Blog | Jeremy Lock | Photojournalist

Beautifully Broken

This past weekend, my wife and I attended The Warren Center’s gala, The Art Of Music. Singer-songwriter Ron Bultongez and I were excited to be this years Headlining Visual Artist for the event. Ron wrote and sang an original piece for the gala and I created a few pieces of art to be auctioned off. The artwork raised over $10K for the charity! However, my highlight of working with The Warren Center was donating my time to dive into and document some of the beautiful families they serve and show a glimpse of their lives. I took Ron’s music titled, Center Of It All and created a video project with my imagery titled, Beautifully Broken. I think we are ALL broken in some way or another in our lives, but what I witnessed while documenting and learning about these families was a beauty in these children not held down by their disabilities. And just like that the title was born! A value was instilled in me by my mentors throughout my military service. Give back as freely as it was given to you! Now that I am retired from the military, I choose and look forward to giving back to a military charity and a local civilian charity every year. I hope you enjoy and share the video! The Warren Center is a nonprofit agency that advocates, serves and empowers the children and families impacted by developmental delays and disabilities. The Warren Center was created in 1968. Over the years, they have given parents access to the resources their children needed, and more importantly, hope and support. To learn more: https://www.thewarrencenter.org Ron Bultongez is living the American Dream. From growing up in the Democratic Republic of Congo to being named the “Hometown Hero” of Plano, TX and becoming a Top 24 Finalist on American Idol 2018. Ron’s dreams have taken him far. His journey, depth, and spirit are evident in his smooth yet raspy vocals and his bluesy, soulful songwriting. Check him out at: https://ronbultongez.com

Jeremy Lock | Recipient of the First Annual South x Southeast Director’s Award 2018 | To Be An Apata

Wow, it has been a whirlwind of “on the road” work since June for me! I have been working at workshops, (one that I run), travels to India finishing up a personal project, living out of a car for a couple weeks covering Hurricane Florence and a bunch of guest speaking to include speaking to the Canadian military and NATO forces in Ottawa, Canada. When I came home a week ago I had a beautiful email in my in box from a great mentor of mine congratulating me. “Congratulations on this wonderful South by Southeast Director’s Award. You deserve it and much more. This honor is an appreciation of the very necessary and powerful work you deliver each time you go out to do your work. You have made a personal step forward to make a difference. It shows that a person can deliver truth and beauty when they lead with their heart and soul.” – Eli Reed, Magnum Photographer I was scratching my head until I then looked further down in my emails and found the official confirmation from South x Southeast. I was truly overjoyed!!!!! This was a project that I had worked on last fall in Far East India with a great friend of mine Russell Klika and was an amazing Army Combat Camera man during his time in service. Just to get to some of our locations during the trip it took two days by train, 16 hour bus rides and finally around six-eight hour car rides. Russell big thanks to our trip and introducing me to this amazing culture! As you know I would travel with you anywhere!!! This has been an amazing project to work on that has truly enriched my life! I couldn’t have even come close to finishing up this without the help of my AMAZING writer Taylor Nam who works to bring my interviews, perspective and thoughts into a beautiful story. I continue to love working with her on our projects! So this story To Be An Apatani Woman has made it into the top 20 in Pictures of the Year International and now this award. It has been frustrating trying to find a home/publication for this project in hopes of bringing more awareness and understanding into our complex world. I am happy to be sharing it with you and in this way! Thanks again to Nancy at South x Southeast for the honor and belief in my work. I hope you will all take the time to read the story that accompanies the images and by all means please share!!!! https://www.sxsephotogallery.com/2018/10/21/jeremy-lock-recipient-of-the-south-x-southeast-directors-award-2018-to-be-an-apatani-woman/ To Be An Apatani Woman When the last tattooed Apatani woman of Arunachal Pradesh passes, the tribe will lay to rest one of the most significant parts of their history and culture–the coming-of-age ritual of nose plugging and facial tattooing, two practices that historically defined what it meant to be an Apatani woman. Up until 1974, young Apatani girls around the tender age of seven were forced to plug their noses with cane and tattoo their faces from hairline to nose and then across the chin using a tipe tere (local thorny plant). In this northeastern Indian state also known as the ‘Land of the Rising Sun,’ nose plugs and face tattoos were much a part of the journey to womanhood as was finding a husband and starting a family. News organizations have reported in the past that these physical modifications were made so that enemy tribes wouldn’t steal the famously beautiful Apatani women during tribal disputes. However, an Apatani woman named Manu gave another reason for the tradition as it was taught to her years ago by her parents: “If you don’t have tattoos and nose plugs, no boys will be attracted to you. If you want to get married, you need these.” However, according to the locals of Ziro Valley, these practices were banned by the government in the 1970’s. Some of the Apatani women expressed their gratitude that the rituals have been banned; they do not want to see younger generations go through the physical pain of plugging one’s nose and tattooing one’s face. Other women disagreed. They see the ban as a suppression of their identity. In the words of Apatani, Lulyo, “I want the younger women to keep on the tradition, because God has given them some kind of sign that they must follow the culture.” Yet, even those who disagree with the ban seemed to have reached a sort of individual peace with the changing culture, expressing a trust in fate, destiny, God or organization to the way of life that goes beyond the physical world. The ban represents both the movement towards modernization as well as movement away from what has always been. For as long as history has been passed from generation to generation, to have the plugs and tattoos is to be Apatani. Now, going forward, these women must decide what marks them as being distinct from the surrounding tribes and, really, the rest of the world. Story written by: Taylor Nam Punyo Pui, 80’s Michi Yaji, 75-80 Michi Yaring, 75-80 Yaring was 14 yrs old when she had her nose done and was tattooed at 15 yrs old. When her mother started to tattoo her she screamed a lot and asked to wait until her father came home from the jungle. Yaring said, “five people including her father had to catch her and hold her down”. Although it was very painful, she would like the younger girls to take on the responsibility and continue the tradition. Tilling Manu, 61 Manu was 3 yrs old when her ears were pierced, 7yrs old when she received her nose plug and tattooed at the age of 12 or 13. She didn’t want to get the tattoos because she heard it was painful. She ran and hid under the house with the pigs until her parents pulled her out and tied her hands and legs before performing the act. When asked now about her tattoos and nose plug Manu says, ” I am very proud to have them because it is our own culture. I want to have these because everybody knows that I am Apatani”. Michi Modii, 60

