Jimmy Butler #22 of the Miami Heat shoots the ball while being guarded by Alex Caruso #6 of the Chicago Bulls during the fourth quarter at Kaseya Center on April 14, 2023 in Miami, Florida.
In March 1995, Michael Jordan famously sent a fax to the Chicago Bulls to inform them that he would be returning to the team after retiring 17 months earlier. All the fax said was, "I'm back."
Well, I'm not MJ, and I never retired from doing what I do best, but I am back to regularly blogging, sharing my work, and any other works (videos, podcasts, books) that I find interesting.
Read MoreIt’s already been a month since I’ve been interning with the News & Observer and what a month it has been. Assignment work is fun yet challenging, especially when trying to find the balance between photo and video. Over the past month, I’ve really been trying to hone on my daily video skills, applying all that I have learned in the past year.
Every day is different and that’s what I enjoy the most. Here are some of my favorite videos and images from the month of June:
Video: This year’s Beaver Queen Pageant had a Damilton theme. That’s a play on Hamilton, the wildly popular musical, and dam, like beavers make. As usual, the fundraiser was marked by humor and outrageous costumes.
Young members of the crowd watch one of the acts at the 2019 Beaver Queen Pageant on June 1, 2019 in Durham Park.
2018 Beaver Queen, Flat Tail Fanny, walks through the crowd on June 1, 2019 at the 2019 Beaver Queen Pageant in Durham Park.
Members of the Islamic Association of Raleigh walk into prayer to celebrate the the end of Ramadan, the month of fasting observed by Muslims worldwide on June 4, 2019.
Members of the Islamic Association of Raleigh the end of Ramadan, the month of fasting observed by Muslims worldwide on June 4, 2019.
Video: Members of the Islamic Association of Raleigh celebrated the end of Ramadan with over 8,000 people at the Exposition Center on the North Carolina Fairgrounds on Tuesday, June 4, 2019.
Video: Garner Magnet graduating seniors who attended the Timber Drive Elementary school returned for a student clap-out in which they were celebrated for their achievement.
Video: Raleigh’s Brent Walters holds the national record for most racquetball state open championship wins. Recently, at the men’s open singles national championship he won his 14th and 15th national titles.
Video: U.S. Paralympian Desmond Jackson trains to compete in the Angel City Games, an elite adaptive sports competition. This is one of a few events he will compete in as he prepares to qualify for the paralympic games in Tokyo in 2020.
U.S. Paralympian Desmond Jackson prepares for practice on June 6, 2019 in Raleigh, NC.
U.S. Paralympian Desmond Jackson warms up before his practice on June 6, 2019 in Raleigh, NC.
U.S. Paralympian Desmond Jackson poses for a portrait in Durham, NC on June 7, 2019.
U.S. Paralympian Desmond Jackson receives final instructions from his coach before his race in Durham, NC on June 8, 2019.
U.S. Paralympian Desmond Jackson regulates the pressure in his prosthetic leg before a race in Durham, NC on June 8, 2019.
U.S. Paralympian Desmond Jackson warms up before his race in Durham, NC on June 8, 2019.
U.S. Paralympian Desmond Jackson poses for a portrait in Durham, NC on June 7, 2019.
Ryan Brown, 43, crosses a submerged portion of Highway 96 in Zebulon Saturday afternoon after heavy rains caused flooding in northern Wake County.
New York Yankees outfielder Aaron Judge signs autographs after batting practice with the Wilkes-Barre RailRiders, the Yankees' Triple-A affiliate, on June 14, 2019 at Durham Bulls Athletic Park in Durham, NC. Judge was playing with the RailRiders on a rehab assignment.
New York Yankees outfielder Giancarlo Stanton during batting practice with the Wilkes-Barre RailRiders, the Yankees' Triple-A affiliate, on June 14, 2019 at Durham Bulls Athletic Park in Durham, NC. Stanton was playing with the RailRiders on a rehab assignment.
New York Yankees outfielder Aaron Judge watches batting practice with the Wilkes-Barre RailRiders, the Yankees' Triple-A affiliate, on June 14, 2019 at Durham Bulls Athletic Park in Durham, NC.
New York Yankees outfielder Giancarlo Stanton walks out of the batter's box after completing batting practice with the Wilkes-Barre RailRiders, the Yankees' Triple-A affiliate, on June 14, 2019 at Durham Bulls Athletic Park in Durham, NC.
New York Yankees outfielder Giancarlo Stanton signs autographs after batting practice with the Wilkes-Barre RailRiders, the Yankees' Triple-A affiliate, on June 14, 2019 at Durham Bulls Athletic Park in Durham, NC.
Funeral Director Hubert D. Pope waits for the remains of Army Pfc. William H. Jones to arrive at RDU Airport in Raleigh, NC on June 20, 2019. Jones went missing-in-action during the Korean War on Nov 26, 1950.
