Day 5, 3/18/2020. I went out for just a few moments to grab a few shots of a new drive up testing coronavirus center in Arlington, VA. If you have any question please visit: https://newsroom.arlingtonva.us/release/virginia-hospital-center-partners-with-arlington-county-to-open-covid-19-sample-collection-site/
I wanted to snap a few shots for my personal documentation of an unprecedented historic event that I’m thankful to be able to capture. Please be safe everyone!

Day 4, 3/17/2020. I needed to get out of the house today. With all the news, and the great movies I decided to watch; Outbreak and Contagion, I needed to get fresh air and away from all of this. I checked in on some friends, and people from work today. We are all good. I’m keeping a track of all these new words, and Flatten The Curve, and Public and Private Partnerships are two of my new favorites. So tonight I’m going to watch the Dropkick Murphys Live stream, and have some Jameson, and share some photos from a walk I took tonight, Happy St Patrick’s day! Take care everyone!

Day 3, 3/16/2020. I’m trying to keep to my routine and schedule. I woke up needing to grab some groceries and make a quick trip for errands. I was up early after going to bed early, and was welcomed to the day with fire in the sky. Parking lots were empty, store shelves were still empty. I just needed eggs and thankfully Target had some. With news coming out hourly I tried to stay away but kept watching state releases about everything shutting down. My heart goes out to those who need others to make money. Stay home, but reach out. Order online. Buy gift cards. Try to keep moving forward. This was rush hour tonight. Low tolls and traffic. Just be safe and take it seriously.

Day 2, 3/15/2020. Today was my last day at work for the next 2 weeks, hopefully that’s it. I had to make a tough call and cancel part of my vacation in April. I was going to visit family on my way to CA to visit my wife. Seeing how real this is, and working with the general public, I have been very conscious of social distancing, and the very real need to wash your hands, and keep 3-6 feet away. I wont allow myself to be one to carry this to friends or family. I’m happy to work for a company that is putting people first, but I’m very aware of my other retail, and healthcare friends and family. If you can stay away, please do it. What’s next? I’m going to try to adventure, with caution, and document this journey. Take these photos as hope, the cherry blossom seen is in all stages of bud to full bloom in one shot.

Day 1, 3/14/2020. I'm going to start a journal and share pictures that I create during a work shutdown around Social Distance and COVID-19. I woke up with everything feeling surreal today. I'm sad that we have to go through with something like this, but I feel grateful to be healthy and able to document it. My wife is out of town for work, I'm planning on following the recommended Social Distance, but I will be taking photos, staying healthy, and sharing what I think and capture during this time. Follow along, share your thoughts if you'd like. Take care of yourself, reach out to neighbors and friends, and take care of your mental health!

It’s an island, there is only so much space. When we landed I was unaware of the size of everything. I was expecting a full city, which it was, but the actual size of everything shocked me. We asked a friend where we should stay, so it was easier to get around. We didn’t want a car. We found a spot by Parliament that let us catch the Tube everyday and just walk the city. The amount of tourists was not surprising, we live outside of DC, and it feels there are more people visiting than who live there. I was intrigued by the signs and street markings the most over anything else initially. We did the normal tourist things, but I wanted a few “off the normal path” shots. This was the only usable shot I got of the London Eye. I didn’t want to have the typical travel shots this trip. I loved the streets, the people, and the way the light fell on this historic city. We loved walking everywhere and seeing the cultural differences. When we were able to “tap in” on the Tube with Apple Pay I was hooked on The Underground. The size of the cars are 1/2 of what I’m used to in DC, but I’m reminded of the limited space they have to work with. The brake dust and heat is something of a shock the first time you experience it. The amount of people in such a small area would have intimated me had I never moved out of NM. Since leaving and spending time wandering our city, DC, I’ve taken to street photography more than I thought I would have. I enjoy catching people being people. London offered a ton of those moments. The sheer amount of people walking the streets had to be captured. The tourist looking for things to do. The locals just commuting. The streets had a life of their own. The colors, shadows, and time of year we visited, late March, made for some sharp and drastic light. The color of the cabs versus the color of the muted buildings stood out to me with this one. The shops and tourists were everywhere. We walked right past every street shop without buying anything. I liked watching the clash of cultures combine. I had to take a shadow self portrait with this man’s boots. The bright white, the tan coat mixed so well with his black and red briefcase. One of my favorite personal shots from our trip. I wanted to catch a few people in alleys and side streets. This was just a quick grab walking down the street. I love the placement of the bus just leaving the frame. I love the red phone booths, the red buses, the orange cones, then the blue sky and green light. The foot traffic, and walkability of the city makes for walking and using public transportation easily. The use of mural and graffiti art worked well for this construction wall. I was inspired. We needed a rest break for a snack and a pint and found this gem. The decor, vibe, and location was one of a kind. I hadn’t seen FILA in the US in years. The fashion of the city has its own culture. I loved the Science Museum. The staircase reminds one of Harry Potter, and I loved the detail in the monkeys on the wall. We never took a cab, I would love to take one on our next trip. I would ask the driver questions about the roads, and find out why they became a driver. I typically had two to three cameras on me the whole trip. I was warned right away about knife and scooter crime. Being tall didn’t hurt, but everything was tucked away in my jacket, especially at night. We visited an abandoned church right in the middle of the city, St. Dunstan-in-the-East. The history and culture that was shaped post WWII was always something I was aware of growing up. I watched moves, seen documentaries, but seeing the buildings that were touched from the war was a bit surreal. This was from behind a rain covered glass wall on top of the Sky Garden. I wanted to see if I could capture a cool shot from this perspective. I was impressed with how this came out. The buildings, the street markings, the bus. It was all perfect. I wasn’t able to get great shots in St. Pauls. There was technically no photos allowed. I snapped a few that didn’t come out well. Our tour guide was a sweet, older, retired teacher named Sasha. What was going to be a 30 minute tour tuned into a 45 minute tour with all of her added stories. This shot will always remind me of our tour at St Pauls. We had missed a stop on the Tube and needed to turn around. The view from across the platform caught my eye and I snapped this quickly before the next cars came. The Tower Bridge was a very crowded tourist destination. Often confused with the London Bridge, this massive landmark is typically photographed from the same perspective. I took some shots while walking over the bridge and fell in love with this perspective. The colors popped in the neighborhoods past the Tower Bridge. The rain from the morning had passed, and everything was sharp in color and contrast. The city’s mixture of old and new blended so well together. The small buildings and streets with old buildings contrasted the newer, larger skyscrapers in the distance. I took many pictures of The Shard, and this was the keeper. I was obsessed with the Underground signs we passed. The Clock Tower that holds Big Ben was being repaired and painted. This setting at night was perfect. Tea time. We visited on the morning we departed and took in the smells, and booths opening for business that day. This was Borough Market. An outdoor food and goods collective similar to farmers market items and fresh foods. The color and location was stunning. Right in the middle of the city a few blocks from the Tube, and right under working roadways. I find this “liberated” collection of work fitting to close out the trip. The British Museum was gorgeous, and the collection of material, and historic artifacts were arraigned in beautiful exhibits. It’s a wonderful, small city, filled with amazing locals, food, and culture. We will return often.

September Project. Dublin in B&W film. I loved the color of the doors, but had to see it all in B&W. I wanted to be limited with the wide lens, and I needed a physical memory of our first visit. Shooting film, and processing it at home gave me full control from start to finish.

July in DC, 2019. We had Protests, Projections, Celebrations, and Tourists. I very much enjoyed documenting some of the events DC had this past July.