One-Day Story: Epic Mud Run 2011

Clint Thomas mixes fresh dirt into a pool of water to create the finish line mud pit for the first Epic Mud Run in Midway on September 10, 2011.

Tom Zoellner uses a fire hose to wet the starting stretch of the course. It took two days to completely set up the course but just six hours to “make the mud”.

Participants line up around the starting gate before the start of the race. 

Participants tackle one of the toughest challenges of the day, the mud-pit interval.  In addition to this obstacle the course was made up of 13 other mud-related obstacles and stretched over two and a half miles.

One of the contestants crawls through the finish line mud pit.  Event coordinators said they were happy with the turn out and are going to make the run an annual event.

9/21 Reading Response

Lamott-  I was very intrigued by this reading because I've never thought about building a character the way she describes in the book.  I know characters take on human qualities and become familiar to the reader, but I've never thought of letting a stock character grow and unfold for an extended period of time like Lamott describes.  What seemed even more difficult than her description of characters was her explanation of the creation of dialogue.  I understand how the dialogue needs to be assembled by putting yourself in the moment and having a true conversation, but it just seems so difficult to get all those thoughts out and keep them straight with multiple characters.  Both of her explanations of character and dialogue formation surprised me with their simplicity but yet with their inherent difficultly as well.

Jay and Hurn-  I really enjoyed this reading because my biggest hurdle in doing any kind of photo project are finding subjects or even ideas for subjects.  I always try to make things harder than they need to be and in the process I also end up with a story idea that will be either too difficult to portray visually, or impossible to find in the time allotted to complete the project.  This reading really highlighted those areas I know I have problems with and offered a few helpful tips for me to remember when I'm looking for a subject. I think the best message I got from the reading is I need to have an intense passion or curiosity for what I choose to shoot, not just a small visual interest backed by a large need to find a topic for an upcoming project.  Being curious and interested in your subject makes it so much easier to capture visually interesting photos because you are as interested in exploring and learning about the subject as you eventually want the people who look at your piece to be.

Daddy's little miss precious-editing exercise

Inspiring Photo Essay

http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-bigpicturefire,0,5985825.htmlstory



I really liked this photo essay because it showed a community all experiencing the same devistation but also highlighting their own unique stories.  You get a taste of what it's like out there with the firemen, volunteers, victims and children all affected by the fire.  The black bear that is being led out of the fire  is a powerful image because in that moment it's not the fearless animal it's known to be, it just needs help like everyone else. The fire, even though it's incredibly destructive, is also inherently beautiful painting the sky with spectacular colors providing an amazing backdrop for some really incredible moments.

http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-teachers-boy-ss,0,3436771.htmlstory

I love how this story is so honest.  The boy seems like he understands so much more than you ever think a child could.  You never see his face, but I don't feel like I miss anything.  I also like how the mother's hand is a repetitive symbol throughout the story. It's a great issue story that definitely makes you think about what's going on in public schools.

Heaven, Earth, Tequila

I watched this piece for the first time two years ago and I fell in love with it.  The visuals are so rich and I really think the use of both black and white and color only enhance their beauty.  I like how he used portraits in the first portion of the piece because I didn't feel like I lost anything later in the piece when faces weren't visible or clear.