2018 EarthX

Finally getting around to posting a fun assignment I had this past April for the EarthX 2018 gala here in Dallas, Texas. I was brought in to do a little portrait session with some of the VIP’s attending the event. Wow, and to my surprise, I was blown away when Dr. Buzz Aldrin, one of my childhood heroes walked in to be photographed! He is a great person full of character and life and was so much fun on set! His attire is absolutely so fitting for him! In fact all the VIP’s I got to work with are absolutely amazing and it was a true honor to work with them all!!! EarthX is the World’s Largest Environmental Expo, Conference and Film Festival. Their mission is Connecting a global community to create a sustainable world for all life and future generations. They have a vision of being the leading global connector and environmental forum to positively impact our world for a sustainable future. Buzz Aldrin (born Edwin Eugene Aldrin Jr.; January 20, 1930) is an American engineer, former astronaut, and Command Pilot in the United States Air Force. As Lunar Module Pilot on the Apollo 11 mission, he and mission commander Neil Armstrong were the first two humans to land on the Moon. Aldrin set foot on the Moon at 03:15:16 on July 21, 1969 (UTC), 9 minutes after Armstrong first touched the surface. (Global Impact Honoree 2018) Left: Miguel Hoffmann – Mexican Actor (Most recognized actor in Mexico). Right: Danni Washington is an on-camera personality and science communicator who is deeply passionate about our oceans. (Global Impact Honoree 2018) Left: Ovie Mughelli – Former Fullback for the Atlanta Falcons. Right: Colbie Marie Caillat is an American singer and songwriter from Malibu, California. Caillat rose to fame through social networking website Myspace. At that time, she was the number-one unsigned artist of her genre. After signing with Universal Republic Records, she released her debut album Coco in July 2007. Left: Sonja Morgan (The Real Housewives of New York City) is a fixture of New York City society. She got her start modeling in Paris and Milan and studying marketing at the Fashion Institute of Technology, representing high-end luxury brands while keeping her Berkshire-bred sensibilities and values. Sonja used her business acumen and social skills—along with rock-and-rollers, royalty, and the power set—to launch several award-winning luxury fashion brands and successful hot spots across the country. Right: Jorge Heredia is an award winning Host, Actor and Journalist who launched his career as the host of Emmy & Paoli award winning entertainment variety show, “Que Pasa Miami?”. The show garnered a global weekly audience of 22 million and was broadcast in 19 international cities. Jorge decided to expand his portfolio by working as an actor on independent films and television in the US. Left: Dr. Cyrus Wadia is Vice President, Sustainable Business & Innovation, NIKE, Inc., where he is responsible for enabling the company’s sustainability strategy with the goal of driving change across Nike and the wider industry. (Global Impact Honoree 2018) Right: Cyrill Gutsch founded Parley for the Oceans to provide a collaboration network where creators, thinkers and leaders can come together to raise awareness for the beauty and fragility of our oceans and collaborate to end their destruction. Parley is known for renaming sustainability into ‘Eco Innovation,’ a concept realized through high-caliber collaborations and the introduction of Ocean Plastic™, a range of premium materials for the sports, fashion and luxury industries made from upcycled plastic debris collected on high seas, beaches and in remote coastal communities. (Global Impact Honoree)

