Ups & Downs
The past month has been a long one, both busy and emotionally draining. Just after my last journal post, my uncle Neal, a highway worker, was killed by the top of a tree that fell onto him while he was working off the roadside. His service was held a week later, and I was in attendance. This is a subtle reminder that while I keep losing relatives, I need to embrace my family and value the time I have left with them. My grandfather (the only one I've known) recently went under knee-replacement surgery which also reminds me of how little time I have left with him. I hardly know a majority of my Richards side of the family, so each loss is a missed opportunity to really meet and know my family members on a personal level. I've also been in high spirits since, realizing that I have little to be worried about and more to be focused on and succeed at. On that note, I bring you this...

Subsonic Photography
I have finally, after long last, started a small effort to get my name known as a photographer, starting with the basics: business cards and a website. You can visit my new page at Subsonic Photography where you will find a dedicated gallery to my aviation work (since I will primarily be focusing on my wokr in that field) and other little info pieces. Please feel free to visit, comment on it, whatever. I've made this site for networking & marketing my work & self, so you're helping by looking.

And now it's time to see what the great artists I follow have recently submitted as the next batch of masterpieces:

Where To Begin
Well sheesh, its been what... Over a month since I last posted a journal and I'm not sure what to begin with. I'm working on a photo portfolio to use when local & national positions at journalism outlets open up and fixing up a kickass resume to accompany the photos. Working a lot more, not much time uploading more of my Abbotsford photos and honestly, I'm not very pleased with the quality of the remaining shots. Great show, lousy pics, but hey, I tried right?

Looking to get some end-of-autumn shots up soon if I can get them. The sun sets much earlier than I'd like and my work schedule doesn't allow me to get back until the night has already blanketed over. We've had a lot of winds so the leaves are no longer on the trees and the snow is back in the Olympics. Should be seeing more mountain shots than anything else I'd imagine. Winter's on its way and December is around the corner.

College
A guy's gotta learn to get anywhere. And in todays World, you could have all the skill & talent in the universe at what you do but it won't count for jack with the education backing it up. So I'm returning to college after a couple months of absence. Going to be the photo editor of the campus' newspaper (I'll post links when available & I'm on the staff). The position pays $750 a quarter, so I'll be organizing with the college to have them use those funds to pay towards my tuition each quarter, giving me time to find a scholarship that I can actually apply for. I should've worked harder in high school... Meh.

Anyhow, there have been many, many, MANY great photos in my deviations box from the dozens of great artists I watch so here is a large feature collection to compensate for the lack of one over the past 5+ weeks (in no particular order):

Work & Play
Over a month since I last posted a journal, and really, I can't think of an excuse as to why I haven't except that I'm lazy. Yeah, that'll work. Anyhow, much has happened in the down time and I'm looking to upload more and more photos from the Abbotsford Airshow as well as the photos I'll be taking around home to keep myself busy in the off season. But, lets get some things out of the way.

Abbotsford '09
It was the first air show I had visited way back in 2006 where my closest friend & I just paid the entrance fees, sat on the edge of the ropes, and shot photos & video with our pieces-of-crap Sony camcorder & camera (nothing against Sony, I just got what I paid for; he went and demonstrated how a photographer isn't exactly limited by his equipment). This year, it was the first air show that I had been approved media cerd for, and boy did I abuse the shit outta that. I'm here to tell you about one of the greatest air shows in the Northwest of North America (it just doesn't get any Northwest-ier than that) that is also one of the longest running shows in the hemisphere.

The Abbotsford Airshow has laid its claim to fame with year after year of quality performances, extensive variety in static & flying displays, and prime support from the city of Abbotsford over the past 50 years. Though the show has missed a couple years in that time, the 2009 show was not one to miss.

This show had it all: seat-knocking military acts, stomach-lurching aerobatics, inspiring vintage aircraft, and the best batch of civilian performers anyone could ask for (Bud & Ross Granley, Kent & Warren Pietsch, and Dan Buchanan). Though the weather remained overcast and cloudy for the majority of the show, it just meant that the action and noise was kept close to the audience and kept attendees well on the edge of their seats. On top of all that, this year called for a unique celebration as it marked the 100-year Centennial of Powered-Flight in Canada, and one that the Canadian military had been well prepared to bring. A gorgeous F-86 Sabre named "Hawk One" and painted in the stunning Golden Hawks scheme accompanied the equally-attractive CF-18 Hornet in Centennial colors as well as a unique CT-114 Tutor in a Golden Centennaires paint. The three opened the show in a commemorative heritage flight lead by Hawk One.

Aside from the distractions of beautiful aircraft lining up along the static displays and zipping in and out of the airspace, I was intently focused on making the most out of my golden ticket media pass. The benefits were certainly not inadequate as meals were provided at the media tent throughout the show, complimentary posters & programs were available, and a wonderful little perch was set up for us photographers to shoot over the heads of the crowd seated ahead of us. While I am not ashamed to admit that i took full use of every privellage my pass gave me, one provission was exploited more than any other and that was access to the hot ramp before & during the show.

