a stray dog that adopted the troops guarding a highway intersection outside Bucca. I say the dog adopted them, which is the way they saw it too.

Christmas in April

This is one of our local submariners in his 8 man pod.

This is from our flight back to Kuwait. I missed a better opportunity to take a shot like this over Baghdad when the door gunners were manning their guns, but they made me sit in the middle of the cabin, and try as I might, I could not get the angle. I tried channeling Larry Burrows none the less.

New work toy...

Wednesday May 14, 2008

Mystic - I am taking time-out from my Iraq stuff to post this photo taken with my new toy that I received at work. Of course, I had to try it out on my favorite subject matter. Here is the kicker...for those in the photo-know, this is 3200 ISO! Yeeeeeeeeeee-HA! Now if only I had 5000 dollars I could buy one of my own.

Visitation at Camp Bucca

Wednesday April 2, 2008

Camp Bucca, Iraq - One of the first days that we were at Camp Bucca, the reporter and I got to visit the visitation center for the camp. The theater detainee camps have a family visitation program, where family members of detainees can visit their loved ones. This is an open visitation where couples can hold hands and even pass children back and forth.

At the reception center, Iraqi families are given donations sent from the U.S. This is not always as orderly as the military would like due to the differences in cultures.

The international Red Cross works at the reception center, to screen for illnesses and record what the conditions are where the families are coming from.

The actual visitation center is of course highly guarded, but it does give the families a small chance to see one another.

A bit blunt, eh?

Kuwait - The Kuwaiti road signs are a bit more to the point.

The Workers of Camp Arifjan

Wednesday May 7, 2008

Camp Arifjan, Kuwait - A third country national (above) washes his hands in the run off water of the Wash Rack at Camp Arifjan in Kuwait. I decided to break up my Iraq and Kuwait stuff into different posts. These are from the Wash Rack at Camp Arifjan. The wash rack is where all vehicles headed back to the US are completely cleaned. A lot of the work is performed by third country nationals, or nationals from countries other than Kuwait. Mainly from the India region, though they varry from around the Middle East. They were not bashful about getting their photos taken either.

MY GOD...a new post...

Saturday May 3, 2008

New London - Have you hugged your Storm Trooper today? How about cursed him out on a street corner? I know it has been a bit, but here are some of the better pix I have taken as of late.

Iraq is coming, I am letting The Day have first dibs at publication for obvious reasons.

New London - This is a homeless woman that I photographed the other night. She was turned away from the local homeless shelter and had to spend the night in the lobby of the Police Station. We joked that at least she was in a safe place.

Groton - Skateboard competition

New London - Coast Guard Academy cadets during an official review.