Voices In The Streets When The NRA Comes To Dallas

This weekend the city of Dallas hosted the NRA convention and thousands of gun enthusiast. While others FOR and AGAINST the NRA took to the city streets to let their voices be heard. This is a combination of three rallies: Stand Up To The NRA, Rally 4 Reform and a open carry fire arm rally. It was great getting out there and running into some old friends like Adrees Latif while working with a younger photographer I am mentoring. All the rallies went of great and from what I could tell I didn’t see any fighting from opposing sides. When I did encounter anything it was a discussion between the two.

ISIS Last Stronghold

With only 8.1 km separating Batnaya and Tel Skuf, they existed as sister cities in an area of Iraq called the Nineveh Plain – a place that Christians and other ethnoreligious minorities have lived for millennia. When ISIS swept across Iraq in August 2014 on a mission of systematic annihilation against Christians and other religious minorities, chaos ensued. People were forced to flee their homes instantly, knowing full well that ISIS would soon destroy their churches, houses and places of work. Eventually, ISIS took Batnaya with the full intention to advance towards Tel Skuf, desecrating everything in its way. In the resulting struggle between the Kurdish army, called Peshmerga, and ISIS to take possession of the land, Batnaya became a desolate moonscape and Tel Skuf an uninhabited ghost town, constantly under enemy fire, directly on the war’s front line. By October 2017, the Peshmerga, together with the Coalition Forces, drove out the last of the ISIS from Batnaya and eventually all of Nineveh. In Tel Skuf, 300 families have started the process of patching their lives back together. In Batnaya, however, only one man has re-established his home and returned with his family. Even with ISIS gone, the current political uncertainty has caused some to hesitate on returning to Nineveh while others have chosen to leave the province altogether, seeking refuge in Iraqi Kurdistan, other nearby countries, or in the West. For all the displaced people of Nineveh, these towns mean more than the streets and buildings – Nineveh is the wounded but still beating heart of Iraq’s minority population. The Nineveh Plains are symbolic, a cultural and religious landmark and to remain with the uncertainties of war still on the horizon is to claim ownership of one’s future there. -Story written by Taylor Nam Erbil, located approximately 120 kilometers north of Baghdad, is the capital city of the Kurdistan Region and became the destination for hundreds of thousands of refugees fleeing the neighboring province of Nineveh. This region is where the majority of Iraq’s ethnic and religious minorities, including a nearly 2,000-year-old Christian community, reside. Although ISIS never reached Erbil itself, war consumed its neighboring cities and threatened the lives of everyone in the area until its expulsion from Iraq in the fall of 2017. In a process of systematic persecution of Christians and other ethnoreligious minorities like Yazidis, ISIS invaded the Nineveh Plains with the intent of creating its territorial caliphate and to obliterate everything representing these cultures. Women and children were no exception. When ISIS took Batnaya, thousands fled to the Kurdistan region with only minutes notice, taking with them only what they could carry and leaving most of their possessions behind. Once clear of Batnaya, they had little place to go except for refugee camps. Although they may have escaped the ISIS invasion, the people of Nineveh were far from safe. Batnaya’s neighbor, Telskuf, was held by the Kurdish Peshmerga forces and became the front line against ISIS. The militants who captured Batnaya were stopped only a few kilometers away. Filled with homes, shops, restaurants, schools — like any normal town — Telskuf marked the last line of defense in Northern Iraq. Just on the horizon and after years of occupation, looting, shelling, desecration and eventually coalition bombing, Batnaya was reduced to near rubble as Telskuf remained relatively intact. Although ISIS nearly captured Telskuf it continued to besiege it daily with mortars, artillery, sniper infiltrations and roadside bombs. Eventually, the extremists were pushed back by the Peshmerga forces with air support from the United States. As a defensive measure, The Peshmerga drew literal lines in the sand with WWI-like trenches dug deep into the Telskuf ¬that remain visual scars recent conflict. For almost three years, ISIS ravaged Batnaya and continually attacked Telskuf. The rubble piles and dry, fragmented vegetation in both towns reflects the destruction. With debris littering the streets and entire buildings leveled almost beyond recognition, Nineveh was transformed from an ancient sanctuary to ruins. In Batnaya, very few buildings withstood ISIS’s occupation. Those that did were disfigured by the ravages of war – graffiti, bullet holes, bomb craters, missing walls and piles of rubble. With all the residents gone and around 80-percent of the town damaged, the now ghost town took on a moonscape-like appearance. The Peshmerga (with air support from the U.S.) eventually pushed ISIS out of Batnaya but the retreating fighters scorched the earth as they fled by blowing up key infrastructure, llooting and leaving booby traps for the victors in an already devastated city. The Christians of Batnaya have been slow to return, because so little of their old lives remain and danger still exists. By September 2017, only one family had returned to Batnaya. They live in what would be a normal home in any other town but here, perched amidst the wreckage; the structure’s mere existence is remarkable. Other residents, while at first expressing their resolution to return to their city, now face the reality that everything they once knew is nearly gone. What used to be a place of worship, the Catholic Church in Batnaya, now stands as a testament to jihad. With the statuary destroyed and the building in near ruins, the altar was used as target practice by occupying ISIS militants. On the walls, hateful messages were made in Arabic but also in German ISIS soldier scribbled caliphate graffiti on the walls – a testament to ISIS’s global appeal. The local vicar has expressed that he will keep the bullet-riddled altar as a monument and a reminder to visitors and Parishioners alike that although outside forces like ISIS may try to wipe out Christianity, the community will endure. Clothing, toys, and photos — memories of happier days — all had to be left behind when the people of Nineveh fled for their lives. In the choice between personal mementos and one’s life, the decision is instinctual and often instantaneous. For the Christians of Batnaya, the abandonment and loss of material things represents how quickly their lives can be taken from them. Initially, the general attitude among the displaced Christians, Yazidis and other refugees was that they would return to their towns in Nineveh, including Batnaya and Telskuf, when ISIS was defeated. However, some have left Iraq and will never return seeking refuge in neighboring counties like Lebanon, Turkey, Jordan and beyond. Many remain in refugee camps with no money or means to rebuild. In Telskuf, the town is making a comeback with stores and shops reopening. Even restaurants are turning on their lights once more. No matter if they choose to go back home to Telskuf and Batnaya or to move elsewhere, the attitude of those Christians and the other displaced peoples who lived through the ISIS invasion remains one of hope and pride. ISIS did not win. Jihad did not prevail. And, for the future, hope exists.

