Coverage Photography

01/09/2024

I suppose the snow is both beautiful and exhausting. Beautiful because this pure blanket of white, cocoons everything in still preservation, hearkening back memories of childhood sledding, times warm inside with the family, or movies that somehow make snow a magical substance. It can turn Frosty into a sentient being or gestate the Earth until life sprouts out of the ground and trees for Spring. It's unmistakenly the most peaceful and bright the world around us ever is.
.. On the other hand - we gotta shovel this crap! 😝 And then end up inside, on the couch with a heat pad nursing our back. Ha. If you're a distance runner, you better put screws in the bottom of your shoes and prepare to be hyper aware of every step... or misstep.

Whew - the duality of winter.
_
_
_

01/06/2024

The snow is soft,
And how it squashes!
“Galumph, galumph!
Go my galoshes.

~ Eunice Tietjens “Snow”

Waking up to a fresh blanket of snow, seemed like a good time to visit memories of Krug Park. I'm not much of a winter person, but I have to admit, the best part of wandering around in this frozen landscape, is the sounds of the "galumph, galumph" under my feet.

Visit St. Joseph, Missouri | St. Joseph Missouri Parks, Recreation, and Civic Facilities | Made With Uncommon Character, St. Joseph, MO

12/24/2023

It was just a Measly ol' Christmas celebration at the Measly Mile Mafia HQ, River Bluff Brewing. This 300+ member running club, with members across the country has collectively put in a lot of miles this past year. Starting between a few friends at a bar who challenged each other to run at least a mile for 365 consecutive days, has turned into a massive family of people swarming the streets, sidewalks and treadmills to live a life of purposeful movement. They recently had their first dog finish his first 100 days mile runs! :P True story.

Looking for a good challenge for the new year? Check out the page - "Payment due daily".

Made With Uncommon Character, St. Joseph, MO | Visit St. Joseph, Missouri

12/23/2023

Many people don't know this, but the Pony Express still delivers mail to the North Pole! Recently Penny Orrick a rider with the National Pony Express Association was at Coleman Hawkins Park collecting children's letters to Santa Claus. Rest assured, children of St. Joe - they were delivered!

Made With Uncommon Character, St. Joseph, MO | Downtown St. Joseph | Visit St. Joseph, Missouri

12/23/2023

is a new bookstore downtown in St. Joe. It's such a nice little spot and is always full of people every time I stop by. I'm one of those people who always have to buy a couple books when I have a pile of unread ones on my bookshelf. ... Speaking of which... I need to make a new bookshelf...
_
_
_

12/06/2023

There is an advantage of carrying a camera in your car - you never know when it'll come in handy. After a long run on the river walk, I swung by River Bluff Brewing to talk shoes or something nerdy with an inevitably present running club member, when all of the sudden a pinball tournament erupted! It seemed like a good opportunity to get some unique photos. Those moments when you think, 'that'll be a cool photo', is probably a good time to take that cool photo. I'm trying to be more present and deliberate in not ignoring those moments. I felt that talking about new flavors of Gu gels could wait.

Such cool games - pinball machines. I was more of an arcade cabinet kid growing up - TMNT, Simpsons, Mortal Combat. I watched a documentary about pinball machines years ago during lockdown, (actually SEVERAL) and they have held my imagination ever since. Don't misunderstand me - I'm subpar at playing them, but I really appreciate the glamorous mystery of the lights, and sounds, and mechanics that make them so mesmerizing.

If you have a hankering for some pinball - I know a place.

Made With Uncommon Character, St. Joseph, MO | Visit St. Joseph, Missouri

11/28/2023

It doesn't snow everyday, but when it does, sometimes I wander downtown for a few photos. 2 days later and the snow is almost gone. They'll be some more. Tis' the season.

Downtown St. Joseph | Made With Uncommon Character, St. Joseph, MO | Visit St. Joseph, Missouri

11/28/2023

This isn't much of a tourism'y photo, but while running up and down the riverwalk, I came upon this portrait of urban life. Graffiti at a forgotten park, semi up on the highway, framing the century old downtown buildings in the background. And it's all contrasted by the cleanliness and purity of freshly fallen snow and crisp blue sky.
_
_
_

11/26/2023

A couple more shots of the historic Missouri Theater. While attending a show, you'll spend half your time looking around like a little kid at all the intricate design details.
_
_
_

11/14/2023

recently performed all those blast-from-the-past songs that us older xennials grew up listening to. Last weekend the amazingly beautiful historic Missouri Theater and the  hosted a bunch of screaming middle age children of 90's pop, and a photographer who was quized by his sister with all things New Kids on the Block. It was a great show that honestly made me feel old! ha! The group performed with the familiar dance moves in front of the original music videos playing in the background, completely ... N'sync... see what I did there? 😉

Seriously, if you haven't gone to see a Performing Arts Association show at the Missouri Theater, get on their sight and check out the tickets. It's a nice night out!
_
_
_
                 

10/19/2023

"Forever Motown" was a great night to be at the Missouri Theater! Performing Arts Association of St. Joseph Inc. has shows like this every month, but this show was awesome to photograph, because I listen to this music almost daily in the morning.