If you were to visit the Abbotsford Airshow, you'd notice the controlled chaos that is the sea of people & vehicles shuffling to and from the static displays, food courts, restrooms, and viewing areas is rather busy, yet on the seemingly empty hot ramp away from the teeming swarms it is just as, if not more, chaotic. When I was scooted in with a trio of other photographers & our volunteer coordinator past the security checkpoint seperating the onlookers from the performers there was an immediate sense of tension in the air as we neared closer and closer to the aircraft starting up to go next. Like a city intersection, traffic coming & going kept the tarmac alive and thriving as ground crew & pilots prepaired & launched their aircraft while teams down the line were waiting for their aircraft to return. It was amazing to watch F-15s roll by within feet of me and sharply turn into their spots on the outter edge of the hot ramp to make way for a smaller, but no less anxious Harvard cruising out to the runway for its turn in the sky. Simpley put, it was phenominal.

In just the four days I attended the show, starting with media day & arrivals on Thursday and up through the alst of the performances on Sunday, I shot over 4500 photos, slightly burnt my face once in the exhaust of a CF-18, had a drink with the performers and volunteers after the Saturday show at the after-party, and travelled in & out of Canada nearly a dozen times (with, as it turns out, an expired passport) for what I'm dubbing my greatest weekend yet.

As always you can catch my articles & photos from the Abbotsford Airshow and the other air shows I visit at AirshowStuff Magazine.

Back to Reality
With my season over (with a hair-thin chance of making Flgiht Test Nation), I've returned to work at the hobby shop and will continue so up through December where I plan on enrolling as the photo editor for my college's award-winning newspaper and continuing my work towards an AA. Thanks to all who've been keeping up with my work and the appreciation you've shown; every little bit counts and gives me a smile.

However, its that time again to stop rambling about myself and to show off some excellent photos from the artists I'm watching (and you should be as well, dammit):

Recap
So its been over a month now since I last updated, figured I might as well before I go to Abbotsford, which I have recieved my media credentials for. I'm very excited and can't wait to leave tomorrow night for Bellingham, WA to stage from over the weekend. I'll still have Internet while I'm gone, but probebly won't be too active.

PhotoJ is going well. Lots of photos and features to present to the class and I feel my photography is improving.

Speaking of improved photography, I was very proud of the shots that I took at Seafair this past weekend. You'll notice a couple already up and there will be a couple more to add as the week drags on. The show was amazing and well worth the hours waiting on the fence at KBFI in the 90-degree weather.

Also, my car had broken down earlier this week, but is doing much better, and thanks to good thinking on my Dad's part many years ago with adding a lifetime warrenty on my alternator, my repair bill was around $250 instead of $650; good news for me and my paychecks However, now that its been fixed, I've been spending more time thyan expected driving it around Washington. I've been to Seattle several times in the past week to pick up my friend Amanda from Sea-Tac and going to Seafair, as well as making an unexpected trip to Olympia the night of Seafair just hours after getting home. I'm still pretty exhausted, but I better perk up quickly because I'll be driving in and out of the country all week for Abbotsford. Hope thye border patrol remembers my face

Upcoming Months
Well, it looks like the season will finish itself off this week with Abbotsford, leaving me back to work more hours and spend more time training myself to shoot things other than aircraft for once. I also sent in a resume to Getty Images for them to review and help me find a good place to start at (hopefully the Seattle branch), but don't hold your breath; it wasn't all that glamourous of a resume. Anyhow, I'll probebly be busy uploading Seafair and Abbotsford shots as well as working on a 2010 calander for DA. I'm hoping that an early release will spark an actual sale, but we'll see.

Until next time, thanks for all of your support, favorites, and comments, and to the new watchers and visitors that are reading this, an extra thanks to you for reading this and finding my work interesting enough to browse Every little bit helps Take care all.

Here are some recent favorites for you all to look at and enjoy:

The Wedding
I was recently on vacation to St. Louis, MO for a wedding/camping trip involving my gaming community Highway Gamers and I. I was fortunate enough to stay for most of the week for Kieth & Kirty's wedding (BTW, stop by ~PepsiChic and congradulate her on her marriage ) and the camping trip back up in the Ozarks. I'm beginning to become fond of that little resort we keep staying at; especially since this year there were no fucking tornados. All in all, it was a terrific trip that I am glad I was able to do.

July...
Well, I was stupid enough to sign up for college classes during the Summer, so now I'll have a packed schedule for practically the whole month, what with assignments for college & the magazine, the NAS Whidbey Photocall, and now the Bellingham Visual Journalists Conference in a couple weeks. I'm getting exhausted as it is! UPDATE: I have a kickass employer who gave me pay before payday so I could make the Tacoma Freedom Fair! Its official; my job is the best out there.

Captian's Log
Been under some stress lately with catching up with classes, getting back to work, and fretting over what shows I'm going to make/miss this year. Its toned done a bit so thats good. Got into contact with some old friends and its been nice to hear their voices again. Life feels pretty good right about now.

The June issue of AirshowStuff Magazine is now out for all to enjoy! READ IT! [link]

Anyhow, thats it for today. Keep reading & watching for more of my shit (I mean art).

Here are some recent favorites: