Walking through Pinnacles Youth Park

Which one of these is not like the other?

Think that frog is hard to see in the picture? Try finding it within all the brush along the banks of the creek.

Note: cowboy boots do not make for good hiking boots.

Shooting the Moon

Nationalism orchestra rehearsal

I've been working for Maestro Alex Innecco (of Carpe Diem) this week. He and the 9th Street Philharmonic Orchestra will have a concert at the Missouri United Methodist Church this Saturday. For more info, check out the calendar page.

Fire at Maplewood Barn Community Theater

COLUMBIA, Mo - While the Monday night line up on TV was in full effect, including the final game of the NCAA Basketball Tournament, the Maplewood Barn Community Theatre at 2900 E. Nifong Blvd. went up in flames. The call to dispatch came in at 7:56 p.m. on Monday, April 5, 2010. A total of nine units arrived at the scene, including seven from Columbia and two from Boone County Fire Departments. Columbia's Station Eight, located about four miles to the east, reported visible fire from their location. It took 45 minutes for the raging flames to be subdued.

The barn, which has existed for over 100 years, is a historical building, according to the Maplewood Barn Community Theater Vice President, Lee Wilkins Black. Black also stated that the barn had been the site of vandalism as recently as three weeks ago. She speculated that probable causes are either vandalism or bad wiring. "On top of being sad, there is anger," Black said.

Had the fire not completely leveled the barn, the next performance there would have been "Arsenic and Old Lace," on May 14, 2010.

An engagement

And he waits.



And he asks. She accepts.



Alicia and Drew, engaged under the Burr Oak tree.

March 6, 2010

Rock Bridge State Park

The above photo is a composite of two photos. They were of the exact same image and taken within milliseconds of one another, but exposed differently. This was done so that both the sky and the ground would be exposed as desired. The technique of combining multiple photos to display a higher range of captured light is called, HDR, or High Dynamic Range.

The spiderwebs are what caught my eye for this photo. A simple picture, but this took a bit of time to do. Camera on tripod, check. External flash connected to camera via off camera flash cord, check. Flash hanging from tree branch via gorilla tripod, check. After all that, it was a matter of timing as the wind was blowing the nearly four foot blade of grass back and forth. The sunset added a nice touch.

Downtown

True/False Film Festival Parade, Part II

The annual True/False Film Festival has once again started in Columbia, Mo. The city hosts the documentary film festival once a year with film makers and viewers converging from all over the nation. A celebratory parade, deemed the "March March," kicked off the weekend festivities with a parade through downtown. Here are some snap shots from the event.

True/False Film Festival Parade

The annual True/False Film Festival has once again started in Columbia, Mo. The city hosts the documentary film festival once a year with film makers and viewers converging from all over the nation. A celebratory parade, deemed the "March March," kicked off the weekend festivities with a parade through downtown. Here are some snap shots from the event.

Watch out Jesse Hall!

Wasteland outtake

Understanding: 29 and Autistic

At 29 years of age, most adults are married, have been married, have children, own a home or have a stable, self-supporting income. While this may be the norm, and certainly there are exceptions to the norm with people choosing to stay single, travel the world or do other expectation-breaking things, it is most certainly not the norm for Chris Atkinson. At the age of three in 1980, Chris' parents Nancy and Terry were told that the son they thought they would have was "dead." He in fact, was not dead, though he was diagnosed with autism, a developmental disorder that affects normal social and communication development in the brain.

Fast forward to present day, in which the disorder has become increasingly common, researched and treated, we go beyond the childhood that Nancy Atkinson fought for Chris to have in the public school system of Hallsville, Mo. Today, Chris functions primarily in a child’s state of mind, but no one can tell how much he truly understands. Though he can do things for himself, like brush his teeth, shower, change clothes and buckle his seat-belt, he cannot drive, cook a meal, write out a grocery list or most importantly communicate his needs or feelings. With few services available in the community for adults with autism, the 29-year-old Chris Atkinson spends most of his time in front of his TV and in his childhood home.

In the front yard of the Atkinson’s rural home, Chris paces an
exact route along the gravel driveway. He passes a dog that
doesn’t respond to his presence, the house he has lived in for
the past 29 years, and a basketball hoop that has never been
an after-school activity for him.

Though to an outsider’s eye Chris’ room might be messy,
but to him it is exactly and perfectly organized. He has a
place for everything, and if a stack of hats falls off the door
hangers or papers off the dresser, he places them back in the
exact same place they were before. His room is adorned with
Disney characters, posters of TV characters from the 80s and
90s, stickers, and ribbons he’s earned at horseback riding for
the developmentally disabled.

Despite the fact that he is overwhelmed by loud noises,
Chris turns his radio on at low volume, even if the TV is
also on. Be it radio or TV stations, Chris has the ability to
remember what time and channel, call letters included, a specifi
c show will be on. However, he does not have the ability
to express whether the show is still on the air, as is the
case with several older television game shows and TV series.

People with autism suffer from sensory overloads. Essentially,
the sounds or lights that are normal to everyone else
are terribly bothersome. Chris is sensitive especially to sound
but also to light. To combat this, he wears sound canceling
headphones and leaves the lights off as much as possible.

Before going on an early December morning walk for exercise,
Chris helps his grandmother put on her gloves
right after she tied his hood tight. Though the weather
was cold, walking is essential as Chris and Helen
have few opportunities for exercise throughout the day.

Chris and his grandmother Helen Lee walk the block of her
home early one morning. Chris has spent nearly every weekend
since birth at his grandmother’s house. While there, he
helps her with dishes, sweeps the floor and does other simple
chores as Lee’s health problems limit her mobility.

While apple cider is cooking, Chris socializes with staffers
at TouchPoint Autism Services. He attends a weekly cooking
class for the developmentally disabled, in which simple
snacks or foods are made during the hour long class. During
the class, Chris keeps track of the time to make sure he
leaves as soon as the hour session has expired.

Apprehensive and worried, Chris watches his older brother
Curtis attempt to figure out what is wrong with the VCR after
two tapes had been destroyed. Chris’ main vice is watching
TV and old movies, and at the time of the movies breaking
Chris’ mother Nancy was worried a meltdown was on the way.
Though the problem was solved with a new VCR, Nancy explains
the meltdowns as unpredictable screaming fits in which
Chris claws at his own skin. They can last up to 15 minutes.

In the dining room of his home, Chris focuses on his lunch
as his family socializes around him. The extent of Chris’
interactions at such family gatherings consists of responding
to simple questions, shaking hands and saying hello.
During social situations, people with autism act in one of
three different ways; avoidant, indifferent or awkward.

Chris is awake at 4:00 in the morning, out of bed at 4:30 and
in bed for the night at 9:00 or 9:01. The rigidity of his schedule
is an aspect of Autism in which every thing has a specific
place and every event has a specific time.

Underneath the Skin

One Day Story

Also known as the Five Points of View assignment in my capstone class, this one challenges us to create a viable photo story in a 24 hour time span.

_________________

Household Hazardous Waste Collection




Environmentally hazardous materials are those considered to be flammable, explosive or reactive, corrosive or toxic. Such properties are found in easily accessible materials like cleaning products, paints, oils and batteries among others. To combat pollution through improper disposal of such materials, the City of Columbia conducts a Household Hazardous Waste collection. Employees, like Eric Vann, take products out of participant vehicles and organize them for recycling.



Pat Danner and her dog Frosty wait patiently as Columbia Public Works employees remove items from her trunk. Danner said some of the items she dropped off had been sitting around her home for nearly 30 years. Improper disposal of hazardous materials is considered as pollution and poses a threat to human, animal and plant health.



Waste products are categorically separated: cleaning products, pesticides and paint find either wooden pallets or plastic containers. Due to the toxic nature of items collected, employees must wear nitrile or chemical resistant gloves to protect themselves.




In a storage room for toxic materials like batteries, lead, and mercury, bins line the walls for specific separation by employee Anthony Brown. Mercury, which can be found in thermostats for example, can produce severe lung, gastrointestinal and nervous system damage, according to the EPA.



In all colors and amounts, the most common item dropped off is paint. Reusable products like paint are collected, condensed and made available to the public for free pickup the following Monday. On a previous Household Hazardous Waste collection, an estimated 60-70 gallons of latex paint was dropped off by participants.

Old Parts, New Life

We all know about recycling soda cans, milk jugs and cardboard, but one company in Columbia, Mo, is extending that idea into the needs of the twenty-first century. At Mid-Mo Recycling, computers, monitors, cell phones, TV's and just about any other electronic devices can be recycled.

Here are a few photos from this multimedia piece I created for KBIA. Take a look-see and maybe you'll learn something new.








On a personal note, I had my wisdom teeth taken out this morning so I've got a nice opportunity to catch up on blogging. Enjoy.

Running to the '80s Audio Slide Show

Nice Light

So here are two outtakes from a story I shot last night. I like the lighting but they have little impact on the story of the assignment. It was an 80's run, with participants fully decked out in retro attire and attitude. I'll be putting together a slide show tomorrow so be on the lookout for that.