Shuffling my tired butt to the kitchen to toast a bagel - as I wait, I'm hand grinding my coffee beans as my hoarse voice calls out, "Hey Google! Play Marvin Gaye!" Or Otis Redding, Sam Cooke, Four Tops. Mmm - I gotta get eased into the day.

I haven't taken photos in the Missouri Theater for awhile, but dang I love it. How does St Joe have such an amazing testament to architecture and the arts. It's beautiful. Next month is a tribute to boy bands, so you better get your tickets now.

Made With Uncommon Character, St. Joseph, MO | Visit St. Joseph, Missouri | Downtown First

09/28/2023

Pyro Flow has been killing it this past month with "fiery" performances all over the area from Hyde Park to St Joe Pride. These are some photos earlier this month at Hyde Park, but tomorrow night you can check them out downtown at Felix Square! It's going to be "lit". 😉

Made With Uncommon Character, St. Joseph, MO | Downtown St. Joseph

08/30/2023

I like to post stylishly late - or maybe relevantly early, for the the next upcoming jam with Pyro Flow! These are some photos from their flow jam earlier this month at Krug Pool, and there can be expected much of the same this Saturday at Hyde Park. It's always fun taking photos of this team, but sometimes I forget to take photos and just stare, mesmerized at the cool fire, and passionate rhythm of the performance.

Visit St. Joseph, Missouri | St. Joseph Missouri Parks, Recreation, and Civic Facilities | Made With Uncommon Character, St. Joseph, MO

07/13/2023

It was a night of dancing, fire, music and light in darkness. Pyro Flow draw a pretty nice crowd at Krug Park for this months Flow Jam!

05/27/2023

The Beer Walk for the Arts of the Allied Arts Council of St. Joseph, MO Inc. not only had beer tastings and tours of historic homes, but also highlighted the community of St Joe's artists. Every house visited had musicians playing their greatest hits and artists scattered outside of each painting the marvel of residential architecture of the 19th century. Boy I need to take an art class or youtube tutorial. Magic with a brush - I tell yeah.

05/26/2023

The Allied Arts Council of St. Joseph, MO Inc. hosted their annual Beer Walk for the Arts recently. In the Museum Hill district off of downtown St Joe century old houses scatter the neighborhood. Some have understandably seen better days, but every year more restorations pop up. Maybe it's the historical architecture that draw people, or the beer tastings or the artisans around the neighborhood doing what they love. Everyone always seems to enjoy their time here... ok, clearly the alcohol helps... but as the one chugging down water on this warm day - the event is one of the best in St Joe.

04/21/2023

Like most organizations that hold award competitions for work done the previous year, the Department of Defense is no different. In the Public Affairs career field I placed 2nd and 3rd in two categories for the Air National Guard 2022 CMSgt Douglas Morrell Media Awards. Both of these photos were taken during last years deployment to Kuwait and Saudi Arabia. It definitely wasn't one of my favorite trips, but it obviously had it's moments.

In the Portrait category I placed 2nd for a photo of military working dog handler Staff Sgt. Rafael Del Real as he carries his 100 lb working dog Kevin during a competition among several other MWD handlers in the country. All the photos from the collection I took that day were great. It was a fun day with dogs and not a bad day at work at all.

In the News category I placed 3rd for a photo of C-17 loadmaster Staff Sgt. Jared Soucy, as he directs the unload of equipment from the Army's 36th Sustainment Brigade. It was news worthy as the first time the unit conducted a fly-away TAC package in the U.S. Central Command area of responsibility.

For more photos from those events, just follow the link included in the captions of the photos themselves.

03/25/2023

If you haven't seen Flow perform, you won't want to miss out tonight at Coleman Hawkins Park in downtown St. Joe!

02/11/2023

It all started here in St. Joe 6.5 months ago at the Chiefs Training Camp Red Friday. Here we are a day before the Super Bowl and the air is thick with anticipation in Chiefs Kingdom. Get your snacks and refreshments ready! It's going to be a wild ride!!

St. Joseph, MO Sports Commission | Visit St. Joseph, Missouri | The Kansas City Chiefs | Made With Uncommon Character, St. Joseph, MO | N9ne

01/26/2023

In honor of the KC Chiefs being in the playoffs, I figure this would be an appropriate post. Back in 2020 when the Chiefs won the Super Bowl, I was able to snag some photos of their Union Station celebration. It took the Christmas of 2022 for me to sit down and properly edit a solid product, and I'm really pleased with the result.