The U.S. Army Color Guard salutes as the remains of Army Pfc. William H. Jones arrive at RDU Airport in Raleigh, NC on June 20, 2019. Jones went missing-in-action during the Korean War on Nov 26, 1950.
Army Pfc. William H. Jones remains arrive at RDU Airport in Raleigh, NC on June 20, 2019. Jones went missing-in-action during the Korean War on Nov 26, 1950. Several decades passed before his body was recovered after North Korea turned over 55 boxes containing the remains of American service members killed during the Korean War.
Family members of Army Pfc. William H. Jones commemorate him at RDU Airport in Raleigh, NC on June 20, 2019.
North Carolina Secretary of Veterans Affairs Larry Hall, Brigadier General Arnold Gordon-Bray and members of the U.S. Army honor guard commemorate U.S. Army Private First Class William "Hoover" Jones at the North Carolina State Capitol on June 21, 2019. In 1950, Jones went missing-in-action during the Korean War. Last year, North Korea turned over 55 boxes containing the remains of American soldiers. He was one of them.
Video: The Friends of Geer Cemetery hosted a Reclamation Celebration at the Geer Cemetery and part of the event was dedicated to re-erecting a gravestone that was toppled and buried long ago.
It’s Opening Day for the Syracuse Mets - previously the Syracuse Chiefs - and on this #ThrowbackThursday, I want to share a photo story on Rafael Bautista that I photographed two years ago, as well as some of my favorite images from the 2017 season.
Rafael Bautista warms up in the on deck circle as he awaits his second at bat of the season against the Rochester RedWings on April 8th, 2017. Before getting called-up to the Washington Nationals on April 29th, 2017, Bautista led the Syracuse Chiefs in batting average (.291), hits (23), runs (14), and stolen bases (3).
Rafael Bautista signs a fan's card during a team signing event after the game on April 8th, 2017. The baseball card features Bautista during his time with the National's double-A affiliate, the Harrisburg Senators.
Rafael Bautista catches a fly ball during the Syracuse Chiefs game against the Norfolk Tides on April 23rd, 2017. “He’s an outstanding outfielder, runs exceptionally well, has a good throwing arm and he pays attention, that’s what I like most about him, is that he pays attention,” said Dusty Baker, the manager for the Washington Nationals after Bautista was promoted to the majors.
Young fans wait for Syracuse Chiefs players to come sign memorabilia ranging from old jerseys to baseball cards, before the Chiefs game against the Rochester Red Wings on April 9th, 2017.
Rafael Bautista steals a base during a Chiefs game against the Rochester Red Wings at Rochester on April 16th, 2017. Bautista is known for his speed. Before getting called up to the Nationals, he led the Chiefs with 3 stolen bases. Last year in Double A with the Harrisburg Senators, he led all of minor league baseball with 56 stolen bases, with a 84% success rate.
Several Syracuse Chiefs players joke around during practice a day before what was supposed to be the first game of the season in April 5th, 2017. The game was postponed the next day due to inclement weather.
The Syracuse Chiefs play at NBT Bank Stadium in Syracuse, New York. Though the stadium's capacity is 11,071, the Chiefs averaged 4,157 fans per game.
The Syracuse Chiefs locker room before a game against the Norfolk Tides on April 23rd, 2017. Rafael Bautista's number 8 jersey hangs in front of his locker.
"I need to buy a suit in case I one day get called up to the majors," said Rafael Bautista during one of our conversations early in the season. On April 22nd, he along with the help of catcher Pedro Severino, went to the mall to purchase a suit jacket. Seven days later, on April 29th, he was called up.
During my junior year at Syracuse University, I knew I wanted to work on a baseball story, but in Syracuse, we don’t have a Major League Baseball club. I started brainstorming story ideas and thought it would be interesting to document one of the players who was projected to be called up during the season.
I did some research before Opening Day and found that Dominican centerfielder Rafael Bautista was one of the top prospects expected to play in the big leagues during the season.
I reached out to the Syracuse Chiefs and they were very accommodating in allowing me to talk to Rafael and giving me a season pass to photograph as many games as I possibly could.
Rafael was awesome and he had a great season with the Chiefs. One day, he called me and lets me know that he was about to go to the mall to buy a suit in case he got the call. I picked up my camera to document the moment. Seven days later, he makes his debut for the Washington Nationals.
Starting this year, the Syracuse Chiefs are the Syracuse Mets - the Triple-A affiliate to the New York Mets. The Triple-A team for the Nationals is now the Fresno Grizzlies, where Rafael hopes to play after he recovers from a season ending injury that he sustained last year.
My time photographing Rafael and the Chiefs is one of my fondest memories of my time in Syracuse. The organization is all class, and I am so appreciative of the opportunity they gave me.
