1. 12 May



    42nd Annual Stanford Pow Wow

    Following a few weekend assignments for the Town Crier, I made my way to Stanford University in Palo Alto, CA for the 42nd Annual Stanford Pow Wow. The event provided an illuminating glimpse at native cultures from North America and South America (including Native Americans and Aztec Indians) and provided food for the spirit. A pow wow is derived from a word meaning spiritual leader and involves singing, dancing, socializing and the celebration of culture`

    Inspired by the traditions of their communities, each participant of the pow wow wore costumes that included colorful feather headdresses, elaborate beadwork, animal skulls, moccasins and layers of fabric and embellishments.  Although the grand entry was the show stopper of the evening, the moments before and after also conveyed the significance of this gathering – a rare remembrance of culture in a time and place that makes it easy for us to forget who we are and where we come from.

    Although the sounds and movement of participants is experienced best by being present, I believe that my photos capture the soulfulness and beauty of this gathering.

     

  2. 12 May


    Gymnastics combines athleticism and poetic motion

    One of the most exciting parts of my job as a photojournalist with the Los Altos Town Crier is documenting a broad spectrum of subjects – high school sports included.  

    During the spring sports season, I’ve photographed softball, lacrosse, tennis, diving, track and field and gymnastics. In most cases, when I show up to a game or meet, it’s the first time I’ve photographed that sport.  Although I’m becoming a pro at knowing what shutter speed, aperture and ISO settings I want for my camera(s), documenting perfect moments for every player on the list from the Town Crier’s sports editor can be challenging.  

    My favorite spring sport to document is gymnastics because of the beautiful line, movement and sheer strength of the athletes. Although school gymnasiums present challenging lighting conditions, one can find plenty of opportunities to make dynamic images.

    A selection of my images from the season are above.

     

  3. 11 May


    Playful portraits from around the San Francisco Bay

    I couldn’t resist the opportunity to snap some creative portraits of my sister during her visit to the San Francisco and Santa Cruz last weekend.   

    Sharing a selection of my favorite images in this posting.

     

  4. 17 Apr


    Being prepared for a crisis starts at homeLast fall I began reporting on the Los Altos Hills CERT (Community Emergency Response Team) – a group of several  hundred volunteers in Los Altos Hills, CA that are trained to respond to a disaster. After writing several articles and creating the video above, I decided to enroll in a CERT class this Spring.

    In the wake of many natural disasters and other catastrophes as of late, I think that this training is another iinvaluable resource in my life toolbox.  As a  journalist, I may one day stumble upon a crisis reporting situation and personally, may need to know how to help myself and my family when the unexpected strikes.

    Over the next six weeks I’ll be chronicling my emergency preparedness training in a written series in the Los Altos Town Crier for 17,000 readers and an online audience.  I hope that my entries encourage other residents to make the investment in CERT training and emergency preparedness.  

    You can read my entry on week 1 of training here.

     

  5. 16 Apr


    At least 100 guests attended a ceremony to dedicate the downtown Mountain View post office as the  Lt. Kenneth M. Ballard Memorial Post Office April 13.

    Ballard, a 1995 graduate of Mountain View High school, received three Bronze Star Medals, two with Valor Device, and the Purple Heart for his service in Iraq. In 2004, Ballard died during combat in Iraq.

    With the unanimous support of her colleagues in the U.S. Congress, Congresswoman Anna Eshoo passed a piece of legislation in 2013 to dedicate the Mountain View Post Office in honor of Lt. Kenneth Ballard. She joined family and friends for the dedication ceremony of the post office in Mountain View, CA last weekend.

     

  6. 7 Apr


    I spent my Saturday morning taking portraits and group photos of players in the Above and Beyond Basketball program – a Silicon Valley based program that trains young athletes in on court and off court skills and leadership. The founder, Mani Messy, also hosts basketball trainings in Cameroon for aspiring players.

    I worked with a simple setup of available light and on-camera flash to create individual portraits. I challenged each of the players to give me a unique look – I didn’t want the photos to look like school photos. Did they shoot, dribble, block, have a special trick?  If so, I asked them to fuse their skill(s) and personality together.

    Above are some of my favorite group photos.

     

  7. 7 Apr


    I spent my Saturday morning taking portraits and group photos of players in the Above and Beyond Basketball program – a Silicon Valley based program that trains young athletes in on court and off court skills and leadership. The founder, Mani Messy, also hosts basketball trainings in Cameroon for aspiring players.

    I worked with a simple setup of available light and on-camera flash to create individual portraits. I challenged each of the players to give me a unique look – I didn’t want the photos to look like school photos. Did they shoot, dribble, block, have a special trick?  If so, I asked them to fuse their skill(s) and personality together.

    Above are some of my favorite photos.  I’ll post some of my best group and candid shots in the next post.

     

  8. 30 Mar


    Kids take to the creek to monitor watershed

    Written by Ellie Van Houtte - Staff Writer/ellievh@latc.com

    Mix curious children, a creek and creative monitoring tools together, and a one-of-a-kind World Water Monitoring Challenge ensues.

    More than three dozen young explorers and their parents, equipped with clipboards and plastic gloves, examined the water quality of Permanente Creek at Heritage Oaks Park in Los Altos March 16.

    “We think the most effective watershed education comes from getting volunteers into the field to work on stewardship projects,” said Joanne McFarlin, a senior ecologist at Acterra who organized the event with GreenTown Los Altos. “Volunteers learn what makes for a healthy creek system while they contribute to making it healthy.”

    Read the full story in the March 27 Town Crier here.

     

  9. 30 Mar


    Several hundred Bay Area residents gathered March 30 at the Sunnyvale Hindu Temple to celebrate the Indian Spring Festival of Holi – also known as the festival of colors.

    There was dancing, jubilant children and the obligatory Raas Rang (bursts of colorful powder) in every direction.  Although my camera remained unscathed from beneath a plastic coverings, I was soaked with color from head to toe by the time I left the event.  A fun interlude for a Saturday…

     

  10. 27 Mar


    Behind the scene … the Town Crier newsroom  My boss, Bruce Barton (Editor of the Los Altos Town Crier), takes a break from editorial responsibilities to educate and entertain a tiger scouts group from a local elementary school last week in the photo above.  I think that he’s enjoying the experience as much as the youth! At a community newspaper, connection to our readers matters and more often than not we’re welcoming guests of every age and interest into our office. I think it’s the extras (in addition to providing news and information you won’t find elsewhere) that makes our paper such a valuable asset to the local community.

    Behind the scene … the Town Crier newsroom 

    My boss, Bruce Barton (Editor of the Los Altos Town Crier), takes a break from editorial responsibilities to educate and entertain a tiger scouts group from a local elementary school last week in the photo above.  I think that he’s enjoying the experience as much as the youth!

    At a community newspaper, connection to our readers matters and more often than not we’re welcoming guests of every age and interest into our office. I think it’s the extras (in addition to providing news and information you won’t find elsewhere) that makes our paper such a valuable asset to the local community.