On top of that I thought I'd play around with making my own frames. What better material to use than all that 100 year old wood lathe that I meticulously saved from my kitchen remodel. It took me a few tries to make a successful frame from that interesting wood, but I came up with something I also dig. The result was this 12x36 print in a 40x16 frame.

Photography itself is a very rewarded practice to freeze and memorialize a meaningful moment. However, to be apart of the process all the way to the packaging and display of that moment, is indeed that much more special of a feeling.

12/22/2022

Hope you're wearing some flame retardant clothing right now, cause this last show of Pyro Flow for Krampusnacht was fire!! Some people stay warm this time of year in front of the fire place, but this crew has a bit of a different idea. All that was missing was a cup of hot chocolate... and maybe some macaroons.

Manic Snail | Downtown St. Joseph | Visit St. Joseph, Missouri | Made With Uncommon Character, St. Joseph, MO

12/21/2022

Not a whole lot of people know much about Krampus. It's understandable how many would pair this costumed looking lederhosen wearing beast to Halloween rather than Christmas. Yet in many regions of the world, Krampus is as Christmas'y as Santa himself. And traditionally is the yang to Santa's ying.

Krampus is a famous character from European folklore, who is said to be the "shadow of St. Nicholas." It is said that while St. Nicholas rewards children for being good, Krampus punishes children for being bad. Pretty dark stuff huh? But I supposed it's not surprising from the geographic region that brought us the fairy tales of the Grimm brothers. Ha. I suppose the modern version would be the Elf on the Shelf - that little snitch - frightening children to be good lest he reports back to Santa their bad deeds. That little creature is going to get stitches one of these days. 😉

Krampusnacht, hosted by Manic Snail brought a bunch more people out than in 2019 when it was first held in St. Joe. (Swing back into my albums for those photos). Mokaska Coffee was packed as people sipped on their hot cocoa and listened to Jay Claywell read the story of Krampus. A parade led by Pyro Flow snaked thru downtown from the coffee shop to The Angry Swede Brewing Company. The Swede was a fitting stop for this European celebration where for the last time this year the fire spinners of St. Joe and KC mesmerized the crowd with natures most basic element.
.. Stay tuned for the Angry Swede Pyro Flow show photos.

Downtown St. Joseph | Visit St. Joseph, Missouri | Made With Uncommon Character, St. Joseph, MO

12/20/2022

It's many of our favorite times of year in St. Joe, with the beautiful Holiday Park to put us in the holiday spirit! By the sound of the weather on Thursday we might have White Christmas!!

Visit St. Joseph, Missouri | St. Joseph Missouri Parks, Recreation, and Civic Facilities | Friends of Krug Park

I really dislike the cold. Desert life is the life for me, I've always said. But there is something peacefully pure about being out in the still elements of nature. I whine and moan whenever I'm about the leave the security of modern climate control. As soon as I'm breathing the winter air though, protected by my coat and neck gaiter, I feel at home. Maybe it's the evolutionary instinct that warms me; giving the idea that existence is more meaningful outside where humanity existed for millennia. Anxiety leaves with the escape of the confines modern living.

These are my thoughts during these 30-second exposures. These photos aren't anywhere near the whole park, but it is definitely a place worth taking a lap before Christmas. Keep an eye out for more. Hats off to the St. Joseph Missouri Parks, Recreation, and Civic Facilities for during an amazing job with the decorations, yet again!

12/13/2022

Pyro Flow leading a parade of Krampusnacht celebrators thru downtown St. Joe on Saturday! It was quite the spectacle with onlookers the entire way. Dana at Manic Snail always organizes awesome events and everyone who participates always seem to up their game every time! 'Tis the season.
.. more photos will come.

Made With Uncommon Character, St. Joseph, MO | Downtown St. Joseph

03/25/2022

I've been trying to get access to this account again. Testing to see if this is working. Gotta get my photo game back up and running.

12/01/2021

There's a new trail system in St. Joe! Stretching from Highland Ave heading north and connecting to the Sunbridge trails, this beast of a mtb park is growing every day. It's probably only half done and will soon connect to Wyeth Hill via a pedestrian bridge. Everytime I go out there I discover a new trail that didn't exist mere days earlier. St. Joe has some killer awesome trails like Krug, Girl Scout and Corby, but this one is next level and professional cut. Can't wait til I get comfortable on this track with a bike. It's to see people, riding, running and hiking everytime I go up there. And don't forget about the "hidden park" that isn't so hidden anymore.
_
_
_

11/26/2021

Saturday and Sunday are coming up again! From 11-2 this weekend swing by the International Trucking Service Gallery and take a break from this crazy weekend of Christmas shopping. And who knows - something might catch your eye!

Afterwards stick around downtown! There are a ton of great shops to visit for Small Business Saturday. And restaurants that are some of the best in St Joe.
_
_
_