Most importantly, I will always be grateful because they helped me surprise my dad with the throwing of the first pitch during one of the games. It was a special day.
Back in October at the Eddie Adams Workshop, Visual Journalist Tom Kennedy gave a presentation in which he said, “photography is writing with light.” Though I knew light was the most important element in photography - because without light, there is no photo - I had never thought about it so poetically.
In the last year, I’ve been documenting light any time it catches my attention. This has made me appreciate it much more while also learning new and interesting ways in which it interacts with objects and people.
To do this, I’ve been using one of my favorite Instagram features - Stories - where I am able to quickly share snapshots of light when I see them. Doing this over a period of time has helped me build a mental archive, allowing me to control light in my professional work.
I was recently talking to a professor who told me that what he appreciates most about photography is that it taught him how to see light, and in-turn appreciate the world in a different way.
Even if you’re not a visual storyteller, I would challenge you to start paying close attention to light everywhere. The intensity, the color, the shape it creates, how it interacts with the world. There is gratification in understanding this small part of life.
Here is my current light journal, which you can also find on my Instagram page:
From left, Visual Storyteller Abby Cantrell, Colombian Photojournalist Martín Villaneda Gómez, Visual Storyteller Bryan Cereijo, and Journalist Brooklynn Cooper pose for a photo during ‘Fun Day’ in Medellín, Colombia.
During nine days in Colombia, I was part of one of the best groups I have ever worked with.
My partners - now family - kept cool under immense pressure and stress, were the utmost professionals, and took care of each other at all times.
During the time we weren’t out in the field filming, I took portraits of what I now call the A-Team:
Colombian Photojournalist Martín Villaneda Gómez (@martin_in_raw, @martinvillanedag) tests the light before an interview in Medellín, Colombia.
Martín, thank you for guiding us through your city and helping us with literally anything we needed at any given time. From guide, to translator/fixer, to photographer, we appreciate all of your contributions. Most importantly, thank you for your friendship. We are now waiting for you at UNC.
Visual Storyteller Abby Cantrell (@abbycantrell) stands in nice mall light for a portrait before our shoot.
Abby, I couldn’t have asked for a better video partner. You are always on your A-Game and I’m constantly learning from you. Thank you for your hard work in filming, scrubbing through all the footage and being unphased by the endless hours of work put into this project.
Journalist Brooklynn Cooper (@ibrookyyy) sits in her hotel room reflecting after a long day of reporting in Medellín, Colombia.
B, you’re awesome. I appreciate you for always listening and for your support. Every day, I look forward to our text conversations because they lighten my day — they are way too funny. Can’t wait to see the work you produce.
Visual Storyteller Jason Armond (@jasonarmondphotography) enjoying some downtime during filming in Medellín, Colombia.
Jason, our honorary member. My brother from another mother. Thank you for being genuine and always having my back. Can’t wait to get this podcast started.
Morning Light in Medellín, Colombia.
- Bryan
My grandmother and mother in Havana, Cuba in 1976.
“The saddest thing about life is that you don’t remember half of it. You don’t even remember half of half of it,” writes Donald Miller in A Million Miles in a Thousand Years. Miller continues by sharing how his friend Bob “captures memories because if he forgets them, it’s as if they didn’t happen; it’s as though he hadn’t lived the parts he doesn’t remember.”
This made me think about what I do as a visual storyteller. I am allowed to document a small part of history, someone’s history every time I pick up a camera. I think that’s special. Visual mediums allow us to preserve the past, document the present, and inform the future in a very special way.
Personally, I experienced this power of photography when just recently, a family member brought 35mm slides from Cuba. In the pack of about 50 slides, there were images I had never seen of my great-grandmother, grandmother, and mom in Havana. Had it not been for a photographer who decided to pick up his camera 40 years ago and photograph my family, I wouldn’t be able to witness this part of my family’s history.
This is one of the greatest things we do as visual storytellers. Every time someone allows us into their lives and we start documenting this part of history, their story, we are helping preserve these memories.
Even if you’re not a visual storyteller, I would challenge you to start documenting your own journey and the lives of those you love. Take as many selfies as your iPhone allows you to and then some. Takes photos on every trip, at every family gathering, sporting event, concert, and wherever else life may take you. Capture every memory as you strive to at least remember half of half of your life.
For a while now, I've been wanting to update my blog with some of the work I've been doing. These are photos that I am doing for assignments or personal projects that I would like to constantly share.
I'll start by posting the game I covered at Madison Square Garden that featured the Syracuse Orange vs St. John's.
You can find the whole shoot at The Newshouse: https://www.flickr.com/photos/thenewshouse/albums/72157662210831402
Here are some of my favorite takes from the shoot:
