Farewell to #VirginiaSwift –– Final Days with The Free Lance-Star

I am no longer #VirginiaSwift. My time at The Free Lance-Star came to an end on May 21. The same day I shot my last assignment I flew to Southern California so I could go to Slab City and visit the subjects I spent the fall documenting. Sarah Bourscheid and I went back last weekend to take some photos. Sarah will be going back over the summer to finish the documentary film that we began.

My last two weeks in Virginia were bittersweet. I really felt as though I was just getting to know the community and I started to really develop some more story ideas but alas, Sarah Ann Jump has taken over my internship and I know she will do amazingly. I am beyond grateful for the experience I had at FLS and have difficulty articulating how much I loved my time there.

I'm now living in Brooklyn, New York. Today was the first day of my internship with the New York Times and despite being overwhelmed and still rather intimidated, it was a lovely day. I don't start getting shooting assignments until next week and am eager to get back behind the camera!

Here are some photos from my last two weeks in Virginia, see photos from Slab City here.

Bob Dwinelle trained as a World War Two fighter pilot but the conflict ended before he was given any assignments to fight in the war. Originally from upstate New York, Dwinelle moved to Fredericksburg, Va., with his wife where they lived together until she died in 2008 from Alzheimer's Disease. Dwinelle says he hasn't changed his home decor since she began her "long goodbye" because it makes him feel like she is still around.

Primping and preening before graduating from Germanna Community College

Germanna Community College graduates

Alexis kisses her son after receiving her diploma

I usually am not too keen on shoot graduations but this one was pretty interesting

Summer gets her nails done before prom.

Sarah gets her hair done before her senior prom

James Monroe High School's prom

JM prom

Chamillionaire is still a thing.

Iphones and proms

James Monroe High School prom

Brad was king and Ingrid was his date at prom

Taking a break from dancing at prom

Laughing and dancing

#trueluv

Goodnight James Monroe prom

I also photographed a Marine Corps half marathon

This man is in his seventies

This woman came in second to last

I would be lying if I said that I didn't get a little nostalgic photographing this track meet

My last assignment for the Free Lance-Star was to photograph a flutist at an elementary school during their lunch period.

But I'll always love the river the most. See you again soon #VirginiaSwift

Weeks 17 & 18 #VirginiaSwift

Hello all!

The last two weeks have gone by very quickly. I've been very busy with the internship but also have begun to understand the importance of actually taking time off to do things that have nothing to do with photography. As much as I love working and I would love to make pictures all the time, it was really nice to take two days completely off last week to go on an adventure. I climbed a mountain and ran down it and went to a lake and read a book and ate ice cream and it felt like summer. It was beautiful.

My time here in Virginia is winding down but I'm keeping my energy and enthusiasm up.
Here are some images:

An outtake from when I went to Baltimore. See my edit from that night here.

I think the last two weeks has had me really getting out of my comfort zone. When I was very young, my siblings and I would try to catch bees using plastic lunch baggies... I suppose I got stung a few too many times because I've always had an unnatural fear. Two years ago I stepped on a nest while photographing my friend rock climbing. I was too afraid to go through the bees and back down to safety so I tried to climb straight down... which resulted in me falling about 20 feet and breaking my ankle. See evidence of that here. So when I had to photograph at a bonsai tree farm, I dared myself to get as close to the bees as I could. 

Custodial workers went on strike, demanding higher wages and paid vacations.

Life and business partners Bob and Todd own a bonsai tree farm. Patti Smith once called them Golden Boys. 

Aubryn and her father on a hayride at Westmoreland Berry Farm.

One of the major battles of the Civil War took place here. This area is called the graveyard and is a big tourist attraction... or just a fun field to play in. 

Birdseye view of the Fredericksburg Great Train Race

Braehead Berry Farm owned by the Snead's. The Vultures in the background are circling over where a calf had been born the day before. 

Baptist preacher celebrating national prayer day

Owen Zon, 14, playing in the UMW Fife and Drum Corps at Graduation

Clearly the spectators were riveted by the graduation ceremony

I kept waiting for everyone to throw their hats in the air... Never happened. 

Cute kids are boring but these ones were actually pretty cool. 

This is a costume birthday party for a girl that was adopted from Nepal a few years ago.  Guests were asked to bring donations for the orphanage instead of gifts. 

Seven year olds can be vicious. Jasmine was into the idea of sharing her "house" with anyone.

Iron Man, Darth Vader, Jasmine and a sailor hanging out.

Lilo playing hoops.

Wrastlin

(Not) sharing the ball

The Virginia Bazaar food court, clearly the happening place to be on a Sunday.

This is Queenie. She owns a space at the Virginia Bazaar where she sells records and CDs.

Katherine and her beau.

Setting up lights for a portrait shoot, thanks for the self timer, Nikon. It's been a long but productive two weeks, time for a nap and an air conditioner. 

Three Weeks, One Post #VirginiaSwift

I fell behind with blog posting because I was focused on finishing school... which I've now done! In the last three weeks my photos haven't turned out as well as I hoped they would (but isn't that always how it is). I was still working on the sports portraits for a bit of the time (which clearly I'm no genius at) and then I was given a bunch of high school sports assignments. I'm excited to be done with college now so I can go back to putting all of my energy into my work. I have less than a month left in Fredericksburg... it is so strange to me that the end of this chapter is approaching so rapidly, I still feel like I just got here.

There were a few other athletes I photographed but these were my favorites... This was a huge challenge for me. My biggest (and perhaps only) regret from college was not taking the sports or portraiture class. It is where I am weakest and it shows. Although through doing this assignment I feel like I got better at portraiture. I certainly learned more about lighting (with the help of my roommate).

Basketball

Wrestling

Gymnastics

My first time using underwater housing, it was wonderful. I'm photographing this kids prom next weekend, stay tuned.

Caroline

More underwater

This man rides his motorcycles around the country, teaching young folks about history for Brigham Young Television, the show is called American Ride. Note: this wasn't posed.

Noah is arrested after refusing to leave a building during a sit in protest at University of Mary Washington. 

Hudson Holt, 21, was attacked during a home invasion at his apartment in Norfolk. He was two weeks away from graduating college but is now back at home with his parents in Fredericksburg while he recovers from corrective surgery for his broken nose. Holt was pistol whipped, beaten and held at gunpoint by the invaders.

High schoolers wait to practice interviewing for a job at Orange High School. The guy all the way on the right is named Hunter Justus. I told him if he became anything but a bounty hunter he will have squandered his life's purpose... or he'll have to change his name... because com'mon... Hunter Justus!?