2017 Snowball Express

It warms my heart to be a part of Snowball Express once again! Here is some of my favorite moments from this year’s event with these amazing children. And, yes there were many times this year that I had to wipe away tears in my eyes while I was shooting. Snowball Express is one of the few charities dedicated to the children of our nation’s fallen military heroes changing lives, giving hope, creating wonderful memories, and inspiring these children to realize that anything they dream of doing is possible to accomplish.

Kolkata 24

I just returned back home from a truly epic 37-day trip to the northeastern part of India with a fellow retired Army photographer friend of mine, Russell Klika. You can find him on Instagram at: rklika Trip Overview:
We started our India trip out from the city of Kolkata and headed north into Arunachal Pradesh and visited the city of Tawang and Ziro. Next we went to Guwahati in Assam for transportation to Nagaland. Lastly we started to make our way home back to Kolkata but not before stopping at Majuli Island for some relaxation. Stay tuned for upcoming stories I worked on in these areas! Kolkata:
After a physically demanding trip in the remote regions of northeastern India we finally made it back to Kolkata where we had a few days to burn before our flight home. Jokingly, Russell said, “We should go out and photograph Kolkata for 24 hrs.” And “Kolkata 24” was born! I then laid down the rules. I said, “This is awesome, and you must produce an image every hour to share on a social media platform, so at the end you HAVE to show 24 images.” The game was born, but little did we know how demanding it would be. A local friend and photographer Raj Maeyukh Dam decided to join in with us and help us around the city. Our little adventure took us to such places as the Chicken Hotel Market, Old Kolkata, numerous Ghats, a railway colony, Chinatown, nightclubs, the train station, flower market and running the streets in the late hours with the dogs. (Next time you see me, ask me about the craziest thing I have ever seen with dogs, it blew my mind!)

During our game, we had some great hours where we would stumble upon something cool and shooting would be great. But on the other hand you had the hours were we would be in transit from one part of the city to another or in a place where nothing was really going on and shooting was hard. It didn’t matter the situation, you have to have an image to represent that hour. Which now brings me to my next point. Editing of the final 24 images to produce a well-rounded representation of the city was another challenge. On the good hours you had to cut some of your best images of the day and on the not so good hours you might be posting a fish picture from dinner in Chinatown.

“Kolkata 24” was a blast and a great way to test our skills! I hope you enjoy the way I saw this vibrant and energetic city in 24hrs.
I would love to hear your comments! “Kolkata 24” Timeline

5-6 am: Hogg Market: Chicken Hotel Market

6-7 am: Walking Central Kolkata

7-8 am: Walking Shakespeare Sarani (area)

8-9 am: Metro to Kalighat

9-10 am: Kalighat market & Viewed Mother Teresa hospital. (No photos allowed)

10-11 am: Coffee at Raj’s uncle & ride to our hotel to refresh cards and batteries

12-1 pm: Our hotel and the Taltala Market area

1-2 pm: Heading to Old Kolkata through traffic and Central Kolkata

2-3 pm: Old Kolkata Ghat and the railway colony

3-4 pm: Old Kolkata

4-5 pm: Old Kolkata Nimtala Park (affection)

5-6 pm: Bara Bazar

6-7 pm: Drive to Chinatown, Topsin and dinner at Lee Garden

7-8 pm: China Town, Topsin

8-9 pm: China Town Topsin and to a fair (stuck in traffic)

9-10 pm: Fair and walk to our hotel to refresh cards and batteries

10-11 pm: Our hotel then head to Sudder street by walking

11-12 am: Sudder street & Park street

12-1 am: Park street

1-2 am: Park street (Roxy Club) & Sudder street

2-3 am: Howrah Train station area

3-4 am: Howrah Train station & Malik Ghat Flower Market

4-5 am: Malik Ghat Flower Market

Kurdistan, Iraq Color Fest

On my recent trip to Kurdistan, Iraq with the amazing Mercury One we had a little down time to take in the first ever festival of colors in Sami Abdulrahman Park, Erbil, hosted by the Nishtiman Youth Network (NYN) Color Fest was happening the day after we arrived in Iraq. This was the first large gathering of Kurdish young people (aged 13 to 30 and some “young at hearts” like us) celebrating ethnical, religious, and cultural diversity in the region. This festival took place a couple days before their Independence referendum vote. Every Kurdish youth must have been there. It was a celebration of freedom and independence! With techno music blaring from the stage, they threw color powder in the air and at one another while a helicopter dropped rose petals from the sky. It was not too long ago that that ISIS controlled this region. It was incredible to experience and be part of this jubilation and celebration of normalcy and unity for all those that have weathered through turmoil and crisis. According to Wikipedia, On 25 September 2017 Kurdistan held their referendum vote with preliminary results showing approximately 93 percent, cast in favor of Kurdistan independence. The referendum’s legality was rejected by the federal government of Iraq.

BURNERS ESSENCE

SAVE THE DATE! I Hope you will join us when I team up with the amazing artist Steve Tate, as Art Meets Photography Tate-Lock Exhibition on September 28, 2017 at 6pm. I will be showcasing my “Burners Essence” project with never before seen work! BURNERS ESSENCE Burning Man is a weeklong event held once a year in the Black Rock Desert in northern Nevada, that experiments in community, art, radical self-expression and self-reliance. All are welcome. A unique and distinctive culture emerges from the experience. The focus and intent of my Burning Man series titled, “Burners Essence” is to capture a sense of theater and play, and collectively explore the vivid lives each of us possesses within. Now, finally after six years in the making, I am ready to release the series. I first started what turned into this project in 2009, at my first “burn”. I was trying to document the whole thing. I had no intentions other than my love of visual storytelling. One particular day, I was shooting at Center Camp, and found myself completely overwhelmed! I remember putting my camera down in my lap and thinking to myself, “I don’t belong here”. I hopped on my bike and headed back to my camp. As I rode to camp feeling defeated, I looked at all the beautiful people I was passing by. And then it hit me; Burning Man is about all the beautiful people; beautiful in spirit and essence. Burning Man is about unlocking their freedom of expression. It’s about them! When I got back to camp I took out an old red sheet we were going to use as part of our shower, I hung it up and started inviting these beautiful people in to be photographed. I found my gift to give and my belonging at Burning Man! Since 2009, I have returned to Burning Man in 2011, 2013 and 2014. I have given the same gift of a portrait session to other “burners” each year. When I invite them in to be photographed, I don’t really give them any direction, all I say is, “I want you to express yourself in your best Burning Man fashion”. What I get to experience and photograph are magical moments capturing their “essence” and freedom of expression during one of the best times in their lives. What they get is my gift that will last a lifetime, a fond memory of their time at such a magical place where they feel included and are able to express themselves without being judged. When I started this project, I was a U.S. Military Combat Photojournalist in the Air Force (I actually retired September 1, 2013, while at Burning Man). I love visual storytelling. I thrive on “working” stories, diving into each experience and living for a moment in a world outside of my norm. With the military I captured the essence of the world’s peoples, tragedies, celebrations, and everyday realities. The reason why I wanted to capture these images at Burning Man is because it was rejuvenating for me to “PLAY”, and lose myself after the seriousness of war. This was a place to be creative, and a time for me to set aside photojournalism, and the structure of the military. This is the place I discovered the artist inside me.

“Salute To The Troops”, Honors All Those Who Have Sacrificed For Our Nation’s Free

In my 21+ years as an Air Force photojournalist in the U.S. Military, I have never witnessed more amazing support and love towards our wounded veterans than by the people of Las Vegas! I just finished up a great weekend trip working with the Airpower Foundation from Nov 7th through Nov 11th of 2014. American Airlines Veterans Initiatives, MGM Resorts International, the USO, and the Airpower Foundation hosted 80 wounded veterans and their significant others to a four day Veteran’s Day weekend celebration in Las Vegas. This was an all-expenses paid trip for the 5th Annual “Salute to the Troops”. American Airlines donated a chartered aircraft, which was flown by an all-volunteer flight crew of pilots and flight attendants, to pick up the wounded warriors and their guests from Ft. Belvoir and Bethesda / Walter Reed Medical Center, and flew them to Las Vegas, where MGM Resorts International rolled out the red carpet for the veteran’s arrival at the Mirage Hotel; a place they would call home for the next 4 days.

Dallas Race Discrimination Protest

After watching the news about the demonstrations happening around our country over the deaths of Michael Brown and Eric Garner, I felt frustrated not being in the midst of all the action to document this important story in our nation’s history. I heard that there was going to be a demonstration here in Dallas. So, I thought I would brush off the cobwebs, and get back out on the streets, to see what I could capture of this historical event. I was glad I did!

Not only did it get my adrenaline pumping again, and the creative photojournalism juices flowing, but, I ran into a great fellow photographer of mine and Eddie Adams workshop friend Christena Dowsett.

Cancer Blows

Almost two years ago, Dallas Symphony Orchestra principal trumpet, Ryan Anthony, had just completed a guest appearance with his old group, Canadian Brass, and wasn’t feeling well. After the concert, Ryan told his wife, Niki, that he felt like his entire body was “jangling” as he ran off-stage. The Monday after the Canadian Brass concert, Ryan & Niki got the call that no one anticipates or is prepared for – especially with two young children in elementary school – Ryan had been diagnosed with Multiple Myeloma, a terminal cancer of the bone marrow that most often appears in patients 70 years of age and older. During his transplant, Ryan was overwhelmed with phone calls from trumpet players all over the world. Everyone asked what they could do to help, and Ryan jokingly started saying “we’ll all play a concert when I am healthy again and we’ll call it ‘Cancer Blows’ “. My wife D’Andra and I Chaired “Cancer Blows” in Dallas on March 4, 2015. The event benefitted the Baylor Sammons Cancer Center and the Multiple Myeloma Research Foundation. It sold out and was a huge success! Over twenty Principal Trumpets from Symphonies around the country joined Doc Severinsen, Arturo Sandoval and Lee Loughnane. Since my wife D’Andra was doing the heavy lifting as the fundraiser, I wanted to find a way that I could personally give back to Ryan and his cause. I decided this would be a great time to pull out my brand new Profoto B1’s and set up a small studio at the Meyerson Symphony Center to photograph these amazing artists that are giving of their time and talent to such a great cause. The weekend before the event I enlisted my friend David Carpenter to help me build the backdrop wall for the set in my garage. I also had numerous friends help me transport the wall to and from our house to the Meyerson. This was the hardest part! Once we were all ready to shoot, I invited each artist in for a quick photo session after dress rehearsals. I owe a big thanks to my good friend Bennie Davis for talking me off my ledge and grounding me with simplicity in the lighting. It was such an honor and so much fun to be a part of something impactful that was used to raise awareness and money to further the research for multiple myeloma and to help give Ryan’s family and other families a hope for a future. View Cancer Blows Shoot

Cincinnati Reds Home Opener: The Findley Market Parade

You know spring has officially begun in Ohio when downtown Cincinnati turns Red. Fans from all over come to celebrate not only the opening day game but also to be a part of the historic Findley Market Parade. This parade is grass roots Cincinnati and just as important to these fans as the game itself. In Cincinnati, Ohio, home of the sport’s first professional team, the annual Findlay Market Parade marks an official “city holiday” with young and old alike taking the day off to cheer on the Reds. 2015 marked the parades 96th year. Fans were there in the Queen City to show support in their own unique way for the only MLB team that opens at home every year! This was my second year working for Johnny Bench Enterprises covering the Reds Home Opener. I love the spirit and the kindness of the Cincinnati people! Now, I might be a little bias having grown up an hour away in Dayton, Ohio. I still remember my parents taking us kids to a few games, sitting in the outfield hoping to catch that home run ball with our gloves!

The Cincinnati Reds beat the Pittsburg Pirates 5-2.

Nascent, Chapter 1

I just finished installing my first art pieces for the 2014 Art vs. Architect exhibit and show. So many awesome artists!!! I was blessed to be paired with the amazing architect, Joshua Nimmo. It was fun working with him and getting to know his point of view! Also, I want to give a big thanks to my brother-in-law Jason Ohlson. He helped us put our thoughts into words!!! This is a collaborative piece between photographer Jeremy Lock and architect Joshua Nimmo. It is intended to be the first part of a photographic series that tells the story of a perceived lost culture of young explorers. Was there a generation of youth allowed to explore and reimagine the world around them? Or, is this just a nostalgic perception of times past? Is there an innate human instinct being squelched by the realities of trending urbanism? Will there be a future consequence if the ability to explore at an early age is lost? In Chapter 1, Lock and Nimmo start examination of these questions with Nimmo’s son Gabriel playing the part of young adventurer. These photos intentionally contrast the beauty that lies in the experience of exploration with the reality that dangers may be hidden somewhere in the darkness. As part of a continuing story, our protagonist discovers an archaic toy, known as a View-Master, which is expected to be a key icon in future chapters of this story.

Eddie Adams Workshop Portraits

The Eddie Adams Workshop (EAW) is an intense four-day gathering of the top photography professionals, along with 100 carefully selected students. The photography workshop is tuition free, and the 100 students are chosen based on the merit of their portfolios.

I was so blessed to attend the Eddie Adams Workshop as a student in 2002 after meeting Mr. Eddie Adams earlier that year in Afghanistan. If you are serious about photography you NEED to attend this workshop! This is how my meeting with Eddie all went down:
I received a phone call from a mentor of mine asking me to meet and assist Mr. Eddie Adams on an assignment he was covering. He was coming to Afghanistan to put a face on the American soldier. We had a great couple days of shooting. I was taking meter readings and holding reflectors, he was killing it, and I was watching/learning from his every move! On the last night, I asked him about his workshop and if he would mind looking over the portfolio I was submitting. This is what he replied, “Kid, I don’t look at that shit, that’s why I have people, they look at it! Send it in. Good luck!” I did make the cut to the workshop! This experience has changed my life and continues to do so. I have been fortunate enough to be asked back a couple times as part of the faculty as a member of the “Black Team”. My last two times back at the workshop; I was asked to be the workshop photographer. I can’t begin to tell you how nervous one becomes when faced with photographing the industry leaders, my idols! This year I decided to set up a small studio using the Profoto B1 Off-camera flash in a barn silo and invite the faculty in for a portrait session. In every milestone you achieve in life, there are people you surround yourself with to help you attain your success. I definitely could not have made my vision happen without the assistance of one of my best friends and Air Force photojournalists, Bennie Davis. And, we could not have achieved this without the great teachings from Profoto’s own Cliff Hausner.

Thanks guys!!! Portraits: 1. Charlie Mostoller, Freelance – Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Thomas Achtemichuk – Software Engineer, Boston, Massachusetts. Alyssa Adams – EAW Director, New York. Erika Larsen – Photographer, New York. Tim Rasmussen – AME of Photography, The Denver Post, Colorado. Alice Keeney – Alice Keeney Photography, Charleston, South Carolina. Lucas Jackson – Reuters Photographer, New York. Barbara Davidson – Photographer, The Los Angeles Times, California. Scott Allen – U.S. Navy Retired/Director, Media Relations U.S., Illinois. Rodrigo Abd, Photographer – Associated Press, Lima, Peru. Smita Sharma – Freelance Photojournalist, NewYork. John White – Visual Servant, Chicago, Illinois. Majat Naba – Photographer, New York. James Nachtwey – Photographer, New York. Eugene Richards and wife Janine – Photographer, New York. Nick Ut – Associated Press, Los Angeles, California. Jean Heary, Gregory Heisler – Photographer, New York. Here is what some of participants and volunteers have to say about the Workshop:
“There are no other days in the year where a free flow of ideas, mutual encouragement from all participants for the purpose of making meaningful images, in an atmosphere of phenomenal energy, exists in the world of photography quite like that which occurs at The Eddie Adams Workshop each Fall.”

– Howard Schatz “The EAW was one of those rare defining moments that shaped my career as a photographer forever.”

– Alana Goldstein, XXII “No sleep, no time, no room for failure. The Workshop separates out the photographers who have what it takes to succeed.”

– David Griffin, Visuals Editor, Washington Post “It was a place to make lifelong friendships and connections. An incredible experience that goes beyond the ‘photo’ in journalism, and a must for any inspiring photographer.”

– Afton Almaraz, XXI “The Eddie Adams workshop is an incredibly enlightening experience, the amount of raw talent that surrounds you is amazing.”

– Colin Crawford, Deputy Managing Editor, Visuals, Los Angeles Times For more information on the Eddie Adams Workshop:
http://www.eddieadamsworkshop.com

Behind The Scenes of 2017 Cancer Blows: The Legends Return

Behind The Scenes of 2017 Cancer Blows: The Legends Return. Once again, my wife D’Andra Simmons and I had the pleasure as Event Chairs working with the amazing charity Cancer Blows. And again, it was an honor to photograph the legends!!! Here is a look behind the scenes of me doing what I LOVE! Big thanks to Gary & Jesse O’Riley with Go Man Productions for the piece. Here are a couple teasers of the portraits.

SCOOTING IN ITALY!

On a recent family vacation with my mother-in-law and wife, we were fortunate enough to cruise the beautiful Mediterranean. We started out in Venice and ended up in Barcelona, hitting numerous ports along the way. I was playing the family tourist photographer role, documenting our trip every day. As a photojournalist, I yearned for something more to document as a small project or as I call it, “play”. The problem was, we only had a few hours in each port. It was on our second stop in Italy, traveling through Florence and Sorrento, that I started to notice the huge number of scooters zipping in and out of traffic, the different styles of clothing and helmets, and the full range of ages that were riding. “This is my fun little project”, I decided. It was a project that I could capture in-between and while we were sight seeing, and it was a project I could “work” from a street corner, while the ladies were shopping…and they shopped a lot! It was so much fun trying to capture the scooters and their riders, especially their facial expressions as they were, zipping by.

The images in my little essay were captured in Sorrento and Rome, Italy. Some fun facts I researched according to Wanderinginitalia:

(https://wanderinginitalia.wordpress.com/2010/10/20/why-do-most-italians-ride-scooters/) Italians are not allowed to get their drivers license until they are 18 years old. However, they are permitted to drive motor-scooters at the age of 14. Therefore, teenagers are raised on two wheels before they earn their right of passage. -It is more convenient to have a small motor-bike that can weave in and out of the cars and find parking in small spaces. Besides traffic conditions, cities like Milan require a hefty price for using your car in the city center due to the high congestion and air quality problems. It is simply soooo much fun to ride a scooter around the city, zipping by monuments and feeling the air rush against you! I love watching people of every age hop onto their motorini! From teenagers: dressed in the latest fashion, with their high top shoes and conformist brands, styled hair-dos under helmets, flying to their next encounter—to the working class: women flipping their hair and pressing the gas with high heels, men with flying suit tails flapping in the breeze weaving through morning traffic, picking up their children after school and securing them in the bike—to the older people: still hanging in with the high blood-pressure traffic maneuvers and ready as every to make absurd high-flying gestures at the crazy driving comportment of the fellow motorists–that absurd driving etiquette which is innately Italian.

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